Year: 1861

| Dec. 18th, 1861.

 DEAR ENQUIRER Our long talked-of march to Frederick has at length come off, and to all appearance, our present camp will be our per. manent winter quarter. The new tents have ar. rived. They are of the Sibley pattern, five to a company, and are warmed by double cylinder stoves fitted to the center poles which serves as pipes, being hollow iron tubes. do not believe, and say it with all confidence that there is re- giment in the service in better condition so far as comforts and accommodations are concerned than the Fifth Connecticut

 | When we first arrived in camp, Col. Ferry made us one of his laconic but pithy speeches, in which there were many touches of true mili- tary. He promised to get for the regiment and do for the regiment all that lay in his power, and he asked in return that the boys should prove themselves worthy of confidence. Every intelli. gent man in the regiment knows that he has done his whole duty in the past, and believes he will fulfil his promise, for the future.

 The site of our camp is in snug nook among the hills where the sun shines cheerfully the whole day long. Before we could pitch our tents, many sturdy monarchs of the forest had to bow beneath the axe and many an old stump had to be dug out with spade and pick. Our boys showed themselves as expert with these tools of peace and civilization as with the imple- ments of war. Your readers can hardly imagine the immense amount of work that is necessary to pitch a camp in the woods But there is feeling of independence quite fascinating in thus clearing claim and locating in the virgin forest l as did our fathers before us

 The city of Frederick, from which our camp is distant about four miles, is not exactly under martial law, but the military arm is in strong force there. The place is literally filled with soldiers. General Banks Body Guard, Captain Collis' Zouaves and the Sd Wisconsin, whose commanding officer, Colonel Ruger, was by re. quest of the citizens of Frederick, appointed Provost Marshal, are the most conspicuous. If you go into a barber shop or a daguerreah gallery, you have to wait for your turn until ar. tillery, infantry and cavalry are waited upon. After long exercise of time and patience in recent visit, I succeeded in getting No 10 in one of the former, and No. 20 in one of the latter places.

 To all appearance, Frederick is now strong Union place, and displays the right flag from sl- most every building. The division in passing through, was received with considerable enthusi. asm. Business must have received a sudden i'm. pulse from the arrival of so large body of men.

 Our boys are not sorry on the whole to be re. licved from picket duty on the Potomac. Many more comfortable situations for winters night can be conceived of, than narrow tow.path be. tween two bodies of water, the river on one side dnu tue cdildl Ou tue Otner, Wltu SChnt Supply of fre-wood. Long after the battle of Balls Bluff, the bodies of our soldiers were found on the islands in the river, and when on picket, less than fortnight ago, l was informed by one of the lock-keepers that he found the bodies of two men on neighboring island, both of them ap- parently soldiers. One of them had the daguer- reotype of a young lady in his pocket, whom the man described as very beautiful. Many a sad story is told by the waifs which the river washes up on its shores, but many more sad secrets are borne along in it bosom to the waters of the ocean. But this is Aggression.

 Our dress parades make quite sensation among the inhabitants of the neighborhood. The whole regiment is supplied with white gloves, which compensate in great measure for defects in other more important articles of apparel. It seems little like old times in Hartford too see citizens straying about the camp and looking at the parades and drills. The great phrase in Maryland is fright smart The people say, " There is right smart of soldiers about yer, and they'll stay right smart time, l reckon" These idioms please the boys greatly, and you will hear them often firing them at one another.

 The weather for the past last fortnight has been lovely, more like the balmy days of the In. dian Summer than the commencement of win ter. Even the nights are growing warmer, and I should not wonder if winter were to be left out entirely from the years calendar.

 Truly Yours, D,