1 Bucks County Intelligencer, From the Ringgold Regiment, December 10, 1861 Page 2 Col. 3 1
LETTERS FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS.
From the Ringgold Regiment.
Correspondence of the Bucks
County Intelligencer.
CAMP
DAVIS, KALORAMA HEIGHTS, December 6th, 1861.
Messrs. Editors :—The paymaster made his appearance
yesterday in our camp, bringing a large lot of portraits
of Uncle Abraham, which he distributed among the boys;
the result of which, is that pies and cakes are suffering to
a great extent, although a great portion of the money
will find its way to Bucks county. It did seem that all
the pie and cake women of the District had an intimation
of our being paid off and were interested in relieving the
pockets of the poor soldiers. Where we are erecting our
barracks they flocked around in great numbers, and
opened their wares and provisions in profusion. The
clothing fraternity was well represented. Now and then
a venturesome fellow with lager and whiskey, showed him-
self, but this class are more cautious, fearing some one
might inform upon them, and have their stock disposed
of at double-quick. We are getting along finely with our
quarters; we have framed and raised ten buildings, 16 by
80 feet, each, the mortices made in the ground principally.
There are one hundred and twenty men at work from our
Regiment—60 saws, 100 hatchets, 50 planes, 25 squares—
all furnished by the Government for our accommodation,
and the requisition is doubled for to-morrow. Our brigade
can boast of about 440 carpenters, all of which will be
employed at our building at one time. These, with
sufficient lumber and tools, are calculated to erect build-
ings without much delay. We have enlarged upon the
original plan,—which will raise the number of feet of
lumber to about half a million—and I doubt when com-
pleted, whether their extent, occupying the same amount
of land, can be found in the United States—comprising
50 buildings, 16 by 80 feet, besides hospital and comis-
sary departments—roomy and comfortable, and presenting
a very pretty appearance, filling as they do four sides of
a plot 687 by 700 feet. Probably before you hear from
us again, we will have moved in feeling quite at home.
For the information of any one designing a visit to our
Town or the 104th Regiment—they will take Fourteenth
Street at Willard’s Hotel and follow us. They can have
no difficulty in finding us, as the street passes directly
through Davisville, D. C.
We have been interested for several days with the
Signal Corps; to which Lieut. B, Frank Fisher is attached.
They have been operating on our camp ground, holding
Communications with parties on the distant hills. They are
likely to become an important arm of the service. No
cutting of wires or poles or stealing of telegrams with
this. Any person can witness the transmission of a
message and be none the wiser. They have attained great
rapidity already—sending a message from Washington to
Harper’s Ferry in fifteen minutes, a distance of over
Ninety miles by the route taken, and receive an answer in
the same length of time. Their principal and important
duty is signaling from vessel to vessel in a fleet, or from
the head of the column to the rear, in moving an army,
when the difficulties attending the sending of orders would
be multiplied. They have been successful eighteen miles,
the longest distance tried between stations. They use a
large flag attached to a long staff, which they wave in
various directions and positions, the movements of which
are only understood by the corps. Their efficiency was
fully established at Port Royal, by Lieut. Howard, in
communicating with the Wabash.
Yours for the war, J. M. C.
CAMP
DAVIS, KALORAMA HEIGHTS,
December 3, 1861.
Messrs. Prizer & Darlington :—Fortunately, I re-
ceived a pass from Col. Davis, granting me the privilege
of going to Georgetown and returning. My object was to
enjoy the pleasure of sight-seeing, in a city where the
advocates of the “peculiar institution” have had the
ruling since the day it was founded. Georgetown is
what may be called a handsome’ city ; it is admirably
located on the N. E. bank of the Potomac, at the head of
navigation, and possesses numerous facilities for trade
and manufactories. Georgetown contains a large number
of fine residences, where the “ nabobs” of human bondage
reside ; these residences add largely to the appearance of
the place without in any way developing the real resources
of the city. In passing through Georgetown, a person
who has traveled through Northern cities and towns, will
be forcibly struck with the lethargy of the place. There
appears to be no enterprise concerning trade and manufac-
turing. The place does not contain a single factory of im-
portance. This shows that the “Yankees” have had no
influence. There are numerous facilities for factories,
especially along the cahal, which is so constructed as to
furnish very good water-power in abundance, yet, these
remain unimproved ; showing that the citizens of the
place are deficient of enterprise. The Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal, of which I have spoken, has a terminus below
the town, where it connects with the navigation of the
Potomac. This also adds to the importance of the city,
for by it, Georgetown ? connected with the coal-fields of
Maryland and Pennsylvania, also with the extensive
agricultural region of the upper Potomac. Viewing
Georgtown as it is, and considering its numerous advan-
tages, food in abundance is furnished for thought. The
backwardness may not be attributed to its being located
under a Southern sun—there is a graver reason, a reason
that is paramount through the whole South. Georgetown
is only an example of the working of that “reason ;” its
blighting effect may be seen in every quarter of the South.
I have heard men say, that if the Union army is success-
ful in its design, the South will be ruined; I will venture
to say that such will not be the case, but that it will be
the making of the South. This, to you, may be strange
logic, but consider—annihilate slavery, and thousands of
the valiant sons of Freedom, will pour into the South and
settle upon those fertile plains and develop the natural
resources of the country generally by so doing, the wealth
of the country will be augmented. Those almost deserted
wharves of Georgetown, will be a scene of activity, instead
of an exhibition of lethargy, stupidity and retrogation.
Georgetown may in the future make a great manufactur-
ing city, located as it is, but a short distance from the
National Capital, which will in the future, offer extensive
inducements for trade and manufactures, as there are
men of enterprise waiting, only for the curse slavery
to make its exit in order to avail themselves of the favor-
able opportunities and advantages that are offered. So
long as the advocates of slavery hold the ruling power,
Georgetown will not improve, for, judging form appear-
ances, all they care for is a mere living without work, and
for this they depend upon the labor of their slaves. I
would advise those men who advocate the importance of
slavery, to visit Georgetown; survey every part of it,
especially the business part, (if it can be found,) then
visit Trenton, Easton or Harrisburg. After that, take a
good nap, in order to free the mind of all horrors of “free-
dom,” before deciding for yourselves concerning the
“ virtues of slavery.” It is no wonder that there are
thousands through the free North who sympathize with
the advocates of slavery, for they are ignorant concern-
ing the institution and its blighting effect. They have
been misled for many years, and are not willing to yield
their old prejudices. They remain at home in quietness,
read the political pro-slavery papers, and believe all is
well in the land of slavery. Visit Maryland, Virginia,
or any other slave State, and if you are a friend of Free-
dom, uninfluenced by prejudice, you will be convinced
that “ ignorance has betrayed you, and that there is
“virtue,” not in slavery, but in “abolitionism.”
SOLDIER.