The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-12-08

rOat to Knoxville by Ingalls, Mill" The
rebs will find It a hard roaG to travel if they
come that way. Our regimenta figs and gay
artillery guidons are lntterng along the whole
line of Notifications, seeming to bid defiance to
the rebels and all their works.
1t is getting d little hazardous to travel about
the city. Minnie bullets come over t e rifle
pits and sing abou. until they thud into some
wall or wood work. A number of Union citi-
zens have ensconced themselves in the rifle pits,
with two or three rifles apiece and niger to do
th8 loading. When the time comes for their
service they will no doubt give good account of
themselves, and core up the tally with the rebels
for past wrongs.
The rebel sharpshooters having occasoned
great annoyance by firing from Armstrong;
house, in which they were sheltered from our
men, it was determined to burn it, and for that
purpose sortie started out tonight. The work
was entrusted to the 18th Michigan, whose gal
lantry in charging and routing Drayton's brigade
at Anuetam may still be fresh in the memory of
your readers. 10 the darkness the regiment filed
out of the Publications, and Lt..Col. Comstock,
who was in command, sent forward two compar
les as skirmshers, with instructions to draw
fire of the rebels in the rifle pits, but not t. 4rn
it. The instructions were followed ..; the
rebels fired, and before they had tin 10 reload
the regiment charged with e. L and drove
them out. While the rebels re held at bay
detail went into the house, f ii it, and the regi-
ment fell back in line Of tJle until they came
near our work, when they rallied in the road and
continued the movement J column. The flames
OF the burning house nov shot up in the sky il
Eliminating the whole nei aOorhood revealing the
regiment to the reOei ar lerlsts, who opened
rapid fire of shell, kill ng two and wounding
three or four before the side of our works were
gained. Benjamin retu ed the fire, directing his
pieces by the flash Of IT, II guns, and covered the
retreat of the regiment.
The heavens are iIlun mated tonight with the
glare o: other burning buildings. Our pickets
beyond the railroad have applied the torch to a
number of houses in danger of occupation by
the rebel sharpshoo;ers, and the view from the
rifle pits Oh that side presents beautiful sea of
fire.
SIXTH DAY-NOY. %.
The rebel investment Is progressing. Hereto
fore their earthwork was confined to that portion
of their line west and northwest of the city
but now they have extended their batteries and
rifle pits further around upon our right, where
before they hemmed us in with their skirmishers
only. We might have cut our way out in that
direction long since but Gen. Burnside is deter
mined not to yield Knoxville, the key to East
Tennessee, without struggle, and in this deter
mination he is backed by his soldiers to a man.
From the fact that no general attack has been
made as yet, the impression prevails that Long
street will not attempt such an undertaking.
knowing the strength of our position, until he
has been REINFORCED from Virginia. He is well
aware th't to succeed in taking The city he must
have an army OF fifty thousand mea. Some are
inclined TO think that his plan is TO starve Us out
but IN this experiment be will also fail as We have
provisions on hand for about thirty DAYS. The
effect OF the " blockade is already beginning to
manifest itself. First we had to do witt out
butter in or mess now coffee is getting
scarce, though singular TO relate we have plenty
OF tea; end our corn cakes, for which our expe-
rlenCe 10 the South created quite tondness, have
disappeared, while milk is out Of the question, But
heseare iuy ures. The substantias and necessaries
o! iie-meat and br ad--we have in abundance.
The siege affects the citizens more than the soldiers
Retrenchment is the order OF the day, and two
meals instead of lhree are now the custom with
many families. Ii the siege lasts any time, we
shall see the naughty secession ladies drawing
their rations ike the more dutful of Uncle Sans
nephews and neceS.
Notwithstanding the desire to kill each other
nhlCu piSNdlio uhiOtS TUG COulChuibS PiShS 70 nuu
sNirmishers, taey find time once in u while to ex-
change few good humored words or an oceas.
onql JEST. The rebels called out to-day to know
how we liked our taste OF VicNsburg. Others
wanted TO be informed " if we had mail lately
All right " rebs" it is your turn now. Every dog
must have his day.
SEVENTH DAY-NOv. %.
A raft which the rebels had constructed nm the
river to float down and destroy our pontoon over
the Hoiston, came down this morning and was
captured. 1t is now doing service as hrewood.
A rebel sharpshooter, who had enscouced him
self behind little fertilization of his own build
ing was in the habit of picking off our men with
impupity until this morning, when four of the
2lst Massachusetts sailed out, two on either side
Of him, and by dextrous maneuverlng succeeded
n killing him. y whole regiment OF rebels, call
G. the Palmetto State Guard, is doing skirmish
ing dOty, and every man is snarpshooter.
her rife is Al original one and differs from
those 10 general use. The ball as it reaches US is