The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-30

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We are not long to be SO generously let alone.
Last night an order was read on dress parade
for morning and evening drills, each an hour,
just enough for healthy exercise and good dis
cipline. We shall have them every day except
Saturdays and Sundays.
Last Wednesday we were reviewed by Gene
raj Sedgwick. The day before Col. Grant had
reviewed us to make sure that we were capable
of making respectable appearance before our
corps commander. for Col. Grant is as proud OF
bis men as his men are proud of him. lie well
knows that his Vermonters can out-review any
other troops on the ground.
Last Monday we had large fatigue party
detailed to clear off place for Gen. Hooker &
headquarters. There was nothing connected
with this days work that is materially worth
writing about, but mention it as specimen
of the vigorous way we have of prosecuting such
/ kind of business. 1t almost always brings q
scowl to soldiers face to be called upon for this
kind of duty, but wry faces never amount to
anything only to relieve the patient of a little
surplus Immature, when he is az cheerful as
ever. The day in question we knew was going
to be hot and sultry, and as we were required tC
take our dinners along with US, it was eviden'
that we were booked for long days siege. This
was sufficient to warrant little extra hilarity
and joking, to say nothing of bit Of swearing
mixed in occasionally just to spice the proceed
/ o..
ings ; for suppose it is revealing no secret tC
say that now and then soldier will swear, anC
if he swears at all he will do 1t Just before going
on.," fatigue" We did big days work thai
/ day. least the General in charge said we die
and suppose he knew best. If any of oul
Woodworking men up in busy Vermont fail tc
' see the point, it is their fault and not mine
Well, we fell into line, formed into battal
4 lion, marched over to brigade headquarters
where we were joined by other details, and Their
started for our destination We knew as little
where we were going as the man 10 the moon
and we cared as little as we knew. We marched
{or walked as you please to have it,) as near a:
we could calculate, about three miles, though
as the crow flies, doubt if the distance to our
work would have been more than one mile
We halted and sat down till ten clock, CT neal
that, when General WARREN believe that was
his name-rode up and took away of in back
to the place where the work was to he done
Here we found large oval elevation of land
covered in part with standing trees and brush
wood, and in part with felled tmb,r and brush
but mostly with small pines that were to be
trimmed up, and the BRUSH carried off. To
clearing this we were set to work, whole
army of us, and we went at it like a hive Of
ants, only, perhaps, we told more stories, and
did less work according to our size than these
busy animals would have done. Indeed, We
were very busy when the mounted officers came
around. We had to work every alternate two
hours and be relieved che other two. In this
way they kept US at werk until 1t was hard on
to five clock in the afternoon. But the meanest
of it all was for the old General to send Us in
without even standing treat am afraid some
Of the boys will never forgive him
! In due time we got back to camp, cross and
| tired, very tired. Of course there was no get.
ting US out to dress paraie that night, and a,
there were not men enough left in the regimen,
to make it paying business. dress parade was
postponed. To have ordered us all out Sndis
criminately would have involved the necessity
of building three or foar more guard houses. A
roll call we managed to get out and answer t.
our names, because we couldn't reasonably
dodge it, but we felt that soldiers life was
dog'sllfe indeed. Had we been charging W