Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-07-28
on rHE MAncn. July ls. 1s6a

improve il in trying to bring up the rear, for my
account Of our proceeding here, is getting sadly
behind the time. A Iaggish correspondent is the
last man to expect forgiveness. Nevertheles
desire to go back, if the reader will go with me,
and commence where left of before.
1t was Jolly third, the day Of the severest
lighting at Gettysburg Although we acted
part there, our regiment was not engaged. Part
Of. our brigade was on the skirmish line where
there was somo firing, but Of comparatively
trifing importance Our position was on the ex-
treme left, and as we acted on the defensive, we
had nothing to do unless attacked. 1t was hard
days 6ght The cannons roar was beyond all
precedence of anything have heard during the
war. 1t fairly made the ground tremble lasting
with unab,ted fury for several hours, OF course
our eagernes to know how things were going on
was intense. Every straggler had his own story,
and each formed his own opinion from some tri-
ding circumstance that happened to come under
bis own observation, making it extremely difficult
to form any conclusion as to the general result.
The officers continually represented things as ia.
vorabe. They always do. Night closed the
struggle, and we lay down tolcrable sure that the
battle had not gone against US. Saturday, every
thing was quiet, scarcely shot being fred on
either side. Sunday morning the order came to
pack up for marching the rebels were falling
back. We fell into line md marched through
short piece OF woods on the battle field This
part of the field was covered with jagged rocks
and huge broken stones Of every conceivable
shape,-the ugliest looking place for a battle, or
for anything else that one could easily select
Over this forbidding looking ground, the rebels
had made several fraitless charges, and many Of
their men, and ours too, fell here to rise no more
| The most Of these had been buried. Further
on through another belt Of woods the dead were
still unbured. Here the troops halted for short
tmeand those that wished to had an opportunity
Of looking over the field. saw but small por-
ton Of it, but saw all wished TO- The rebel
dead aud ours lay tbickly together, their thirst
for blood forever quenched. Their bodies we're
swollen, black, and hideously unnatural. Their
eyes glared from their sockets, their tongues pro.
truded from their mouths, and in almost every
case, clots Of blood and manged flesh showed bow
they had died, and rendered sight ghastly bs
yond description. My God, could It be possible
that such we're lively and active like other people
SO shortly previous, with friends, parents, brothers
and sisters to lament their loss 1t certainly was
so, but /, was hard to realize it. turned away
from the heart-sickening sight, willing to iorego
gratifying my curiosity rather than dwell upon the
horrors Of that battle field. thought | had be.
come hardened to almost anything, but cannot
say ever wish to see another sight like that saw
on the battle fsld Of Gettysburg.
There was rumor that the enemy were TO-
trenchng themselves little further ahead. We
moved on, formed in line, and speedily prepared
US another breastvork Of rails and dirt, ba, il was
not needed. In short time We we're ordered
forward. We undertook to move forward in line
Of battle, but the thing was beyond the range Of
possibilities, for softer mud never saw. The w.y
lay through a corn field, and to march across il
was like walking in bed Of mortar hundred
feet deep. The mud would adhere 10 our feet un-
til we we're unable to walk 1t would hvs been
a sorry undertaking for the rebels to have charged
our position across that field, and it would have
been poor policy for US to have advanced upon
them had they been there. Nature never con
trived better slaughter pen.
little further on. We passed by what looked
to be rebel camp, but proved to be their hospi.
tai, filed with rebel wounded and those left to
take care Of them. They reported the rebels just
left. We had been marching west, but turning
to our left we took a sou,herly course towards
Fairfax. Just before reaching that place, howev-
er, we met q couple OF rebel shells that informed
US that our further progress was disputed very
decidedly. Our batteries sent back shells enough
pay them and leave heavy balance in our ia
vor. Our brigade formed into line in the wrong
place Of course, or else how shall account for
changes We kept making every five minutes, NOV.
ing 6rs to the right and then to the left, forward,
then backward, making endls. maneuveu ill our
patience was entirely exhausted. do not pre-
tend to know the reasons for all our vexatious
movements, | had rather find fault. krow on
this occasion we made an endle" number, and il
ever have an opportunity want to "speak my
mind and tha, never takes me but little while,
so here goes
You see it was nearly night, and we were
hungry, and imagined that We we're pretty tired,
and that Is generally worse for US to bear than II
really tired. We formed in line on steep
hillside that ,oped towards the rebels, where 1t
would suited US to have remained during the
night, and IL the rebels pitched oa to US, why
pitch them of again. The artillery firing bad
ceased and everything was profoundly quiet along
the lines. Aher considerable painstakiug the line
was ,trsigh,ened to hair, for we are very precise
about these things when danger is not very immi-
mont. and were ready to throw of our knapsacks
apd make our coffee etc. Bu, the line was not
in tho right place, we must move forward to yon-
der field. We moved, formed another line with
systematic precision, at the same time watching
with uneasy interest, the rapidly failing twilight,
for when nigh, came on, r,ny and dark, how was
we going to see to find good water to fll our can
teens OF to steal good rails to make US fire ,
Again We had to move forward and form anew.
Dayllgh, had gone entirely, so there was no need
Of further anxiety on that point. But we were