The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-02
FROM YORKTOWN.

Atjutant Spalding writes as follows, from,
Yorktown, to the Freeman:
aavn you in my last an ahstract of Gen
Brooks speech to the pig. hen and horse
thieves. When he made that speech he GER
tainly did not intend to spoil his command
with tiattery: nevertheless he thinks the
world of US. vermont soldiers he saws
''are an enigna-they excel any troops ever
had to deal with,--they will march all day
with heavy knapSacks. guns and four DAYS
rations. and on arriving at camp at night
they will fell ten acres of forest, and before
dark be playing ball, or roaming off miles
from camp after pigs and chickens" Ard
while the general is more than half right on
the point, it may not be out of place to re-
mind Your readers that such is 1itt.
This brigade was probably saved from a
most serious disaster, by the timely warning
of a "colored man. the property of some
master now Ill the service Of the enemy.-
On the day we made the march towards this
line of defense we were moving on road
that would have brought us. without any
warning, directly under the heavy siege guns
Of the peninsular rebei defense. The column
was halted. and an "old servant" informed
Gen Smith of this fact. and offered to show
him another road, saving if he led us into
wrong or danger, to hang him on de fust
tree" His counsel was followed. and proba-
oily many lives were saved thereby.
Since the engagement. the brigade has. so
TO speak, rested, doing no more than their
oft hn f,fr ~.
Holding the position gained against two un-
successful attempts of the enemy TO dislodge
US from the pits directly under their noses,
and from which our ritiemen are able to keen
every gun of the enemy silent. we have made
very extensive defenses both for our batter
les and infantry, while the enemy have not
been able to work an hour in strengthening
their works, unless they have done so in the
rear and out of the range our guns. Ii is
now almost sure death for rebel to expose
any portion of his body. for at every angle
and in every curve in front, and on their
TANKS, there lie concealed at all times squads
of sharp shooters, with telescope rifles, who
can distinguish the color of mans eve at 4
distance of twenty rods, and every shot of
these rifemen tells. 1t certainly must exas-
perate the enemy to be annoyed in that way.
Tut suppose they have learned by this time
that such is life.
In reading my list of the wounded in the
Sd regiment. you will notice that nearly eve
ry wound is below the waist belt of the sold
Ter. That happens in this way. SO am in
formed by one who was in the stream during
the action: These wounds were received
from rltiemen in their pits, elevated several
ieet above the stream. and being too coward
~ to expose themselves like men. they would
reach over as far as their arms would allow
them and discharge their pieces at random.
whereas every man in this army, if posted in
those pits, would have taken the position of
a soldier. and fred deliberately at the COM
mand, Ready, aim, fire." What is surer
than the conquest of such a dastardlv
foeo
The same correspondent writes:
Yesterday, John Slavery, of Co. B, ID Yer.
mont, was shot dead while standing in an ex-
posed position viewing the forts of the reb-
els.
Capt Reynolds was killed in the action at
Lees Mills on Monday the 10Th instant. AZ
ter crossing the stream on dam. he was
struck in the hip by a bullet, causing Sc
rlous wound, though not entirely disabling
him. He, however, was not the man TO quail
before the foe, and pressing on toward the
enemy, he was pierced in the breast by
musket or rifle shot, causing immediate
death. He fell like hero-at the head of
him men.-Rutland Herald.
The hardy Maine boys before Yorktown
recently took possession of an old and ruined
saw mill, and having suggested to the eener-
al the propriety of putting it in working or
der, were permitted to do so, and now the