1             Bucks County Intelligencer,  From the 104th Regiment.  January 26, 1864  Page 3  Col. 1            1

 

From the 104th Regiment.—From a letter date on

the 7th instant, received at this office a few days since, we

make some extracts of interest.  The regiment had just re-

turned from a tour of picket duty on Morris Island.  This

duty is one of great hardship especially as the men who

perform it are often left to take care of themselves, while,

according to the statement of our correspondent, the officers

are prone to seek a place of shelter and comfort.  Whiskey,

he says, is the great evil of the service in that department ;

while the soldiers are fighting and toiling and working for

their country, too many of the officers appear to care for

nothing but money and drink.  From 100 to 150 men from

each regiment go on picket at one, making a force of 500 to

600 on duty at once.  The black soldiers take part in picket

duty, and always appear happy and contented.  They sing

and perform their antics all night long.  They make a great

deal of sport for the white soldiers.  Two deserters came

into camp on the night of the 6th, and five more next morn-

ing.  They were from a vessel in Charleston harbor.  They

had traveled all night, and undergone great hard-ships in their

effort to gain the shelter of the stars and stripes.  They

reported that the people of Charleston were in a starving

condition, and that they are trying to construct a machine to

blow up the Ironsides, but hitherto all their efforts have

failed.  Fort Sumpter is now garrisoned by one thousand or

fifteen hundred men.  Several promotions have been made

in the 104th recently.  Lieutenant Scarborough of Company

C has been made a Captain; Lieutenant John McLaughlin

has been appointed captain of Company A.  Lieut. Edwin

Fretz has been made first lieutenant of the same company ;

Lieut. Myers of Company G has been made first lieutenant ;

and Lieut. Charles G. Cadwallader first lieutenant of Com-

pany K.  Sergeant-Major Julius B. Tyson has been appointed

first lieutenant of Company C; Orderly Shaffer of Company

D to the first lieutenancy of his company; and Orderly

Glase of Company E to a first lieutenancy.  Sergeant John-

son of Company E has been appointed Sergeant-Major in place

of Tyson promoted.  Lieut. Lehnan has received the ap-

pointment of Quartermaster in place of James D. Hendrie

discharged.  Several sergeants have also received promotions

to the post of orderly.  Captain Alfred Marple is in com-

mand of the regiment, in the absence of Lieut.-Col. Hart

and Major Rogers.  Captain Pickering of Company K is now

quartered at brigade head-quarters, being chief inspector of

the brigade.

A postscript written on the 10th informs us that the regi-

ment had been on another tour of picket duty at Fort Wag-

ner, lasting 24 hours.  The health of the regiment was ex-

cellent.  Sergeant McAleer, who was badly hurt some time

since, is improving, and travels about on his crutches.  Since

the former writing, Orderly Williams of Company I has been

appointed first lieutenant.  There is talk that the regiment

is to move to soon to St. Helena, to join in an expedition that is

paid to be on the programme.