The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-02
GREAT FALLS, on the Potomac,

GREAT FALLS, on the Potomac,
- miles from Camp Lyon, Aug. 26.
have just got your letter, and as can t
do anything else | will try to write you
again, get all your letters very regularly.
We are not at Camp Lyon, whore Byron and
the Sd Regiment are, but we were sent on u
scout up the river a week ago to-day, and are
here YET. We shall probably 60 back soon. We
arc in an awful rough, miserable, God-Iorsaken
country, and have pretty rough works. Our
pickets were fired into this morning. We arc
right opposite to where the Rebels have quite Il
force, but they are some miles inland. Oar d.
rections required our Colonel to send over %
scouting party TO roconnitre, and last W edncs-
day was ordered to select such men as thought
proper and cross the river if a place could be
found where it could be done. | took George
Doty alone with me, and we crossed some three
miles above here on raft but it WAS 80 poor
we had to swim some, and we took no clothes
but our shirts and drawers. Great Falls is one
of the toughest place in all the country, and
the current very swift for some ways above
We however got over in salty and explored as
far as we could through the afternoon, and
when night came we returned to the river hay
ing been some six miles into the country with
out being seem Now George Bridgman and
Amos Bennett had been sent to get u boat to
take us back, but they bad to go seven miles
further up the river to find one and did not get
back, as it proved till midnight. Doty and
were wet and cold and we thought we could
run our old raft back, and as night was fast ap-
preaching we launched out, but we were 50
near the Tails that we could not manage it, and
soon saw that in all human probability we
should soon go over the falls. We had now got
where the water was one tremendous foam and
running as swift as a horse and we poor devils
pitching and tumbling, and not over eighty
rods from the principal preciplce We now lett
the raft, as that had become shattered and near
y gone to pieces and took to swimming. We
managed to reach large rock that projected
out OF the water and chung to that, and finally
drew ourselves on to it. We were now ten
rods from the shore and between US and the
shore run the most furious part OF the river.
We were out of hearing and no way left but to
again try our swimming skill.
Doty being the best swimmer plunged in, but
my blood chilled in my veins as saw him car
ried down, down, like lightning. But he put
forth all his efforts, and reached a point
of rock on the shore. He beckeneo me
(he could not be heard from the roar Of the
watcr) to not try the experiment. He went to
the camp, and the whole Reg iment came pouring
down to help me off that point on which l
stood. 1t made me shed tears to see the anxiety
OF the soldier boys to help me safely off, This
was done by long rope sent from an island
above. 1t was night, and l was badly bruised:
and standing so long in the water was chilled
almost to-death. have not left my room yet,
but they are going to carry me down to camp
on the ambulance tomorrow. | took terrible
cold, and have had the ague chills. took an
emetic yesterday, and feel better to-day.
think shall be we'll soon. Doly is very lame,
but did not take such cold as did.