1 Bucks County
Intelligencer From the 104th Regiment October 28, 1862 Page 3 Column 4 1
From the 104th Regiment.
GLOUCESTER POINT, Va., Oct. 21, 1862.
Messrs. Editors :—What a delightful morning! It
reminds me of those autumn mornings that we once had
at Doylestown, at that favorite camp, while the dears
rushed to see us (not-me) by hundreds-yes, by thousands.
Here we have guard-mounting at 8 o’clock, and the boys
make as nice a show as they did at Doylestown. They
use the blacking and brick dust quite as freely as the
brush. They draw as large a crowd around them at
guard-mounting as they did at Camp Lacey, but at dress
parade we do not draw as large a crowd, for we have no
smiling ladies. Except this, it passes off as pleasantly as
in the olden time. The camp here is policed every morn-
ing by the old guard, and everything is kept nice and
clean.
On the 20th, we were reviewed and inspected by Major
General Keyes. The General praised us highly for our
fine marching and good appearance. He also told us to
be in fighting order—to have our cartridge boxes filled,
for we came here to fight. Yesterday we were on fatigue
duty, cutting our winter-firewood. The timber here is
chiefly , pine, and I have heard that we are to cut some
200 cords for the use of our regiment.
I have been over to Yorktown once since I have re-
joined the regiment, but my stay was short, and conse-
quently I did not see the town or the fortifications that
surround it. I hear that the rebels have again invaded
our old Keystone State—a State that has so nobly re-
sponded to the call for volunteers, and again for men to
defend her own borders when about being invaded. Per-
haps before this reaches you, our State militia will again
be on their way to the State Capital, to repel another in-
vasion. If they are called upon, let them act as nobly as
they did before, and if the insolent foe attempts to tres-
pass upon our dear free soil again, let him abide by the
consequence. Let him be whipped as he was before. Let
him be beaten so that he will never again return. You do
the fighting in Pennsylvania, and we will do the fighting
in Virginia. You respond to our Governor’s call; we
will respond to our President’s call. You stand by Cousin
Andy ; we will stand by Uncle Abe. If we intend to end
this terrible rebellion, we must stand by them. We must
not be led astray by politicians. We must let political
questions alone, and attend to the war. We must attend
to our Southern brethren, who are in arms against us, and
let the Northern demagogues fight with themselves—
Let us subdue the South, and then we will crush them.
I think it folly for me, or any one else here in camp to
talk about ending this war, if we do not agree with our
noble President and his sentiments. I say, endorse every
word that Abraham Lincoln utters, and we shall soon
peace—an enduring peace.
I have just been looking over a copy of the Philadelphia
Ledger. I am sorry to see that we Republicans have been
beaten in the country of Bucks—that the Democrats have
gained so largely since the special election. A Democratic
majority of 600 in Bucks! But we get our Congressman ,
as he has a majority in the Philadelphia part of the dis-
trict! Good for Philadelphia! How is it that the Dem-
ocrats have gained so? Didn’t our men turn out ?—are
the larger portion in the army?—or have some of the
foolish ones turned and voted with Democrats? I
am sorry to tell you that the Democrats in camp are tired
of the war, and they think Lincoln is keeping it up.—
They are down on this proclamation. What kind of
people do you call these ? Are they fit to be in our
army? Wouldn’t the Southern-army be the fittest place
for them? Our camp goes Republican by a small ma-
jority, although there-are-strong Democrats here, And
they did crow over the election at first! We heard that
Carrigan was elected, and they were jubilant over it —
Now they are exulting over the success of their country
ticket. I hope we will be right when the returns all
get in. Bucks