Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-07-28

obsyed the order the best we could, feeling our
way over stumps and stones in the dark, until
finally we got organized and as soon as we we're
assured officially that we had at last found stop
ping place for the night We threw off our KNAPP
sacks, built us fres and prepared our evening
meal. This eat we we're the best natured fell
lows you could find on the globe. BY midnight
We we're ready to lie down and Sleep Now, in
cases like this, it is clear wo ought to have moved
directly on to the right spot the first time, thus
giving the men more time to rest and less cause
to complain. Why We don't do so the General
has never told me-
Pretty soon after sunrise we we're packed up
ready to march. We didn't march far, however,
we only moved to the right short distance, where
we remained till nearly night, when we resumed
our msrch. The rebel skirmishers were but
short distance in our front. They fell back and
the Sd brigade OF our division followed them, skir-
mishng as they went The way from Fairfield
to Emmettsburg lies through mountain gap,
though both places are on the same side Of the
main range. We marched over this road that
night, distance Of about seven miles. The soft,
liquid mud was all the way from three inches TO
three feet deep in the road, and there was no use
on that dark night, to try to dodge it, or to be
dainty about the matter; so wo plunged right
along as il oil was dry and solid. At the dwell
ings along the road the women came out with
lights to see the soldiers" as they passed by
They must have admired our interesting appear
ance on that occasions il so the sentiment was Ger.
tainly reciprocal. We reached Emmettsburg
about midnight, turned to the right on the Fred
erck road and camped in field till morning.
will not attempt to speak Of the direction we took,
for 10 me it seemed that our march had been west
over the mountain, when we had turned exactly
north, but as the sun arose in the morning exact.
y in the west, had to reverse oil my calcu-
lAtons. We marched down beside the mountain
towards the old Potomac, passing through several
unmportant villages, sometimes carrying our
guns at fright shoulder straight ~ and keeping
step TO music in regular order, just TO please the
ladies', and sometimes observing no order at all,
just as il pleased ourselves. But on We went
through mud, mre and water, on and on, and on,
till, as night approached, we began to anxously
expect halt. Never before had mar ch seemed
10 drag SO wearily as this. We left the road and
struck out, across meadows and through woods, to
q field at the foot Of mountain, where we sup
posed we should bivouac for the night. But no
such COOK luck awaited US. That mountain must
be crossed before we stopped. The distance was
seven miles. 1t was four miles to the top Of the
mountain. The road was narrow, crooked and
rocky, closely husged on either side by the thick
ct Of trees and bushes. The night was dark as
inky blackness. and the rain poured as have sell.
dom seen it pour before. The road was steep,
awful steep, so steep that one fellow, who was
perhaps little inclined to exaggsrate, declared it
was worse than perpendicular, that the bill rather
canted under. Nevertheless, we should have ac-
cOmplished this march, as we have accomplished
great many other impoaiblties, il we could on
ly have marched right along without hindrnce.
But the road was continually blocked up by some
distractions ahead, 80 that we had to halt three
minutes where we could travel one. II was yex-
ing beyond oil control TO stand there and hold
our achpg knapsacks, with ,ha. gigantic, never
ending bill looming up in front Of US, and the
long, hard journey in prospect We rarely halt
ed long enough to sit down, but II we did the col
umn would invariably start jus. as we were fairly
seated. Men fell out whole companies at time.
Some companies took vote to stop, and all fell
out, officers and men. One Colonel said be rode
on ill his men all leh him, and be found himself
without a command, when he concluded be would
stop too. As for your humble servant be trudg-
ed on I'LL he got to the top of the mountain, when,
with a comrade, he concluded to follow the mul
titude and camp on his own hook. Heretofore he
had kept with the regiment, but he pleads con,c-
enous scruples to justify his course on this occa-
sion. lie had seen men whom the Government
could i'll afford to lose march till they died, and
he was exceedingly 10th to deprive Uncle Sam Of
another Of his valuable soldiers, il by stopping he
could prevent it. Perhaps he wanted to live to
give somebody an awful blowing up" for march.
ing US so ouirageousy that day. II so, no one
should complain.
The first step took from the road | stumbled
over sleeping soldier who sworc and threatened
terrible vengeance on a the blundsring d-d fool"
as he called me. felt very sorry for him, but |
couldn't help it. Jumping from him | landed
square in the stomach Of another. lie roared
with pain, but without stopping to apologize |
sneaked of into the bushes as far as convenient
ly could, and withou, inaicting any further misery
on tho miscellaneous sl,epers so thickly scattered
about, we spread our blankets aud laid down
for the night. II was already past midnight and
still continued to rain with unabated fury. There
was not q dry thread 10 our clothes, bu. Tor all
,ha. we slept, and soundly too. In the morning
there was nearly pslfull Of water on the rubber
blanket under US
We started down the mountain on the oppo-
site side and soon came to where there were more
Of our regiment who had fallen out and they had
large, comfortable ate blazing from pile Of
rails, where We could straigbten our benumbsd
fingers and cook our breakfast. S,pesers kept
streaming in and budding around the FIRE, their
rubber blankets, dripping vet, thrown over their
head, and looking for all the world like flock
Of sick turkeys in a stormy day. One fellow bad
made up his mind iha, that kind Of soldering