"CAMP TRUMBULL, Nov. 18, 1861.

"FRIEND COTHREN; Yours of the 12th came duly to hand and I was glad to hear from you. The 5th Regiment boys are making good progress in their drill. We expect that we shall go into winter quarters in a few days at Rockville, Md. It is getting rather cold here to stay in our tents much longer. Our Colonel has recovered from his sickness and rejoined his Regiment. The 5th has received its two months pay, and our boys will send home to their friends some eight thousand dollars, which speaks well for the 5th Regiment. Your friend McKay is some better; I took him to my tent and am doing all I can for him. My duty, or the duty of the Regiment, is mostly picket guard duty on the Potomac river. We guard some six miles of the river. I had the pleasure of being a witness to some fighting or skirmishing on the Virginia side of the river at Edward's Ferry. I think if the 5th Regiment has a chance, it will give a good accout of itself. We should like to see the light of your face down here. William sends you his best respects. I don't think that the 5th Regiment can be beat by any volunteers that have been in the field no longer than it has been. Spring, Dawson, Raymaker, Root, and all the Cothren Rifles are doing well except McKay, and he will soon get well. I have a stove in my tent. So you see that McKay will be taken care of. I shall do all I can for him, not only on your, but on his own account, for William is a good boy. Please to write often. The boys" all like to hear from you, for you are a good friend to the "boys," and we all thank you for what you have done for us.

Yours truly,

"FRIEND COTHREN :-I promised to write you often, and I have waited a long time, hoping to have something important to write you, or, at least, to inform you we had arrived at some important place, and were ready to serve our country effectively. It has

seemed as though we should never be ready to start, but it is most probable that we shall go in Gen. Burnside's expedition, somewhere, the first or second week in January. There are some twenty-five or thirty transports here to take us off. A new dock is being built to facilitate the loading of military stores. It has been a very poor place for landing.

The city is a very old looking place. The houses are poor and look deserted. We see now and then a white person, and plenty of pretty good looking "darkies," but we have no intercourse with the people here.

"The Woodbury boys in Capt. Smith's Company are all very well, fat and hearty, with enough to eat and that which is good. We like Uncle Sam's business first-rate, and are ready at all times (as are all of Capt. Smith's company) for a fight. In fact, "we are "spiling for a fight," and we hope to arrive at the lower end of Dixie pretty soon. We drill 4 hours each day, and are as well drilled as any regiment in the field. When it comes to fighting,

give us the Woodbury and Waterbury boys, say we. We have had three or four division reviews. There are twelve Regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, and one of artillery already here in readiness for the expedition. The 11th Regiment, C. V., arrived here last Friday, and glad were we to see some more of the Connecticut boys. Roderick Freeman and Daniel Taber came amongst the rest. Rod, though he is colored and cannot go in the ranks, chooses to go with the Woodbury boys, as cook and waiter.

"We have lost one man in our Company and there is another man out of A. dead at the hospital. Our Regiment is pretty healthy-only fifteen or twenty in the hospital.

"The news has just come into camp that England is going to help the rebels. Let her come on. The North is ready for her. I am ready and willing to spill my blood, if necessary, to help teach her to mind her own business, and such is the determination of all the boys.'

“Our division, which is the largest yet organized, is all eu camped in sight. The transports are being loaded rapidly, and we shall soon be off to some important point, when you may expect to hear a good account of us.

Yours truly,

JOHN E. TUTTLE."

This brave young soldier fell at the Battle of Antietam, pierced by a bullet through the heart-a modest but noble sacrifice for the salvation of his country.

HANCOCK, Md., Jan. 21, 1862.

"DEAR AMERICAN:-It is a long time since I have heard from the vicinity of home, or seen a copy of your paper, so I write you a few lines in this time of general army inaction. The 5th Regiment is encamped at Hancock, some sixty miles north of Frederick City, Maryland. The rebel general, Jackson, is about six miles from our lines, and has under his command some fourteen thousand men. Our third brigade, with that of Gen. Kelly, numbers about fifteen thousand men, and as soon as the Potomac shall fall so that our men can get across, I think we shall give him battle. The Potomac has risen some twenty five or thirty feet during the late rains, and it is impossible to cross at present.

"The cry of both men and officers is over to Dixie's land.' We are all tired of inactive camp life. We had much rather enter on active duties, finish up the business, and come home, than to be loitering here. For some months, we have not understood why we did not fight, and whip out the rebels, but suppose it is all right, and that there is some good reason, though we 'do not see it.' The duty of the soldier is to obey, and we do that cheerfully.

