Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-09
Our lDar Correspondence.
A Soldiers Letter. No, 6S,
NLAA LAEsnuRe. Va, July Is. 1856

f'f+t'h ''4f'f.''NN"H "ft W y ANf AHN'+
Enron FaEEMAN The old SIKH Corps
aftal marching once more across the Potomac
into Virginia IN pursuit Of the enemy, has to-
day Sabbath Of rest. It migh. not, perhaps
compare with the slnctity Of the Lord day in
quiet New England, but though shorn OF all
other privileges, the privilege Of rest with us
just How is so rare, aod therefore SO well appre-
cated, that We will uo muImur for the others.
Wear spending the Jay on the top Of the Kit
t9ean Vt t4tjctn Mountain, about three miles
wes. 9t Lses5urg The enemy passed by here
yesterday. We arrived here last nlg6, after
marching from poolsyile Maryland, following
close up T. .Ae enemy all the way. We shall
probably pursue them further tomorrow But
aur waiting here give, me chance to write
you .llte description Of our moyemert Is since
ils -t, Enough wa have done but little except
march, ANA that is blgluupg 10 be an old story
with us. w have 900 communications with the
re., ol the world 40 mail has been brought
60 4s since we left Was ington, and we have
had 10 caauce to send 4py out. This letter
may become spoiled Of old age before there is a
chance t0r it to reach you, but cannot resist
the temptation TO write and lllieye il would
ba actual sin to spend all this day IN idleness
lt is g pretty place here on this mountain for a
camp-penty OF green apples and ripe blaekber
rie- ior sauce are near at hand, aud plenty Of
50 ,4 tA.
be-, as 60 be hai here. We have fne view Of
One country from this point. Nearly all Of
Pleasant Valley, the name given the beautiful
country between Ibis mountain and the Blue
Ridge eau be seen from our camp here. Of to
tle cast lies vast plain, as 1t looks from here,
covered with fields and forests as ar as the eye
clu reach, Il is almost libel upon human
Aatule tbat country 81 rich, and fair, and
beautiful is tins valley, should be the scene OF 50
much blood shed and suffering. Yet it is 80.
Hostile armies have marched back and forth
across ,als land and fought many bloody battles
here. anu the tale of misery is not all told yet.
NsAupo it may be soon.
We iei, city Point the 10Th inst. and reached
Washington the following night. As soon as
we llsem1Arse1 We started at once for Fort
o.ay n- about four miles north OF the city We
wore NOS moment too soon. The enemy were
approaching the city at this point with the in
t.uti1u of entering 1t, aul probably would have
su3ce ded but for the timely arrival of our di-
vision Tho thlrd brigade was engaged at once
I-esa wa some pretty sharp skirmish fighting
Monday night and during the day Tuesday
bus tae enemy hndiug old troops in the Fort
concluded that it was bcs, to keep out Of the
range OF its guns, and accordingly left tuesday
night. The rebels supposed that they could
march al once INTO the city. They supposed
that only citizens and militia were defending it.,
aud were much surprised to find the old Sixth
Corps there. Judging from the determination
and spirit shown by citizens and militia they
might have been as much surprised at the re-
sistmce that would have been offered them by
such troops, as they were at seeing The newt
able Sixth Corps. The most OF the inhabitants
were cool, and ready for any emergency. ot
course We except secession sympathiaers and the
cuustituti0nally tmid
Wednesday the 18th, all was quiet around
the fort Our dead were brought IN and
buried. saw twelve Union soldiers buried in
one grave near the fort, but did not learn how
many there was of them ALL The rebels were
buried where they fell. Several squads of pris-
oners came in during the day. Their clothing
wss badly worn, and some of them had no shoes
on. They had seen hard marching, having been
ON the road nearly all the time, and making
forced marches every day since they commenced
their raid One Of the prisoners said they had
met the sixth Corps in the Wilderness, at
Sp1ttsyIyanis, behind the works Of Coal Har-
Dor, aud now, here in Maryland, they met US
again. They thought the Sixth Corps must BE-
everywhere. They hardly believed us when VT
.olJ them that the Sixth Corps was the smalles
ia the army OF the Potomac when we lett camp
aul that It's proportion is still smaller now on'
%. .ne prisoners was in the skirmlsh line tina
hfstalyaneed INTO our works after wei lett then
at Coal llarbor. lilo said his corps did not iol
loW US at all, but started Immediately to hea'
oR Hunter TO IynOhburg Alter driving hin
back they pushed for Maryland They mad
long marches every day, calculating to accom-
rlah all that was possible before we could IN
iea III them. They gathered forage and too
All ,he cattle and horses they could lay the
hands on in Maryland, whether 1t was iroi
IT nd % Toe. They had strict orders they san
no To bum any building or wantonly de''r'
any kind OF property whatever.
We started "Wednesday afternoon in tho dire