Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-31

A Soldiers Lstter--No, 81.
ON THE BATTLE FIELD, NAV o, /,

sluoi Ut luat ol INC eneHy eltnef just now nht
We arc preparing to do, or what ore the inten-
tlons OF the enemy just now does not appear.
So little do We know Of what is going on from
what we can see ourselves, that wehardly know
whether to rejoice over victory won, OF nerve
ourselves to retrieve battle lost Evidently,
however, we occupy more favorable geograph-
zeal position than we have ever done heIetolOrk
after lighting this side Of the Rapidan. Unless
Lee is gathering on our flank he must DO re-
treating. God be praised if we have whipped
him at last.
We are just now, believe on what is called
the river Pc, somewhere between Spottsylvania
Court House and Quincy Station, on the Fred.
erlcksburg and Potomac railroads The cele-
DRAFTED flights Of fredericksburg are in oar
rear The enemy are in our front How far
tn y may be rom US | can hardly fad two that
think alike in guessing Undoubtedly they will
md some strong position to hide behind some.
where between here and Richmond, but we sin
oerely hope their days for veal are numbered.
Our regiment has been terribly lhiuned dur.
ing the ate bloody conflicts. Over two thirds
OF our number are bstut. We have lost 40
men, all but thirty vi whom we know 20 have
been killed or wouuded The whole brigade
has suffered IN about the same proportion. All
of our former battles pu together have rot re.
ducei our ranks like THE one, and tho ind is
not yet Th9y have had to consolidate our reg.
lmen INTO four companies for temporary con.
venlenc9, and sgen then we have hlriy Office
enough to keep US IN working et!.r. The
1l;h regiment hls jolpcd US h contains more
men than all tbe rest Of tho brigade They
have seen 10 lighting yet but they o,itcc de.
fermentation to aCQu! themselves before long.
Il the maansbIIc Sc arc recruitiugour exhaust
ed strength and getting ready to give lhc finish.
ing blow to what remains 0l ths obst.nat, re-
beIlon While all Is quiet along our ia.s al
low me to give you slight sketch oi oor yro-
ceedlngs succ th,so Of which I Wotr you
week ago.
After fighting three day. for Hancock We
were glad to BE- sent back ~ tue Old Sixth Corps
once more. " johnny Sedgwlck, as tbe boys
call him, was a iayortc General with the boy-
Of hi' corps, aud they had uubounlcd confidence
IN his lrod lc' md Judgment BIZ. Le has
died with bus amor On, add w. cherish hls
memo =, emulate his bravery 70 that. bougi
dead, he still lives with US Our corn, We
found back towards the river by the WAY We
had com We stacked our arms and prepared
our suppers, hoping for good nights res! at
last, for Sc were so much exhausted By our Ia.
bors lhal good gh,'c sleep Sc med indsp nsa-
bic Our hopes OF rest, however, were quickly
dispelI by the order for ur 60 make haste md
eat ouf fupPers foF We were going to march
again that night There were rumors oi disas.
ter in our rear the rebels had turned our right
dank and got behind US cutting Of our commu
nications With Brandy Station They had cap.
tured our pontoon bridge aud part Of our train
and still held part of the road on which sup.
plies we're to come. Were we again gong 10
retreat As tired as felt then was ready 10
'urn peace D;mocr,t if they did We took the
road that night towards Chanceiorsyie, but
1t was 50 blocked up with troops and teams that
we made bu little progress We marched or
pretended to march, all night From Chance-
lorsyile We bore to the righl OF Fredericksburg
toward Spottsylyaui1 Court House 1t was burn
ing hot when we stacked arms al noon in an
open field where a large portion Of the train
was parked. Ii was told ~ that we were going
10 be tram guard, and We began to hope for an
easier time for few days. We certainly fell, As
II we desery d 1t. During the afternoon, how.
ever, heavy firing was heard away ahead of us
on our left, aud pretty soon orders in great
haste for us to pack up and fall 10. We knew
well enough what 1t meant. Some troops were
getting badly handled by the enemy, and they
needed the Vermont brigade to help them out OF
their trouble. We marched as fast As we could
but we did not get on to the field till dark We
unanswered about from place to place until
some of the boys who were tired and cross from
loss OF sleep began to exhibit state Of mind thu,
iar'he0l removed from patience or obedlent res
lgnaton. Eventually we filed into dense
thIcket IN sort Of a rayine close up to the
enemy's lines. This place il utterly ildescriba
bic, and will not attempt TO desorbe 1t. \
description might confuse the reader, las much as
tho reality did me. twas as Egypt Picket
hrng was kept up all around us as it seemed
Our movements were made very quietly, but
there was perfect confusion OF orders. 1t seemed
impossible to get into place that would sui,
all of our commanders. There was another
regiment IN line of battle ahesCNof us, and the
Ma)or commanding it was much distressed for
tear we should fire into them IN case of an at.
tack No amount Of assurances from our officer,
seemed to pacify him. AT length one of our boys
Ven'ured to beseech him not to be alarmed foi
Tear OF us for we belonged to the Vermont brig.
AIDE Vermonters generally understand Their
duty after being told Of it upwards Of dozen
times am told there was IA actual collision
between one OF our regiments and one OF The
rebel regiments that hundred on to US IN tie
darkness before they knew what they were I
about The rebel sergeant saw our colors ana
tn ought they wero his and told his men to
orm on to them The color guard saw who he /
was and knocked him down. A few shots were
Exchanged. aud we captured about forty prison I
'rs, and the rest OF the regiment skedaddlod to
afer quarters.
After we had lain down, and were hirly