Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-03-04
For the Jou,aAl.
FROM THE TENTH REGIMENT.

brandy STArtoN, VA.,A
Feb. ~, 1864
hope you will excuse mo for not
writing before Tor we have been skednddlino
over the county between the Rappabannock
and the Rapidsp during the past week to such
an extent that have had no time to devote
to writing--what little spare time have bad
has been used up in cleaning up my clothes
and equipments, and butohering - doonest-
cdieS cnima's," that inhabt the soldiers ward
robe in great abundance. comwnonly called
LroR' in most parts Of the world, but are
known here as =" soldiers pets but I am
diverging from my subject As was about
TO say, we have been out on a." Reconnos-
sance Il Recon-no-sense) in force" One
week lgo last Tuesday our regiment went
out on picket and was gone till Friday. On
Saturday morning we we're aroused at four
o'clock in the morning and had orders to be
ready to march at seven o'clock with three
days rations. Seven o'clock came but no or
der to march. Well, we laid round (the LIST
corps having gone We we're impatient to fol-
low them,) until about four o'clock p. m.
when the order came to take up the line Of
m uch, and we started. had been looking
like rain all day, and about shutdown it set in,
dtiEzling rain which made it slippery travel
o'clock, when we stopped for the night in
piece Of woods three miles outside the picket
line-wet, tired, and covered with mud. We
built up some good fires, got dry laid down
and slept soundly until morning Starting
again at seven o'clock the next morning, we
marched to within three miles Of the Rapidan.
aud were in support for the lst corps which
was attempting to cross at Morton's Ford, q
sec that the papers have got il the 80 corps
but It was the lst.) One Brigade of the LIST
corps started TO cross in the afternoon, but
the rebels were 10 much for them and they
we're compelled % tail back with the loss OF
half their number They did not try it again.
and about sundown the whole force fell back
and room had orders to return to camp. 1t
was nearly fifteen miles back to camp, and il
was most dark when we got the orders, we
concluded thN We had rather go through to
camp that night than to wait until morning
and we started. BJ seven O'Clock II was so
dark that one could not see the one before
him. The mud was knee deep and besides
that we marched at the rate of ten knots an
hour. 1t was not great while after we start
ed before the regiment was all mixed up, and
no hive OF company were together. got
strayed away from the rest Of the company
and sometimes ] was ahead Of the whole CON
cetn, and before great while | would tum-
bic into rome ditch or slough hole aud by the
time would get out would be behind, came
near lOusing my boots off twice by ting
stuck in the mud. 1t was every one lOr him.
self that night. aud as most Of us were feeling
pretty well we did not stop IT, rest or walk
slow, bur put along AS fast as we could, and
by the Time we got TO Culpepper the 10Th Yer
mont had marched right through the l5lstI
New York which was ahead of us and were
all trying to sec which would get to camp
first. We had marched nearly twelve miles
without once stopping to rest and some Of
them wtnt into camp b fore they stopped |
Bu' knew had got the night befuie me SO
stopped to rest after got through Culpeo- /
per, and 10y tie time got ready to start aga n
one OF our company came along and we went
into camp together. We got in at eleven
O'Clock, found good many Of the boys in
We found our tents ust RS we left them, and /
the cook had got US some coffee made 80 hat
we had good supper before going to bed.
There were a number of casualties occurred 4
during the .kedaddlc" One fellow lost
both his shoes and one stocking, another fell
his length into the mud all over and got up
nearly bundled pounds heavier than when
he f. II. One fellow from Jersey regiment
fe'l IF an embankment 40 feet and was Instant
y killed, another from our regiment fell of
the same place ard broke his arm in three
places. On the whole we had 4" smashing
time. and the raw recruits have had proc-
i'cai application o( the science of Uar.
On the plcke, Inc OF our regiment we have
hal ht'le excitement, caused by the ,hoot-
lhg Of one Il The pickets by a guerrilla, not
f1T from ~hc3e ! VAS stationed. The cavalry
went in INN, diae pursuit Of him aud succeed
I'd in capturing him. He was taken to Gull
pepper where be will have to stretch hemp"
Your SOLDIER Boy.