Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-07-05
Our lDar Correspondence.
A Soldier Letter--Eo. 65.
Mar PErkRsBuRo, Va, June 10Th, ls6

NEAR PETERSBURG, Va, June 18th, 1864
EDITOR FREEsAS Another flank movement
has been made by the army, and to-day We fnC
ourselves within mile Of Petersburg with oul
old enemy in front. For three days there ba,
been pretty severe fighting here, but this time
our corps escaped the worst Of it, Our division
reached the front night before last. The Second
Regiment was sen, at once on to the skrmish
line, from which We were relieved last light after
twenty.lour hours hard duty.
We left Coal llarbor the night Of the l2th.
1t was bright moonlight night, just right Tor
marching, except that the air everywhere was
filled with choking dust, which the dampness Of
evening could not lay We fell into line at the
order, and the most OF us guessed where We
were going, but our calculations were little
puzzled when, instead OF marching of to the left
we started out " right in from" and marched
back on to the right flank. 1t coon became ev.
dent that we were sent there only as a rear guard
and after remaining behind good breastworks
till midnight, we changed our course towards
the ChickahomIny. The interval we improved
the best we could in catching little sleep. 1t
was short, and less satisfactory than sweet,
scarcely better than none, for it makes fellow
feel more stupid than ever to call him up sud-
denly from a refreshing sleep ju,t begun At
daylight we halted an hour for breakfast then
pushed on again through the dust and heat ul
night. We crossed the Chickahominy at Jones
bridge just before sundown, but continued our
march number OF miles further before we came
to halt don't know exactly how lar we
marched, II is yariousy estimated at from twenty
to twenty-five miles, but the choking dust and
heat and the many crooked turns we made, made
the march doubly difficult. We were completely
exhausted before we bivouacked for the night.
Those last miles were doled out in suffering by
inches. II man wants to know what it is to
have every bone in his body ache with fatigue,
every muscle sore and exhausted, and his whole
body ready to sink to the ground, let him diet
on a common soldiers fare till he has only the
strength that imparts and then let him shoulder
his knapsack, hayersaok, gun and equipments,
and make one of our forced marches, and will
warrant him to be satisfied that the duties Of
war are stern and severe, whether we march or
face the enemy on the field of battle. A fellow
feels very much like grumbng at such times Us
that, and when we march on and on, expecting
every minute to halt but still hurrying forward,
when every spark of energy seems about to be
extinguished, and tho last remnant of strength
gone, tired, hungry, sick and sore, who blames
. soldier II he finds it hard work TO suppress
thoughts Of quiet home he has lett behind him,
with its comforts and endearments, and if he
sometime turns his thoughts to himself aud
wonders # he, us an individual, will ever be com
pensated lor the sacrifice he is making What
il the rebels are whipped, aud hat IL thcy are
not 2 How does il matter to him2 One blunder
of General Grants may make final victory for.
ever impossible and all our lost toll 20 for moth.
Ing. tell you some Of our hard marches puts
ones patriotism severely to the test. |. finds out
fellows weak points II he has got any, and We
don't claim to be without them.
About ten O'Clock ,hatnight wc were ready
to lie down for our nights est, and at four IN
the morning we were called onto our iect again.