Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-09-10
Trip ON the Francis Skiddy.--
The Vermont brigade.

''"N Nv LAM HERALD. In
recent trip to New York and back. | tried
the route via Hudson River to nv salts
faction. The nominal fare is a dollar and
d half which is cheap enough. In the
good old days of steamboating the fac
always implied berth, or a bunk, to
sleep in; but now if passenger expects
to enjoy such luxury, he must advance
an extra fifty tor ticket. For state
room he pays one dollar, and for supper
or breakfast, seventy-five cents. If the
boat should happen to get befogged and
lay by Tor the space of three hours, it will
furnish occasion for both supper and break
fast, bes des delaying travellers twelve or
twenty-four hours in their journey, in con-
sequence of failing to make the necessary
connections. The scenery on the Hudson
is said TO be magnificent, and Judging
from what | saw, morning and evening, of
the banks, and palisades, and bluffs, and
points includiag the douhly-blessed and
thrice-cursed Hest Portland villas in
the shape of Greek temples-intended
probably for man-worship Archbishop
Hughes mlnaretted seminaries, and seven
story lager beer factories, came to the
conclusion that it 1eaS, upon an aver ge,
rather magnificent
The & Francis Skiddy" is a good boat,
a clean boa carries men, women, chill
dren and horses through by night dark
mss, is well managed in all respects, but
e,peciail'" IN the matter of preventing the
passengers from enjoying anything they
don't pay for. have SAID nearly all I
wish 10 say about the Hudson River
steamboats, Of 1868. They are a long
way fron being either the worst or the
best boats that ever pIoughed fresh and
salt water. 1t is a remarkably free coun-
try that we now live in, and every body
who travels is at liberty to patronlze
Francis Skiddy & Co. or try some other
company the latter horn of which dilem-
ma your humble servant proposes hereafter
to cling to.
With regard to military matters / am
not sufficiently in the secret to give much
information. | heard a score or two of
rumofs while in the " metropolis" which
| suppose | have as good right as other
''reliable correspondents" to publish for
truth and fact. 1t is said, for instance,
that grounds are to be selected in East
New York sufficiently extensive to accom-
late thirty to fifty thousand men, and
that permanent camp of instruction is
to be organized there. Troops seem to be
collecting in New York in considerable
numbers and something appears to be on
foot. The Vermont boys are on the quj
0jcs as to where they shall go when they
leave the city whether to Charleston, or
Texas, or Mexico They feel as though
duty called them to the last mentioned
place, and they are not unwilling to go.
Anywhere, say they, or some of them, but
to Virginia again.
In a former letter stated that the men
appeared to be well and contented. This
is true in the main, but there are exeep-
tions. Everything IN the way of eatables,
cakes, pies, fruits and confectionery is
brought into camp to sell, and it IS not
strange that some of the boys should make
themselves sick with these comparatively
innocent articles.
If they were in the woods they would
have the privilege of cooking their own
rations, which they could do much more
to their liking, and probably their health,
than is done tor them at the place to which
they are marched out to take their meals.
| They could also obtain poles and boughs
wherewith to furnish themselves with bed
and bedding, and if they heard of a few
boards anywhere within three miles, they
could borr0ao them for the purpose of ma
king walls to their shelter tents. When
| they see the nice wall tents of the officers,
some OF them toored and carpeted, when
they look at the horses in their well board
ed stables, and they themselves left week
| after week with their old tattered tents,
without the possibility of obtaining a strip
of board or the privilege of ditching at
all to turn off the rain, they would per-
| haps feel little better contented if some
body, after providing amply for the COM
fort of officers, the horses and the dogs,
would hurry up crumb or two for the
men. The Vermont boys know how to
fight when occasion requires; they also
know how to be saucy, and when occasion
requires they are saucy. Let him who is
without sin cast the first stone at them-if
he thinks it will pay. -....
Yours &C.,
NJ d