Bully for Old Lancaster, Cock-a-Doodle Doo

In the second week of August 1862, Union General Don Carlos Buell and Confederate General Braxton Bragg began putting their armies in motion.  Bragg put his army in motion to strike north into Kentucky, and Buell started shuffling his deployments as he myopically reacted to bits and pieces of information.  For the 79th Pennsylvania, this mostly meant staying put on detached duty around Manchester, Tennessee, repairing telegraphs and fortifying bridges.

Gen. William Sooy Smith
(Source)

Various Union brigades passed through, including one of U.S. Regulars, and this socialization within the army had the effect of enhancing the self-perception of the Lancaster County Regiments as one of the best drilled and disciplined in the whole army.  As Fencibles band member O.C.M. Caines put it,

A few days after our boys got into camp, and had cleaned up their equipments and arms, we had a regimental drill and parade.  The General [William Sooy Smith] was present, and complimented the Colonel (and us) by saying we were not only the best drilled, but decidedly the cleanest regiment he had yet seen in the service.  Bully for old Lancaster, cock-a-doodle doo, two or three times, with several cackles, from the egg producers. 

Col. Hambright's men yearned for battle honors to back up what they could do a parade ground.  Caines continued, fatefully, "One thing certain, if we are not a fighting Regiment, we are a travelling one, but who knows there may be luck in store for us yet."

The following letter, by Hospital Steward John B. Chamberlain, was published in the August 16, 1862, Daily Inquirer: (alternate link)


Also, this letter, by O.C.M. Caines, was published in the August 16, 1862, Daily Inquirer: (alternate link)

Cut Off

Monument of the 7th Penna. Cav.
(PA at Chickamauga and Chattanooga)

After the Union excursion to Chattanooga in early June 1862 (in which the 79th Pennsylvania played a central role), Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was sent to the area to organize cavalry to disrupt Union operations in the area.  In mid-July, Forrest's new command became active, striking Union cavalry detachments--including the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry--and taking them by surprise in an engagement known as the First Battle of Murfreesboro.

As the Confederate raid on Murfreesboro put Forrest's cavalry halfway between Nashville and the 79th Pennsylvania, it caused significant concern and sparked rumors in Lancaster.  Guerrilla forces also started acting up around this time, murdering Capt. T. H. Reynolds, sutler of the 78th Pennsylvania, in an ambush.

The 79th Pennsylvania continued camping and guard duties around Shelbyville, Tennessee, as Union troops began to build up in the area.  They guarded bridges, built forts, and played a minor role in the reactions to various emergencies in the region.  Various rumors reached Lancaster, including the wholesale capture of the 79th Pennsylvania, and updates from the regiments' soldiers correspondents (reprinted below) had the additional role of dismissing wild rumors.

Increased Confederate aggressiveness in this region foreshadowed a Confederate invasion of Kentucky that would shape the rest of the year.  Confederate commander Gen. Braxton Bragg began assembling his forces around Chattanooga and temporarily turned the war's tide in the Western Theater as he struck north for Kentucky.  The Union army, including the 79th Pennsylvania, followed and played a key role in the culminating event of Bragg's invasion, the Battle of Perryville, on October 8, 1862.

Three letters from soldiers in the 79th Pennsylvania appeared in the Lancaster Daily Inquirer covering the regiment's activity in this time period.  First, a letter from O.C.M. Caines of the Fencibles Band that appeared in the July 25, 1862, Inquirer: (alternate link)


Second, a letter from Charles W. Wiley of Company B from the July 28, 1862, Inquirer: (alternate link)


Finally, a full-length letter from Hospital Steward John B. Chamberlain from the August 8, 1862, Inquirer: (alternate link)

The Capture of Capt. Kendrick's Detail

Capt. William G. Kendrick (WGK)

On May 2, 1862, Capt. William G. Kendrick (bio), the regiment's senior line officer, and his detached detail serving with the the telegraph corps near Pulaski, Tennessee, were interrupted by Confederate cavalry under the notorious John Hunt Morgan (bio).  The rebel horsemen approached unrecognized to within twenty yards of the detail before leveling their rifles at Capt. Kendrick, who was in no position to resist.  Kendrick recounted

