Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-03-12
FROM THE THIRTEENTH REGIMENT.
Wolf Run Shoals, Feb. %.


Wolf Run Shoals, Feb. %.
Mr.. EDITOR: This month has passed !;
and being the shortest in the year, there
will not be SO much news in it. The first
part Of the month was wet, and then cold.
When it rained the mud was very deep,
and in this time Messrs. Chadwick, of
Cambridge, and Andrews Of Johnson came
to visit our camp. Mr.. Chadwick stopped
over night but in the morning he departed
in haste, saying that Virginia was not the
place for him. Mr.. Andrews stopped the
next day, and wps around among the
boys, and enjoyed himself we'll till the
next day at ten o'clock, when he left for
home, and wished the boys good luck in
camp.
This weather continued for five days !;
and in the time the 18th and 18th had
corduroyed most of the road from the sta
ton, distant about six miles; when the
weather changed, and on rising in the
morning, the wind was north, and it was
almost impossible to move on the rough
ground. This lasted us only two days,
when it raincd again; then we were bles-
sed with Virginia mud, of any depth you
might wish. The sun then came out for
a few days, and dried up the mud little,
and the soldiers corduroyed the streets in
camp, so they were passiblc when it was
wet weather.
On the 18th, the 18th and 18th de-
tailed lot of men, and with Col. Blunt
we crossed the Occoquon, with 20 who
acted as guard, and with spades and picks
we laid low the rebel earth-works and rife
pits that commanded the ford and our
camp; and then we built rife pits and
earth works on our side of the river.
The 18th is on the right of the 18th,
and the Connecticut Battery in front,
secured by earth-works. 1t is impossible
for rebel force to cross the river, as all
things are SO planned as to rake the river
in cross fire, the ford being such shape
that you have to 60 up in the river about
Is rods before the bank will admit pas
sage out. So in this way the pits and a
battery could give most dcathly blow to
a force while crossing, and not have a man
in danger. This ford, and few others,
we have to picket. This, the soldiers do
with pleasure, for they do not have to be
on picket more than an hour and half in
"a, which is much less than common, the
usual time being 8 out of "a. Sometimes
the pickets are aroused by the footsteps of
horses, or the barking of dogs, which
show that the guerillas are ranging the
country on the other side of the river, try.
ing to secure something from our army to
feed themselves with.
On the 18th the snow fell ten inches
deep, and remained two days, when it
rained, and the mud was as deep as the
snow had been. The weather came off for
a few days and was warm and pleasant
but on Sunday, the 22d, it showed all day
long, and at dark it measured 6 inches
deep, and if it had not melted, it would
have been 20 inches deep. The boys had
fine times snowballing. ]. H. Mudgett
who was hurt by the falling of q tree is
now in the hospital and doing we'll. On
the 25th, Dickinson and Morgan tapped
FIVE White Maple trees and made some
Virginia sugar.
The measles are in camp, but the boys
are having them light. We do most Of
our cooking, such as meat, aples, tea and
coffee, which we draw once week. We
have beans three times week, and some.
times rice, but it is not as common as il
has been in the former camps. Colonel
Randall says his boys are true blue, and
respects them for their good behavior and
soldier-like manners. - ii %
We are encamped 80 miles from Wash
ington, and are keeping the rebels at bay
LYMAN. J. SEELY.
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