The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-02
Our War Correspondence.
From the 18th Vermont Regiment.


the 18th are here Eve miles from our camp at
Fairfax in order to release the l2:h, who have
been doing picket duty for four days. Your
humble servant is writing this seated on
board, by the side Of fireplace IN rebsl
shanty, erected by them last winter when they
were here in force The hut is built of logs
Tapped on each end, and the crevices filled with
mud and slabs, and tho roof shingled with long,
rough shingles, split from timber near by. l
have been talking with u cavalry picket, who
saws he saw some rebel scouts about fve miles
| from here in the direction of the Blue Ridge.
We are to stay here for four days, and may have
brush bsfore we return TO camp.
You, no doubt, heard Of our long and tedious
marches to and from our camp near Alexandria,
1t is not likely that We shall ever return to that
camp again. We marched twenty miles to our
present camp, and had tie Green Mountain
Boys seen US as we tramped to the sound Of the
merry, Merry fife and drum, they surs y would
have pited the sorrows Of the poor volunteer
whose lettering legs had borne him thus far, y
and wondered, as we did, how much farther We
had to tc.tcr But such is soldiers life, and
his habits are migratory, like the birds Of the
air and the beasts Of the field
We have had some very cold weather for the
Z" sunny South and Vermont herself would
net be willing to own much colder, although
snow is scarce.
Irsgret to say we have had one case OF small
pox in the Regiment, bus nothing as yet serious
has sprung from it. In Go. II, VIM. Mowbrey
is quite sick Ches Houshton sni VIVA. En-
crson are on the lick list. Captain White, Of
Co. l. is dead. Our Orderly, Charles White,
has been quite sick. [ believe bis complaint
was chronic diarrhea. Oar old Quarterma2t8r
Aldrich, has been replaced by one from Co. Il,
by the name Of Taylor. Our Chaplain is again
with us, and enjoying good health and spirits.
The 18th ara encamped abous thEee-lOurths Of q
mile from us on the road leading to Fairfax
Station, in their huts which behave are stock "a
ded. We sear that Fredericksburg has fallen,
like another Dabylon,--but as rumcrs always
exist in camp, we arc at d loss TO believe any
thing except what we read, and thsn can scarce
ly believe our own eyea for fear they will de-
ceive as. Some one has just come frem house
near by, with what he calls pie, but alas ! on
being dissected the inside is not vieibIe-apples
were paid for, but two crusts are all that car
fad, and they can scarcely keep together, per
haps, owing to the scarcity Of -four. We heal
cannon at intervals, aud can only say that Wa
are under the impression that fredericksburg
is not taken The boys are now making cofeI
in their little cups, cracking hard tack between
their teeth, toastipg pork on the point OF stick
and enjoying themselves in ,he usual manner o
a poor volunteer"
Dec. 9th, Ball Run, Midnight. My pos
here is called McLevaus' Ford, and cavalry
scouts and patrols are passing every two hours
| hear the sentry cry, Sergeant Of the guard
and my duty calls me awsy TO the next post.
return. Nothing serious has occurred only tht
dull moan of postum has startled the over
watchtul sentry.
News has just come that one of our first Vir
gnia cavalry has been found lying dead on hi
face, near house, occupied by three women
and two men. The women are adorned wit
pistols, the boys say. However, two scout
went out, to reconnoitrs, and neither returned
one being found as above mentioned, and tn
other probably taken prisoner. 1t 10 propose
to 20 AMI fire the house, in retaliation. VIVA