The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-03-10
The American Soldier.


The model American soldier is
patient and enduring; likes camplife;
is good-natured and Jolly, and makes
fun for his comrades; is always ready
for any duty; does all the cooking for
his terminates and himself; washes a
shirt occasionally for a tent-mate; has
his knapsack always ready to start at
a moments notice; spends all day
Sunday cleaning his gun; can eat raw
pork on march; don't drink much
water on a march; don't consider it
healthy; sleeps with his boots and cap
on; carries his pockets full of ammuni-
ton; has his tent up and supper
cooked just ten minutes after halt;
knows where to find plenty of rail
fences; always has plenty of straw to
sleep on; don't have a high opinion of
officers; wouldn't do any thing for the
colonel if twas to save his life; thinks
he major ought to have something to
do to prevent him from getting lazy;
thinks his captain frst-rate fellow,
and helps to put up his tent; won't
stand any nonsense from the ieuten-
ant; don't like battles better than any
body else, but is ready to do his duty;
tries to take care of his health; has re-
enlisted, and intends to see the thing
through; sends home all his pay; in
tends to buy land and settle down
when the war is over; considers it
foolish to get drunk; never spends
money at the suffers; helps the new
recruit strap on his knapsack; advises
him not to eat much grease; wants
him to take care of his health; never
gets angry except when talking about
rebels; swears little then; can't help
| it; is willing to sacrifice his life to put
down the rebellion; believes Abe Lin
coin an honest man; will vote for him
or any other man that will put down
I this rebellion; thinks army contractors
and officers with big salaries have kept
the war going too long; is willing to
do his duty any way, and hopes, when
4 the war is over, to see JEFF. Davis and
the copperheads go to destruction to-
gether.
"To take it coolly' is an old lesson
of soldier life, which was in all proba-
bility the test OF savior fare and social
supremacy among the camps of the
primeval Aryans on antediluvian Celts,
as well as the Feds and Johnny Rebs'
of the present day. And they have
certainly attained to great excellence
in the art. 81 have seen soldiers chase
hares, says the writer Of an army let
ter, "and pick blackberres, when q
shower Of the leaden messengers of
death was falling thick and fast around
them, and do many other cool and
foolish things. But the following,
which actually took place at Mine Run.
surpasses any thing l remember to
have ever seen or heard: One of those
biting cold mornings, while the ar
mics of Meade and Lee were staring
at each other across the little rivulet
known as Mine Run, when moments
appeared to be hours and hours days,
so near at hand seemed the deadly
strife, solitary sheep leisurely walked
along the run ON the rebel side A
rebel vidette fired and killed the sheep,
and, dropping his gun advanced to re.
move the prize. In an instant he was
covered by gun in the hands of q
Union vidette, who said: "Davide is
the word, or you are dead Johnny"
This proposition was assented to, and
there, between the two skirmish lines,
Mr.. Rebel skinned the sheep, took one
half and moved back with it to his
post, when his challenger, in turn,
dropping his gun, crossed the run, got
the other half of the sheep, and re-
sumed the duties of his post, amidst
the cheers of his comrades who ex-
pected to help him eat it."