The first thing I knew twenty rifles were leveled at me by a desperate gang of Guerillas swearing they wold kill me if I moved.  One snapped his piece.  Had it gone off I might not be now writing this letter.  Such is the fortune of war.  I took supper with Capt. Morgan.  He and all his officers treated me as a gentleman.  I had not one unkind word spoken to me after I got in the town by the Rebel soldiers.  The ladies were very jubilant over our Capture.  I had my album and the little boys ambrotypes with me.  An old lady asked if I had children.  I showed the little boys.  She shed tears over them saying poor, dear little fellows, their father a prisoner and so far from them.  There was quite a rush of ladies to see them, nearly all pronouncing them the handsomest of children they ever saw.  I soon had a number of friends amongst the women, who pitied me for the sake of my dear little boys.  [WGK 5/3/1862]

John Hunt Morgan (Source)

Word of the capture of Capt. Kendrick and ten or fifteen others from the Lancaster County Regiment quickly got back to Negley's brigade camp thirty miles north in Columbia and caused much excitement.  Around midnight, four companies--Companies C, E, I, and G--of the 79th Pennsylvania with some cavalry and artillery set out in the darkness to find out what was going on.  As a corporal in Company E, correspondent Elias H. Witmer made the forced overnight march of thirty-one miles.  When the expeditionary force came within five miles of Pulaski, they ran Kendrick and the others, who had been lumped in with 200 prisoners from Gen. Mitchell's division and paroled.  

The incident clearly elicited the fighting spirit of the men in the 79th Pennsylvania.  Witmer, the Mountville storekeeper, concluded his letter by creatively asserting, "A dead codfish could as easily climb a greased sapling, tail foremost, with a loaf of bread in his mouth, as a band of these marauders to whip the Lancaster Co. Regiment."  His entire letter describing the expedition, published in the May 14, 1862, Daily Evening Express, is here: (alternate link)


As paroled prisoners, Capt. Kendrick and the other men returned from the front lines. I'm not sure how the exchange process worked, but Kendrick sat out the rest of 1862 and would rejoin the army as a key staff officer for Gen. Negley.

'Mudsills Indeed': Judge Caines' Letter from Camp Negley

Temporary bridge over the Nolin River built and used by Negley's Brigade to move south.
(Frank Leslie's Illustrated February 15, 1863)

Rain and snow for a few days straight meant that the 79th Pennsylvania's new home, Camp Negley, would be nowhere near as comfortable as Camp Nevin.  On December 2, both of the correspondents of the Inquirer wrote back to Lancaster. While "Ipse Dixit" simply added a quick note to go along with his letter of November 24, "Judge" O.C.M. Caines of the regimental band gave a lengthy account of the 79th Pennsylvania and the muck and mud in which it camped.

Caines' letter touches on many of the topics that have made the blog over the last couple weeks, but I was particularly struck by one rich sentence about the regiment's giving up the cozy comforts of Camp Nevin for another camp only a mile or two away: 

Now what could be the object of going through so much to arrive at so little, as the school boy said when flogged into the learning of his A B C, I cannot say, unless it was to verify the soubriquet of the Southern Chivalry, that we are Mudsills, for this is the dirtiest spot of any we have yet occupied or ever will, I hope.  

Besides the self-deprecating humor about his ability to judge the wisdom of military matters, there's actually some important historical context that I didn't know about initially regarding the reference to "mudsills," which is the board sitting directly on top of a house's foundation as the lowest sill of the house.  Stemming from the famous 1858 "Cotton is King" speech by Senator James Henry Hammond of South Carolina, "Mudsill theory"--a sort of reverse Marxism--justifies the exploitation of African Americans as slaves and immigrant laborers, saying that it is necessary and good for society to set aside a group of people to do menial work:

In all social systems there must be a class to do the menial duties, to perform the drudgery of life. That is, a class requiring but a low order of intellect and but little skill. Its requisites are vigor, docility, fidelity. Such a class you must have, or you would not have that other class which leads progress, civilization, and refinement. It constitutes the very mud-sill of society and of political government; and you might as well attempt to build a house in the air, as to build either the one or the other, except on this mud-sill. Fortunately for the South, she found a race adapted to that purpose to her hand. A race inferior to her own, but eminently qualified in temper, in vigor, in docility, in capacity to stand the climate, to answer all her purposes. We use them for our purpose, and call them slaves. We found them slaves by the common "consent of mankind," which, according to Cicero, "lex naturae est." The highest proof of what is Nature's law. We are old-fashioned at the South yet; slave is a word discarded now by "ears polite;" I will not characterize that class at the North by that term; but you have it; it is there; it is everywhere; it is eternal. 

Showing their literacy in antebellum politics and antipathy for "the South" as they understand it, many mud-encrusted Northern soldiers in the Western Theater adopted the derogatory term and called themselves mudsills with pride.  One soldier of the 21st Wisconsin who fought alongside the 79th Pennsylvania at the Battle of Perryville even entitled his memoir Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill. 

