The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-01-24

There is a great call for the Springfield rino 10
infantry and more than the mandatory col
supply. Then why this solicitude about wha
we had to drill with for forty days7 We were
all afraid if we took these guns to drill win
they would be the only guns weshould ever get
For this reason every man refused to touch ont
should they be broug hit into camp. few day
after the Colonel made this speech he was p-ac
| Using with the Spencer Rife at the Rifle m
when one of the cartridges burst and wounded
him under and around the left eye pretty Sc
verely. Since that day We have not heard
word said about Spencer's or the Springfield
Rifle. After the Colonel was hurt and al
he started to leave the ground one OF the men
standing close by said in doetul tone" Faith
an sure the rife of me choice without regard
to expense. Who d thought it? y | will
not stop to give you a lengthy description OF
,his Spencer Rifle and will simply state that
it weighs only six and half pounds, has
heavy breech- loading apparatus and the length
Of ;be whole, stock and all, was only t1ife over
three feet.
A few days ago the Colonel. just at The close
of dress pvrade. read 10 US 4 paper, psvY0rtlng
to be an order from the Ordnance Bureau for
two thousand Sharp's Rifles, (the very gun we
wanl,) one thousand 70 be delivered in twenty
days, the other in twenty days more. lE,2aedi-
atelv after this order was read. an officer N the
"a Regiment wrote tn the proprietor Of the
mandatory to know If these rifles had teen
ordered and received a reply that they had not
been ordered and further that if they were or-
dered he could not make them as he Wa. Fled
up with orders for Sharp'a Carbincs. That set
tied the hopes VI getting thea through the Cen
I = 6 <,r, > a,,,
al. they are fse riles for sneh corps as We
aye, and with thvn we would prove ourselves
worthy soldiers asd valuable ay,es. too.
Oar being here so long without arms, cxceps
kity muskets to do guard duty with, has demon
allied both officers and men Ehey have lost all
confidence in CUR being armed. There is DO!
any Interest in the drill. Men are gone from
roll cali days ut Il ;3ne. and never brought to
any a5aousl Tor it. Officers and men pass the
guaI.s AZ any and all hours, without challenge
or ptsse. Liquor Is plenty in camp Gas WASH
ingoD IS tbe most coca rleie rum4,o!e ever saw
and mea get drunk qAte frequently, for which
they azs put in the guard house antil they are
sober, and then let out to do the same thing in
u day OF two. The men have became SO utterly
degraded that they have ceased to kesp clean either
about their quarters or their persens. Disease
has spruag up among Us, and many are dying.
Over sixty have died in the first and * cond regi
ments, while over seven hundred a-s, sick in the
hospital sesides some in their tents. The FIRST
regiment aoes not arn uat much oAY :wo hun-
dred men Cor battalion drill, and sometimes NOT
that. There seems to be want s. regard for
any military regulation whatever Many
good citizen and good soldier has died. many
more are dying, and stiM others lave caught
colds, which for the want of proper care
and Recommendations, haze, run into a disease
either of tic lungs or heart, which will ere long
end their G7"s, if they de NOT meer with any
better care Than :lley have had Some have ap-
piled for = discharge who will never be fit for
field duty sxd have been refused. One OF them
is now dying in the city hospital of slow fever.
Why haze We lain so long withou. arms? Why
has not the General Government dops something
Tor us? Why have not the Governors Of the
Different States seen 50 1t THAI the, their choi
cest composites were properly equipped and ready
for service, instead of lying here idle with many
dying Tar from the dear irIGnds they luee. for no
good, sensible reason whatever l so not pre-
tend to say who is 10 blame tor our misturtunes,
bur i Is quite evident to us that some one has
not done n, duty, 10 say the least.
Is this stare oi affairs 70 20 On unchecked?
Low long? Is nothing going TO be done for
US? Can nothing be done VIII no one stir
UP the powers that be In our behalf. and zoe to
/; that We are properly cared for. In writing
thls have been influenced hy two Teasous, viz
Isl To inform oar friends IL regard TO our con-
dition; and ID, With some hopes that our friends.
know inl our condition woul! do their bes; te,
have it improved can briag hundreds 10 wiz
ness the truth OF my statements in regard to az
have written. if need be, and for much ino,e
that have passed over, fearing my letter would
be so long tina, you wonld not take auv notice Of
it. If there is any way in which 10 place US 10
proper condition, then, by all means. it should
b., done If there is not any way to place u, in
proper condition. then we ought to be disbanded
and divided up among the troops Of our resssc-
tive States. This is the general desire among
the men. As the Gaze now stands they never will
take ,nuskets under any consideration whatever
as a regiment or battalion. But if thew were
divided among the troops Of their different
States they would many Of them take the riAed
musket. The Vermont boys are now waiting TO
see If the State will no. DO something flr them.
We will wait until the twenty DAYS are Nd in
which Berdan was TO have those Sharys rifles
Tor US. At the end OF that time. ii the rifles
do not come there will be fuss if not oper
mutiny. Trusting that our NOBLE State through
her constituted authorities, will lock into this
matter and do what 1t can for Us, subscribe
myself, Your humble servant.
OrHELLo.
sipcy hou -. u