Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-16
A Soldiers Letter No, 20.
CAMP NEAR WHITE OAK CHURCH, Va, I
NAV 20. 1868.

EDITOR FREEMAN We had very pleasant
surprise last night. We were out drilling, as usual
late in the afternoon, for we generally take that
time in order to avoid the hottest part Of The day.
and besides, we can wind up with dress parade,
and come in and call it all ons. We had but
just got fairly interested in our drill, when the
drum beat. 1t was entirely out Of season and we
all wondered what it meant. 1t was not for dress
parade, but was an orderly and on officers CALL
The inquiry whats up ?" could be read in every
countenance. Pack up for marching, seemed to
be the inevitable solution. So we went mmedi-
ately TO our companies and remained in line until
the officers had answered their call that we might
be told the result. Boys fall in as soon
as possible, every one Of you and,-sign The pay
rolls" Bully, bully, was the enthusiastic response,
and we needed neither sergeant or corporal TO
prompt us to execute this order. Instead Of
having to look hard marching, hard fighting, and
hard skedaddling in the face the prospect of look
ing in the face some more Of Uncle Same good
natured greebacks, seemed imminent. Before
J midnight instead Of being on the famous road to
: Richmond, the most Of us we're sleeping very
quietly in our tents, for how could we help sleep
, ing under the magic power that full money
purse inspires. Government got ahead Of our
expectations this time. We had deliberate
y made up our minds that the paymasters next
visit would be sometime in October. This unusu-
al promptness surprised US completely. II Uncle
Sam would always be as prompt to supply bis
boys with the coveted article, they would be much
more eager to help him settle his family diff.
Guilty.
, Our pay came in just the right time, as we
have but little else to do than to spend it. Our
duties are light, but none too light for the hot
weather we are now having. Besides our mill.
tary duties we devote an hour or So occasionally
, to the cleaning ofour camp. We have literally
swept the entire woods, and made it as clean as
park. Our camp now has very clean, healthy
appearance, and it almost m axes one feel healthy
to look at il. The health of the regiment is re.
markably coed, and the disposition to meet the
enemy is good also. Only give US plenty OF soft
bread and fresh beef, and lie, the pydsys come
aopg pretty thick, and we shall soon be spiline
. for fight"
My tent.mate has just brought from the fire Q
ssvory dish Of " hash which he has prepared
from hard tack and fresh beef. He has a very
excellent way Of making such material eminentl,
palalable. Assuming that no one else knows
how it is done, and that every one would like tC
know, | will explain the process ;
He takes a small bag, like the one inside Of oul
haversacks, and puts as many crackers into it Al
he thinks his appetite will demand. And ther
with cudgel, or something else, he pounds thes,
crackers till they are as fine as -four. lie cut
up bis meat as fine as his patience will allow
using his jack knife aud fingers instead of chop
ping knife aud tray. The next thing is to get
spider and pour into it some broth or pot
liquor that he saved when the cooks boiled tn,
, fresh meal, and which would otherwise have beer
thrown away. Into this he puts bis meat too
, and then pours in with it as much water as he ha
broth, and as general thing little more, for h
says it would be too strong and too salt, and tast
altogether too beeiy unless it i. a little NIT
reduced. AS soon as this is made TO boil, th
cracker flour is stirred in. II he has any potatoes
which he frequently doesn't, he boils and smashe
them, and mixes them in too. II doesn't need Il
cook long, and when it is done, he has dish goo,
. enough for anybody,-a super-cxcellen, one 70
!. soldiers. have heard unimpsachable critic
= pronounce it bully, and as that is the mos
expressive word in the soldiers vernaeular, it pre-
A cludes the necessity Of further comment.
The boys have Just come in from picket. They
are complaining in no very complimentary tern
4 OF the officer in charge, whose Ignorance of tn
. way had made them march two or three mile
II more than was necessary, both in going cut an
II 10 coming in. This extra marching in a burning
o sun was too much for even the good natures
Green Mountain Boys" to stand. They wer
not, therefore, very choice in the selection of epi
e iheis for .heir officer Of the day. Some, however
|. who were more charitable than the rest
|. concluded that SO long as it all went to help pu
II down the rebellion, they ought not to complain
I. The corporal, who is very close calculator an
,r shrewd mathematician, positively afirms that III
il rebellion went down two inches during that dust,
Of suaooa,ng march. lie further hints, in mod
,e est way, that he could, in time, worry the re
/. bellion down alone. Perhaps so, he is tip To-
h marcher, and very patriotic, but be will have Il
a. march so well that be won't need to march 1t owe
p again, or be will find him,ef u the same unplea'
A au. fix that our commanding generals do whe
,c they attempt the same thing.
it The expedition Of the ssh Illinois cavalry n
ly turned while they we're out. From MI. Fasso
re Of Co. L, who saw and conversed with the oiiice
h. and men, and took some pains to ascertain tho i
m cidenis Of the raid, have the following sta,
10 ment
n. This regimen, Of cavalry, under Col. Clendei
lie nin let the vicinity Of Brooks Station tho le'