From the December 7, 1861, Inquirer:

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Camp Nevin, Dec. 2.

Since my last letter we have moved about one and a half miles forward from our old camp.  The surgeon has "appropriated" an empty house, formerly occupied by a secesher, for the use of the sick.

At last our long looked for sutlers have arrived.  They are the most welcome visitors we have sen for many a day.  They appear to be anxious to deal fairly with the men, and will not charge six or ten prices for any article.  The surgeon general says that our is the most healthy regiment that has yet reported to him.  All letters should be directed as formerly--care of Col. Hambright, Neagley's Brigade, Camp Nevin, Nolin P.O., Hardin county, Ky.  Yours,

Ipse Dixit

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Camp Negley, Nolin, Hardin co., Ky.
December 2, 1861

Mr. Editor: I received your very acceptable Inquirer of the 23rd ult., with much pleasure, except the orders, but as I am among the soldiers, I must obey.  As the old sailor remarked to a passenger, on board ship, in a calm, when he called on old Boreas to blow.  Yes, yes it is easy to say blow, but where is the wind to come from; so it is with me, what am I to write about.

We have no news, except what we receive from our friends at home, and it seems as if you all know more about the movements of the rebels in Kentucky and Tennessee, than we do here.  We were very comfortably fixed at camp Nevin, many of the boys having their tents floored over, some with old boards, others with fence rails; but mostly with young saplings, and some were warmed with underground flues, constructed in the most primitive style, with short cuts of saplings, plastered with mud.  We had also constructed a bake oven, equal in size to any in Lancaster, with bricks obtained by tearing down the chimney of a new house, in the village of Nolin, that belonged to Captain in the rebel army.  The regimental bakers, are Herman Gercke, Adam Ripple and George Fordney, the fruit of their labor was most excellent.  Another advantage of the oven was, that to those who could afford it, and watched the chances, a roast pig, turkey, or rabbit pot pit, &c, would grace their tables, and tickle the palates of their invited friends--of course I got my full share.  But alas, a change came o'er the spirit of our dram of future comfort, for on last Tuesday morning, the orders were given to strike tents and march, which feat we accomplished about noon.

After crossing Bacon creek [I think he might mean Nolin River], on a bridge of felled trees, covered with fence rails, straw and dirt, gotten up for this special occasion at very little expense to management, and for that day only, as they say on the theatre bills, (a freshet washed it away that night) we arrived our present location, a distance of about 2 1/2 miles south west of our old camp.  Now what could be the object of going through so much to arrive at so little, as the school boy said when flogged into the learning of his A B C, I cannot say, unless it was to verify the soubriquet of the Southern Chivalry, that we are Mudsills, for this is the dirtiest spot of any we have yet occupied or ever will, I hope.  Mudsills indeed had you seen me yesterday trying to navigate the various posts between the islands of tough clay, you would have thought I was a mud sprout, wading through one and sticking fast in the other.  How long we are to remain here I know not, for as the contraband preacher said to his congregation, "while man [out of focus]."

On Tuesday night it rained with a perfect disregard to our comfort, and has either rained or snowed every day since.  We have now, about three inches of snow on the ground, and that upon a soft bottom makes regimental drills, guard mounts, &c., rather a more [out of focus], than pleasant exercise.  The health of the men continues to be very good, there being but eleven on the sick list to day, which you must admit is a very small per centage of 984 men.  My quarters are located in a piece of open woodland, about two acres of which were cut down, for the formation of the camp.  The three companies on the right of the regiment are equally fortunate, but after that the old corn field commences, and the left is on the verge of the swamp I alluded to.

Messrs. Taylor and Hartman, our Sutlers, arrived in camp on Friday last, both looking well.  The distributed a number of letters and packages that had been entrusted to their care.  All of their goods have not yet come to hand, owing to various delays, among others the loss of a long bridge between this and Louisville, destroyed by the late freshet.

To day they pitched their tent, and will commence business to-morrow, with the stock on hand; their arrival has been anxiously looked for, and they were cordially welcomed.

