The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-14
(Our War Correspondence.)
From the Fifth Vermont Regiment.

connoissance in force, the grand, sensation par
%ticulars of which the lightning has given you
| Can imagine how the despatch, the d" Hcrdid's
special" will read and I'm not at all particu-
lar about seeing it, but | an anxious that your
readers should have at least some Of the minor
particulars of the expedition of the 9th inst.
GA Reconnaissance IN FORCE"
The force consisted of Smiths Division save a
force equal to one Regiment on picket,-a section
of Barr's Battery, a section of Ayers Battery,
the Cameron Dragons, and four or five compa.
MES of Germans Mounted Rifles, together with
the available force of McCall's Division say
twelve or fftren thousand troops in all. The
main body to.k the road to townsville, at which
place several brigades filed off to the right on to
the Leesburgh Pike, the balance proceeding on
to Freedom Hill, a mile and a half East of vi
emma. Here we made u halt, Gen. Brooks being
in command. The batteries were planted on the
hill, the same being Il position fully as command
ing as Munson's Hill. The 9Th and Sd Vermont,
the 49th New York, and several companies of
Dragons and Rifles remained upon the hill to
support the batteries and as a reserve. The 9Th
, Vermont, 18th Maine, and 33d New York were
deployed to the right and left, say one or two
miles, keeping concealed in the timber.
Being Il sort of supernumerary myself, that
lS, uuF!IS no CUin ttuJ VI CuLllluIlu, \Oui III
company being on picket | was at liberty to
20 where | pleased, and learning that the Cd
Vermont, Il portion Of the 4th, and an escort of
Cavalry and Germans Rangers, were to move
on to Vienna, | leli in with the "a Boys aud
moved on. keeping company with one o! the best,
most reliable and we'll informed officers of this
Army-Nlaior Charles Ii, Joyce.
Wcarrved at Eienna at hail past 10 o'clock,
ana found, what? Why, ~ demolished Rail
road, with lis wreck OF burned Gals, engines and
machinery--a Lonely, d~eso!ate, deserted parish,
for it certainty cannot be called a town or q vii
iago,--but no enemy, and no s gns of one. Vi
emma having figured 50 conypicuonsly in 8 Spe-
c%ials," On var maps, and in - Leaders, | GER
tainly expected to find at least the evidence of
some by.gOne thrift. commerce, prosperity and
industry. Bat it was not there. some fifteen
or twenty tenemenys, none Of them laying any
claims to exquisite style or choice finish, and
these nearly ali upoccupiet, was the Vienna that
editors, statesmen, soldiers, and lightning have
said SO much about. The settlement at Wright's
Mills is far sup ror to this al ic-:l ri t nd
hamlet Of Il old Virginia. | certainly would
like to SIC a fair specimen of d Virginia village.
why, any OF the paper towns OF " Bleeding
Kansas " are a long Way in advance Of anything
| have yet seen on the 9 Sacred Soil.' The
only building Of any prominence in Vienna was
a two-story unfinished frame house, built and
occupied for Hotel and retail grocery and tape
purposes. NV it is all jammcG, liddicd and
hacked, and if Thoroughly repaired would make
quite y comfortable L" stand - for q county, inn
and shoe-shop. On the extreme west side Of
the place, We found two families living from
hand TO mouth, and afraid of both armies. Well.
who wouldn't be ? for neither army can have
any confidence in what they say, and | have Of
ten thought that it would be economy for our
army TO order every inhabitant ont Of Virginis
living between our line of pickets and the army,
and provide some way for their support. They
certainly have al opportunity to learn valuable
information about our positions, and when so
posted the rebels can easily ostain it.
PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE.
At one Of these houses | found Gen. Brooks.
his aids, and Col Stannard, conversing with an
Old man about the position aud force of the en-
emy. Keeping at II respectful distance, TIL thew
rode away, | refined up co the fence, being at the
time mounted upon the Majors ho Sc, and prob
ably learned ali that had cen told 70 the Gen
eral, which was simply this that a largo force
OF Cavalry and Infantry was stationed ut hun
tl s Mills, about two miles North and West of
US, and that a force of some fifty thousand was
at Centfeville, prepared to unite with them, in
case OF an attack, before we could bring up any
reserve. The old man appeared to be very candid
and told u straightforward story. lie saw rebel
scouts nearly every day, bat none that day. lie
had to be very guarded about what he said, as
only q few days previous one of his neigbbors
had been taken by the rebels, for simply remark-
ing that " the Union troops used the nncighboIs
better than the Southern troops" | showed
the old man u smali map of the roads in that
vicinity, lad him examine it 10 SEQ If it YVES
correct, and 10 show me thereon about the posi.
ton OF the enemy, which he did, saying INV
WAS very correct.
EETREAY.No.
Riding hack to the track WHERE Tie ii vas
halted, found the Major and returned his horee.
with thanks. In a few minutes thereafter the
General ordered us back to Freedom Hill, leay-
ing two companies OF Cavalry with Instructions |
to remain two hours, aud then report to him on |!
the Hill. We accordingly prepared for the
advance, one of the Cd Boys CRYING out. |
'' get ready for Il retreat, pull of your clothes,
and break your guns
About noon we were on the Hill again wait.
ing for something to turn up. BY the wav, |
to mention that in the morning when we
arrived at the Hill, we saw " women
leeing through the fields In the distance, a Ia
mode de Bull Run. Query, Where did they 20
to
The General being at lunch, the Cavalry re- ,
port while he goes on with the ~victuals. Bat
was The 5th Vermont ! Strlying through
the timber, | searched in vain for them neither
could learn from any Of the aids of their
whereabouts.
TAKES A LUNCH AND READS TIE NEWS.