The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-10-21
Vermont Regiments in the Field..-Their
Wants and our Duties

Inc greater portion Of the Legislature now
liz Session here witnessed last Saturday morning
she very gratifying Spectacle Of the departure
FOR the seat Of wax Of a full Vermont Regiment
oompletel y armed, equipped and furnished in
fvery particular as q soldier should be alike for
Fhe dangers, fatgucs and exposures of the Win
TcI campaign upon which Vermont soldiers. to-
gether with those Of the other loyal States. are
Jest about to enter. The work Of raising and
furnishing this Regiment was completed in
about two weeks, the remainder of the time
vince tine Governor determined to put another
heglmcnt III the field, having been occupied
with the details merely Of organizing the re-
crults enlisted. The thoroughnesa and despatch
witil which this labor has been performed, set
tles, at least, She question Of the possibility Of
getting arms, uniforms, blankets, &C., at once.
whenever the proper means are resortcd to and
when NC know through whose instrumentality
this work has been done, gives lis some clue to
the real source of the incomplete and insufficient
equipment Of the former Regiments that have
5eAt the State to carry forward the Old FLAG
al|yarA Southern soil.
BUT our purpose is not SO much to point out
Ehc culyh.lt WHO is responsible for the almost
criminal n istakes, errors. blundcrs-to call
them by no iialrshcr namcs,-which SO much di
minish the cfbci.'ncy of every Vermont Reci-
'nent but the Sixth, as to call the attention off
fhc Legislature to the fact itself that the Yer
mont troops in Virginia need still tie paternal |
+nd provldcnt care of The State whose honor |
they have in charge, and whose patriotism they
represent There has unq,1estion%bly been n
too general disposition on the part both Of in
alVlduais uthority and without authority, to
DISMISS any patcrNal anxiety or concern about our
troops after they have been mustered into the
service of the United States We have deemed
tt to DC the business Of the General Govern
'nent to then supply their wants and we have
passed. them quite gladly, and with sense of
relief from the burden and expense of longer
furnishing them with any Of their soldier wants.
TO the War Department, which has 300, 900 SOL
dlers to care for and to supply daily. What
has been the consequence Of this Simply that
with partial exceptions Vermont troops in Vir
ginia have received thereno arms. no eouipments
no overcoats, no blankets, nc uniforms. and but
" ~ poorest supply Of any article o. wnte
clothing. We have just been shown a privat
letter from gentleman in the 5th Vermont
Of the Regiments that was hur-
ried forward by perenptory orders from Wash
ington to " send them as they were, and they
would be supplied on their arrival at tic scat of
war, in which the writer says
This Regiment is in the enemys country
not in Vermont. The whole command is cx-
posed to the batteries Of treason, Between two
hundred and three hundred Of ourmen are every
night and day within hailing distance lot only Of
his pickets, but of the enemy i'll force. And We
have not six hundred guns that will bear in
spection, and tUo hundred of our men haze no
guns at oil, and not an officer has side arms.-
I'm Company D, Of the End, there are 100 men,
and only AZ guns. Company ! of this Rcgi-
ment has not gun, a dress or thick coat, not
pistol or ovcrcoat. Two days ago there was not
nm oyercoat in camp. Since then 400 have been
received.
But, notwithetandingal thin, we have done our