The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-07-18
From the Vermont Third.


letter from our regular correspondent with
Gen McClellan's army, but as yet have re-
ceived nothing. From various private sour
ces, which We consider entirely reliable, We
learn certain facts which we think will be of
considerable interest to our readers:
The official returns of the casualties
in the Sd regiment in the action of
Savage's Station on Sunday were, killed, Z;
wounded 10: missing in action, :. Lieut. J.
w. Ramsay received five bullets, and was in
stantly killed. Sergt A. c. Arlington was
wounded in the thigh and lived two hours,
dying from loss of blood probably. Capt d.
L. Corbin got three wounds-in the feshy
part of the thigh, in the hand, destroying two
fingers, and in the face, breaking the lower
jaw. He with other wounded-all that could
be found-were collected, and those who
were unable to march were left under the
charge of DIR VIM. ]. Sawin, recently made
assistant surgeon in the I'd regiment,-
were taken prisoners by the enemy three
hours afterwards. DIR James, surgeon of the
Sd regiment, was not killed, as has been re-
ported, and is uninjured.
At the commencement of the seven days
battle and FIVE days retreat, Sergeant Major
Mattocks was just coming down with an at
tack of the swamp fever. prevalent on the
Chickahominy, and for five days was unable
to eat anything. The extraordinary exer-
tons he was obliged to make, the loss of
sleep, going without food, and fever, were
too much for him, and on the fourth day he
was completely prostrated-unable to walk
from exhaustion, and was in condition
closely allied to sun-stroke and but slight
remove from paralysis. In this condition he
was taken aboard the hospital boat and for
tunately for him brought to New York, and
from thence sent to Burlington. He is now
at his home in Lyndon. His improvement
is rapid, and at the present rate of gain he
will probably be able to return in four or five
weeks.
The courage and spirit of the Vermont
troops is good-admirable. Although they
were obliged to retreat from before Rich.
mond, and had to undergo fatigue in so do
ing, they are in no respect discouraged-suct
are the fortunes of war. Nothing dauntet
they still believe they shall whip the whole
rebel army, and take Richmond whenever
| they can have half chance to do so. They
know that they can drive them with the bav
onet every time.
/ In letter from one of our towns boys t.
his parents is an account of terrible shell
ing which they Unexpectedly took from thu
rebels, on the retreat:
I've staid there till p NJ, as the roac
was full of teams. We had Just got the roat
when the enemy suddenly opened on us from
at least 40 cannon, throwing perfect show
cr of shell into the field where we were. Ga
tram was under fire at least fifteen minutes
The shells struck all around us. but they di,
not hit any Of the mules or drivers Tn
brigade was drawn up in the open field in tn
form Of a square, within plain sight of tn
rebels. Most Of them sleeping, wher
suddenly perfect shower of shell struck i
their midst. was impossible to stay Their
a moment. and the division broke and mad
for the woods. The Sd behaved tip TOP
forming into line Immediately; also the ,
and 9TH. 1t was impossible for any one I
stay there in the open field. Gen Smit
mounted his horse and broke for the woods
Many of our men had narrow escapes a
the time they sheed us so. One of tn
band was sitting on his knapsack, when
shell struck it and knocked it out from undo
him. Sherry Hospital stewardD has not bee
seen since he ran into the woods. The bov
do not think he was killed: but he ran RICH
towards the rebels, as he was badly frigh,
ened.'
A private letter since the fight from a
officer in the Third to his brother has bee
kindly sent us, from which we append som
extracts. 1t is dated on James river, Ju
lyJ:
"When | wrote YOU last, the 2S,h, We ha
just cleaned out secesh on the right win:
but in the morning a change came over tn
, spirit of our dreams. The whole of Ston.
wall Jackson's force, at least ninety thor
sand men, was thrown on our right wing
Porter's and McCall's men fought well, br
were driven back by superior numbers. Th
most of Porter's and McCall's men fell bac
to the White House and the rest fell back I
Smiths division. Our right was guardin
the bridge and prevented the rebels crossin
over. On the light of the 2Sth, the We
mont Brigade took terrible Smelling.
was too weak and sick to walk, so just stat
: in my tent and took it as coolly as | coul
n The next morning the order was given
n fall back. | rode in an ambulance to Savage
e Station, where the sick and wounded
Smiths division were sent to-nearly tho
sand men.
l saw so many officers and men desertir
Il their regiments that | determined to join Il
l. regiment and stand up as long as could.
9 was in hopes that the excitement would ket
:. me up. and It did. have been able to Ike,
d with the regiment through it all. We ha
Il had eight days Of hard fighting and marc
f. ing, but here think we shall make star
j. until We get reinforcements.
. LIE AIoCl. ua., l.axl Id AIanazal