The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-26
(our War Correspondence.1
4 Soldiers Letter, mo. v.
CAMP NEAR CLoUD'S MILLS,
March 20, 1862.

EDITOR FREEMAN We are having our equi-
noctlal storm here now, and Of course drilling
Is out OF the question, 30 to prevent the horrors
OF ennul from finding lodgment in my idle
brain, L propose to weary your patience with
another letter.
Gen. Mcclellan army has at last made an
advance, as almost every man III the Union
knows by this time. Monday morning, the 10th
inst, at TWO clock, orders came to Camp Grit
fin TO have the cooks prepare days rauons for
the regiment, and suppose every regiment re-
celved the same order, for in TWO hours we We're
to march. We had before this frequently been
ordered to get ready, but there Ii ended. There
was no mlstaklng the import OF this order. But
very few believed that 1t would result In mere
preparation us heretofore.
Before daylight the drum beat to fall in, and,
bidding adeu TO our winters home with many
feelings OF regret, we obeyed the summons, and
marched out TO the road, AMI waited for The
other portions OF the army to get their proper
places We were III light marching ORDER"
that IS, we were allowed to take our rubber
blanket and Overcoat bat no more. Our kuap-
sacks, and the remainder Of our clothes such as
could not absolutely be dispensed with, wero
afterwards sent to us. Most Of our little valua-
bles were lett behind, with all our surplus stock
of clothing, &c. Reg ilnent after regiment, and
brigadcs, and divisions, with miles of artillery
and cavalry passed us as we st.od there await
Ing our turn to fall IN with the onward, surging
tide OF humanity. 1t was an animatng specta-
Gle. If the men had just been freed from prison
their countenances would hardly have worn u
more geeiui expression. Long trains of army
wagons, covered with black rubber cloth, on
which was printed in large snow white letters,
ammunition followed by another train of
sombre-looking ambulances, told plainly Of Sc
riods work in contemplation. About this time
it commenced raining. The boys that have been
with this regiment from the beginning, say that
they have never yet made " permanent move
without being followed by raln-storm. Wheth-
er these singular coincldences can be accounted
FOR in the ordinary relations of cause and effect,
remains problem. Some of the trains returned
rs it began to rain, and the rumor was started,
"orders countermanded, Expressions of dis
appointment were freely exchanged at this new
aspect of affairs, but all approximations were soon
relieved by the order, Forward march As we
passed the line of pickets, we noticed every post
was deserted, which gave them a singular and
lonesome appearance We marched " dozen
miles or SO, through the mud and rain, and
halted about noon near Flint Hill, an eminence
not at all commensurate with so dignified q title
He:c. on ground go thoroughly saturated with
water, that much of it was standing on the sur
face, We pitched our tents for the night.
The tents we use in this campaign are nothing
move than pieces of flax cloth, about yard
and IL half square, with buttons and button
holes on three sides, and can be carried in our
hnapSlcks. Two OF these buttoned together
and suspended over pole or held up by two
oayOnets makes a tent somewhat resembling u
certain description of IL hencoop with the ends
open. Any number of these can be buttOned
together, i! we choose. The wind was changing
TO the Northwest, growing colder every minute,
making the prospect for "a nights rest, in that
place, anything but inviting. We repaired en-
massc to the pine woods near by and collected
large quantities OF boughs for carpeting to
our tents, determined to make ourselves as com.
Portable as possible. But notwithstanding our
efforts, only few OF us could endure to lie in
81 chilly place more than an hour or two at a
time before the cold would compel us to /" evac
uate " and warm ourselves by the fire or by
stirring about. In one of these nocturnal ram
bles to get warm, | visited Flint Hill, from
the top OF which, as far as the eye could reach,
every clearing was thckly dotted with the bright
camp-tres of the newly arrived multitude. [,
was quite an imposing spectacle 50 many bril-
liant lights emitting heat and comfort to thou
sands of armed men quietly sleeping (?) near
really at any moment at the word OF their gal
liant Commander to move forward and give the
YeNels particular fits in their own strongholds
or wherever they have mind to meet US and
give us chance for fight.
|, Long before morning the whole regiment had
q" fell back " to the woods, where we built in.
Vulnerable fires and kept them pretty we'll sur.
rounded till daylight 10 the morning We
moved our tents to dryer locality. We were