The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-18
(Our War correspondence
From the Fifth Vermont Regiment.
CAHP IN THE FIELD,

| G1VA I'LL tCIU1UuG AICB Au1CuG.
CAMP IN THE FIELD,
Near Yorktown, April IL, 1862.
Mr.. WILLARD You, of course, cannot ex
pect correspondence giving any information
IN regard to the " movements - of this Crane
army of some - thousand men.
Camp in the Field,' is the " official " title
of our rendezvous, but Gen. Brooks has more
appropriate name 50 Camp in the Mud" il
Brooks title, and it is rightly christened. This
whole army is in a swamp opposite the defences
of the enemy. Sink hole anywhere, on the
most elevated ground around here, two feet deep
and you can get we'll of water-and such is
| the water we have to use. In addition to this,
the swamp lands are covered with heavy tim
| Der and a most enranglng network of under
| growth. In all New Englsnd II tract Of land
of equal extent could not be found, with more
natural obstacles for the advance of an attack
ing army. In front of these swamps, timber
and briars, is u deep stream, the elevated banks
of which on the opposite side are lined with
fortifications, four or five miles in extent, the
ramparts of which are swarmlng with rebel
soldiers, their cleaning bayone and rihed ord
nance.
TO give battle to an enemy, equal if not su-
perior to our own in numbers, in such a position,
will require much preparation, and it will GER
tainly be days. if not weeks, before the attack is
made. 10 the meantime our Generals are at
work day and night, and it would astonlsh you
to see the fatigue duty that is done by our men
Telling timber, building roads, bridging
swanps, and, in fact, building or creating a
battle ground for our artillery and infantry -
Roads are to be Cut and built in every direction
for the direct and flank movements of our
forces, and many of these roads have to be con-
structed under fire Of the enemy. But the
work goes brayoly on. and already miles of
good road are finished. Field guns, siege pieces,
and mortars, are to be moved over these roads,
into position and g Masked" and when this is
done, the great battle will be fought. In Il line
of defences extending for miles. there is, Of
course, some weak point this has to be ascer-
tanned, and when 50 asceTtalned, 1t will be at
tackled. For one full week we have been here
at work upon our battlefield, and if it is not
completed in another week shall not be disap-
pointed.
In tbs meantime the rebels amuse themselves
throwing shells into our camps and along cur
line of pickets while our boys have then own
sport hunting for Il shot at d live rebel ; and if
the record of mortality is properly kept in the
rebel camps it will show that some good shots
have been made, and rice rerSa.
"Ob'i,
mand Of the enemy forces, most Of the t;vops be
ins composed OF Georgia Regiments. Several
prisoners have been taken, and they are well
clothed, equipped and armed. Wha5 their
strength Is, ge soldiers do not know, hu, IL is
said to be all along from 60 900 to 100 900
But the more The letter, for in proportion to
their strength will be our victory over treason.
| cannot ut this time write you such letter
as could wish, and as | know your readers
desire. At the proper time, however, will do
so, if | am spared.
The next day after our arrival at our present
camp ground, quite an amusing incident oc-
Cured. We were short OF ratiOnS, and the boys
had been living from hand TO mouth for several
days, and they were really hungry. so, watch
ing their chances, they "stole awhile away
INFO the fields, pastures and premises of the in
habitants, and by mid day came In loaded down
with commssary stores in TIE shape of fresh meat,
hogs, pigs, turkeys, cattle, and in one instance
q horse and saddle. 1t was not long, however,
before Gen. Brooks got wind of what was going
on, and what had gone on. He at once issued
an order to the Colonel of every regiment in the
brigade, TO have everything that had been
"plundered,'' together with the "plunderers, y
sent to his quarters. In about an hour the
grounds about his tent looked like wholesale
hucksters stand in the Fulton Market And
then the General appeared to take an inventory
After careful inspection, he ascertained that
- regiment were the biggest thieves in the
brigade, though some others were probably more
shrewd. He accordingly addressed himself to
the above regiment. ~ want you to under.
stand this is no Cornstalk Militia. (he speaks
very fast,) and that you can't pilfer the sub.
stance OF widows and orphans. You-Vermont
soldlers-send out school-teachers, tracts, and
missionaries all over the world and come down
here and rob poor widow woman of everything
she has, from a sucking pig up to a horse and
saddle. Horse-thief soldiers, | should think
you were raised in the State prison. And you,
officers pretend that they know nothing about
it. You are worse than horse thieves, and the
whole brigade is no better, and, if restitution i,
not made for this plumber before to morrow
morning, I'll send you back behind the brigade
in disgrace. l drill soldiers, | do not drill
horse-thieves and robbers The boys have
lived on Uncle Sans rations since hearing tn,
above haranguc, and presume they viii tn,
rest of the campaign. Such is life.
Truly Yours, SEE. SEE. Ess.
| Fort PILLow.-The only fertilization of i'm
| nOrtance m the MisssS mi hntween New Madri,