In regard to the numerous inquiries about the camp regulations, and the changes reported to have been made in our regiment, I pronounce the whole of them false.  The men of the regiment are not opposed to the Colonel, but on the contrary they pride them selves, not only on having the Colonel not only of the Brigade, but of the Division--That he is a martinet and strict disciplinarian, we all knew before we left home, or joined his command; and his being so has made us (what is conceded by General Negley and others of his rank,) the best drilled and most reliable regiment in the camp, taking in account the very short time we have been in the field.  And I believe the men would and will follow him to the battle field with the confidence of victory.
As a proof of it you read in the Express that an exchange of companies was to be made, by turning over Capt. McBride's Alegheny company to Col. Stambaugh, so as to make room for Cap. Pyfer's company, fifty of whom have arrived in camp with the captain.  McBride's company to a man swear they will not be exchanged, as they went to serve under Hambright, as they have confidence in his ability and courage.  What disposition will be made of Pyfer's men is not yet settled.  The General and his officers speak of making twelve companies in our regiment, giving us the artillery and Capt. Pyfer.  It looks something like it, as they moved their stables to the field in our rear.

There was a slight misunderstanding as to the colors.  The Colonel was right--the governor making the mistake at the presentation; but there was no ill feeling--on the contrary, General Negley presented the Regiment with a most splendid blue silk flag,--with the national coat of arms, and again our Regiment retains the right of the Brigade on all general parades.  To show still farther the good feeling existing, when Gen. Negley left camp for Louisville, Hambright had full command as acting Brigadier General until his return.  As to the reports of Captains Gumpf's and Whitesides's removal, they are equally as false.  The truth is some men may make good school teachers and scribblers, but poor soldiers--more fond of seeing themselves and morbid ideas in print, than showing their dainty bodies on the field learning their duty as soldiers and not to meddle with the affairs of their superiors.

Our regiment is rapidly improving and the men are contented and happy--very proud of their officers, and all stand fair to accomplish their desire to be the best drilled regiment in the division.  Captain Pyfer is here with a part of his company, and Lieut. Ober is daily expected with the balance.  "Ipse Dixit" joins me in the desire to be remembered to all our fiends of the 'Big U.'

As it is near the hour of Tatoo, after which all lights are forbidden, I must close.  As ever,

Yours Truly,
The Judge

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Another Letter by the "Judge": Louisville and Camp Nevin

Union Troops Pass through Louisville (HW 10/19/1861)

Today's letter is another from jovial regimental band member Oscar C. M. Caines, aka "The Judge," and the first from Camp Nevin, where the regiment would spend a little over a month.  One theme that we can draw out when we get past Caines' playful banter (e.g., "our first soprano, Daniel Clemens") is the extension of Lancaster's institutions to the regiment's camp in Kentucky.  The reference to the "corner" is I believe a reference to Lancaster City's Centre Square (now Penn Square) and a group of men who regularly interacted there before the war, perhaps due to their business interests.

With more certainty, I can say "big 'U'" refers to Lancaster's Union Fire Company, a fire company over 100 years old and a who's who organization of prominent Lancasterians.  From a history of the Union No. 1 at the Lancaster County Historical Society, "the response board of Lancaster County Emergency Communications maintains an active tap-out signal for Union Fire Company No. 1, even though the organization has no equipment and the fire house is the Willson Memorial Building of the Lancaster County Historical Society."  Besides Caines, I wouldn't expect too many other Union Fire Company members in the 79th Pennsylvania, as they were well-represented in Company B, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves, aptly named the "Union Guards." 

From the November 2, 1861, Inquirer: (Thanks again to reader Andi Beyer for re-typing this letter.)

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Camp Nevin, Ky., Oct. 27th, 1861.

Friend Wylie: Our Regiment left Pittsburg, on Friday evening, Oct. 18th at 4 o'clock being delayed by the accident, to our boat, read, in your Pittsburg exchange papers. - There was only three seriously injured, C. R. Frailey Adjutant, a private named Landis, and our first soprano, Daniel Clemens, the two former receiving severe contusions of the brain and the latter, having the small bone of his left arm broken, near the wrist. I am happy to inform you that they are all recovering rapidly, Clemens took his place in the Band last Monday, the same day we received by Telegram, the news, that Frailey and Landis would join us in a week. You cannot imagine the feelings of the men on the boat, when the dispatch was read, three cheers and a Bengal Tiger, were given with a will and a roar, that made the broken part of the old boat groan anew. We are all looking for their arrival daily, and when the Adjutant arrives the "Corner" will be all right again.

