Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-13
Che JrtGma n
A Soldier S Letter--No 81.
CAMr RUSSELL, Va, Nov, 70 r

A1L 'iIhihH1 a. wan III. H'l''Af ~ hHNN q WIZ
ofpicsetug during the twenty four hours com
menc.ng yesterday morning. pickeliag Thanks
giving day was not particularly different nom
icksting any other day ard | don't know as
ave anything new or marvellous to ,,y about it,
lear, Mr. Editor, ! shall eniy weary your pa
tsueo with commonplace repetons, rotWth.
slndiag your compliments If sttemp, to tell
you uany,h ng about what We boys are doing here
now, Tor camp He has becoms m Cd story, and
emp lie Is always dull to max. the b,s, o.
t. Butt have leisure day on my hards which
must pas, oil some way and my old habit O
writing for the FREEMAs, d the be,, have ever
Invented for that purpose. So with your indui-
gerce again, kind reader, we will have little chat
u our Old fashioned way, telling our thought' as.
they come along, and we won! reject any as un.
worthy, FOR fear Of having none eit, but we will
give all fair notice tha, what we cha, sbou, shsIl
be ofno cause .uence whatever.
Pcaer have usually remained on du, three
days a. time, but according to the new arrange.
msn5 they stay ou, 5u, one. Th, charge va,
md. n Consequence, or he cold teliou. wealth
er we are hayrg the most Of ths time this hIi
'1d viIi ptoolby continue until ibs eItr, cloth.
i1g ,hl. We sent away to Washington Iast spr,-g,
isretlrnel TO rs again, when We shal. probably
g blca % The old three days system once more.
Pc>e, guards, camp guard. and al other guards
in ihe whole Division auemb., and have guard
mounting together on the parade ground IN front
cl brgad. hsadqulre'. /, ia new syle. bul
ve here n ,hs army are ptons tJ invent new
styles, -, Ike a.l the fashionable world outside.
Yesterday morning al io'oIock precisely, vh.n
ths dflHs ba; lor the guards TO assemble, your
humble correspondent; might have been seer, and
doubtless v's seen, oilh eight other men, be-
l..,-, ana one ooip9n. nom tho Sod VI. Regr
ment making ils.r way to the ground where
the ceremony, or whatever you would call i, Of
guard mounting, was to be performed. Well.
g1lrs-moua,.sg isu'i q very important, or q very
imposing aG,ir but suppose It ia one o. those
little things that are necessary 10 keep up awhole.
some state Of discipline among the troop. We
were arranged n lae in open RANKS, our arms
were inspected by the commanding officers, the
Dnd PLAYING meanwhile, and after this We passed
il review before the highest ranking feld officer
o' ihe day, when we were ready to start Tor the
pc,t. line All the officers oflbe day from each
regiment, brigade, ard lh, field, in the Division
we're arrarged 10 line IN front Of the picke;', at
distance varying according to rank. Quite q
splendid l.ue Of lhem there was there, with their
red sl,hes on, and iheir dainty luls swords hing
Jog by their sides.
Speaking Of swords, c,nno, refrain from " n
dcrrg - lhe magie charms which i, always seem,
IA have for tie wearer. A the virtues imngina'
b, seem to be esncsntrs,ed 10 this iul., useless
weapon OF war, and 81. the soldiers us hall mad
with e1sernes TO vear one, oil mean except
myself Itvavayss sure passport to the most
sslec, society, and We prvaiss sstsem it our
highest sgh, 70 render homage to th. vearsr,
no matter who he il, or vha, are bis sn,ecedent'.
Now | m 10th TO speak irreverently Of whs, sll
tho world worships, bu: have pondered long
and deeply on this subject, and 80 ar have been
Wholly unpbls to comprehend the practical utility
Of this sam. pretty, harmless weapon tina; every
body loves to see. It is all osog 10 my swn
obtu'enes' admit, for almost anybody can see
that there is potsn, cbarm TO them somewhere.
Why have seen men Of 20 sort Of consequence
above the average Of soldiers generally, suddenly
raj ed to vast importance in this little world Of
ours, upon getting the privilege Of buckling one
Of these swords around their waists, and dragging
It dinglng along af,er their feet. have seen
young men elevated by il TO such high stand
point, q AN taking their own opinion for this,
de r relder,) that ii has seemed long way, Tor
them to lock down to where we poor sinners in
the racks i've and move and hsve our being
long indeed, that lhe y are seldom ever inclined to
looh this way. What wonder tbeu that every
soldier is ambitious to &c, one OF these swords to
wear What wonder that they will Gght with
desperation ",rsal' With libera,y every superior
officer whose influence will in any way help them
10 gain their object and what wonder that they
viii try their utmost 10 b, hale.felows-welmtt"
with everybody that il possible they may win
popularity and in this way b. helped 70 gain the
coveted prize. O(eauue soldiers will do so, and
il is no use 10 dispute taste or quarrel with hu.
man nature Does NJ soldier know that with
sword by bis side, he is free from thousand v,x-
suoas that soldier with a mu,ket is subject to
thl, &, gives him thousand privileges ircm which
private is deb,rred Don't lh,y know that
newspaper, viii speak Of lhsir services in onrer
paragraphs T they i've, and give h,m orger
obituary l Ihey die Dont they know, too, ,ha,
the ad.es vii smile upon them more svestiy,
aed welcome them more cordially if they wear
asword, then they carry gun For ladies' have
stimulated his twcid mania, srd soms of the
mo-e thoughlless ones imagine (oh foolish ab.
,u,dity y lhat the salvation ot this oon depends
upon the use Of the sword simply and literally,
rather than upon mu,kCl, and sarnon, aud the
more common implements ofwr Well, lhws
ny own opinion OF these ,words, which suppose
is li.reui from that entertained by oil the rest
OF the world, aud yet my opinion !, right, and oil
the rest Of the world are wrong. ! regard them
as chlls phylhing, ( no consequence what
ever in the bloody earnest work Of fighting this
rebellion. When such formidable arms for &C.
oompliahing death and destruction are being To-