Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-13
a Soldiers Letter. 10. %.

CAMP RUSSELL, Va, Dec lst, IoO4'
EDITOR FREEMAN :-Yester3ey morning there
were pretty strong evidences that we were going
to break up III new camp here and move 10 parts
unknown. Signs palmer than We wished to see,
indicated that we had got TO leave cur good quar-
tiers once more, pack up our little pile Of goods
shoulder It, and start oul, perhaps Tor another
long, rough campaign. we soldiers love cur
case as we'll n' anybody and the greatest snare on
the men had quite as Aet remain here, AID CAL u,
That our WORK for The season Is done, a. to start
Out ana on ne" expeditions WAcu' OF COURSE
Mould involve ht'gung marches and l'd'ouS
n'TdsAlp'' at 'ai' cola ana evefy-"'y 0"c'ner1-
Ole season OF we yeer But the si2naoi me tmes
we ibough' 10 be unms'akfabie. various fuIAoI'
had been circulated IN camp about our gong 10
tennessee CI}, Fcln! Sa'annSi, and several oinF
places, "hch seemed 70 W. N Heed o. . kun
corps to pat things IN oider' 70 Thursday
morning. long Oe'oFe 'hShI' "heh We Sa" sfea'
ooL-ilres burning III the camp OF the hfst division,
such as soldiers always build when they leave a
camp which they have coupled long enough to
accumulate the material for o bon-hfe, and Beard
that that division had actually started ior Wash
nSton, ana that we we're to follow as soon as
transportation could be furnished We considered
our leaving this place a iore-gone conclusion, ana
began to make up our minds accordingly All
sorts OF eotJsctuTes were INDUCED in as to where
we shoul 20 after reaching Washington, but the
best guessers amongst Us couldn't agree upon
any one point. Indeed no one VA, safs that W.
should 30 10 Washington tall ~ drilling was
required Of US yesterday en- This account, bot
before night tho order Was coun'ermanded, or
postponed, and We have yet a few days 'ur,her
lease upoa tna good quarters We have built here,
AMI there are but few bu. that would be quit
wiling to have it list all winter.
News is extremely Fc zee here, rog nd & ioip
'mmemuraby dull. Weave getting Gull, Ioo-
duh for want Of excitement To be sure, We
have drill once : day, and sometim more, but
drilling is the dulles, business ia, ever was iu-
vented especially foE we veterans and after
all the new recruits will get ahead Oh De at it,
We usually have brigade or bilta on drill in,hs
Afternoon, Of an houE Or tvo hours duration, ana
tina, Is generally ab ut vi We have to DO, except
our usunI guard duties which, however, have called
US out pretty often Of late The weather. topc
that ali ,ensbe eople can fall back upon when
others A-has been yery pleasant and Indian
summer like for the past week and the Dos. have
improved the weather by improving then shan,ie,
10 various ways A board fence that was di,co,-
cred GU. beyond the picket line las added quite
stimulus to the architectural inclination OF The
boys. They added rev improvements 10 theii
shanlies, and improved those already added. We
had to 90 three miles nearly for these boards
and back them into camp, but that was not tn,
worst difficulty. The boards were beyond The
picket line, aud no ore was allowed to 70 through
Bat the boy planned q way Of smuggling them
through that suppose was perfectly satisfactory
all around. The p.ckets themselves could almost
always get permission Of their commanding oiIiceT
to 60 outside Of the lines for few boards il thai
officer could be made to believe that they were
J urgently needed, and these pickels would gener
ally, Of course, rem embcJ to bring along few
for their freuds, VINO would be at the line waiting
to receive them. Ia this way the boys KEEP, al
work tII they had got all the boards they V.she'
for, or I'LL the fence pests were completely stFp9so
Of every piece of board and nail Iha; was atiacheC
to them. In this way, and many other ways thi