Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-06-28
GDur lDar Correspondence.
A Soldiers Letter--No. GA.

NEAR GAINES MILL, June llth, 1864.
EDITOR FRgksAS AT this pre- sent writing we
are close up 70 the enemy's guns besieging his
work.. The breast work against which am
eaning is not more than 200 yards from the en-.
emy 4 lines, and in iront Of US are skirmishers
ana sharpshooters still nearer. Our line is
Just outside the edge OF woods, aud theirs is
partly in an open field, aud partly covered by
timber ~ our immediate front The field is
open between US, hut it Is stripot land aeross
which no man dare to pass. An attacking par
" from either side would 10 mown down like
grass We have abatlis in front OF our works,
and 50 have they. his is made OF small trees,
trimmed OF their bougbs but with every prong
and branch left, which packed together with
these snarly prongs extending outward are no
very pleasant things to get over in the face OF a
murdorous fire at close range. believe il the
enemy should attack us, we could Kill every man
OF them before any could get into our works.
they know better than to Try any such under
taking, and US Tar as | am concerned, hope our
officers will know better than 10 send US over
there.
Our tklrmishers and the rebels keep up a sor-
tinual firing, Bullets are whistling over our
heads all the time. A mans head isn't safe a
moment above the protection OF the brsastwork.
Our work here is built Elgzag like common
raj fence which gives usa chance to protect
ourselves from a cross FIRE. We can only get
from place 10 place, or from one part of the
works To another, by walking in trenches that
we have dug for that purpose. There IS a
breastwork JUS in our rear and a winding sap
connects them 30 that we can pass from one to
the other in safety This front work that We
occupy now is an advanced line that We built in
the night, and some OF the time when the bul.
lets were flying pretty freely. We are building
a rude fort here to protect some peices OF artil-
lery which will render valuable aid in offensive
or defensive operations Yesterday they fired a
lew shots from there, to try the range, and TO
admonsh the enemy that We had implements of
war here that it would be we'll Tor them to heed.
We found, however, that the rebels were not
without the means Of replying to such cbal-
longe, and they answered us nearly shot for shot.
Their aim WAS too high, aud our works were
found defective for accurate firing We have
large fatigue pArtie, at work every night, and
We are gradually working our way up to the
enemy's lines. In one place on our left, it IL
reported that we are within thirty yards of the
enemy
This is what call charming place to sit
and write letters. The music OF these bulet
puts fellow in pleasing yeia for writing
Since commenced this one, bullet has struck
the breastwolk behind me, epattering the dir
all over my sheet, and another has pierced Col
Pingreo's tent just in front of whore am SIT
ting, the base OF which has been dog out ans
settled several feet below the surface OF lh'
ground. Il came up the line, from away 10 lb'
light. Its path was exactly where we are pa's
ing to and fro nearly al the time, and IL Wal
not breast high from the bottem Of our paihs