Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-07-01
(OIr War Correspondence
From the Second Vermont Regiment
A Soldier. Letter--No. XI.
Across THE CHIcxAnosINY. Va

Across THE CHIcXAHosINY. Va,
June lj 1862
EDITOR FREEMAN Having visited nearly
every tent 10 the Regiment in the hopeless
search Tor something to road, and meeting sv.
crywhere the same inevitable negative, | have
concluded, as derHIsr resort 10 klll time. 20
put your patience TO the rack 0nce more by az
tempting 70 manufacture another rambling
eplste 80 plllng up all the knapsacks | can
beg or borrow Tor o'at aud writing desk under
our excellent shelter tent, (or sunshaia as they
should be called tor being elevated u number Of
feet from the base TO admit the cool air on ali
sides, while at the same time protecting our
heads from the burning rays OF lho sun, they
seem, by virtue Vi othce, ~ merit that tltle.)
have taken up my position and viii endeay0-
under the potent Inspiration oil lnnumeraole
voices talking all manner oil seLse and non
sense - camp-tak, to present, Il possible,
a rough outline idea Oi how we live. And move
and have our being, here close up under the
rebels nOses 10 add to the especial felicity vi
my position, Ind It by no means invu.nerlble
against the powerful clloric batteries ot the
sun notwithstanding We have constructed quite
an Abatts Of boughs, freshly imported from the
woods, and an extra armor OF blankets over the
tent Indeed. | eOnsIdor 1t mild expression 10
say that it Is hotter here han IN that place
wnere We presume the rebels are booked to 90
rs soon as We shOet them
Last Tuesday was a cold drizEling rainy day.
but ever since then it has been growing hotter
and hotter, each day being about seven times
hotter than the one preceding That iay and the
night previous the old Second was On picket
part vi Us. la tins place the two lnes Of
pickets, ours and the rebs, are close to- Aether,
only au oat-held about sixty rods wide separating
them. We are now encamped on what appears
- me ratner l WORKOUT farm, though ot resptc-
table dimensions, owned, Of course, by u iUyal
se1rssouIst. IL Is enclosed on all sides As
nearly all the iaiuis here are. by woods, while
ON the North side flows the lar famed Ch,cka-
homIny. Vest Ot Us there Is sort OF fayine.
The opposite side rising abruptly, aud Is covered
with timber. Here We have our picket reserve
At the top Di this bluti the taDie iand stretches
of 70 tie West covered wsh as hauLsome /,
crop Of oats rs ! ever saw wave before passing
breeze. just beyond this oathed are woods
again IN the edge Of whlch are tue rebel pick.
cts, while We are stationed behind stunrs and
trees On this side The rebels took occasion 70
fire al US whenever they ianc9d they saw u good
opportunity, but We were not allowed TO return
the compliment his prohibition rather
crossed the grain OF some VI The boys who
ached To teach them better manners but no
doubt the officers had good reasons tor keeping
silent, not apparent 10 US.
Not content wisn musket firing, the enemy
opened On Us from Il battery ot more formidable
belligerent power, an1 threw shot and shell
pretty freely through the woods where part of
the line was stationed, but provldeutially no
one was hu, aot did any OF the boys ske,laddle
just after sundOwn and while thOse ON tho re-
serve were uylng 10 get little sleep, prepara-
tory to going On post, the rsbels saluted US agan
with their internal shells, which seemed 10 burst
almost IN our ears but doing no damage Tbs
boys were all suddenly inspired with desire to
change their position, Il not but few feet,
though it would be difficult TO tell in what re-
spect one place was more secure tnan another
The rebs have fired over into our camp seve-
raj times, and Ia more than one instance with
fatal effect. For lew days past they have
oeen RENAL kably quiet, and the story goes that
our sharp shooters have such command Of thuir
battery that they cannot work it. How true t
Is, do not know, but know that the men are
ever ready TO give prompt reasons for oecurren-
ccs which Generals are often at u loss 10 account
for
During the night the rebels coolly advanced
their line OF pickets into the oat.feld 50 near
that we could hear them cough and even whis-
per'-they did not seem to think it pruden; TO
mlk aloud much. Some OF the boys declare
they heard them speak o, their dangerous prox-
Unity to the g11noaterS who, they seemed 20
have discovered, occupied the line in their front.
They commented upon oar pers)ual prowess in
way quito aatterng 60 US, coming as il did,
from such source They thought men OF such
gigantic proportions, carrying such long ranged
rides as we do, were opponents that would give
them trouble TO cope with.
One night We were aroused by sharp firing
among the pickets. We hustled out Of our