Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-09-06
Our lDar Correspondence.
A Soldiers Letter. No. ~.
NEAR HAaPER's FERRY,
Aug %, 1864

Aug 20, 1851.
EDroR FREEMAN Last night We received
orders To be ready to march this morning at day
light but the order to march has not com yet,
and IN the meantime, before lose the opportu-
nifty wish to record the important fact that
we RS back again to our old camp on Bolivar
Heights You know it was little over week
ago that We were here before. Our trips through
Halluwn, Harper's Ferry, Frederick and other
ess important places On the rou,e are generally
very regular, but delays are sometimes unayoid
able " Harpers Weekly is the Generals
motto but an occasional deviation 10 these
tr0ubl0us times is No occasion for surprise nor
should The people Withdraw their confidence in
our enterprise on that account. When wo have
added little more experiences to our system We
expect to give perfect satisfaction all around
We shall come IN '' on time - without fail
Whoever intends TO JOIN this Middle Marching
Department must be certain Of a pair Of legs
that will support him in any hour Of trial.
They viii be bis main dependence. Unsound-
ness here will make him total failure. His
locimotion will be suspended al once when his
wind and legs fail and be can be Of no further
account in this department. Al any rate, he
will lose one "Trip, and cheat the Government out
Of 70 much marching.
Well we have been out to Srasburg and got
back again Coming back was not retreat,
don suppose, though it seemed exactly ike one
The enemy have followed Us closely all the way.
There have been no regular battles fought but
considerable skirmishing has been done, chiefly
5y the Vermonters who are always at it. Con
sheridan has marched bis army to STasburg
and back again How much he has accomplish
ed Do not know II be was not driven back,
he must come back OF hIs own accord and Of
course Gen. sheridan il not such simpleton as
~ elect to come back ill he had accomplished
his errand tha, is enough There is no use 10
grumbllug for more We certainly have cap
turer lew fat pigs-whal We wanted to eat,
ani collected little iorage-whal the horses
wanted to eat but whether the rebellion has
goue down or up in consequence OF it, can not
possibly say suppose it is a main part of
our business that VIZ keep watch OF old Early,
and keep him busy in some place. lest he should
move down to help Lee, or turn up somewhere
in Maryland Perhaps Early has some such an
idea in regard to Sheridan. Ii all this march
,ng s in accordance with Earlys premedItated
plans will take of my hat to him. lie IS all
extraordinary genius He knows his business,
and he succeeds in It remarkably we'll.
individually. have been remarkably iortu
nate on this campaign. My military duties
have been to act as wagon guard, at headquar-
ters whJn IN camp, and with the train on the
march. We guards have the privilege of put
ting our knapsacks and hayersacks on the wagon,
aud carry only our guns and equipments We
have to help load and unload the wagons gath
er forage, and keep general lookout for the
baggage entrusted to our care at headquarters
II Is guard and fatigue duty combned-a little
OF both, and not exactly like either.
To have our knapsacks carried during SO much
marching is no small favor. 1t makes an i'm
menso difference, come night after day S forced
march, which fellows legs can appreciate very
ol TINS load. Getting Tired is out Of the ques-
tioa. Fortune iayors the brave, they say, and
ii | am indebted 10 fortune for this streak Of
good luck, it would be interesting to know what
act OF bravery have committed to merit it,
have looked over my diary to find it, but couldn't.
probably forgot to note it down.
We leit Cedar Greek near Strasburg, one week
ago to-day. Marching orders came just at night.
We knew of course that we must be going to
the rear, for an advance there would not be at
tempted, at that time OF day. The position OF
the enemy IN our front appeared to be stormy
one, without much chance to flank it 4, besides
we were constantly in danger OF being aanked
ourselves. And then we were 50 far from oui
base that it was difficult to procure supplies -
Some Of our train had been captured, and oui
ratiOns had been cut short on that account. II
was long distance Tor the wagon train to g
u llrper's Ferry aud return and 1t took then
longer than the supplies they brought woul'
last besides they were oil the way exposed t
capture from squads of cavalry that nigh
come round through some Of those mountain
gaps aud which IL would be impossible to pre-
vent The Shenandoah Valley is queer place
aud it wall not submit 10 the ordinary rules 0