March 3, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
(CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MERCURY.)
CAMP GREGG, ARMY OF POTOMAC, Feb. 23.
It snowed night before last and yesterday to the depth of ten or eleven inches. It is as dry as powder. The men turn out now and then by companies, regiments and brigades, and have a snow fight. In one case two divisions turned out, Generals and all, formed line of battle, sent out skirmishers and fought a regular battle.
We are living in what the boys call bunks. Most of them are constructed by digging a pit from one to three feet deep, putting up forks at each end to support the ridge pole, which in its turn supports the upper ends of long thick boards or slabs, the other ends resting on the ground, and the whole covered with earth. A fireplace is dug out at one end, a chimney built above it as high as a man’s shoulders, and a barrel set on top of that. I have not known a single instance of these barrels taking fire. Some few have their bunks covered with tent flies. A still smaller number have tents. All have fireplaces to their dwellings, whether bunks or tents, which add very much to their comfort. Nearly every mess has two apartments – one for a kitchen, the other a dormitory.
The condition of the roads lays on both sides the absolute necessity of keeping the peace for the present. If more fighting must be done, I know of no place where we could do it with a better prospect of success than here.
There are a good many cases of pneumonia, a large proportion of them proving fatal. Otherwise the health of the soldiers is excellent.
Our rations of beef and bacon alternately – pretty often neither – and flour, are very scant. We occasionally get a very small quantity of sugar. Salt is very scarce.
The spirits of the men are very fine. Today a large number are hunting rabbits, which they easily run down and catch, when they can find them, in the deep snow.