Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-10-02

master Sergeant, in all 10 ofhcers, anu aoou'
230 enlisted men, were sent as garrison 10
Fort Pike. This breaking up OF the regiment
and companies was serious injury to disci-
pline and greatly retarded our Improvement
in drill, which from this time forward was OF
little advantage while we renamed upon 'ns
island. May 4th we again emoafEea anu ar
rived at Carrolton on the l6th, whe,e VIC
again found ourselves with Gen. Phelps
The small space OF ground APPROPRIATED 70
the troops gave us no opportunity Tor anu
in battalions, which we never had whiie mere
Soon after our arrival, the rising wafer from
crevasse in the levee made 1t necessary ior
US to spend our time in trying to protect our
camp from its incursions; we succeeded IN
this, but the stencil from decomposng amman
and vegetable matter, LETT by the water when
it receded, produced much sickness among
us, and We were finally forced TO remove our
camp and occupy much smaller space
nearer the river. May 22d Col. Roberts was
taken sick; and soon after the Adjutsnt,
which left me in command without any one
to aid me about the affairs of the regiment.
This state of affairs continued until the 9th
| OF June, when received an order from Gen
Butler to prepare the regiment to embark.
| Immediately on board the steamer Iberptle
with the tents for the regiment, and Officers
baggage limited to valise, bag or knaPsack
to each. prepared the regiment immedi-
diately according to the order, the next
morning was ready, but after waiting for the
lberville until the morning Of the 18th, went
| to New Orleans to see Gen Butler, to rep
resent to him the the condition Of the regi-
ment, ascertain our destination, and if posi-
BILE obtain leave to take more baggage than
allowed BY the order, in which / thought
there must be some mistake, since the trip
was to be taken by steamer, and our bag
gage conld a. we'll have been taken as left
behind. l WAS at Gen. Buffers Office when
he entered II in the morning, the first time
had ever beenqn the city, sent in my name
Immediately, which reported during the
day, requesting that might see him mo-
ment, but was forced to return to camp at
night without having obtained an interview
When arrived at camp found the lberville
had been sent up during the day with an or
der to embark the troops Immediately; every
thing was nearly ready and hastily preparing
myself went on board without any order
written or oral, where was to 60 or what
was to do.
had deemed it important that theSurgeon
should accompany the regiment and had, two
or three days before, sent him written or
der directing him to do so with supply of
hospital stores, but upon going aboard
learned tina he!had sent theAssstant Surgeon
Instead, and as ! afterwards found, with a
very limited supply of medicines. again
sent Corporal to the Surgeon with verbal
order to join the regiment Immediately, but
he chose to disobey this also, and as we were
all embarked, was forced to leave HIM be-
hind. We proceeded up the river, and in
the afternoon of the nsxt day the lbervitle
stopped at Baton Rouge. Knowing that
Gen. Williams was in command of our forces,
| went to his qaurters and informed him that
although had received no orders to report
to him, the regiment was there, and | should
be happy to receive orders from him. He
said he had been informed that we were
coming, and directed me to disembark the
troops While here we were Joined by Co.
B. from Fort Pike, with Maj. Holbrook, who
was taken sick Immediately upon his arrival
On the 10th we were again, with the Sd
Wisconsin, 9th Connecticut and 30th Massa
chusetts infantry, and the I'd and 9Th Massa
chusetts batteries, embarked on board trans
ports for Vicksburg. Thus had we agar
been separated from Gen. Phelps against hi
wishes, in direct violation of the understand
ing with the War Department, leaving be
mini us at Carrolton sev6fal regiments bette
drilled and disciplined, and in every wa,
better prepared for active service, and again
taken from Baton Rouge, leaving other ant
older troops behind, to be decimated by tn,
1b,l, h.
Vicksburg Upon the journey up the rive
, the sickness of the regiment increased daily
| 30 that when we landed ap Bayou Perr
with the other troops, June cath, to m arch t
! Grand Uiulf about miles distant, was abl
to turn out but little over FIVE hundred me
fit for duty. This expedition was made wit
, the hope of surrounding and capturing
, small. force Of rebels supposed to be in that Vi
3 cinity. The march was commenced abou
. midday, and the heat was intense, producin
= great suffering among both officer
. and men, many of them falling insensible i
: the road or iaintlng by the wayside from ex
1 haustion. Here we experienced the want c
s medical aid, and here | first learned that on
4 Assistant Surgeon, who had dlsembarke
: with the troops prepared for the march, ha
9 leaving us entirely unprovided for. in spit
: of these difficulties and the want of waite
t which was felt severely on the way, dill I'll
!, men came in together at Grand Gulf, wher
t we again went on board the transports will
p out having. accomplished onr undertaking an
b proceeded on our voyage, arriving off Wick
2 burg June %. Here the energies of IL
r troops were expended in guard aud fatigu
It Duty (which with the unhealthy climate 500
d reduced us to condition most pitiable i
d not now remember an officer or man who WI
+ not at some time sick during our stay
Vicksburg, and here we're we made to SUITE
d for those medicines and hospital stores whic
! in such abundance had been SO heed
h lessly left behind at Carrolton | have 1
# doubt that many lives were sacrificed, whic
r might have been preserved if my order to Il
, Surgeon, had been obeyed. Forty me
Z died from the regiment in the month Jul
}, Col. Roberts arrived and took oommar
e July 8, and soon after was forced to vie