St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-06-01
Letter from the Front.

We are permitted to publish the follow
ing extracts from letter written by
Herbert Fisher, with Company D at
Chickamauga Park, to his mother here:
The weather has given one great ir-
clnation to put off till the morrow all
that need not be done today, and have
yielded to it. We left Camp Olympia at
eleven o'clock Saturday, May 81. The
citizens Of Burlington put up lunches for
the entire regiment. An ovation began
at the first stop and lasted until we ar
rived here. At every stop crowds
swarmed around the cars pretty girls
We'd with each other in begging for but
tons and getting our addresses, and long
before we reached here we were showed
under with good wishes and southern
roses. From every farmhouse, town and
city came the same evidences Of hearty
good will. Some way the whole country
seems to have an exaggerated idea Of
the Vermont boys and am proud to be
one of them. All the way down to New
London it was the same, and we really
began to think perhaps we were heroes.
Reached New London at ten and the
whole regiment was put aboard the City
of Lawrence. There was hardly stand
ing room and then it was that tired and
dirty and supperless the boys had their
first real taste OF the discomforts Of
army lie. Lieut.. Bazin spent almost the
entire night in getting comfortable places
for the boys. and thereby won place in
their hearts.
1t is 100 mile run from New London
to Jersey City and as we entered New
York harbor, just as the sun was rising
on a gloriously beautiful day, weenjoyed
an hour of real pleasure, the memory Of
which will be with us for many a year.
We took the cars at Jersey City and there
things began to change. Everywhere
were the same crowds, but the personnel
began to change. Darky faces became
more prominent and numerous. At
Philadelphia we got good send off.
Washington came in sight at 5 o'clock.
Grout and Proctor took the officers up
town and fed them, while we convicts
who were forbidden to step off the train
occupied our time in meeting the girls
and exchanging addresses. We woke in
the morning in North Carolina among
the poor hites and crackers" Every
thing was "A right smart ways off, anc
Southern scenes began to get common
place. Through Tennessee things were
Southern all right. At Manassas where
our boys suffered defeat l met some old
soldiers who asked the usual questions
"Where be you 'uns from?" and when
answered vermont" they remarked that
they thought they had met our fathers
We got into Chattanooga at two Tues.
day morning, marched up here several
miles in the hot sun and came into camp
at dark, tired and ready to drop. We
had our tents to put up and went to bed
tired, dirty and hungry. The water is
awful-dirty and bad and the boys are
mourning for just one drink Of Vermont
water, but pipes are being laid and we
hope for better things. Two pieces OF
hard tack usually substitute my meal.
We boys want it understood that we
are all right, though we are all saying
more nice things about Vermont than
ever before. We are sensible of the fact
that we are where we are needed and
doing our duty and our sole thought is
not for our own personal safety and con.
venience. We have four men in the
hospital, none seriously sick, and we are
contented and hungry. This is historic
ground, monuments everywhere COM
memorating men and companies who
have either extinguished or distinguished
themselves here. We are on Missionary
ridge and opposite Lookout Mountain.
1t is now crowned by a magnificent
hotel to reach which a cog wheel road
draws cars up the steepest grade in the
world, not even excluding the one on Mt.
Washinton. The heat is oppressive and
it is not unusual to see two or three
poor fellows fall from the ranks on guard
mount each day. but they must have
neglected the rules in some way to be in
such a condition.