Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-30
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a Soldiers lie ter. No, II.

NrAa SIRAusBURG, NAr
Aug l4lb, 1854.
EDITOR or FREEMAN Whoever may have
been he i,t to propose the theory of perpetual
motion, bel I've the xth Corps have been the
first to demonstrate its possibility by actual prae-
t.ce. Ever since We commenced our Maryland
campaign, maIcling has been the order Of The day.
and tbe disorder Of almost every night. Now and
then We have a resting day, but this practice Of
giving US resting days, is fast falling into disuse
Il is hard telling whether we oounteract The reb
els plans or they ours The rebel prisoners all
complain Of hard marching and their appearance
shows that it is abundantly so. lpresume Union
prisoners make a like complaint to them. The
rebels have had o taste Of the fine crops in Mary
land, ard ike breaehy cattle they continually dodge
US and break in there, and alt our running does
not avail to keep them out II they are logged
out Of one place forthwith they appear in another,
and Il We drive them away from there, behold
they turn up somewhere else. They seem TO have
the power Of ubquity, and can appear in half "a
dozen places at once, or else they spring up spon
taneolsly in this valley and Maryland, or wherever
they choose. Friday, July 29sb, We were hurry
ing over the road from Frederick CiS to Harp
ers Ferry, with all possible dispatch, to intercept
the enemy there, as we supposed, and Friday Au-
gust 9th, just one week later, We were hurFying
over the same road in the same direction and for
the same purpose. We only stopped there about
twenty-'our hours on our first visit, when it vas
found that some rebel movement on the great
ohess-bOard had made corresponding movement
on our part necessary. so to prevent being check
mated, We packed up post haste, and the next
twenty-iour hours found the troops transporting
their knapsaoks through the dust ard heat back
again towards the city Of Frederick. Our camp
was within two miles OF the city. From here
dated my last letter. Some stragglers that fell
out near here and remained till we came back
saved themselves three days rest and cheated
the government out Of about thirty miles march
Ing. They displayed greater generalship and
shrewduess than our commander, but they cllim
that it is not worth mentioning The next day
we had marching orders, out he, were counter
manded and we remained lhereA day longer. We
then moved camp five or SIX miles in d souIf east
erk direction and crossed the Monocicy river.
Suco then we have marched 10 this place. dis
lance, should Judge, of no, less than seventy
miles, and orders may come AZ any moment for US
to march seventy mills mtre. Surely there is no
rest for the wicked, not it they belong to the Sixth
Corps, az lots Of US do.
What an immense cost It il. in labor, on both
sides, for Gen. E,rly to get hi, supplies in this
valley and Maryland. 1t might be done cheaper
and be better fer US all around. heard fellow
explain a remedy yesterday, aud was nightly
pleased with il. lie would have detail made
out from each regiment and brigade, to gather
the crops every se.sjn and make a present of
them to old Euly The men engaged to do this,
would never be missed, and il would really cost
nothing except little sacrifice of pride, which in
this age OF ,ivllry we ought to be ashamed to
mention, ahile il would save us an endless amount
Of marching aud the ci izsus here would be spared
so mgch distress ard fer The crops gathered
could be lth at Winchester or Martinsburg in
charge of garrison Of one hundred days men
which woull be equivalent to delivering them to
The rebels at Ric lm md. This fellows idea was
acoli,al one, but prob,bl. the obtuse War De-
partmenl woh't "see Il"
One of the greatest evils we have to contend
with is scarcity Of water. On the march, or in
camp, we have found It difficult to procure q
supply, Day before yesterday on the march,