Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-03-28

You will recollect that in my last. dated at
Flint Hill, told you of the joy the shouting and
the wild enthusiasm of our troups, on the publ
cation of the a. Order that We supposed was to
hurry Us off to Dixie a. fast as forced marches
and steam could carry us. Well, on the next
morning at daylight, and when every man was in
heavy marching order, McClellan's touching adj
dress and stirring appeal to the Army of the Po-
tomac, was read to us. 1t was so simple, so con-
else, so honest, and told the story that we had
learned by months of patient, steady and constant
toll, so clearly and ieelingly that most. il not
all of this command were in tears. =" The period
of inaction is passe i,-now God defend tho
right What language for the patient soldier
who, day and and night, month in and mouth
out, has watched both the enemy in arms and
the stealthy foe at our own doors /" Now you
are to advance and give the death blow to the re-
bellon." Could you hear the soldiers response
in cheer after cheer as those words fell upon their
ears. you would never for moment fear to leave
the result of this war and the destiny of the Union
in their hands. We were all taken by surprise.
At the command " Attention to ordeas, - we eX-
pected to hear something about - rations," Or
g knapsacks,' or some other old threadbare - or
DER But. instead thereO f. chieftain spake
to his soldiers to soldiers that he could trust
to save our country" God bless him and forgive
his enemies
The reading and the cheers being over we
filed away on the most fatigueing march ever
made by troops ON the Potomac. We were to
report at - Cloud MILL" on the Little River
Turnpike, where we are now encamped. But by
some mistake, blunder or misunderstanding Of
orders. we (the 9TH Regiment) took the wrong
road, and after marching f.om seven to eight
miles cut Ofour way, through mud boot-tops deep,
and in drenching rain ana cold, piercing wind
we finally, at dark were sheltered in an open
Market House in the city Of Alexandria. That
you may have some idea of the condition we were
in to pass the night under an open shelter of that
character | Will add, by way of parenthesis
that from my underclothes alone. wrung out
nearly quart of water, and out of my long top
boots enlptied as much more. The march was
fully twenty miles, but it was made with the
spirit and pluck of veteran troops. We certainly
began TO think that Little Mac. was in cal nest
about giving us long and rapid marches"
expected, of course, to find the men next morn
ing used up" old, lame and stiff. But all save
few who were fit subjects for the hospital before
tn march, were as fresh and game as ever, and
we report to day but few on the sick list in con-
sequence of that march and exposure. The next
day being Sunday, we were removed in the after.
noon from the Market to Church, the temple of
Secession pastor and congregation, the Provost
Marshal opening the doors vi ct armies, while the
Pastor took leg bail. In the evening delega-
ton of ladies visited the church and made des-
trbution of socks among the men la timely gift.
Services were had, and the men retired. but at 10
march at four in the morning to Cloud Mill, a
distance OF five miles This rather dampened
their ardor, and the mercury in their souls and
knees began to fall. All day long they had
believed that in less than forty eight hours they
would be embarked for Dixie. Guns were clean
ed, and clothes and accoutrements put in good Or
der for the voyage. ''Old Vermont was to do
something in the way of giving treason a D." lift"
Back to Camp was the last place they expected to
go. " Back to camp" meant more mud. drills.
fatigue, guards, pckets, and thousand other
memories of the Potomac. No wonder they felt
mad, cross, old sore, sick and disappointed.
- Back to camp!" | sometimes think they
would rather have plunged into the muddy river
aud swan to bike rather than to have seen an
other camp on its hillsldes. But at four o'clock
every man was at his post, and the march was
made. UfCourSe we found the Brigade right
where we expected TON the mud. The other
Regiments, at our expense had considerable
sport We had to take it right and left The
Second boys sing out, - Here comes the city So
gers :" &" what's the price of whiskey?' Il
say, boys, have you got reduced to the ranks?"
and hundred other jests and jokes, all of which,
on back-load of di1appointments, were hard to
endure. However, we quietly informed them
that we had come out to inspect the dill and
discipline of The #" country soldiers" and passed
along to our camp ground, the best, by the way,
that we have ever had,
So here we are, part and parcel of the same old
dTUy vi tue IUJOiHdC tudJ dS yeJ mas no history
in this great struggle for the Union save the pan
&c Of Bull Run and the slaugh er of Balls Bluff
But we know that great chieftain leads us, and
in his promise to bring US i" face to face with the
enemy" we have an abiding faith, Our conf
dence he already has and if his plans and STRAIT
egy demand another draft upon our patience it
shall be freely honoied. 1t makes no difference
what political leaders think or newspaper mar
shals write about our Genereral-hs soldiers love
him. and nine out of ten are perfectly familiar
with the objects of his tiaducers. OF one thing
these men may rest assured, this army fights I'M
der Mcclellan or it never fights. 1t has combat
ed the enemy, under the supervision of politi-
clans and jou mails, and that once is enough. /
would not make the bold assertion, but | am al
most persuaded to believe that if Napoleon him
self was in command of this army his enemies
would be the very same men who are to-day ma
ligning and prosecuting Mcclellan. And, sir if
these men succeed, and Mcclellan is superseded.
the war is protracted, the enemy will take new
courage, our foreign relations will be disturbed,
the commercial political and military powers of
Europe will be aroused. and the war will shatter
the timbers of every center-bound Government
in the East.
Then, 'let us alone" The army Of the Poto-
mac is a real army, and with its own Captain it
will not only destroy treason and save and restore
the Union, but il will do more than this-in con-
junction with our other gallant armies il will con-
quer the respect of the civilized world And then,
not till the then, will the American people enjoy
the blessings of union, peace, tranquility and
prosperity.
Respectfully yours, SEE. SEE Ess.