Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-08-11

eye, But the good people were not to blame for
these grievances. Let woman undertake to
bake for the soldiers and forthwith her kitchen is
crowded with " brave defenders Of our countrys
Tag" respectful, perhaps but awfully impudent
aud all eager for the first loaf Of bread, or the
first batch Of biscuits, as the case might be. The
krst man to visit such place will, il he is shrewd,
offer about ten cents dozen for biscuits Of very
fashionable size, and perhaps strike up bargain
for quite number. But other customers begin to
come and soon there ia crowd. The position
of the cook is now more aborlous than pleasant.
The demand for soft bread or b,cuts so exceeds
the supply that the price bounds up TO marvel
lous figure. One will offer 25 cents for loaf OF
bread or q plate Of biscuits; another to overreach
him will offer so cents, and take out the money and
urge her to take it to cinch hi, claim. A third
will produce dollar greenback, and beg the wo-
man to give the bread 10 him, as be has had
nothing to eat for three days,-and il tha, doesn't
touch her sympathiss, be will make il three weeks /;
while perhaps fourth individual, unheard Of be-
fore, will step forward and claim that the bread
ha, been promised to him. II the woman doubts
bis statement he can furnish positive proof that
it was 80. The woman gets confused dealing
with such strange characters, and she hardly
knows what to do. Her room is getting crowded
full Of men her cooking is Interrupted her fire
| - has had he. .kaa
mysteriously disappear, until 10 despair she gives
up the lucrative business, shuts her stove, and
with as much pollteness as she can assume, invites
the men TO clear out. No other alternative is
now left US, but to 60 to some other place and
try again, or else return and be reconciled to our
sighted and abused crackers. For me-, in such
case, it was a very easy question to decide, es-
pecially after marching from twenty to twenty.
five miles and carrying a soldiers pack under
dog-day', sun.
Our brigade had one day of hard skirmishing
near Funkstown, as you are well aware, in which
the vermonters did all the lighting with character
is,c success and pluck. saw in the Baltimore
Clipper, the next day, A,.teriug notice Of how
the q" Vermonters drove the rebels, and were
with difficulty restrained from rushing on after the
reueating foe. The Clipper nigh, have told how
our bare ,krmish line received and repul,ed de-
termned charge from the enemy made in regular
order 10 three lines OF battle. Mr.. Johnny
Rebs thought he was going to crush our thin
picket line, but the whis!liDg Minnes from our
accurate rifles came most too ihick!and close for
their coursge to stand. They he.itated. Their
officers tried to urge them on they shamed and
threatened them they told them that there were
but few Of US, and we could easily be captured.
Some turned on their heels and run, some rallied
again TO the charge They came on few rods
further, when their ranks broke, and the whole
battalion, officers and oil, ,kedsddlsd for their
very lives. They had discovered that they were
laundering on 10 mes, Of vsrmon,er.. No won
der was difficult to restrain the ooys from rush
Jog after them. With few more Vcrmouters
We could have snEihilated the whole crew. No
other par! Of the corps did any fighting that day,
except our artillery.
Since we have crossed the Potomac we have
had no fighting to do, but plenty Of marching
Till Wednesday noon our marching was in style
quite reasonable and human. AT iha, time ".
had got as far as Rietor's Town Station, on the
Manassas Gap railroad, almost the last station this
side Of the gap. We rested st that place till two
o'clock, and we expected 10 rest longer, bu, some
unforeseen contingency made it necessary, sup
pose, for another long forced march, As we wait
ed we had glorious opportunity 10 gather a
quantity Of ripe luscious blackberries, for il nature
had intended US banquet Of this delicious fruit,
she could not have offered them at better time.
or in more lavish quantities. The bugle note to
fall in sounded when some Of the boys were a
mile or more from camp, and these fellows had to
make remarkable good use Of their legs, for the
corps moved forward as il it bad important busi.
meas ahead. We marched on down beside the
mountains as fast swe conveniently could, and
somewhat faster, passing near White Plains,
through Salem, to Rxs Cross Roads, where
nigh, overlook us but, without supper or rest,
we turned to the right and took jagged, miser-
able road ,ha, led US, 10 westerly direction, over
what appeared to be so,. Of gap in the mount
aims, or rather the suburbs Of the Blue Ridge
We finally found halling place in field, where
the vine blackberies we're so thick We could al
most pick them by handfuls, even in the night
had we felt in any way inclined to do so. But
the boys were too tired by far to pick berries and
many we're too tired TO even cook their suppers
but sought repose as soon as they could, com
for,ed only by the expectation Of being drummet
up a, dayligh, in the morning and ordered forward
like flock Of cattle, not knowing where they, ol
for wha, purpose, were going.
10 the morning we took north.westerly course
going, as it seemed to me, almos, directly back te
, where we started from the day before, only w
were on the opposite side Of huge mountain, ant
fortunately for US We happened to discover sh'
error Of our way 10 season TO halt before we wer'
quite back to Rec,ors Town Station. The boy
we're oil getting short" for ration', but by din
of pretty energetic fonging they managed to Sc
cure enough to hold starvation at respectful dis
tanoe. Some found chickens and geesei SOM
! calves, all the way from six months TO six year
|, old and some run across garden Of early blu'
potatoes just large aud ripe enough to be estable
After an hour or so Of delay, we had orders agaiI