Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-02-21
rRoM nm FIrrH REaIMENr.

VI '
we move about II comes mp about our boots
when we step on It, IL splashcs in our faces
when we ride over it. II oozcs through our
clothing-it shines over our persons, hcdaubs our
arms brspnnkles our ewes and beraggles our hair.
IL grows thick and deep in our streets and thin
and slimy in our tents IL comes TO MS without
invitation or proyocation and sticks by ms closer
than a brother. They tell tall stories about the
mud in the West: how men see hats apparently
lying loose in the mud and find men on horseback
under them in the mud, and they have mud in the
East there il some mud in Montpelier. II the
members of the Legislature tell the truth. and st.
Adams is great In that line. hut--ol an the sub
stances under the light of the sun or hidden in the
shade this sacred soil OF Virginia is the nastiest,
stickicst ptchiest. or speaking after the manner
of men, the cusscdcst. We eat drink and sleep
in the mud; il compasses us round about when
awake and when we sleep-its ooziug, Shiny
cementiNes haunts our dreams. Since things
So as our old Latin books used 10 have IT, il IS
the most natural Thing in the world that / should
give YOU a muddy letter.
Our regiment continues very much iu the con-
dtion it was in the fall About The first of Janu-
airy moved our camp for dricr situation. but
find ourselves very much in thc prcdicamcnt of the
lrishman about his roads when being inquired of
which of two roads was the best, replied An
faith, if ye take ono yl wish y'd taken the ithcr
before We get through
The health Of the men /, gradually improving
The fevcrs that were 30 prevalent and fatal in tic
although quite numerous are now OF mildcr
FORM being simply colds and other results of The
damp weather 1t may be-, and doubtless Is true,
that we are sowing seeds of future diseases aud
shall carry home with rs great many undcvel-
opcd consumptions. but these are not so apparent
~ terrible was the mortality when we first came
here
For Che satisfaction of our friends at home can
say wc are we'll provided for IN every respect
Our clothing is abundant We have good food
and more than can eat. Our tents o. we now
have Them arranged with cmbaukcd palisades and
Stoves, are comfortable. Our surgeons are skill
tul and our nurses attentive We have stores of
hospital mairru mittcns, stockings blankets,
and te thousand aud one iunumcrhp articles
sent us from hnmr. more than we can dispose of.
We have mo- reason 10 End fault with the govern |
Ilent in DIS provisions for u.s. and certainly none
thai our friend. at home are unmindtul Of our |
welfare. OF COURSE emnp-ic is not Ike life at |
home; tent J., not a house, morris tin plate and /
tin dipper the most luxurious tea or breakfast /
service, but they are necessary incidents of camp
life. / think nncty-nine ont of every hundred |
soldiers here are more comfortably clothed than |
they even were at home, and majority betterfed.
Still more, and what is even better, the soldiers
are generally contcnted and happy. OF course
they often think of home and would gladly be
there, bat still very little munnurng or discomfort
is manifested. The merry laugh, the cheerful
song, and the sports of the men, show their hap
piness and coutentmcnt.
vi news OF t0uIrt can give you none. maj /
is chiefly manufactured in Washington andiNew
York. We stay here. do picket duty daily, and
20 on scouts occasionally. Our scouting eXpedi-
tons are conducted after the tactics of that celc
braied French King who, with twenty thousand
men marched up the hill and then marched down
the hill. Il IL no news, at least when the Green
Mountain Freeman is circulating daily the report
that this army is not advancing, do we make
a practice of thrcshlng out hundred thousand
rebels every day, rs some at home insist we ought
% do.
Why we remain as we do or at least why we
were inactive before the mud was so deep we could
not move is a matter | do not undertake to de-
termine For my own part, am satisfied that
those who are In command and have direction OF /
affairs know quite as much as do about their |
business. They ought, at least, to form their own
plans, and not diyulge them even to newspaper
editors. | know indeed that some very lippant
newspaper writers, and some too, in Vermont, !
feel it their special mission TO find fault with our
movements, and to give the Commander-in-Chie
very valuable counsel, and instruct linn in the
line Of his duties; but am not yet prepared to
trust entirely 20 their leadership, ! can't help
thinking that if they knew great deal more they
would say great dead less.
Undoubtedly these men have great military ge-
Mus, and il is great pity it should rust out but
still should be afraid they lacked several items
of information relative to the situation and force
Of the enemy, and of the ndic,iM and capacity of
army. | doubt whether they could tell
uSimitclN AMI accurately luni now 10 20 TO work
60 accomplish what they so much talk about. II
is the easiest thing in the world to say a great
many things about what one knows nothing. II
is very easy for AN editor 60 say physician ought
to make decided advance with his fever patient
and give lim forty doses Of quininc and calumc
every day bat such treatment might not be cx-
actly iudeious after an,
noticed IN one of your contemporaries an arti-
Gle on the great review at Balls Cross Roads
from which It was quite apparent that the editor
couldn't see what good could come from that re-
view In fact hc said as much. Now, II does not
necessarily follow that because he couldn't the
advantage of it there was none Admitting all his
natural abilities aud acquired acutencss, il j. pos
sbe there was an occasion for II, which he failed
10 discover. lt was necessary for the commander
in-elief 90 know Of what material his army was
composed, 20 know their proficiency in military
discipline 90 compare the several divisions and
subdivisions with each other, and 30 learn their
relative efficiency, TO know which were reliable
and 10 what extent In the history ofmilitary OPP
crations SO lar, experience has shown that this
could best be done by reviewing the troops. /
presume Our newspaper generals and home guards
could get all this knowledge intuitiyey but since
Bull Run have somewhat lost confidence in such
knowledge.
Again, this army has remained nearly stationary
since October, whereas our newspaper generals
would have had us at least far south as New
Orleans. We have not gone " on TO Richmond'
that is certain. But il is by no means certain that
TINS tuite months mas uech thrown away. On the
contrary every indication shows it the very wisest
course could have taken. Our home guards
say they don't know why. Very likely they don't
bui there a great many other things they could
learn il they would.
But Mr. Editor | must beg your and youl
readers pardon for this depression from the ap
propraie space of letter from camp, and leay,
these 20 be talked about by those at home.
must, however, say that when | hear from hom,
such complaints about our inactivity, get pro
yoked 10 this depression, for it seems to me tina
men who say so much about what they know 5,
little, home guards who talk about carnage, anC
newspaper penny-a-liners who instruct generals
are Ike kicking cripples or noisy mutes
party OF the Cameron dragons were out TO-
wards Centrcye yesterday on scout, ant
brought in some dozen prisoners. They wer
mostly North Caronians. II they were a TAI
sample, the rebel army must be in very poo
state Of discipline, for they were the advance
guard and were surprised asleep. The North Ca
rolinians were very poorly clothed in light bad
worn-out cotton clothes. Some of our men VIII
saw them said II our men should have nothing bu
their shirts and drawers, they would be as waml
Clothed as their prisoners. They report a grea
al NJ e.