"The most of the Cothren Rifles,' Company E., are in good health and spirits; Raymaker, Root, McKay, Spring, Dawson, the brothers Bishop, and all the rest send their kind regards. I have been sick of late, and am boarding with a private family till I am better. Am improving slowly, and hope to be 'all right' soon. “Our Regiment has just been paid its two months' wages, and a large part of the whole is being sent to friends at home.

"About the first of the month, we heard our friend and father of our Company, Mr. Cothren, of Woodbury, was on his way to visit us, and were very much disappointed when he failed to reach us. Our regret was greatly increased when we learned that he was unable to continue his journey to us from Washington on account of his illness. We greatly hope he will try again' to see

us, soon.

Yours truly,

WILSON WYANT,

Capt. Co. E., 5th Reg't C. V."

This letter was written to the editor of the "Waterbury American."

1

The foregoing letters, written in the spirit of the hour, while the influence of the vast conflict which had been inaugurated was strong upon the hearts of all, have been introduced to show how the enthusiasm of the time transformed the humblest in our communities into heroes, and how those who had received only a common school education, and had perhaps never been called to write a specimen of English composition in their lives, were enabled, under the inspiration of patriotic fervor, correctly to appreciate the great principles involved in the contest, and to correctly, eloquently and forcibly express them in these communications to friends. Not one of the writers of the preceding letters had received any thing but the advantages of our common country schools, except the Rev. Mr. Williams, and it is submitted that these productions compare favorably with those of men who have received the honors of our Universities. They show, too, how the events transpiring at the North struck these brave young hearts. The President and the entire North, loving their country, and loving the arts of peace, hesitated long in this first unlucky year of the war of the rebellion, to strike at and extirpate the great root of all this evil-the omnipotent curse of slavery. The all-pervading wish was to see how peace could be restored, and slavery remain unscathed. All possible devices to this end were entered upon, but without satisfactory result. And thus the year of 1861 came gloomily to a close.

1862. The year 1861 had closed, while the affairs of the nation were enveloped in gloom. The results of the year, so far as the union arms were concerned, had not been, on the whole, a success. Great preparations had been made, and great expectations had been raised, but there had been but a moderate share of success, and a plentiful harvest of disaster. Many a devout Christian somewhat irreverently began to think that "the Devil reigned," or perhaps it is more charitable to suppose, that they merely thought the time spoken of in Revelations, when Satan was to be "loosed for a season," had arrived. But the time for inaction seemed, with the opening of the year, almost to have passed away. Vast movements were on foot, and the war appeared to be taking a decisive turn.

"On the 11th of January, 1862, a strange and heterogeneous assemblage of vessels filled Hampton Roads. Gen. Burnside had been ordered to fit out an expedition to proceed against a certain point on the Southern coast-but where that point was it was re

served for time and events to announce. Accordingly, by dint of un wearied exertion, Gen. Burnside had collected this mass of one hundred and twenty-five water-craft. Utterly regardless of the appearance of this fleet, and with a single eye to utility, he drew upon all the resources of the steam merchant service, from the Kennebec to the Chesapeake.

"The land forces, under the command of General Burnside, amounted to sixteen thousand men, with an ample supply of fieldpieces and batteries, and all the material of war. Te troops were divided into three brigades, under the command of Generals Foster, Reno and Parke, all experienced and able officers of the regular army."

Burnside's expedition, after experiencing all the perils of furious storms, arrived near the island of Roanoke, on the early days of February, 1862, and on the 7th the fleet opened its heavy guns upon the rebel fortifications on the island. The bombardment by the fleet continued all day with unabated fury.

"It was just three o'clock in the afternoon when the United States flag was raised at Ashley's Harbor. The cannonade was still raging at the battery. It continued unabated all day, and as the night was clear and the range was perfect, it did not cease with the going down of the sun. Nothing can be imagined more sublime than a bombardment by night. The glare of the guns, so passionate and spiteful in expression; the roar of the explosions; the shrieks of the shells, as if demons were howling through the air; the explosion of the shells, with meteoric brilliance and thunder peal; the volumes of smoke rising into the darkened sky -all these, blended with the gloom of night, present a scene, which, once witnessed, can never be forgotten. About one hour after dark the fleet drew off, and was silent and motionless for the remainder of the night. The land forces had indeed a cheerless prospect before them. Thoroughly drenched and chilled by the cold wintry waves, they were compelled to bivouac on the shelterless shore, without tents, exposed to a cold north wind, and a heavy rain. Their discomfort, through the night, was extreme. Still they were in good spirits. A landing in force had been effected with the loss of but four men killed and eight wounded, The fleet had been severely handled, by the heavy shot of the batteries and the rebel gu -boats. Round shot and shell passed through several of the National ships, killing and wounding a few of their crews. Still no damage was done to interfere with