Oxford Times, December 11, 1861
Letter from the Ellsworth Regiment
A correspondent writing from Hall's Hills, Va. Nov. 28th to the Utica Herald gives some interesting intelligence which we copy:
We are encamped upon Hall's Hill, one and a half miles from Munson Hill, three miles from Fall's Church. We arrived here the 28th of October (just one week from the day we left Albany) about 7-1/2 o'clock, after a tedious march of about 10 hours and 18 miles travel, and were quite surprised to find that the 83d Pennsylvania regiment had pitched our tents and had a good warm supper ready for us, which we did ample justice to, I assure you. We are in Gen. Butterfield's Brigade and Porter's Division. Our brigade is composed of the New York 17th and 44th regiments, and the Pennsylvania 83d and Michigan 2d regiments. We drill about six hours a day, so you see we don't have much time to ourselves. We have knapsack drill from 7 to 8 a.m.; battalion drill from 10 to 12; and brigade drill from 2 to 5 p.m. We drill mostly in skirmishing, bayonet and exercise and target shooting. The measles have broken out in camp and most of the men have them. We lost six men last week, whose names I here give: Company C, George W Schermerhorn, of Albany county, and Nathan A. Wilson, of Salem, Washington County; Company D, Elias D. Gardiner, of Burlington, Otsego county; Company E, Albert C. Belcher, of Newark Valley, Tioga county; Company F, Charles W. Chappel, of Schuyler's Lake, Otsego county; Company I, John F. Hime, of Hamburgh Erie county.
Last week Wednesday, our regiment, together with 71,000 more troops, were reviewed by General McClellan and President Lincoln, in a field of about 200 acres, near Bailey's Cross Roads. It was the largest number of troops ever reviewed at one time. There was a perfect sea of heads as far as the eye could reach. From 9 o'clock a.m. until 1 p.m., every road leading to the review ground was crowded as far as you could see. At 1 o'clock the President and General made their appearance on the ground. They were greeted with cheers from the men as they passed, and our band struck up "Hail to the Chief." A salute from the batteries was also fired as they came upon the ground.
Last Sunday, Gen. McClellan came to see us parade, and when we were done he told our Colonel that our regiment was the best drilled and finest looking regiment that he had ever reviewed. That was something big for the Commander-in-Chief of our army to say, when there are so many fine regiments in the field.
Last Tuesday night, a messenger came into camp post haste, with the report that our pickets had been attacked by the rebels and driven in two miles. Five regiments were sent out, but it was found to be the Pennsylvania 3d regiment of cavalry that had been attacked, about nine miles beyond our lines. they were surrounded by the rebels and had to fight their way out. They lost 15 men, and a sorrier looking lot of men you never saw than they were when they came within our lines, some on foot, some on horse back, some minus hats, coats, &c, with their faces and arms scratched by the bushes. One lieutenant came in next morning with his head cut by a sabre; he had lain in the woods all night. Our pickets were advanced one mile yesterday; they are now about three miles from Fall's Church towards Centreville. We expect to move on in a few days, but in what direction we don't know; we hope it is South Carolina, for it is so cold here that we are willing to have a little fighting just for the sake of getting into a warmer climate.
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