Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-05-30
hlisttlla III
A Soldiers Letter 70, 96
SIXTH CORPS llOsplrAL,

olAIH CDhFs llObPlIALt
NEAR ALEXANDRIA Va, M.y 10, 1865.
EDITOR FREEMAN The war being over
suppose war corre,p1ndenee will play out, +"
we boys would say Low directly, snd | sha have
to give up my hVorlle pa'ume Of writing to you,
but | will venture to write you few words TO-
day, war or no war, though shall have to guore
the fact that have nothing q particular interest
to C, mmunic,.e Indeed war news in our coun-
try Of ate has been on scale 50 grand and g,o-
rious that new cause for jubilee csnno, be pro-
duced. It is hardly po'siole for any thing 10 lake
place now that will sompare with what has a.
ready taken plses. Few nation, at any period
have had such succession Of importan, and
startling events trsnspire vithn 80 short period
Of time, as We have had IN ours Tor the last FEW
months. When Gen. Sherman cut loose from
AtlAn,. and plunged with bis n'lucbe army
through the heart Of Georgia, We va lched him
eagerly, almost apprshenslrely, but when he ar
rived safely on the Atlantic shore, and gave 10 the
nation the captured city OF Savannah asa Christ
mas present, We were delighted snd astonished.
Then came bis victorious march through South
Carolina, capturing their stronghold' including
CharlesIou, that vile nest Of treason, and di'pos
ing every force that opposed him lks chat before
hurricane, aud our deligh, knew no bouuds. Next
came the great and goriou, victory Of Gen Gran,
With the army OF the Potomac, which resulted in
the complete overthrow Of Gen. Lee az his rebeI
host, that had so long wi,hsiood u, and We kueN
then ths, the great serpent Of secession whose
poisonous iangs had been struck at the nation, I,
life, was about to lose lie power fot evil forever
more That power asa power is dead, but it
"" true 10 its ruling passion to the last moment
1t did not die until it had exhibited to all the
world, the infernsl spirit which ha, ruled lis every
action, by committing crime, the airocjIy Of
which shows depth Of dspravily and vicksdnes,
without parallel in modern history. 1t did not
die until it had murdered Americas most illustri-
Gus citizen, and (if they had known it) their own
b"t friend. So ,ad an event a, thi, was never
known before ia American history Abraham
Lincoln was killed, but bis spirit is still with ne,
and though dead, he yet spsaketh Following
this most sorrow'ul event, clmo the news OF the
surrender Of Johnston, army aud the rem. nder
OF the rebel forces, and finally the capture Of the
rsbe president in his wife pettcoats, ingloriou,.
ly sndsavorng to fee from justice Now the
government IS dl'charging as ias, Gs they can the
men who have fought and conquered, and is send.
lng them home 10 thsir families and friends.
Surely the United States will have cause to long
remember the monIhs Of March, April and May
Just passed, and the year 1865 will forever form
,ome Of the mos, interesting pages Of cur history
Just now with Us soldiers, every thirg else is
swallowed up in the idea Of being soon discharged
aud sent home, Our army is fast dssolvng
Sheridan, cavalry passed through here las, Tues
day on their way to Washington, they said, to be
discharged. Part OF the army Of the Potomac
i,at Biiley's Cross Roads, and the remainder Of
it will doubtless be there soon. Sherman pitched
his headquarters abou, mile from here, day be-
fore yesterday, and his army cannot be far behind.
They will be reviewed mex, week, and then
great many Of them will be allowed to 40 home
some think the whole force will be di,banded
Meanwhile, mastering out is going on continually
here IN The hospitals The mastering oifcer
have already been a, work at the Filth Corps
Hospital, mastering out all that had less than one
year to serve-the others " II be reserved TO The
last. 10 day they will commence IN the SteonG
Corps, aad then most probably at this ho,pilsl.
But our Corp, Hospital is not all here. Only
about hundred Of us 10 all eit City Point as,
Saturday, to establish hospital here, taking with
wa few stewards and doctors to give dignity to
the undertaking. Not being IN the secret in,
self cannot tell the precise object OF our mis-.
'on, but have no doubt but that il will resul, in
much good. presume Uncle Sam had as Ii.
Iced and pay US Tor staying here as anywhere
We expect the rest here from City Point 400