1 Bucks County Intelligencer,  From the Ringgold (104th) Regiment.  February 25, 1862  Page 1  Col. 5 1

 

LETTERS FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS.

From the Ringgold (104th) Regiment.

Correspondence of the Bucks County Intelligencer.

Carver Barracks, WASHINGTON,

February 15, 1862.

Messrs. Prizer & Darlington :—This has been a week more like

olden times.  To the surprise of every one, Sunday morn-

ing broke on us clear and beautiful.  The whole day was

as pleasant as could be desired, and by time for dress

parade the ground had settled and dried off so that we

went through the ceremony with some satisfaction.  As I

gazed down the line, I could not help thinking of Camp

Lacey and of home.  It very much resembled one of our

dress parades on a pleasant Sunday afternoon, save in the

absence of a long line of admiring friends.  On Sunday

evening we were notified that at sunrise on Monday morn-

ing, the ceremony of flinging to the breeze our glorious

flag from the brigade flag-staff would take place.  The

morning came, and although clear and bright, the mer-

cury had sunk during the night, and at that early hour

it was stinging cold.  The four regiments of the brigade

were drawn up by division in a square around the flag-

staff—the bands and field music of the different regiments

in the centre, where were also placed the officers.  Col.

Davis, as commanding officer, had charge of the deremon-

ies.  Just as the God of Day made his appearance above

the horizon, the flag was run up to its place, and as his

genial beams illumined the eastern sky, its silken folds

were thrown to the breeze.  The drums rolled, the bands

struck up the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and officers and

men made the whole air resound with cheers for the flag of

the free.  It would have done you good to have heard

vociferous cheers with which the unfurling of the good

old flag was received by those who have sworn to see it

once more proudly floating over the entire length and

breadth of this once happy land.  The music ceases, the

battalions deploy into line, and the ceremonies are ended. 

May I live to see its glorious folds, proudly unfurled on

the walls of Fort Sumpter.

One of the most attractive performances of this week

has been our practice at target -shooting.  Each company

has been provided with two rounds of ball cartridges and

directed to practice at a mark at 250 yards, and keep a

record of their shooting.  Most of the companies have

been out, but the record has not been made up so as to

show the successful one.  Our guns make much better

shooting than their most sanguine friends anticipated,

and with a little practice I think we will be able to do

good execution with them.  Very few of us have had any

experience in rifle-shooting, and I believe that if we

should use fifty of the ninety rounds of ball cartridge that

have been drawn in target practice, we would be more ef-

fective with the remaining forty in the field; than with the

whole ninety without such practice.

We have been out on company and battalion drill near-

ly every day this week, until to-day, and right glad do I

feel to have the chance to go through the exercise.  We

can’t afford to rust out, which we would have been in a

fair way of doing, if it were not for some of these chances

for exercise.  But drilling is at an end for a season.  This

morning it commenced snowing, and to-night we have

some four inches of snow, which is more than at any other

time this winter.  It looks now as if it was going to clear

off, and if so we will have to have it melted by the rays of

old Sol.  This will keep the roads, which had commenced

to stiffen, bad for a long time, and delay any forward

movement from this quarter for some time yet.  A report

was current a day or two since that we were to be part of

a column of forty thousand men that were to be sent from

here to Kentucky.  If such a movement takes place, I

think we can with certainty be counted in.

The health of the Regiment is first-rate and every-

thing goes on harmoniously.  We have had no new cases

of small-pox for a considerable time, and we all hope it is

at an end.  I cannot give you the number in the hospital,

but it is small, and no case there is considered dangerous. 

We have nothing of special interest to note.

A PRIVATE.