The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-10-25
CAMP GRIFFIN. NEAR LEWINSvHLE. }
October II, 1861.

October 1t, 1861.
Yours Of the 10Th instant, also The Gale
DOMAIN, was received last night, and hasten
to reply. | have read the article YOU spoke
Of and will give YOU my opinion Of it. You
ask if it can be relied upon. Articles in
newspapers, az a general thing, should be
well authenticated before they are taken for
facts. That article in question is perhaps
not literally true. but it tells the story no
worse than it is. 1t says there are only five
hundred men in the regiment ii, for duty:
Yesterday morning only four hundred and
twenty-six were reported able to do duty
only half of the regiment was in hopes
the ritoic facts would not be known in Yer
mont, but see that thcy can not be kept
from them. 1t is certainl true that the ex-
;tosHfe ant: haraships we have to endure are
telling upon the boys health. Because and
some others are tough, it is no sign others
are tough. Nearly all the sickness is cause,
BY not having sufficient clothing to protect
them from the damp that prevails on the Po
tomac We are now further from the river
and | am in hopes We shall not be sick SO
much. We have had no extra clothing since
We left Vermont except fatigue Jacket and
straw tick, and such miserable looking
Clothes as We now wear YOU never saw. |
understand We are soon to have a new uni
form, but how soon 10 one Can tell. Gov
.rnnent s";s clothing as fast As possible. bu,
/ cannot get i faster than il is made Gen
: .(.rl;an i doing all he can for u~.and v hat
more can lie do? Some peop!" sj.y-"Nhy
Sent the soldiers buy themselves clothes IN
stead rf suffering So? They have good pay
and are able to buy their own clothes if gov
ernment can't In answer to that question
VIII say il IS either very silly question or
mean one. If should ask farmer in Yer
mont why he did not have orange and tis
trees growing around mis- house ne would
think NE a fool; but can assure him one
could not get ootdiny II re had our lochetS
ttdl Of qold Ii is not to be had.
In The same letter night alarm, and its
Consequences to the soldier, are wildly de-
scrIbed
Imagine a night dark as E.rebus the wind
blowing almost hurricane; raining in tor
rents; cold October storm. The soldier
has lain down on the wet ground With moth
in. but hi9 oyercoat ana blanket over him.
He has just ,.ot into droase when is heard
tie alarm lie set> up. and what confusion. !.
H. has to shoulder his gun and perhaps
march three or four miles in the ptiles>
storm, and back, tor ii proves to be false
aam. Again: imagine yourself, some cold.
freezing ign; when good feather bed and
half dozen quilts are not too much to keep
YOU warm. living in your tent hat asleep
fox YOU cannot sleep soundly when YOU are
shiyering all over. The aarm is sounded; :;
YOU spring FOR your gun and you get out OF
Your tent and YOU hear the distant rattle OF
mu- kerry, thc booming Of cannon, the ire
meadolS rolling of artillery going as fast as
horses can run, the salloping of the cavalry,
III, heavy tread Of intantry-of twenty or
thirty thousand men. They make a grand
>.gLt. but it is death to the poor soldier, for
there is no slore s.eep for him for perhaps
:w,Hty-four hours, and nothing to eat for
Twelve. Does twenty dollars per month pay
the soldier? Does it pay him for having to
be out from Two TO four II ghts in week, ex-
posed to all kinds Of weather, and no sleep?
his is no fancy picture, but is just what We
have 70 do When it rains or SHOWS in Yer
mont hired man can have shelter, but net
- with US when on duty. Now for every
soldier in the army there are twenty-five per
sons at home, and large amount OF proper
" Every soldier fights for all of that and
for himself. Now which has the greatest in
tereSt in the war, the soldier, or these twenty
five or thirty persons and their property =
Here is a man who is willing to give his
health, life. every thing, for the sake of free
dom, t,r himself, and these twenty-five or
tt.f;. person~ and their property, and for
hi. sacrifice s"re arr not wiling TO pay him
80 p4r moath and cl,.hr and feed him. We
l..'t lrs. We are wiling 70 pay for cloth
-. although government has ;.Srecd to give
!; - f,,st as it tln get it for Us. lol cannot
Ind man but would scorn to beg. There
are but rely few that, with all our hard
ships, woul, 60 home II he could honorably.
You ask them in earnest and they
Will tell you they enlisted to put
down this unrighteous rebellion. and they are
bound to see it out have not seen the
day that wished had not enlisted. and
haye not written what have for effect, but
because have been asked time and again to
write the facts
Here is an illustration of how We co
things. Yesterday was Sunday, and we were
IN hopes to have day to rest, but It was re-
ported the rebels were building a fort about
four miles from here, and the general wanted