Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-04-22

From the Second Vermont Regiment.

myself procured passes 10 visit our old battle
ground OF Boil lun, and reached there after q
thirty mile ride from our camp, chen near Alex
andra at about tJar clock In the afternoon
AS we had not time thai night to max a Mtslal
tory examination OF all the localities and things
there, we concluded TO proceed On the Warren
ten Turnpike and try Go procure lodgings for
the night. We happened TO call On The lady
who procured the utement Of Col. Cameron
but as She had not accommodations i0r us, we
called on a widow lady, Mrs Dogan, where we
were able to get corn for our horses, and supper
and lodgings for ourselves This Mrs. Dogan
owns very large plantation is surrounded by
slaves, and Is very strong secessionlst. VITA
her was q young woman, about twenty years old.
who voluntarily told US her husband was in the
secession army and SAID she could not help bay
ing her sympathies on that side YET she had
very intelligent view Ol the subject They
treated us very clWliy, and as we were about to
leave, the young woman approached us and
said, " hope if my husband falls into your
hands you will use him well We assured
her we would ase our influence to this effect,
and She gave me his name which was William
Joseph Birch
We then proceeded back to Sudlya Church,
! the place where our Brigade 90 the Dist Of July
entered what may be termed the battle ground,
although it is three miles from where Ye fought.
/ We went 20 tins point, as we thought the
| ground and OH ecs would look moro natural 70
/ approach IN the old route We then examined
ali the things Of interest, found readily the
| place where We fought, andwhera our men W 2e
buried. They were buried in a trench about
thirty feet IN rear oil the right on the sp0J on
! which our regimen. resteIwhe we fret opened
lire. An old Sled stands Bear, On which they
were no doubt drawn % their final resting place.
lhe trench was thirty one feet long and two
wlde. BY .he side ui che trench lay q piece Of
hard wood -l.t-wJrk sAAgpeuei 40 one end, and
from lis position and the appearances, il had
been used 90 pry up the bodies after their inter-
| i.4eft nm uar a1le to say whether this was
! done by the 'ehels on others curious u know
| what was tuege. examined this ditch far
/ enough ID know some bodies sull iio there
| suppose GOodriCA Ot my company who was
killed at Jhis place. was among them. We then
measured Che distances from whore our line rest
ed to where the rebel line wa, vii we engaged
them. and found our lines were huyluur rods
apart measured this, as our boys have diff
Tered widely as to this distance On the hill,
! iewrols beyond ihe enemy niautry Inc, their
! batteries were placed, and Ittle ways TO the
right Of the ilue WAS where Shermaas battery
was captured. Here ON ,bis LIil are the eyi.
deaces Of carnage, counted over i0rty dead
horses, the bones still lying where they fell
Also the graves OF men almost lunumerable.-
The place where Col. Barto@ of the rebel army
| iell is marked by a small monument, and most
OF the rebel officers and soldiers graves have
some board or rough stone Oh wbich the namo
is written. Here trench twenty rods long,
which was the common grave Of many u poor
fellow. We examined the roads IN rear OF the
enenys line opposite us, and found sufficient
evidence that our ooys did not shoot 10 vain
Many are the graves IN the skirt Of thc woods,
and the trees are literally hacked to pieces by
the rebels 10 extract the Yankee bullets. am
satisfied those opposed to US lost more than we
did " e visited the pine woods On the let, where |
the Zjuayes fought. They suffered severely |
here aud many We're never buried until since |
our soldiers have been there and done It, GA |
the hill above spoken OF was mouse IN which |
family lived IN Oldish lady was SICK in bed, |
and in the fore part OF the light they attempted |
to move her but about that time things were |
taking sucd u turn that II was considered more |
safe for her to remain Soon, however, our |
men made u charge up this hill and gained this
house, and here the tight became most furious
cannon bah pierced the house, killing this
woman n her bed. Near the garden fence OF this
house Lieut.. Ramsay fell, he has been taken
up and buried by relative who lives about sey.
en- miles from there The mau who assisted in
this was on the ground and gave Us this as well
as much more valuable information.
Alter completing ourexamluauUns, we started
ttt 4 nd
on reaching it in tie evening, we found our
regiments had gone to Fortress Monroe 80 we
had nothing to do but walI for che next trans
portwhich we took tie next day Sunday and
arrived safely at tie Fortress Tuesday NOR
ming and found our regiment, rs well AZ the rest
Of the Nt. regiments and u great many more
troops about ioar miles from mere on the route
to Newport News We Jolned them and on
Wednesday Gen, Smilhs Division made u re-
connosSanco up the river to a creek, scattering
what lew rebels there were after bret fire -
We returned to camp the next day and on Fri |
day we again started, and We are now near
Yorktown and in front oil very strong rebel |
works, The great battle is to be fought here I
probably Iualr linls as well rs ours extend I
from the Nol, to tne James river a distance of |
ten i,es. Wear0 terrible lonely, muddy, I
swampy, pine wood ana our main line only from |
one halt mile to two miles from the forts. /
chain of which seems 10 extend across the re-
nlnsua We ound, at place called Youngs
mills six miles back, strong Qualifications which
they abandoned alter htlle skirmlshing and |
fell back ON these works We have been ex-
changing shots, both cannon and infantry, with /
them for three days and general engagement
is imminent
Five companies from the Vermont Second we're
placed on picket the night after we discovered