The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-20
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMANOCT 20 1862

large, and is rather unassumiDg in its appear
ance, yet the style of building and its sl;ua-
ton is very picturesque. 10 front of you Is
bank descending some fifteen feet to Lake
Michigan, which spreads out itself to view to
the east, north and south father than the eye
can reach. A way TO the north may always
be seen sail vessels nearing the great empo-
rum of the west, whilst all along the shore
arise the warehouses and other buildings OF
the city itself.
When peace shall be restored, and the
great ship canal shall join the waters OF the
Michigan with those of Mississippi, Chicago
will be the City of the Union as 1t Is now the
City of the North West.
But the readers OF the Messenger, many o
whom | have been familiar with in time past
may wish to know how goes the camp with
me personally. can say quite as we'll | ex-
pectcd- health never better, though many
others who would have been supposed much
stronger, have been more or less afflicted with
those diseases which are common to the coun-
try and season. This often results from their
habits. For instance, few days ago | saw
a young boy who was afterwards complaining
of i'll health, come into the ranks in the reck-
less manner that such boys usually do, when
holding up part of a card of gingerbread pur-
chased at the suffers he exc aimed Gentle
men, ITEMS my principles And it is this
abuse of eating and drinking that works such
mischief with the health of our army. Seine
seem to think that when they become soldiers
they have license 20 do anything that is usually
considered wrong, hence we find the first step
of vicious man is to plunge more deeply In
to vice. We have no chaplain with US as yet
There are good number OF Christians with us
however, yet every Influence in the camp is
adverse to religious exercise of mind. Some
endeavor to couneract this by greater Jili-
gence others yield to it. We try to have
prayer meetings twice a week, which are in
the open air. Sometimes they are deeply
interesting, at other times they arc disturbed
by the crowd without.
| have not found camp life, as yet so very
dull there is always something going on with.
in or without, suppo sed or real, that keeps
us in furror of excitement.
Camp Douglass is the centre of the most
sxcitements, and of all places the most dreaded
by the volunteers, and it has been the cause
of several mutinies within the few weeks past.
The secesh have all gone. either for exchange
or 10 that bourne from whence no traveller
returns. Their place is now supplied by aD-
other class-the paroled prisoners from Har.
pers Ferry. They came here upoa wet
night, hungry aud without shelter, i. e.
portion OF them, some had arrived before.
That morning l learned that the ninth Yer.
mont was among the number, aud took meas.
ures to get out Of camp Immediately | found
them marching to Camp Douglas, and en-
quired for company from Windsor Co. Capt.
jarvis company was mentioned, and started
to find it, certain thai | had friends there.
| found that two of my former schoolmates
had been left sick at Winchester, J. w. and
j. B. in rebel hands. | then had a man
from my own town, c. c. pointed out to me.
[ was recognized only When be heard my name
when another old schoomate came up to
shake hands with me.
The prisoners are not very we'll reconciled
to their situation. They are thinking of their
distant homes, aud friends They have in
several places torn down the high fences, to
get peep at the world without, besides de.
molishlng several suffers stands, with other
UGH like things betokening insubordination.
But this letter is getting long, and if it
shall find lace in your columns, | may at
some future time trouble you with another
scrbbIc. T.H.BL