The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-18
(Our War Correspondence.
From Be1dan's sharp-Shooters
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. IA. 1867

Fe1rxD WILLARD II should have written
AGAIN before this, but could not raise money
enough IN the camp to pay the postage Now
~ the nsSmasier has arrived IN camp, think 1t
| will do 10 risk 1t.
Ia the first place will mention our New
Years excursion, as any such thipS as pleasure
excnrsjons are rather rare here. Well, we were
notified in previous order Of the day, to have
the cook fires lighted 1T precisely . CLOCK a.
| NJ. eat our breakfast, shoulder our knapsacks,
havcrsacAs, (dinner incluled) and canteen, ana
be ready 10 start at sunrise, 10 be gone till I
p. NJ. Both Regiments were to go. dividedlnto
four battalion, bat only the LIST keglmel went.
The fires were kindled, breakfast eaten, and the
men ready to START at the time, but with the
usua' military promptneSS, the oihcers ana not
arpear to call cut aid lead oil tho Company
riii :.hnul 80 clock. At last we got started,
and after various circultous marches, laoaryn-
thine wndings and crossing numerous lmpissl'
bic places. We brought up on Mer dian Hlll
about three miles from camp, IN "a hne grove IN
plain sight OF the city. Here We unslunS KNAPP
Sacks, broke ranks, anc went into the dinner.
While thus pleasantly engaged the Boss "ag
oner appeared on the scene, mounted ana pl
oting !. four horse team, with three or Jour bar'
rolls oil coed cider. which had followed on the
siy. treat lrUm the officers. -, on the Whole,
we hal very pleasant time. The weather was
warm and beautiful.
Near this place / saw stone post Whlcn
marks the spot where lorgIt1de Is nothing. "a
one side is engraved Longitude West from
Greenwich 1G~ So 81" ~, on the other SIDE,
4" L.,ti,ud. So So 38".' After aging mere
Two or three hours We returned 10 camp.
A few Of US got leave last Sabbath to 60
down to the city to Church. Notice had been
given at the Church OF the Epipheny (Eplsco-
Lal that some soldiers would be confirmed on
That Guy by Bishop Hopkins, of Vermont, We
found, however, that tl!at part was postponed
till next Sabbath. But We mad instead most
excellent sermon by Rev. Dr.. Cox, OF Baltimore.
This Church contains an excellent organ and
choir. and you may be sure it was sweet and
refreshing treat to us who had been confined
within the rude camp without lavngs taste OF
civilized lite !vr four or FIVE long months | will
mention here, however, that Il experimenting
has been started in our camp. which promises
to be very interesting, IL NUMBER OF officers hav-
ing enlisted in the work.
The measles have made sad work in camp
since wrote you las, About thirty have died
in both Regiments, and probably TWO hundred
are sick now, though think the worst ls past.
But one has died IA Company T, VIM. +. Bat
the 2nd Company over forty were reported sick
Yesterday, buG orly five or SIX were Gerry sick
OF Company Z u good many are On the sick list,
but only u few seriously i'll.
The question Of guns is the all absorbing topic
here. The Colonel told us some time since tina,
We were to have Spencer's repeating rih,, bat
Nh ,n1 h
ment, as they were found to be very inferior
guns IN point of force, and besides there was q
claus aided to The Colonel y announcement. 70
the eiiecs that we should have Springfield rifles
to drill with till the others were ready and as
this arrangement looked rather suspicious the
cries Of humbug, CANNON, and take no
guns but such as we We're promised, We're loud
and bitter. About this tilne, the COY. in shoot
ing one of the repeatcrs, met with al accident,
the cartridge burst in the wrong place, and hurt
him quite severely in and under the left eye, (he
aims with the LETT but believe the sight was
not Injured. Well, We heard no more about
Spencer Repaaters, and laet evening at dress
parade COL Berdan read An order from the War
Department, signed by the Assistant Secretary
OF state, for TWO thousand oi Snaps rifles, one
thousand to be ready in twenty days, and the
''0V Ill iOi " u@tS - We OeSH W HOpo tHtC the
matter is settled at last to our satisfaction, if
nothing new turns up.
We have just now been paid our dues to JAN
uary lst, 20 We are feeling good again. You
had better believe the paymaster is the person
that the soldier + most like to see unless it be
the enemy.
The Vermont State Treasurer is said to be in
town, and IS expected to pay our State pay due
n no, l,cr h,t,,. h. lno n
right.
Lieut. Seaton has gone to Vermont On Il fur.
Tough. The other officers are with us now and 10
good health | think. There is good deal of
talk here about war with England, and it is
the general opinion that if such "a thing should
happen, we should be wanted at home | hope
We shall not be plunged into any greater diff
cuties than the country is in now, but still we
should all like something to do whenever we can
be Of use.
We are still in cloth houses. We have had
the offer Of Sbey tents, but as VIC had fire. places
and stoves all arranged, and had fired up quite
comfortable, we had rather keep them than to
take anything new, where we would have to live
eighteen or twenty in one tent. This morning
we found the snow about two inches deep. 1t
Was about the same last week Monday, bat had
all gone off and the weather last Sunday was
very warm and pleasant.
Yours Us ever, W. W.