Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-07-07
MisteI!anp.
Our War Corre'ponisnee
A Soldiers Letter No. 30.

BRIsTow STATION, June IL.
EDITOR FREEMAN We are making some
e,rspgs movements now. movements entirely be-
,ond the comprehension of your intelligent cor
Respondent At this present moment we are
,ome four miles from Manassas Junction, south
se.L We have made some very loog marches
turing the week past, the great sua;egle result
bf which has not yet been developed. Our
course has been something 10 the shape OF the
lfgure with the top at the Rappahannock, the
bottom on the line OF Fairfax Court House, and
tae righ, hand portion eurviog around by Centre
3,ills 10 this place. Whether this movement is
tsimply reconnaissance IN force or a grand ad-
Ir,ncs does not yet appear, but at present only
our division is here, and, certainly, unless we are
Reinforced We cannot offend agains. the enemy to
any great extent. IL.
q We have had plentiful showers Of rain since
8Thursday, which has made the air rsfre'hlngly
3cool The ground had become very dry and
parched. Vegetation suffered extremely, espe'
scialIy grass. Thursday night the rumblins OF dis
tan, thunder announced the probability that the
Dong and anxiolsly hoped for rain would soon
zgladden the thirsty earth. 1t came. Just at
night the large rain drops, with mixture OF hail
fell freely and copiously on the baked ground
which, in this vicinity. should think had long
been deprived Of this invaluable blessing Soon the
soil was softened. The immense res
srvor Of dust we're closed up and the verdur'
4of the hills around assumed clearer and bright
er look as If itself instinct with life and overflow
ing with thankiulness for the precious gift. Fri
day, too, was somewhat lowry, and an oooasiona
dash Of rain showed how hard il could rain nov
it had once begun. Another heavy shower Fri
day night, which left the roads for our yester
1 days march entirely free from the annoyance oil
& dust, and made the air cool and bracing. We had
! marching orders Friday afternoon at four O'Clock
I but they were countermanded. Saturday morn
1 ing they came in an hour we thought not Of, and
I liked to have caught some Of the boys away from
camp,who had gone out on an expedition in searct
of suffers, caring more for their appe.i,e's de
mands than they did for their countrys service
When we started the head Of the column tool
! the Centreville road and turned toward ,ha
place.
In my letter last Wednesday left the regi
meut near Fairfax Station, and, that | may no
leave gap in this most sublime portion Of hi''o
ny, must not omit TO mention that our marct
i Of about five miles Thursday morning brought u
\ from that place to another about one mile thu
I aide Of Fairfax Court House. There was tn
strongest medley. Of guessing Thursday as
where we were going, what for, and in what di
I rec,ion, that any ons but a soldier ever hears
Some said we were going to Chain Bridge som
said to Leesburg, some kns,s we wers going Il
Alexandria, while Others doubted il even III
War Department knew where they wanted
take US to. But oil the while we kept on In ID
uneven tenor Of our way over the rough road
which had very uncivIlised appearance, and
due time emerged from our bsrbarous course
full sight Of the familiar Couit House al Fairiai
Va. The head of the column sts,red straight i'
the village, then turned square 10 the right
the CentrevilIe road. Our brigade the shrew
eussss asa Struggling New Yorker called a''-
struck across lots, at a hypolhenuse angle vii
the others. thus saving abou. mhe Of travel at