Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-10-02


Dear Father "A mail came in yesterday,
but brought nothing for me. Yours of Aug.
9TH hsve not yet answered but will do SO now.
The mail of yesterday was not very satisfactory
for we were very anxious TO know how the
drafting was getting along but of course did
not for we only got dates to the 10th inst, and
our dates from Gen. Pope's army are only to
the 18th when Banks had crossed the Rauidea
without resistance and was in pursuit of Ewell
jackson & Co. From the account we get it
seems that Stonewal Jackson has at last met
his equal. 1t does us great deal of good here
TO know that we are TO have 100000 fresh
troops in the field and everybody is hopeful of
vigorous work that vii soon end this war;
There has evidently been new orders respecting
negroes for when we first came here masters
came after their slaves who were within our
lines and got them. Now they come after them
and 60 away empty, for the answer they inva-
riably get is "You can take them if they want
to 60" Large losses are occurring every day
to the planters in the shape of black stock.
The guard are instructed TO take all negroes
into camp that wish to enter but none are al
lowed to pass out. Day before yesterday so
negroes all belonging TO one planter made a
stampede and are now in our camp. | think
there are at least 250 negroes in camp and quite
large number have been sent up to Gen.
Phelps at Carrolton. They all express desire
to be armed and fight their masters and many
of them profess the most deadly hatred for
their former masters. 1t is seldom that one Of
them can read or write word and many OF
them cannot count. We feed about 20 of them
and two of them work at our cook room. One
of them we call Fred. He is blacker than inl,
but is shrewd and good to work and is worth o
great deal to us. | was setting in a car last
evening where some of our boys stay when
heard some one come in and turning around
saw two eyes like peeled onions and row OF
ivory that reminded me of a comb shop. Clo-
ser inspection showed that a niger was at.
tached. asked "who are you"p "I's Joe.'
"Where did you come from" "Down dc
riber." How many slaves has your master
got" He got 10 but dey all done run away to.
night and when he look Tor us in the morning
he'll find ives jest no whar he he he" and the
darkey rolled over on the floor in a fit Of ire
pressible mirth. "Can you read" mo sah.'
"Can you write" "No sah." "Can you count. >
Noi"sah." GLOW old are YOU" "Dunno sah.'
allow much are you worth" Dunno, specti
I'm pretty valuable niggea." DO you know
] ,,hat eho1 Il al sc a
guess you know SALE" "Of course, but wan
ted to know if you knew" swell mossa
specks they will make sogers of u.s." They are
full of fight to all appearance and believe the.
would do good service if they were only armed
| believe it is the policy of government 10 lie
them do the drudgery and not arm them ant
even this will be a great advantage to our ar
mics. | am a good deal troubled with tn
slavery question Just now for it seems to M
that to try to patch up peace with slavery still
in existence will he only like trying to seal tn
mouth of volcano only to insure the fierce
outbreak in the future snd then if they ar
emancipated don't know what TO do with s.
many ureducated uncivilized barbalians for L
let them all loose seems to me terrible calam
ity and although Iconsider slavery as the great
est curse upon tae face of the earth and that
is the cause of our present troubles and tina
lasting peace can never be had while it is il
existence and | would consider emancipation
as the lesser evil Of the two and the cours
which ought to be adopted yet the evil in silhe
case will be so great that il makes me shudde
when look at either side of the question