Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-31

1ink was iuriousy attacked and division Of
tho second Corps miseraby gave way, leaving
us n a most perilous and exposed position We
waie in the point Of the letter V , and the rebels
re fast closing up the sides On they came,
d1uJe quick, eated with the prospect OF cap
tarng fine lot Of Yankees do not know how
we'll they succeeded. My legs saved Inc abun-
dtnJy. We had to leave our dead and wound
{ and without much ceremony, or order retreat
OFT Of that place. leaving all that We had gained
ii the hands Of the emmy The lroat lines
became considerably dsorganiz3d, but the rear
Lines held tha enemy IN chock. Oh how dlscour-
aging it j. W lose ground before the enemy, So
much hard fighting, and 50 many killed and
wounded for nothing We had lost over fifty
menio this fight One Of my comrades was shot
dead .bero, was lying at the time as close to
the ground as | could to load and fire, while he,
Sd tmd than myself, had raised himself W,
and was loading ami firing as fast as possible.
lh9 ball struck near his heart lie exclaimed,
am killed and attempted to step to the rear,
but fell On to me and Immediately died. Just
then We were Obliged to retreat, and leave him
where he felt lie was a new recruit but be had
shown himself to be brave soldier. lie gave
lls life for hls country, and those Of US that
have served tie longest can do no more.
Thee was considerable disorder and confusion
10 oar nasty retreat, and the regiment was more
or los. broken up, There was no chance for US
when the left gave away but to run Or be taken
prisoner We were between two fires, and the
enemy hai every advantage TIE road was to
be tic a'iying point in case cf disaster The
disaster came, and every man thst bad good legs
was 10 duty bound to use them found my
s.lf wlth a squad belonging To- the division that
bro6e and caused the defoal-decidedly bad com
pans to be in Some Of their officers drew their
swords aud rcy0iy.rs and tried their utmost to
rally them again. They might as well have
appealed to the winds When got back to
the road there was considerable excitement.
Ganefal- and their aides we're giving and carry
il. Jrdgl. IN al directors They thought tho
enemy were coming IN overwhelming force. !
bad got amoag a lot Of stuggers, and began
% consider myself stragger, too. At ans
rate was hameessly demota.izsd. did MT
know where my regimen, had gone to, and Is
le candid about it,, didn't care, was tired
almost to death, and as hungry as wolf |
had been fighting TO the best Of my ability for
lucle Sans Constitution, and now ! thought II
Of about as much importance TO me individually,
tD pay little attention to my own. They tried
TO halt US at the first line Of breastworks but
SAW fresh troops coming that hadn't been in the
Gghta, all, and thought they might as We'll
hold the line as me. My object was to find
safe place t. The rear, and in spite Of reyolyers,
or sworis, eutreaties, or persuas'ons found 1t.
\ Colonel horse stepped on my io1t and crushed
of ly shoe and beng barelooted, and lame Of
course, had bot hide difficulty IN accomplish
ng my purpose. should have been ashamed
ol such conduct al any other time, but just then
all thought Of was cup Of coffee and a DIN
uer OF hard tack, The regiment might have
bcen ordered into another battle, and every man
Of them Been killed and | shouldn't have been
ashamed dat wasn't with them My patriot.
sm was well nigh used up, and SO vas |, tlll |
had had some refreshments. made deep i'm
preston on my hayersack, which nourlshed my
fighting qualities so that could return to my
regiment. found the regiment had moved to
the night, u little on the line and were stationed
behind rude breastwork preparing to defend 1t
against an attack from The enemy, which WIS
momentariy expected No serious attack, how
ever, was made directly in our front, but to the
lett, where we advanced lu the first place, they
tried to break our lines and they tlled 1t hard,
They charged clear up to the breastwOrk, aud
fairly planted the colors on the top Of it, but
they did MT 1--we 10 hold them there long. The
ground 10 hout Of the works was literally COW
cred with he rebel dead after they LETT. One
Colonel lay dead clear up to the breastwoIk
rwo were shot on the top OF the breastwork, and
ell over on our side believe have never
heard such murderou' roar OF musketry as
was made to repcl that charge. The rebels icll
back and did not renew the attack.
The next ds there was no lighting OF any
consequence. was on picket. The picket line
was advanced farther out than We had been be-
lore. We discovered nothing but few sharp
shooter, VINO retreated as We advanced, until We
came upon their line of breastworks. They
opened on us with artillery, and having no sup
rort we had to fall back We had been assigned
10 the second Corps, under General Hancock
during this fighting, and that afternoon We went
back to our own Corps,
Such is an otf-hatd description Of what vt
did during the first few days OF this campaign.
How much we have accomplished | cannot tell
You never need to ask a private soldier for gen
eral information. lie is the last man ioge, that
Ills ci,cle OF observation is very limited. h'
sees but little OF what is going on, and takes q
part in still less. have told what saw, whicl
you will please take Tor what it is worth. |
Providence spares my life, and the rebels don
pick me Oh, hope before many days to be abl
to chronicle decided and glorious victory here
Anti REBEL.
-. .--
Offial List of Casualties,
The following killed OF the Second Regimen
were accidentally omitted in preparing the cop,