Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-02-23
Our iDar Correspondence.
A Soldiers Letter. No. 5S.

Second VERMONT REGuEST,
Near Brandy Station, Va. Feb. 10, 1864 {
EDuoR FsEsAAS To-day fnd myself back
again to the old camp, the same camp leis
with al lts familiar associations As OF old. The
regiment has not been sent to Tennessee a' had
boen reported in Vermont but remains in It's
accustomed place with the rest Of the Corps.
No change has taken place except that the req
ment has been filed up with recruits, 80 that
now We have very nearly our maximum number.
Our beds nave grown no softer in our abseace'
nor our hard tack any more palatable. My
friendly old musket has lost none Of its charms,
and between you and |, Mr. Editor, it would
have taken greater than Christopher Co.uia-
bus, TO have discovered what there ever vas,
that was ppy charming about It. am IN
low spirited mood just now, and nothing VIII
inspire me with sublime emotions. kEen ny
iayorite knapsack suggests nothing but long
marches and an aching back aud the moreJ
contemplate the interesting subject the more !
wonder where 10 the enchanted region OF rebel
dom, shall be obliged next summer to bid IL
an afectonate farewell, and to leave it forever
alone with Its glory" Going home seems
like fairy dream, from which have jast
awakened, and if it didn't make the reality
seem SO repulsiye from contrast, should hie to
repeat lhe dream as often rs may be, so long Us
remain under the guar1iAnship Of our dear
old Uncle Samuel. But, after all, we veteran,
are not dissatisfied with the service, nor so ye,y
auxlols 10 get out Of it, and We do not mean
1t shall appear hat we ever considered our
i6t enlistment mistake, the consequences ol
which must be borne with the best grace
can assume. We are not ignorant now oi
what the service requires, nor do we fully ao-
cept the idea oi some, that the war will clos,
within few months, though from pressn. indi-
cations, such an event is not impossible. We
have embarked on a second three years, with
our eyes wide open, prepared for the worst that
may happen, but always hoping Tor tLo best.
We had very pleasant journey going ard
coming Our transportation papers were pro
cured at Washington, which took US home auc
buck again, at Government expense. So many
veterans were going home then, that it wa
difficult to get the papers made out lor US all
Some Of The boys paid their own fare, rattle
than to bother themselves trying to get theil
transportation, aud went on their way rcjoicinJ
without any Sexatious delay Other, wasted
day CT their valuable liberty, and some wasto
more, aud many alter waiting awhile had :
give 1t up, and 90, home ON their own eIpeus
alter ali. The transportation office was crowd
cd all IN time during office hours, aud at uigt
when ltwas announced that no more paper
were to b. given out, the crowd had to dsper.
disappointed, and impatient at being hudereC
aud chatting like Gagged lions TO be on the ron
Tor home. Our lurloughs were handed iut
the officer through little slide in the door. to
man inside, who marked on them the town an
state where he wished to 90, and wh.n a oerta
number had been received in there, the eli,
was shut until they saw ii, to open il for ire,
supply a prominent notice told us that
excellent foom' with warm fire, might be four
lna back apartment adjoining the office, whe
we could wait comfortably till the atorosa
transportation papers were made out. This W
asor' o. II reception room, dirty and dsagrte
Ole Us AN be imagined, and this was crowd
full Of soldiers, some of whom had been waitir
'oere all day aud the most Of them appeared
resigned to theiriiatc as il they had made
Their minds to wait there forever There WA
little side door a few inches square that open
from the office into this room, and as fast u.
a0@so or 80 OF papers were made out the sl
was opened and the names called over of tb,
VINO are to receive them. Two papers WI