Our fleet of six steamers, arrived at the city of Louisville, on Monday the 21st, at 6 o'clock P. M. The men remained on board the boats, until Tuesday morning; at 10 A. M., marched out to Oakland, a distance of 3 miles, pitched tents, and formed Camp Lyons, no straw with a cold rainy night. Struck tents at 6 A. M. on Wednesday, and marched to the Memphis Depot, where by the liberality of the citizens, we ate a hearty breakfast of bread, cold ham, and hot coffee. Marched out to the commons for Regimental drill, (there not being cars enough to convey the whole brigade.) Returned to Depot at 5 P. M., ate our supper of coffee, ham and bread.

Our Colonel, not wishing to quarter his men in the depot, marched us to Boone's Tobacco warehouse, on Main street, between 9th & 10th, occupied by Wm. E. Glover & Co., it was dark when we arrived, and the warehouse closed, the watchman declined admitting us, as they had on that day, stored 1200 hogsheads of tobacco. Word was sent to Mr. Glover, a whole sould Union man, who sent word back to break open the doors, and roll the tobacco on the street if necessary, to make room; but it was found that there was room enough and some to spare. I propose Wm. E. Glover of Louisville, Kentucky, as an honorary member of the "big U," and if elected, that the Secretary be directed to notify him of the same.

For the second time since leaving home, the Band left the quarters, to serenade some staunch Union men, the first one was Captain Shelby, who entertained the band bountifully; the next was Marshall Halbert Esq., on Broadway, whose house, on the morning of our arrival, was literally covered with banners of the right stripe; and the yard in front of the house was crowded with the youth and beauty of Louisville, each lady with a banner in hand, waving a welcome to the Pennsylvanians. Mr. Halbert followed Capt. Shelby's example. - Next was to Mrs. Henry, the chief of the Patariotic Daughters, (bless that name, it sounds of home,) and the last was given to Capt. Gilbert, who was wounded at Bull's Run. On our return to quarters, Capt. Barker of Gen. Neagly's staff invited the band to Walkers Restaurant, and then, and there, in violation of the army regulations, fed us on Prairie chickens, beefsteaks, ham and eggs, &c. &c., an Oasis in Desert, (of our stomach,) arrived at the Louisville Hotel, where by the kindness of General Neagly, we were provided with lodgings and an early breakfast, arrived at quarters by sunrise, in time to escape, what would have been an unpleasant finale to our previous nights pleasures.

Our present location is about fifty miles South by West from Louisville, and one mile from the railroad. The camp is situated on rising ground, dry, and of course healthy. Our Brigade is annexed to General McCook's Division, and it is said by those competent to know, that he has now from 25 to 30,000 men, within a circuit of five or six miles. The main body of the rebels under General Buckner, are within 20 miles of us; the picket guard are on the move day and night, from three to five miles beyond the camp guards.

The health of the men in the 77th (our) Regiment is A No. 1, which I attribute in a great measure, to the skill and attention of Dr. Albright, aided by good and subtantial food, and the temperate habits of the men. Whiskey is as scarce in our camp as money, and you might shake every man and not disturb the repose of a single dime. I have a three cent coin in my pocket, the balance on hand when we left Camp Wilkins. I intend to keep it until my return to Lancaster, when I will ask my old friend Harry Zahm to fix a ring to suspend it with, as a memento of the times when I had neither money nor the need of any.

Our rations are composed of fresh beef or smoked ham, shoulders or side pieces, coffee or black tea, beans or rice, molasses, biscut, (bread for those that can bake it, for we have plenty of excellent flour,) soap and candles daily. Those who have money to purchase, or any overplus of provisions to barter, can obtain eggs, milk, butter, potatoes, cabbage, &c.

The prices charged are somewhat singular in their average. For instance they charge ten cents a quart for milk, and only fifteen cents per pound for excellent butter, ordinary heads of cabbage, five cents each, and sweet potatoes forty cents a bushel. Our musical mess have this moment returned from a trading expedition, they have three pounds of butter, two dozen of eggs, and two quarts of milk. Fritters for supper, good; I can enjoy, and do, most heartily all the food, except the biscuts; they are a persimmon above my huckleberry, (teeth.) Unfortunately for me, I must have stood on the extreme left of the rear, when the molars were distributed, as I received a poor sett. I have only two left, that can make any impression on what our boys call the Jersey pies, but I thank Nature for those two, being opposite. To see me eating one, would remind you of a grey squirrel, nibbling at a hard shellbark, turning it about to hunt a soft spot to begin on, but when we soak them over night, and fry them in ham fat for breakfast, coated with molasses, they disappear like buckwheat cakes on a frosty morning. Go awry little boy you - daddy's sick, none left for you.

