Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-06-24
(our War Correspondsee
From the Fifth Vermont Regiment.
CAMP NEAR NRw BRIDGE, Va, }
lime M 1859 (

CAMP NEAR NV BRIDGE, Va,
June ~ 1862
Mr. WILLARD In my lasl wo letters
failed for sJlne cause or another to mention
quite an important item Of Resimental news
was probably over nice in my ,crupes about
contraband news, or too mueh engrUssed in ru-
nance and camp stories, or never should have
allowed this item to have escaPd my notice
You know, for have seen paragraph to that
effect in your paper, that all our Field officers,
Colonel, Lieut.. Colonel, Major and Adutant,
have been absent from the Regiment for some
time on account Of sickness Col Smalley
very sick with -. Lieut.. COL Grant down
wiin the fever, Major Proctor postrated with
severe pulmonary complaints and Adiutant
Forbes Ill from some of the many evils that no
flesh is heir to save the soldier
On leaving the White .itase, Lieut.-Col
Veasey, OF the Third Vernon, who has been
acting as Provost Gener4L.fi Us DIVISION since
our exodus from Gsfn1I GrssS was placed IN
command OF TINS Kecfmeni. Col. V. being
well known to every officer and almost every
soldier IN the Regiment as one OF the most
prompt, exact and prudent Field officers in the
Brigade. much was the satisfaction expressed
by the command when he ppeared %, the head
OF the column.
For about three weeks We were under his
command-three weeks Of hard ssrvce-draw,
draw, draw, detail after detail Tor picket, fa-
tigue, or some special guard service at the bat
terry, or icte de point, and never has the Regi-
ment done duty more readily or more credi-
tabIy.
1t was during these three weeks that our
Regiment was called ont as u support for Nc
Cleian corps OF engineers, while they made u
reconnaissance OF the Chlckahominy, looking
for safe and suitable fords and acquiring other
information that suppose have no license
10 speak about, Very favorable mention has
been made in the New York aud Philadelphia
papers OF the conduct OF our Regiment in this
reconnaissance. have seen, however, no notice
OF the same in our home papers, and IN giving
you one now, | can only so far depart from my
usual practice of saying nothing about the con-
duet OF our own Regiment as 10 inform you
that our reconnaissance was complete success
that drectl, under the batteries and fire of
the enemy we lay for nearly an hour, while the
engineers were sounding the depth, and map
plng the slnuoslties of the stream During this
time, something less than an hour, one hundred
and thirty four rIfed cannon shell were thrown
at US, and though they burst all around us, no
enc was killed, and only one man wounded and
he very slightly The numbr of shells thrown
Is the count OF a Staff officer, no: nv own, and
was astouished when heard it, as did not
suppose that over forty shots had been made.
But Specials report that not man hnched
OF iilckered during the fire though they had
no opportnniiy to return the same. The eogin-
GERS having finished their examinations, we were
ordered out OF that bee line OF shell and eanis.
ter, and by companies ordered to double-ouick
across the fields and over the sand hills. out Of
range of this fire. We did 80, and it was du.
ring these doube-qucks, for we had to make
two OF them, that the shells came the tbickest.
As we made up the hillside the enemy had
II full front view OF us, and having the range of
the hill they made some excellent shots, but hurt
no one Every one was ready and willing 10
get out of that place, but the double.qnick.
through sand shoe-top deep, aud up quite a
steep hill, and beneath hot, burning sun, was
too much for many Of the men, who have never
been in perfect health. We soon got over, how.
ever, and under cover ot u heavy forest and a
ravine we rested, The march was soon resumed
and the command went forward TO the ylclnitv
Of Meehanicsyille, only five miles IRON Richmond,
where halt was ordered. Nothing more was
seen OF the enemy and iustat sundown, home
march was ordered, through the severess rain.
storm we have as yet had Much credit is
awarded the Regiment for this reconnaissance,
and through The Regiment bestowed upon the
Colonel in command, lor the manner in which
he handled us, while under ire and on the
march--two places where an officer can exhibit
skill and Judgment.