Subscriptions for the Fredericksburg sufferers — life in Camp.
Camp near Fredericksburg,December 25, 1863.
A subscription has been taken in among the officers the men of Featherman's brigade for the refine of the suffering women and children of Fredericksburg, whose houses, furniture, clothing, and provisions, had been so wastefully destroyed by the Yankee during their brief occupation of the town in this brigade along the notification amounted to the very bandsman sum of $1,257--this does not Grundy's battery the returns from which has not been received at the time of writing this, this which will of the lowest estimate, $--and if the other brigades of longstreet's corps do as well (as I have no reason to doubt they will a sufficient sum will be realized to place the sufferers in nearly the same condition as they were before the bombardment.
There is a classic locally in the vicinity of our camp popularly known as the "Devil's Half Acre." which is the resort of "ye say gambollers" connected with this brigade, and the battle of dice at the chuck-a-luck tables, with the various mysteries of "anteing" and "going $10 better," may he heard there at all times.
Gen. Feathersten sometime since issued a stringent order on this subject, and has spared no bates to break up the evil but the "grand coup d'ets!" took place yesterday.
One company was detained from such regiment and the "Half Acre" was surrounded, but with rather in different success, some of the tallest time on record having been made by the fugitives, who displayed most unlooked for inefficiency in running.
Some 20 or 30 were caught and summarily dealt with, and Gen. Feathersten intends to spare no exertions to no this and other demoralizing practices in his brigade.
The 2d Miss. Battalion has just returned from two days picket duty opposite Falmouth.
The Yankees are still visible there, but there appears to be general movement of artillery, cavalry, and infantry down the river.
Their pickets were immediately opposite use on the other side of the river, but all is quiet along the line.
One of the Yankee have sacks found on the battle-field contained a two gallon demijohn of me later.
That fellow had evidently laid in supplies to last him on his "on to Richmond. " journey, but his commissariat at present supplies the table of the Colonel of the 16th Miss.
I neglected to state, in regard to the subscription for the Fredericksburg sufferers, that the negro servants employed in camp contributed very liberally of their own accord as of course they would not have been requested an info.
There's an item for the Northern freedom shriekers. Lewyll.
