The next day, Wednesday, they were marched out on Seventh Street, two and one-half miles from the city, to the spot designated for their encampment, which was named “Camp Granger,” in honor of Gen. John A. Granger, Esq., of Canandaigua, who had interested himself much in behalf of the Regiment. This was the first experience of most of the men in the art of castramentation, and many were the droll incidents which occurred in connection with the pitching of the tents. After repeated trials, however, they were all satisfactorily adjusted.
The habitations completed, drilling was the next thing in order, which, together with target-shooting, scouting, and mock skirmishing, was kept up from day to day. The first lessons in “guard running” were learned here, many of the men managing to escape to the city, under cover of night, and return without detection before the sounding of the morning reveille. As a general thing they were temperate and abstemious in their habits, manifesting their disrelish for ardent spirits, by destroying on one occasion a liquor establishment which had been opened on the grounds. There were some, however, who, thinking it necessary to partake of their “bitters,” would smuggle liquor into camp, bringing it in in their gun barrels, or by some other ingenious means.
CAMP GRANGER.
One afternoon a clam peddler was so imprudent as to leave his wagon for a few moments within the camp enclosure. A mischievous member of Company—observing this, cautiously removed the end board, and, mounting the driver’s seat, started the horse off at a rapid pace, scattering the bivalves along the ground in front of the tents for several rods. All the boys were heartily regaled on clam soup that night, greatly to the discomfiture of the peddler, who ever afterwards steered clear of the Thirty-third. Many other incidents of a similar character served to relieve the monotony of camp life.
Governor Morgan inspected the Regiment on one occasion. Sickness, arising from change of climate and damp weather, had thinned out the ranks to some extent, but they made a fine appearance while passing in review before him, and the Governor expressed himself highly pleased with their morale and general condition. Frequent visits were received from members of the Sanitary Commission, who made contributions of various articles from time to time.
The first death in the Regiment occurred here. E. Backerstose, a member of Company H, was killed by the accidental discharge of his gun. The remains were forwarded, in charge of some of his comrades, to Geneva, where his parents resided.