Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-07-11

Our Army Correspondence.
FROM THE EIGHTH REGIMENT.


ALGIEHs, NEw ORLEANs
PARISH, June 49, 1862.
Mn EDuoR-Su Nothing Of particular
note which will interest the general reader
bas occurred since writing my last. still we
have seen and experienced some new phases
of military life. Some ten days ago a compa-
ny or two were sent 20 Bayou La.Ourche to
protect the railroad, so it could be used Tor
transporting the produce Of that section of
country 90 the city, &c The inhabitants APP
pcarcd anything but civil assure you i mean
tho plantersl Still some Of them were at
thc station occasionally and oyeing as sharp
ly, and seemingly trying to lull into a
false security, but we we're not to be caught
mapping, as t was rumorcd that an armed
baud of marauders, numbering some five or
AiN hundred. were prowiug around in the vi
uuity of Herwick's Bay, some thirty miles
above Laiuurcho on the line of the road
Perhaps have uot mentioned that ON the ap-
uroacu OF our gunboats 20 She City Of New
Orleans, this horde irufhans fed 20 the bay.
burning tho bridges over which they passed.
We repaired the one az Des Aimands by
which means We were enabled TO run train
90 laiourchc Jhe bridge at this place was
some tno hundred feet long and has not been
repaired. Saturday the ith inst. we learn
,d chat body of Cavalry, numbering one
hundred, were cutting up shines in various
pace- about near by, such as tearing up the
railroad track, &c. ON Sunday evening two
negroes came in and informed Us that the
track had been torn up uear Raceand Station,
some ten mile. below our rendezvous. Lieut..
Day was ordered to take a squad Of m and
get aboard the train, which was kept there
lur emergencies, 60 10 the place with material
ustion of affairs Go Col Thomas 40 Algiers.
lie went az directed, found several rods OF
ttack torn mp, repaired it, and went on as di-
rccted In the mean time word came that au-
other gang were only about mile or two
from camp on tAo same ueiarious business
Your correspondent was ordered 90 take a
squad of men and disperso them. After go-
ing down the track nearly two miles we came
upou them exchanged lew shots with what
afterwards proved TO be "a squad Of rebel cay-
airy. returned Co camp and reported progress.
We found toe firing had alarmed ihe pickets
and our three companies we're iu line ready
for action. After waiting while the men
were permitted to lie down ou their arms and
1,st Towards morning an alarm was raised
that we were on the point Of being attacked
hy "A thousand men. We were In line OF bait
te. ia the best possible position, ln less than
three minute-, waiting impatleuuy Cor the att
tack, but in vain, and IN the course of an hour
we broke ranks and went % breakfast, takna
the procauton of strengthening the pickets.
Nothing Of note occurred through the day
Monday, but carly Tuesday morning some
"darklos' came running into camp, informing
tho officer in command, Capt. Grout, that the
track was torn up some five miles from U.s.
Company +, Capt Perkins, which had been
sent up the day before, were ordered 90 re-
pair at once 90 the place, and take such course
as the case might demand. They went aboard
the cars in % hurry and were soon there The
rebel cavalry were the lnsugators of this
feudlsh act, but on the approach OF the train
they fled, not getting so far however, but
what they were in range of our rifles, which
wcro brought TO bear on them and yolley
fired There were any amount of negroes
there, who said their masters were in the
cavalry. and had ordered them 10 do this
work, but when their masters fed, the ne
eroes stayed back, with thc exception of a few
who lived close by who were ordered home.
One Of thc master went with th, m, but bad
hardly got home and his negroes partially
sccretcd before some of Capt Perkins men
were at bis door SO closely had he been
persuod that he had been unable TO stable his
he was Immediately taken IN custody when
he gave some objections to servant in French
handing her some keys a boy in the com
pany who under TODD the French language
promptly informed the Captain that he had
sent her to secure his revolver and Other
arms The Captain demanded the arms
which were given up together with about d
barrel OF powder and 100 pounds buck shot
A messenger was in the mean time dispatched
to our quarters for another company of men
Company went Immediately to the spot
assisted in repairing the track, alter which
some flying visits were made to the neighbor'
ing plantations, few arms secured and sew
eral hundred head Of horses, mules and cat
tie were driven into camp. After this wa
accomplished, the Colonel, who came up th'
same day, thought it advisable 10 Withdraw
his protection from the inhabitants of thu
place, as it was simply for their benent tina
troops were sent there at all, and let then
suffer the want of conveyance for productions
as in military point Of view, this place /
considered OF ue,y slight Importance. SO tn
Colonel ordered the engineers who were pres
ont to take an the rolling stock of the roa
and remove it to \ Algiers. So Just at nigh
", went aboard the train OF cars and return
ed 90 head quarter-. One or two promincn
seccssionists have been taken since our re
turn / understand Gen. Butler says 10 Co
Thomas: "Do what you please with them,
they ought to be hung, harg them,
Quite number of sick men have been du
charged, and more applications have bee
made, but nothing definite is determined
yet in respect to how many Will be sent HON
We shall learn auon There are twenty me
IN hospital, and few ,ick in quarters.
T. p. X.