We, that is, the regimental quarter-master and the Adjutant (when he returns), and myself, are quartered on the North West corner of the camp; would be "the corner," you see, but with this difference, we have none of the "nutritious element" here, and I am free to say that we all (or both rather,) acknowledge the corn, that it is no loss, but an advantage to us. Do not think I write thus, on the fox and grape idea, or like Jack who would not eat his supper, for it is a truth, and if you doubt it, why try it on for a month or so, and report progress. There is a rumor in our camp, that Gen. Rosseau of the Kentucky Brigade, McCook's division, has orders to strike tents, and advance ten miles forward, towards Bowling Green, if so we will no doubt follow in a day or two.

Truly Yours, The Judge

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Backtrack: Oscar Caines' Letter from Pittsburgh

1874 Lithograph of Pittsburgh by Otto Krebs (Source)

Thanks to blog reader Andi Beyer for typing up the following letter from low-quality photographs of the original newspaper.

Although I intend to post letters 150 years after the date they were written, I wasn't able to post this letter two weeks ago as it's from the Lancaster Inquirer, a newspaper not on microfilm.  Thanks to the work of reader Andi Beyer, you can now view the following typed copy below.  

The letter's author, Oscar C. M. Caines, joined Col. Hambright's regiment as part of the famed Fencibles Band.  Known teasingly as "Judge Caines"--presumably because he supervised construction of the Lancaster County Courthouse--Caines left Lancaster promising an occasional letter to editor Stuart A. Wylie of the Inquirer, a formerly Democratic paper that threw its full support to the war effort and the Union Party in September 1861.  I'll have more on Caines and Wylie in a post down the road.

From the October 19, 1861, Lancaster Inquirer:

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Camp Wilkins, Pittsburg,
October, 13, 1861.

Friend Wylie: I take advantage of the first leisure day (being Sunday), that I have had, since being in camp, to fulfil my promise of writing to you. We had a rough time in getting here--Tuesday night on the road--in the meanest kind of a car, arriving at camp about 8 o'clock on Wednesday evening, ate a supper prepared by our friends, Captains Duchman and Wickersham; then marched a distance of three miles to the City Hall, each man selecting a soft plank for his bed, with anything he could find for a pillow. Those who obtained haversacks, by the kindness of the "Patriotic Daughter," fared the best--Your humble servant, having on his best duds, selected three old chairs and a carpenter's saw-buck, for a bed and pillow, and I assure you we all slept soundly until near daylight, when wishing to change my position, I fell out of bed, thus disturbing the slumbers of the fat Trombone. As you may suppose there was something said in very pure, but strong Teutonic language, which as I did not understand, I cannot repeat. At sunrise, that is if it ever does rise over this city of smoke and fogs, we started for camp, were again fed, and set to work at pitching tents, getting straw, drawing rations, and beginning our camp life in all its details; and at this time we are all conveniently quartered, and well and fully provided for in all that is necessary for our comfort.--The men are being clothed and equipped rapidly and we expect by the close of tomorrow to have all our equipments complete.

We, that is us, are "all hunk," and our music attracts large crowds daily. There could not have been less than five thousand persons present at our evening parade to-day. It is conceded by all that ours is the best band that ever encamped, or was heard here.

While I am writing this, divine service is being performed in camp. Nearly or quite all of the companies of our regiment, under the care of an officer, were permitted to attend church in the city this morning. The men were all orderly in their deportment, and I truly say, that they give evidence of being not only a crack, but a model regiment. Our Colonel is very energetic in perfecting his men in their duties--six drills daily--two by squads; two by companies; two by regimental parades, and guard mounting, so you can see we have no idle hours.

When we first came here it was generally supposed our destination was either Missouri or Kentucky; now it is thought to be Western Virginia; but be it where it may our friends may rest assured that the Rifles under the lead of our gallant Colonel will render a good account of themselves.

Now for self. Can you not make some arrangement to send us some five or six papers occasionally. Although the time is short since we had the pleasure of reading your very interesting and instructive paper in our homes, yet you can not imagine with what eagerness the men seek for a paper from good old Lancaster. I read your Saturday morning issue this evening, and sincerely hope that when "we meet the enemy we will not be theirs." Our old friend Wm. Thackara, is standing guard at the door of the Quarter-master's Department, where and while I am writing this, he takes to a soldier's life like a young duck does to water - naturally. Remember me to all my friends of the "big U,"(1)  and excuse this rambling epistle. Let me hear from you as soon as you recover from your late defeat and believe me, I remain as ever,

Your Friend, The Judge.

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Notes:

(1)  Union Fire Company