The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-30
nltstellaup.
A Soldiers Letter.-No. "a.
CAMP NEAR WHITE OAK CHURCH, VA, I
May 10, 1868.

cleared up, giving US chance to look over the
ground and count the cost and consequences OF
our late bloody campaign AS we are considered
fighters by trade, the last attempt IN our line OF
business will have prominence in our thoughts and
be the leading topic of conversation till another
rip comes off. 1t may be an old story in Yer
mont by this time but it is not exactly so here.
We all have our stories to tell, and where they
are deficient in fact we supply the lack from i'm
agination.
1t is quite amusing to see the accounts the news
papers give of our proceedings here subsequent
to coming this side of the river. Hooker, it was
coolly said, was over the river again and pursuing
Lees fleeing forces into the last ditch The
Philadelphia InquirsrQ beeve) shrewdly observed
that the next battle would probably be fought
somewhere on the Pamunkey and then the door
to Richmond would be thrown open to the vcto-
rious Yankees. The backbone of the rebellion
SO long on the point of breaking, would be able
to sustain the pressure no longer, and the starved
out Confederacy would succumb at once, letting
peace and prosperity more shine into that sla-
very datkened region, while the Flag of our Union
should float triumphantly over all. This looks
very fine in print, and if the papers would only
fight the battles for us and give US an open road
to the rebel capital we should be abundantly sat
isfed to walk in and make that noted, as we'll as
notorious, city ours. 1t is vastly easier to win
victories on paper than on land, and experiment
has proved that to drive Gen. Lee and his army
from the Rappahannock to Richmond is an opera.
ton attended with considerable personal danger.
We had no idea that we was to start for Rich
mond again after being drove to this side, till we
saw it in some of the leading daies, and then, it
is needless to say, we did MT believe it.
notice the New Jersey papers claim tha: the
Goth New Jersey regiment with the Vermont
brigade captured the rebel stronghold on the
heights Of Fredericksburg That is strictly true
but it strikes us that the mention of the 26th is
entirely gratuitous and unnecessary. 1t reminds
one of the Dutchman who in the excess of his
vanity to make a display for himself boasted that
he and the Squire owned forty cows, when it would
have been equally true had the /" he been left
OUT for the forty cows all belonged to the Squire
But after all, that regiment con tans some al
brave boys as the country affords, and it is pity
they should have to serve In such a miserable or
ganizaton. 1t is not necessary to have the mer
all towards to have the regiment break and run
Fear is one of the most contagious diseases tina
ever afflicted soldier, and when one timid fel
low loses his heart others are apt TO be affected
in the same way 1t takes a fellow of more thar
ordinary courage to come up to the scratch wher
others desert their post to hide away from tn,
bullets of the enemy. Every man that leave
and runs, encourages the enemy, and prompt
them to crowd a little harder, and when one afte
another has skulked away and the ground is ge
ting covered with wounded and dying men, Will
all the time the enemy are pressing harder ant
harder and bringing up heavy supports as they d
the second days fight, leaving our men no hop
of driving them back, but only Of holding thei
ground and gaining time, it takes but wor
to start panic that no power on earth could STOP
No matter how brave man may be when tha
event takes place, nor how much he may deplor
the event, II the rest run, he must run too, or b.
overwhelmed. aes sIa.eru. 7a. bg-as r. a4.st
When the Jerseys broke in the 5th, on Mon
day afternoon, some Of them fell IN with US, vii
hngly, and some fell in with the 9th regiment, /
show the Vermont boys that they were not So
Of towards, and when that regiment charged, the
charged with 1t. and thsy kept long ways ahead