Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1862-06-24

military II ~ tile tlth Vermont Regiment.
Aud no love IS lost, Tor every soldier greeted
him on AIs r3turu, and whiIe Il soldier 3 life is
nOt always gay, we shall all number among our
most pleasing military recollectlons Camp
Griffin, aud those drills, day alte. day, rap
Id maneuyre" and all, when Col. Grant made
soldiers and well disciplined command out Of
raw recruits Weean fully appreciate now lbe
worth Of those drills, the Z" obstacles, 80 de-
files, = squares, directions, " right
hsuks, skirmish, retreats . double
quieks, and all, and it is only awarding this
officer his need Of praise when it is said that
the Vermont Fifth is well-drilled Regiment
and that Col. Grant did II, durino the protract-
ed illness OF our senior officer Col SmAIley.
Col. Grant Is now himself again. That
Camp Griffin " hat Of Dutch orderly notore-
" he still wears with as much sang lruid as
Gen Smith does hIs model tile md while he
still reminds US every now and then o. that
school Of drill and direction, his hold upon the
esteem and confidence Of hls soldiers relaxes not
at all lie Will probably have the honor Of
leading US 10 Richmond. as the latest adyces
from our Colonel report hnn dangerously i'll,
which We are all paiued to near We may not
ali 60 through, but the Stars an Stripes the
standard Of the Fifth Vermont, lcH 90 there
and as the banner Of treason - borne away
from It's Rome and ts Jerusalem, it will he
among the frt 10 iout N The streets and over
the spires ot BE d.serted capital. The rl-
umphai hour IL near at hand and if duty Is
any p.rt OF ulumph, Col Grants measure Of
the vlctorv viii be fail even 10 oyeriJwing
| Saying tns much, have written more about
my own regiment than ever before, and much
more than | ever shall again, even should the
prayer Of the young and gallant Sergeant in the
! Cameron Dragons be granted. lie prayed, and
though cannot youch for his faith or his right
eousness, he prayed, in earnest, that il the rest
Of the army could not take Richmond by reg
uar approaches" with pick-axe and shovel,
that Little Mac would give the job 10 the
=" Dragons aud : Vermont boys, and that
iR twenty-l0ur hours they would have the city on
wheels, coupled to u suter train and run into
Washington Fortress Monroe or any other
Head Quarters this side the mountains.
OF other regiments | write what please and
when please and Just now | must say some-
thing about the Second 1t is a long time since
| have given those boys favorable and genteel
- hist. Since leaving Camp Griffin they have
thscyvn away sery rasnr Of uiiris old Clothes
lived on lighter diet, and BY virtue of stringent
" orders - forgotten some If their lavorite lry-
olities On ordinary occasions they are not too
proud To be happy, and on extraordinary occa-
slons they are not too poor to be proud, and on
all occasions they are the SECOND NERMoNT-the
largest regiment IN the Army OF the United
States, mustered into service with the regular
com piement of men. mean by ths-and il 1t
is not Irue the records OF the War Department
will correct the statement-tlat II we should
have general engagement 10 day, or to-mor-
row, or next day the Second Vermont would
put more muskets into the field than any other
regiment. Yes, mean more than this even-I
mean that they would put more man. or more
soldier, into the field than any other regiment,
for 50 picked is their rank and file that put them
on the scale, and to-day they will out weigh any
regiment in the service You home folks need
not argue" this matter at all You may
be as proud as you please about it, for It is yerl-
ly So Besides all this, they are the best ma
tured men In the field, and If it were not for
strong post guard they would be the best neigh
bors in the army and il we ever get to Rich
mond shall expect to hnd them the best sap
pers and miners finders ana reachers, In the
conquered city
On camp reports, or rumors they are perfect
adopts. = 0ld Shack everybody knows him
let me into chat secret. lie calls on me very
often, and his visits are regular treat About
camp stories he told Inc that whenever any OF the
Second boys saw a squad Of officers III eonyersy-
ton. talking low and looking wise and wild,
that one word overheard was enough for the
biggest camp yarn ON record, and that in less
than ten minutes some cute rumorst would have
a story agoing all over the Brigade and In half
! - ha al hp
lng an old soldier, could see the pith OF his
remark, aud expect it is too true.
One thing more, II my readers have patience
and gcod shady spot to read the papers, and
will quit
On the 29th uitmo, think that was the day,
Capt. Randall with IA detachment OF troops IRON
the Secoud Vermont and Haucock's Brigade,
was guarding one OF our pont0on bridges over
the ChickahOminy, when he was suddenly sur
prlsed by the appearance OF quite troop OF
rebels upon the opposite shore. His men were
under arms 10 Il moment, aud up and down tue
stream for forty rods their rifles were eyelled at
the " insolent Toe. - just as the men were ON
the pont of firing, the Captain discovered IA
white flag. He at once ordered the rebel officer
in command to halt MS men, advance and make
known his business Coming forward to the
abutment opposite he gave his name as Lieut..
Seodcld, of the Fifth LOUISIANA, and stated that
he wished permission to search for and bury
some of his men who were killed near the bridge
few days previously. The men, or bodies,
having been buried by rown men, his business
was soon over. He then asked for permission
to send short note to one OF bis wuuud,d men
who was in our hospital. This was granted,
and during the time while the note was being
written. forwarded and answered, the rebels and
our boys had stacked their arms, and were in
tree aud easy conversation being but ie~
rods apart.