The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-04

aths' or ralher the suburbs OF the Blue Ridge.
We finally found hating place in field. whero
the vine bI9ckberries were 81 thick we could d..
most pick them by handfuls, even in the NIGHT
had we felt in any way inclined 10 do so. Bu,
the boys were too tired by far to pick berries, and
many were too tired to even cook their suppers
but sought repose as soon as they could, com.
iorted only by The expectation OF being drummed
up at daylight in the morning aud ordered forward
Ike flock of cattle not knowing where they. or
Tor what purpose, were gong.
In the morning we took north.westery course
going, as it seemed to me, almost directly back to
where we started from the day before, only we
were on the opposite side Of huge mountain, and
fortunately for us we happened to discover the
error of our way in season to halt before we were
quite back to Rector's Tosn Station. The bows
were all getting " short for rations, but by diDt
of pretty energetic foraging they managed to Sc
cure enough to hold starvation at respectful dis.
lance. Some found chickens and geese; some
calves, all the way from six months to six wears
old ; and some run across garden of early blue
potatoes just large and ripe enough to be eatable,
After an hour or SO Of delay. We had orders again
to march. We divided our plumber and took
along with US what We could of it, and left the
rest DO not harshly condemn U.s. honest read
er, for this seeming awleSsness, nor consider us
mere rowing gang of thieves and plunderers. How
could we have done differently Besides, the men
whose property we took were secessionists OF the
rankest kind, many of whom are now in the rebel
army, murderers, perhaps, of your dearest friend
your father, brother, husband, or son,--and do.
ing their utmost to bring into contempt the Gov
ernment we have always delighted to honor, and
10 dim the lusre of that starry flag, our nations
pride and glory. When the alternative is pre-.
'ented of taking the property Of these men, or
suffering from hunger, it takes a different nature
rom mine to hesitate long, on grounds of moral
principle, which of the two to choose
We fell into line and marched back the way we
lad come since morning, and continued on in
'outherly course towards Warenton till dark,
when we halted again for supper and sleep A
threatening demonstration on the part Of the enc
my at Manassas Gap was the reason of our march
ng so far out of the way We heard the firing,
md knew right we'll what it meant, bat the trouble
vas disposed Of long before we got there. In-
antry and artillery came back along the same
Dad together, which always makes marching yery
exatlous and inconvenient Many of the men
ell out, but not so many men as horses. The
'attery boys said if this kind of marching was kent
p much longer they would be left without sufi.
lent horses to drag along their pieces. We
ave already marched, since leaving our old camp.
bout $40 miles, averaging over 20 miles per day.
ountlng the days that We marched.
Sweet as the voice of friend is the order to
alt, after SO long march, and brief though our
Ights rest may be, it is wonderfully recuperat-
q. On this occasion we turned off from the
BAD, through piece of woods, to an open field
ear the bank of brook, where water and rails
ere plenty, and IN short time our camp fires
ere burning brightly and the boys were engaged
cooking their evening meal and the most ofus
ID that that no one need be ashamed to cook or
It. should have been 10th to have swapped
y supper that night for the best farm in New
ngland. We had orders TO start next morning
i've o'clock, but as our supply train had arrived
ID the hoys were all out Of rations, the General
ry kindly condescendsd to allow two hours
ORE to draw and issue enough hard tack and
rk to last us another day. We were behind
e day, or rather, our rations were as we had
bSlsted one day on nothing (9) and we all con-
Tered it first-rate plan of Gen. Sedgwick's to