Year: 1861




With the exception of colds, which are
quite prevalent, the general health of the
company is good. There are only two in
Hosp pital, and they are not considered Sc
riously i'll, but will without doubt be on
duty again before this will have reached
you. Especially are the "Butties" doing
finely and feeling finely too. The spirits
of the boys are equally as elastic as when
on that October mornlng-so long to be
remembered-they left the beautiful vii
lage of 9. Our hope and prayer is that
they never may have occasion to feel 9TH
erwise. AS a company, Notwithstanding
that our advantages have been far behind
those enjoyed by most of the others in
possessing officers many whom have seen
service and nearly if not all of them been
occupied for some months in drilling, we
are making rapid progress in the art of
war The Colonel has complemented us
more than once in highly gratifying terms.
Our progress is owing mainly to the eff
forts of Capt Jones and Orderly Sergeant
Baker, both of them making efficient Off
GERS and sparing no pains to make efficient
soldiers of the men. They have been in
defatiguable in their exertions which are
having the desired effect, that of making
US look, act, and feel more and more like
soldiers every day. Nor should | forget
to mention Judge (now Sergeant Lewis.
He too makes a fine officer, and one aoeH
liked By all the men. He has not been
backward in the discharge of the duties
pertaining TO his position. Soldering is
not such terrible thing after all. We
are apt to get the idea, away up among
the peaceful hills and valleys of Old Pot
ter, that when one gets in Camp he is
done for This is not the case. True we
have rules and regulations which to the
citizen at first take the form of unneces-
sary rigor and restraint. But to the OBJ
serving mind there is nothing of the kind
We are soldiers, we must conform to the
duties of soldier. "Uncle Sam pays
US literally, and provides the necessaries
if not the elegancies Of life. All that is
asked IN return is that we conform to the
army regulations which are not one whit
too strong, easily learned AID as easily
conformed to- In addition, We have the
consciousness Of being engaged in holy
cause-and when it comes to fighting, of
fighting for the preservation and peIpet-
uatiOn Of the best Government the sun
ever shone upon,-lf We fall, of glora-
Gus death. Would that | could add, that
our swords are S00n to be unsheathed,
neUer, to be returned to the scabbard un-
til the dccurSed institution which has
brought our beloved country to the brink
of the frightful chasm 'disunion" should
be wiped from off the face of the earth.
] arn not, strictly speaking, an abolition
ist, but when | see the fearful fruits of
the SldUe. h0ider'S rebellion, it causes me
to desire the total roofing out of its cause.
The other day [ overheard one of the
"human chattels" il conversation with
some of the boys, saying that if the peo-
pie of the free North would only say,
'you, like US are men, you are free, come
on, we will place in your hands arms"
we would soon, very soon meet with such
a response, as echoing from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, would settle rebellion at
once and forever, and it ought to be done
This policy of fighting thing and at the
same time nursing it, is IN my opinion,
to be lamented for disguise it as best we
may, it is Slavery against which we strug-
gle; and though laying no claim to
spirit Of propecy, yet We do venture the
prediction, that just so lcng as our sol
diers are compelled to return fugitive
slaves, just so long will this war endure.
The rebels handle US out so gingerly they
stop not to ask whether or no we will be
suited. What care they? 1t is the
Union which they are trying to sunder,
and they stop not to make faces at any
thing likely TO forward their wicked de-
signs. Why, then sir, should we be more
tender of their pet notions than they Of
ours? In the name of outraged humanity,
why not toraoard, why not proclaim thro'
Congressional intervention that the slaves
of rebels are slaves no longer; that they
are free; that should they choose 10 bring
their good right arms to bear against
their oppressors, they will be furnished
with arms and equipments for the encoun-
ter; my word for it, the idea of South
ern Confederacy based upon human bond
age would be but myth existing only
in the brains of madmen it would take
but few short months to return our
country to peace. and with its sturdy yeo
manry initiated into the mysteries of war
fare, cheaking the naughty assumptions
of foreign powers, the foundation of a
prosperity boundless as the universe and
inexhautible as the sunshine of Heaven
will have been laid. The experiment of
a free Government will have been estab-
lichad and that +oo hovond cavil Wa