The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-10-10
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN, OCT. No. looi'

unharmOnious sing OF bullets oVct Jul ''
followed. AS far as the Vermont 81 WAS oo"-
cerned, The trees overhead were the worst suHeT-
ers, niuring none save a private IN Iap'' -Nei
son 3 company who was shot thfouSh Ilie li,'4u
with a buck shot Not 50 with others, tor wheh
daylight came the dead bodies OF men ana iioi'
SEES in the road, some ten rods ahead OF us, snow
ed the terrible havoc the bullets had made,
while soldier after soldier was led by US to the
rear, some wounded IN the head some IN the
arms, the feet and legs; in fact, the ROAD was
full OF them.
We were then ordered to furnish a line OF
skirmisaers, hanking two brass field pieces on
the hill. We remalt ed there until daylight,
not having the pleasure of seeing rebel. a Doue
the time we were fired upon, | AIN toiu 'h"O
Lieut. Bryan was ordered TO ire upon us IRON
TWO pieces charged almost to the inuZzlo WIN
canister, but he refused. Had he oheyed ORDERS
the Sd Vermont would now be one OF the resl-
ments that were, Tor they would nave rakeu oui
entire line from the right to the lett Hanks, ana
must have annihilated US. AS for myself, am
glad he did not fire.
There are some minds SO contributed that they
see things worthy of laughter mingllng with
the most serious matters, and l am untortu-
nately one of that kind, and many times see
that which excites my rislbilltles when shouia
be serious. For instance at LeWlnvllle,
shell came very near two men, they both dodg
ed, one the one way and the other IN an oppo
site direction. The consequence was they
somewhat roughly bumped themselves together
and each imagining the other the smell, 'iley
both thought themselves hit, and you may lll-
agine the blank look Of anxiety, on the races oi
both, waiting to learn the amount OF their lhJu
ries We have captain IN our regiment,
whose courage never was or can be ques'loheu'
but whose only fault is that ne is little near
sighted. He, with his company, were sklr-
m!shinc it was dark and OF course, he could
not see any the better for that and the conse-
oucnce was that an innocent rail fence on n hill
opposite was soon reported as line OF battle
formed by the enemy and | waited very pa
tienty to hear the report that three Or four
lengths were out sklrmishjng toward us. Cap
tain - enjoys the joke as we'll as any of us.
| have, much to my sorrow, mentioned 10
former letters the uniform of our reg ment, |
cannot perceive any Improvement since my last,
and must say that that order in parades and in
specions, - 70 the rear in open order, as far
as trowsers arc concerned is altogether needless,
when given to q majority Of the regiment.
have repeatedly received letters from Yer
mont from many friends asking what we need,
what viii give US the most comfort, what will
add most to our health. In answer to all, say
Stockings, socks, 5edingS. Those furnished ny
government, are necessarily poor, and Wal
scarcely last us through more than one lo7g,
hard march, and know it to be fact that
many men in the regiment have not stocking
TO their feet and the nights are getting quite
cool. We are often ont 36 hours on picket and
have beon two miles away from camp on the
outpoets for 4S hours, making two nights; and
as cold Us some n ghts have been, the men have
actually suffered from cold feet.
Honestly that is more than | can tell you. 1t
may be tonight, it may not be until spring.
This is the greatest place for know nothlngs |
ever saw. 1t seems to be a prevailing state of
affairs. We are ordered into line, with one
meal or three days ratious in our hayersacks.
The order comes " ght face--forward march ~
and We may ask in vain of each other, where are
We going and the answer is invariably the hail
ing sign ofa certain political party that flour
ishod u few years ago, who so yainly asked for
Sam. Was it Uncle Slm! We retire at night
with the hills, holows and fields filled with
tents al! around us. We look out in the morn
ing and they arc gone. We ask where? The
answer Is, don t know. The next morning we
again look around, and thousands of troops arc
seen the spot before lonely, and we ask. who
are these? where did they come from ? and the
answer is invariably. ! don't know. There is
Il master mind directing the whole. Ue think
the direction will be right More soon.
II. of D.