The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-14
(Our War CorrespOndence.D
From the Fifth Vermont Regiment
CAMp Com SPRINa. June 2. 1862

NIX. w LIZARD - dIn 100 lar DtHibb III III =
correspondence to ever think OF catching up by
regular approaches IL Is now something
more than week since | have written-and
"a week Of considerable Importance al that. Let
us make "a its summary. We have advanced five
miles-secured sGme very important positions IN
front Of the last strongho'ds Of treason had
three important ana successful engagements
with the enemy and " routed = him from every
point of ttgack-then We have built bridges
and everything that can be accomplished by
reconnaissance. fatigue, prIv4tous and rapid
marches. Then again, We have been harrAssed
and harrassed 10y The financial machinery of
the Government and the Army in the shape
OF pay-rolls, pay-masters, paydays and
snter checks, accounts and receipts, and all
manner OF transactions ever performed WI h
" legal tender scrip, or truck and diCker.
There is nothing in all martyrdom equal to pay
day, or u make the equation more complete,
let us say. the
FINANCIAL WEEK OF THE ARMY.
Have any OF my readers witnessed, or
read. Vanished and illustrated tales of an In
dian payment, away out among the aborlglnes
Of this great and glorious Yankee nation, where
Uncle Sam in the shape OF annuities pays out
his gold and silver coin TO the poor red men, and
ask this question, only it gives me sort of
easy, nOyel-wrlting introduction to subject
badly mixed up with the sublime and ridicu lous,
while at the same time it allows me an oppor
unity to tell all such sight seers or extensive
readers that they have the cue, an Intelligent
one al that, To my as yet unwrlJten story of
payday and its novel sights.
When Indians are paid, they are very fortu-
nn - II thew .nprhinJ marc rnau SjUIf at
their money dis it flies from the flee: fingers of the
agent to the pay-tabe, as tina, auri!erous board
is well supported by u corps OF the most accom-
plished suckers thar Can possibly be mustered
rom the mercantile wreck Of the East and the
Yves, after i disastrous panic ana Presidential
election, when degrees a.e cOu.erred.
| can See them now DIS often hay cone,
grabbing the last dime OF the Governments
bounty to those more tl.an worthless recipients,
and III the Indian tongue spoutng oaths tina,
would N eak the jaws ot any scholar il he was
no5 master o! hevera, Languages more bomtard-
ing IN thciy twanS and accent ,'On the Dutch,
because there was no more to graz. Bot in the
army theIv is ii iJ,4e more style .nl hauleur in
lhis game o. grab
The soldiers alter exhibiting :, remarkable
promponoss IN signing the pay ro.., and thereby
OF thcH eriv education IA the >nape .. short
hanL signatures thus, X TO the War and
Treasury Departments. " tall m and III clear,
manly tone respond as their names are called.
The ranks are full! even to the usually sparse
line OF hle-closers, The officers have blacxed
their boots, shaved, paper collared anu done
everything that red tape, brass buttons and
shoulderstraps can DO to finish the comeIlness
at then. a and | Hn tnk Ipt ha nd
out OF any sensation writer's sails when | in
form YOU tina, many Oh these officers on pay-day
look us herce as Congressman in debate and
as spruce as an alderman after contract. You
see, ii is Il great day. Rank, glory and emou-
ment all com blned-especialiy the cmolument,
and especially the oombined when they come in
contact with the suter and the wares OF GER
tain manu- tacturer by the name } T.. L. Cohen
Well, tue command to " right face, when
the rank, hle ana commission, after a short but
very quick and dignifed march, present them
selves at the quarters OF the new made green
back, legal tender pay man OF the army.
Now most OF us are aware that money gets ham
died very roughly, and sometimes very oolishiy,
in this vale OF tears, but never more rapidly
and satisfactorily than u, this pay-table. All
the paymasters we have seen, seemed to enjoy
VIC puolbccc tHV hC'ct ioOAUu tilCN, VI uuHSTJ,
or dry, or cross, or as if they had ever seen
many better days. In short, they have all been
good looking inch, and rs the compliment may
DO some one some god, | may even add that
they generally are 100 good looking to ever e1-
pect repuise during an - engagement where
many have fell or been mortslly wounded
But aye, aye, check, check, chink chink, and
in less time than the prudent, sharp and shrewd
b,nca-ifa dn; Nd
would take to exchange her socks and butter for
:" kaliker - and such like, whole company of
" brave volunteers " is paid off for two months
patriotism. {" Front right face " and at
a pace something less than double quick some
two thousand dollars worth of - tender " is
transported to the tented field of the grand
cradle shark and heavy looking round, seizing
the piles and gauging the honesty of each 9TH
err, the books are opened, and pay day begins in
earnest. Let me not. however, forget to give a
credit mark which, besides his patriotism. ele-
Yates the soldier in social circles bove any other
class of men who toll No loved one, or near
or dear one at home is forgotten. All, all are
remembered wife or mother, sister or brother,
father or sweetheart. Yes It is even true, that
in some cases the severe, reckless and intem
perate parent receives his portion of soldier
| boys bounty. Letters are written, and often
are the questions asked, How much can send
tins time, and how can send it? But there IS
little, ii any, delay in providing the way and
the means for all at home, when scar falls
from their Heaven of home, hope and happ-
ness, and again the buoy, noisy, grum and
creepy scenes OF camp open upon their visions
The first transaction of any importance, and
that carries good deal of scene with it, is the
adjustment Of accounts with the sntler ahn