The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-10-14

Interesting better fron Mr., NJ. II
Smell. Who Vas teacher The lai term
n lhe Barr and Barton seminary.
Il Is dated
Frederick, Nd. Oct 4. 1862.
Ma. Dear Sir II write
8. a soldier, though when three
months ago said good bye TO old
Burr and Burton Seminary. ard the
beassifal valley of the BAsisukill,
| had no more idea Of being IN the
army than Of visiting the beat Of AZ
rica or the open Polar Sea. had
eonseieneioasly decided that ny path
OF duty was elsewhere bot when ]
heard once and agaia the call Of
Father Abraham" for "lhree hun
dred thousand more MI scruples Of
conscience we're removed. How sud.
denly, you may judge from the fact
that on Wednesday, Angus. 9Th, |
was sitting happily under "the olive
branch gentle "dose" beside me,
and il week | vas marching 10 the
beat Of the drum, and the din Of
camp more than hundred miles dis
tani.
Three weeks elapsed, and ON board
the steamship Merrimae my regi-
ment the Seth Massachusetts, and the
goth Maine were packed in the hold
and on deck more like two thousand
slaves than anything else ever heard
or thought Of Our voyage Of FIVE
days to Washington was delighiful as
far as the weather was concerned, but
such an uncomfortable jam Of spew-
ing, halfstarsed mortals l never was
in before and pray never 10 see
again.
The soldiers life is hard one, as
few weeks experience in marching
over dusty or muddy roads, Of sleep
ing one night in dirty stubble field,
and the next among cobble stones,
with the rain pouring above, and run
ming in streams under us--and Of eat.
ing half rations of hard bread and
salt meat, with poor coffee, has fully
convinced us. Away in your quiet
northern hcmes, after all you read
and hear, you can have little idea Of
the priyations and hardships the SOL
dicrs have to bear. Yet I do not
write with any feeling Of regret that
am here. No--I came expecting
that.
Through conflicts and trials our
crowns we must win"
Many poor fellows though, who
came rather from hasty impulse than
from any deep-seated principle, wish
themselves back. Our men however
have comforts and luxurics both in
food and dress compared with the
rebels. AS have been stopping in
this city for two weeks past, ] have
had much opportunity for learning
the true state Of things. Only three
or four weeks since, jackson with his
troops entered Frederick, producing
much CONSERVATION among the cili.
gems, many Of whom fled into the nd
joining country, carrying what Of
their effects they could take in a
bundle on their backs or in little wag-
ons. From eight o'clock Friday
evening till ten on Saturday, when
the enemy took possession, the streets
were filed with these refugees. The
confederate army was ushered in by
no shouts and other demonstrations
of joy, such as one week afterward
greeted our own soldiers, and the pro-
fessed "rebel sympathizers' closed
their doors and shutters, offering no
food or comfort TO the furnishing,
half-naked wretehes they were
ashamed TO own as their "army Of de-
liveiance.' Many oil the Union peo-
pie on the other hand, out Of pity, not
Of sympathy, opened their doors and
brought out bread, soup, pies and 9th
er nicelies for their starving enemies,
some Of whom could but invoke
blessings on the "Unionists. Still
more recent facts in regard to the
treatment of the Union and rebel
wounded who are together in some Of
the hospitals here, concur with null
titude of s,her things which have
transpired during the war, TO show
which side is most actuated by the
spirit Of the gospel, which commands
us to 1'bless those that curse Us, and
do good TO them that despiteluIly use