Gen. Burnside, in his announcement of the capture of Newbern, said, —“we have taken a printing office, and shall start a daily newspaper.” He understands, not only how to win battles, but also how to make the most of his opportunities after his victories are secured. The North Carolinians round about Newbern will learn something from his daily paper. It will expose secession lies, and correct their false notions in regard to his purpose in visiting their state. It is the custom of our troops to start a paper wherever they capture a printing office and remain long enough to work it. They never lack men capable of doing anything that needs to be done. Several of these camp newspapers have found their way to our table.
From Leesburg, Va., comes “The Advance Guard,” published by the officers of the 28th Pennsylvania regiment. It is issued from the office of one of the secession papers there that have been suppressed by Col. Geary. The conductors say that one of their aims is to expose the infamous ‘’misrepresentations and fabrications” of their predecessors, they say of their enterprize:—
“The Advance Guard is not as neat in typography as our home papers, owing to lack of facilities. The 28th regiment, however, can feel satisfied with the amount of patronage extended in encouragement of their new enterprise, commencing with a list of subscribers guaranteeing an issue of sixteen thousand copies—the number actually worked out. As our presses have been tested to their utmost capacity we do not solicit further subscriptions.”
From Berryville, Va., comes ‘‘The First Minnesota,” a spirited little sheet published by “the typological fraternity of the first Minnesota regiment.” It talks to the rebels and all thee Virginians in that neighborhood in a very patriotic and persuasive style. It is published at the office of the suppresses Berryville Conservator. It appears that they have some attentions from the late editor whose office they occupy. The conductors say:—
“Ye ex-editor is terribly excited about something. Yesterday morning he was at the provost marshal and represented—or rather misrepresented—that we were injuring his material etc., etc. He evidently got little comfort, as he went to the headquarters of one of the generals here and made known his business. When he got through with his harangue, the general turned upon him and addressed him somewhat in this wise:–’Mr. Editor, you can thank your lucky stars that you are not in jail; we are here after just such men as you. While we are here the boys can get out a better paper than you did. You can leave sir.’ He left.
We hare a story to tell about this same ex-editor. When our forces took possession of Berryville, the men of Co. B, of the first Minnesota, were stationed at the entrance of private houses as guards, in order that no depredations might occur—a wise precaution, as we have n few in the northern army given to Floydism. One guard was stationed at Mr. Gregg’s house, and towards night, as the provision train had not arrived, corporal Van Vorhes requested Mr. Gregg to give the guard some supper,—the men being tired and hungry after a day’s duty, —but he refused, and the guard was taken off. What think you? Isn’t he a very small specimen of a man. who would not give a supper, ‘or even a cold bite,’ to a man who was guarding his property? He is worse than miserly,—Webster furnishes no epithet to apply to him, unless it is ‘slubberdegullion,’ and that is as long as the man.
A secesh lady here says, if Mr. Gregg says, as he did say, that he was forced into the advocacy of secession, he tells a falsehood. She is sorry to learn that he denies his real sentiments, and says that he ‘came very rear being mobbed,’ not for unionism, but for a scandalous article written in abuse ot a young lady, for which her brother threatened to cowhide him. Since our coming, Mr. Gregg has called in frequently; he did not yesterday, however.”
Here is a news item:—
‘‘We learn that a man wearing the uniform of the American army, so far forgot himself as to grossly insult the wife of one of the citizens of this place. The husband of the lady immediately shot him, and served him right! We do not come upon the soil of Virginia as ruffians and robbers, but as men fighting in the sacred cause ot the union and the constitution, and to restore our unhappy country to peace and prosperity.”
Of their success they say:—
“The hand press upon which we print this paper is totally inadequate to supply the demand. We keep it going night and day, but cannot get the paper off fast enough. If Mr. Gregg had any of the genuine vim of the Yankees he would have had a power press for us. But we presume our press was sufficient for the publication of the Conservator, and he did not buy it for our use.”
“The Camp Kettle” came to us from Beaufort, S. C., but it has mysteriously disappeared not without help, we presume.
Worcester Daily Spy, Worcester, MA