The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-18
(0ur War Correspondece.)
From the Fifth Vermont Regiment

!
quite an important item of Regimental news
was probably over nice in my scruples about
contraband news, or too much engrossed in ro-
nance and camp stories, VI | never should have
allowed this Item to have escaped my notice
! You know, for have seen Il paragrat h to that
efec. in your paper, that all Field officers,
! Colonel, Lieut. Colonel, MAJ IL ana Adjutant,
have been absent from the Regiment for some
! time on account OF sickness Col Smailey
very sick with ---, Lieut.. Col. Grant Gown
wJn the fever, MAJOR Proctor Frustrated with
severe pulmonary complaints, and .iGjutant
Forbes il! from some OF The many evils that no
flesh is heir to save the soldier.
On leaving the White House, LieuJ-Col
Veasey. OF the Third Vermont, who has been
acting Provost General or Tins Division since
our exodus from Camp Griffin. was placed in
command of this Regiment. Col. V. being
well known 10 every officer anu almost every
soldier IN The Regiment as one OF the most
prompt, exact aud prudent Field officers III the
| Brigade, much was the satisfaction expressed
by the command when he appeared! NJ the head
OF the column.
For about three weeks We were under his
command-three weeks of hard seryica-draw,
draw, draw, detail after detail Tor picket, ia
tigue or some special guard service at the bat
VI VI tttt dt POEFt, anu HeNS! UHS tue i(tSl-
ment done duty more readily Or more cIed-
, tabIy.
1t was during these three weeks that oar
Regiment was called out as d support Tor Ne.
CielIan s corps OF engineers, While they made a
Reconnaissance ct the Chlckahuminv. looking
for safe and suitable folds, ana acquiring other
information that suppose have 10 Incense
to speak about. Very favorable mention lns
been made in he New York and phlalelnhIa
papers Of The conduct OF our Regiment in THIS
Reconnaissance. have gen. however. 90 notice
Of the same in our home pa peyS, and IN giving
You one now, can Gully SO fal lepait tGoIn my
usual practice OF saying no'hlng about Che con-
duct OF our own Regiment, us 20 inform YOU
that our reconnaissance was a complete success
that directly under the batteries and ire Of
the enemy we lay Tor nearly al hour, while tho
engineers were sounding the DEPTH and map
ping The sinuosllies OF the stream. During TINS
time, something less than an houT, one hundred
aud thirty four rlt1ed cannon she'll Were drown
at us, and though they burst all around US, no
one was killed. and On y one man wounded, and
he very slight y. he number of shells thrown
Is the count OF Il staff officer no: lny own, and
was astonished whoa | heard it, as | did not
suppose that over forty shots bad been made
But" Specials report tnat not Il mau huched
or tlckered during the fire, though they had
no opportunity to return he same. The engn-
GERS having finished their examinations, we were
order oui Of that beeline q! shell and CAMS
ter, and by companies ordered to double quick
across the fields and over the sand hills, out of
range of this fire. We did 50, and il was du-
ring these double-quicks. for We had to make
two OF them, that the shells came the thickest.
As we made up the hillside the enemy had
tull front view OF us, and having the range Of
the hill they made some excellent shots, but hurt
no one Every one was ready and willing to
get out of that place, but the double.ouick.
through sand shoe-top deep, and up quite a
steep hill, and beneath hot, burning sun, was
too much for many Of the men, who have never
been in perfect health. We soon got over, now
ever, and under cover OF heavy forest and
ravlnc we rested The march was soon resumed.
and the command went forward 10 the vicinity
OF Nechanlcsvllle, only five miles from Richmond
where halt was ordered. Nothing more was
seen OF the enemy, ana Justat shutdown, a home
march was ordered, through the severest rain
storm We have IS yet had. Much credit is
awarded the Regiment for this reconnaissance.
and through the Regiment bestowed upon the
Colonel i'll command, for the manner in which
he handled US, while under fire and on the
skill and judgment.
1t was only few days after this when Lieut.
COL Grant, feeble and unfit for duty, returned
to his Reglmenl-his " first love-" | might
say, for if the Colonel loves anything. civil or
military, it is the Fifth Vermont Regiment.
And no love is lost, for every soldier greeted
him on his return, and while soldier ) life is
not always gay, we shall all number among our
most Dleasinp military recol ections C,mn
Griffin, and those drills, day after day, rap
Id maneuvre" and all, when COL Grant made
soldiers and well disciplined command out of
raw recruits Wecan fully appreciate now the
worth of those drills the " obstacles, " de-
fsuks,' - skrmish," retreats double
quicks,' and all, and it is only awarding this
officer his need of praise when it is sad that
the Vermont Fifth is a wel-driled Regiment.
and that Col. Grant aid 1t, during the protraet.
ed illness of our senior officer, Col Smalley.
Col Grant is now himself again. That
Camp Griffin " hat " of Dutch orderly notorie-
ty he still wears, with as much sang frod rs
Gen Smith does his model tile ; and while he
still reminds us every now ana then OF that
scnoOl of drill and direction. his hold u,on the
esteem and confidence OF his soldiers reluxes not
at all. lie will probably have the honor of
leading us 10 Richmond. DIS the latest adylcos
from our Colonel report him dangerously i'll,
which we are all panied to hear We may not
all 20 through, but the Stars an Stripcs-thc
standard of the Fifth Vermont, ,UiN 90 there.
and as the banner of treason is borne away
from its Rome and Its Jerusalem it will be
among the first to float in the streets and over
the spires of the deserted capital. The tri-
umphal hour is near at hand and If dntv IL