Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-06-03
From the Vermont Cavalry.


Below we publish letter--whlch Maj Bart
lett has kindly handed us-irom Capt Wells, Of
the Washington County Company OF Vermont
Cavalry, to his father in Waterbury
WATERBURY,, May 81, 1862
MAJ. BARTLETT knowing that any inor.
nation from your late associates Of the Yer
nont Cavalry would be interesting to you,
annex o few extracts from q letter received from
Cap Wells, Co. {, dated Wlhamsport Nd,
May %
The letter WAS written in grea; haste, and as
tie Regiment was preparing to leave for La
gerstowu, ard ON the day Of ilr arrival at Will
transports. Ga the Saturday morning mentioned
below, tho Regiment were IN camp at Strasburg.
j." saturday at bali past one IL the afternoon
orders came 70 suke our tents, pack up aud pre-
PAGE o. move. At tour in the afternoon, our
baggage wagons lef. camp for Winchester. The
Regiment wen, 10 Woodstock on a scout, came
back to camp at ten remained IA camp TIL
about noon. We chen weat 20 oifasburg about
SIX miles, then about three miles towards " IN
chester Nepassol our baggage wagons which
had stopped, aud could hear cannouddiug To-
wArds Mddletown 1t was reported tina. 500
rebels from Front Royal were trying ~ take
Mi4dletown We arrived soon 40 the latter
place, six miles from S.rasourg. The shells
were coming all about ". as We Stood 10 the
street. We supposed thar our infantry ana ar
tillery were engaged, uut soon found out thAt
Gen. Banks was at Winchester with all ms
force, except the cavalry AMI tea pieces Of az.
tilleiy, and jackson was between US and ten.
Banks We were cut OF. The only way 70
get ont was to charge towards Winchester,
about one half mile on Jhe Pike, All the Way
under the enemy ) fire, which assure you was
anything but pleasant We charged down the
Pike, turned off into some WOODS halt mile
distant, the rebels slelug as ali The Way and
Ia The woods. The Companies A and a. that
lost sl many, went en- toward, Winchester, IN
stead OF turning Of Inc recess blocked up The
road with wagons, and Hred ou tuem Tor ab.at
mile, when they returned IA short distance
aad turned .ato TIE Mods Nr Neat on To-
wards Winchester, uuii SIC e.me opposite New
town. hy- mars Wtui IN ,ac ieit. under
Gen. Hatch When tue sx COMPANIES .e,t
camp they were under Mayor Gardner OF The
New York 9TH At NewtOwn We found the
rebels in force ana We kept ON towards " ~
chester. We came up 70 within three or four
mics OF Winchester and oined Gen. Banks
stopped from 1 to . p, NJ. and we've detailed 70
cover the retreat. Go c was 5ehini during
our stop at Winchester fAe rebels drove our
inca in.
Some Of the Massachusetts, men who had been
asleep beside the fence, woke up, and mstakin
US Tor rebels fired upon us, k'led some horses
among which, was Lieut.. Holden s. About the
same ume a shell struck IN our midst, within
10 feet OF int killing some horses.
We retrcatep TO " inchester, where we arrived
abOu; midnight. Four companies oil our rcgl-
ment We supposed were taken prisoners, but our
new Colonel, HompkIus, took them out o. H.
Early next morning the rebels commenced
shelng w lnchester and our forces made
short sand but We sJou lett iOl Martiusburgh
between 30 and 40 mlcs from Winchester rhey
followed US to Nlartinsburgh We took Pike to
this place. At | II clock this morning W. ar
rived about niles from here and slept on our
arms. TINS morning We crossed the river. All
the stores at Strasourg and Winchester were
burned by our lorceS. We leave here to-day for
Iiagerstown when will write you again
Every man had an the ranks Is here safe and
sound. Officers misslug,-Mai Collins, Capt
Bean, Co. q. Lieut.. Col. Kellogg was sick in
Winchester yesterday when we leis
My boys behaved ,oeii. taking into consdera-
ton that they could make no defense. never
ielt better in my hic My health is good al
though little tired riding SO far
Wear all wanting 70 pay them Tor this piece
OF sauce. In haste, truly yours
VIM W. WELLS.