The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-10-07
Letter from Lieut.. Burnham.

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We have permission to publish
part Of letter received day or two
since from Lieut.. Burnham, dated
Camp near Hagarstown, Md, and adj
dressed 10 his mother.
+" j am at last able TO sit down qui.
ely TO write you, in the full expecta-
ton that may be able TO finish my
letter without hearing the inevitable
order to fall in" that has rung ia our
ears continually for the past few
weeks. Don't imagine, however, that
our comforts and conveniences are
alarmingly numerous yet. We are
in no danger Of being spoiled by lux
uries or inactivity. | wrote you last,
| believe, the day after the terrible
battle Of the Antietam, near Sharps-
burg. Soon after that, our corps
(Franklin's) went to Williamsport 10
meet the enemy who were reported
10 be crossing the Potomac at that
place. Ii was false alarm, and we
went back AGAIN to the neighborhood
of Sharpsburg. From there our brig
ade came to this place, where we have
been staying for the past three or four
days--the longest stop we have made
al any one time since we left the Pc
ninsula. Gen. Brooks, our Brig. Gen,
has been appointed provisional Gov
ernor Of Hagarstown, and we are ex-
pecting that We shall have a chance
to rest from our hardships, for time
at least, lIagarstown is quite pleas
ant little city, about the size Of Bur-
lington. 1t is only a short distance
from the Pennsylvania line. There
is direct railroad communication with
Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
We hear that il is intended to make
the place a depot for military supplies.
Iu that case it viii be necessary 10
have force here all the time, and
perhaps it may fall TO us TO stay here
all winter.
We are camped about a mile out
side Of the town, and although we arc
now, as we have been, almost entirely
without any kind Of shelter, yet we
are living in comparative comfort.
We are having beautiful weather,
warm days like August at home, and
cold nights, We are hoping TO get
tents soon. and in that case we can
live like human beings again. wish
these difficulties could be settled in
some way honorable to us it seems
as il blood enough had been spilled
already. The battle of Sharpsburg
was the most bloody one Of the war.
| have seen the dead piled up at Fair
Oaks, Savage Station, White Oak
Swamp, Bull Run, aud many other
places, but never saw such slaughter
as our troops made among the rebels
on the 18th.
Our Brigade did not have any ac-
tive fighting to do in that battle. Our
duty was to hold a position that the
enemy had abandoned, and we did It
for two long days, under fire from
all directions, pouring through and
over US. We lay down fat during
that time, and in this way avoided a
loss which Otherwise would have been
much larger than il vas. Those for
iy-eiglt hours in that bloody eornfeld
never shah forget il seems a year
in my life"
IL viii be seen by the above, that
tie Vermont Brigade did not, after
all, have a direct encounter with the
enemy al Autietam, for the reason
that the enemy did no. wait FOR them
TO attack, bat lefi the Geld Ter them to
hold, which they did s. for two long
DAYS. under fire from al directions,
and lsc.d it 10 the end.