From The Regimental Flag: Adieu

part of a series from the regimental newspaper of the 2nd Delaware Infantry

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From The Regimental Flag (Vol. 8), March 13, 1862, pg. 2
Adieu.

This will probably be the last issue of The Flag published at Camp Wilkes, Va, as the Regiment has received orders to be prepared to march at a moment’s notice; our destination not being known, except that we go from here to Baltimore, to begin with, and then—from what we can learn—to the South-west. The next number will therefore be issued at Baltimore and the subsequent one at some point in the South-west.

We must therefore bid Old Virginia farewell. We are not sorry to leave, because we cannot say it is the most attractive part of the world we ever say, and besides, there is no prospect of active service in this almost unknown and uninhabited country.

The Flag has flourished during our stay here and has become one of the institutions of our Camp; and, judging from the demand for it, the paper is a welcome visitor to the soldiers.

To those of the citizens here, who have subscribed for, or purchased THE FLAG, we return our thanks and shall remember them kindly wherever we go.

To our brethren of the press who have sent us exchanges we also feel indebted and we will notify them as early as possible of the post office to which in future those exchanges shall be sent, and we hope they will continue their favors. To one and all therefore in the name of the Second Regiment Delaware Volunteers, we say Adieu!

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NOTE:

Alas, The Regimental Flag did not resume publication following the regiment’s reassignment. From Accomac, the 2nd Delaware was “sent to Baltimore,” says Robert G. Smith, a member of the regiment, “and from there, May 31st, 1862, were sent to join the Army of the Potomac, and assigned to the Second Corps, General Richardson’s First Division. At this time, the strength of the regiment was 763 enlisted men and officers. Now we were in the company of “Fighting Regiments,” and we had our share of it. We were in General French’s Brigade. It was three days after the battle of Fair Oaks that we joined the Army of the Potomac.”

Robert G. Smith, A brief account of the services rendered by the Second Regiment Delaware Volunteers in the war of the rebellion (Wilmington, DE: The Historical Society of Delaware, 1909), 19.