Year: 1863




EDITOR FREEMAN We are once more back
again with the Army of the Potomac in our accus-
toned place, and doing our accustomed duties.
Our recall from New York was rather sudden and
unexpected. The draft to be sure had been ac-
complished, but the men had not been taken away,
and then was when the trouble might be expected
if the draft was to be resisted at all. Our servi-
ces would then be needed if ever. But the order
came for us to return. NJ Meade was contemplating
an advance, and no doubt felt keenly the weakness
of his army while we were away. The rebels
were sending away troops to swallow Rosecrans
and now was the golden moment to strike for
Richmond But what could the Army of the Po-
tomac do without its Vermont brigade? We
saved it from destruction in one campaign, and
Gen. Meade is not SO iool-hardy as to risk anoth-
er while his main dependence was absent. So in
all haste we were recalled to the army, leaving
our dear friends the copperheads to work out their
own destruction. Well, we are here, but fear the
golden moment is lost. The celebrated eight
DAVIS ration order is in full force and we are Ii
able to move at any time. We may be ordered
on towards Richmond and then-Heaven save the
mark-may have to skedaddle back again. Our
wide awake foes will have whipped the Tennessee
army and be back here ready to whip us before
we are half prepared for our punishment 1t would
be no more than we deserve for our proverbial re-
mssness. Should it turn out so, the North ought
to sit in sackcloth and ashes and count it an honor
to kiss the dust from jeff Davis feet. They ought
to be excluded forever from the family of nations
as unworthy the sacred trust The poorest schol-
ar can't help seeing that if the North would only
rise now like lion conscious of bis strength we
might smash the Confederacy all to atoms in a
very short time. But instead of that the North
hangs back, only doing out few miserable con-
scripts, or substitutes rather, now and then when
they can't help it, who are more trouble to US than
they are worth, and whose courage consists chiefly
in daring to desert. The rebels themselves shame
us, and compel our very respect by their dogged
perseverance. They can call every man into the
army, and it does not seem to require a large ror-
ton of their army to enforce their cOnserlpuan.
They work to win we work because We are
obliged to- 1t is more respectable to be live
worker on the wrong side, than drone on the
right side. But we have not andsanced yet, so OF
course we are safe at present, and while We are
awaiting orders | will give a brief account in my
homely way, Of our journey here from New York.


We left Poughkeepsie Sunday, the 18th inst'
at noon. in the Knckerbocker, and stopped that
night in New York harbor. Wewere transferred
from the Knickerbocker to another steamboat
whose name have forgotten, which took US the
next day to South Amboy, on the Jersey coast,
some thirty miles from New York city. At this
latter place we got aboard the cars and came by
railroad to Washington. The latest style of sol
diers are simply freight cars with boards propped
up for seats. For windows, we had the benefit of
two side doors to begin with, but long before our
journey was concluded we had plenty of ventila-
ton, owing principally to the energetic use Of the
butt end of somebody's gun-stock on the boards
at different places on the sides of the car. Each
car was filled as full it would hold of men, KNAPP
sacks and rations, huddled in together promiscu-
ously 1t took shrewd genius to identify him
self in that place.


1t was near midnight when we got to Philadel-
phia. At the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refresh
meut Saloon we found a glorious supper ready
prepared expressly for us. Bread Of an excellent
quality, butter and cheese, pickles, hot coffee. and
oil that hungry soldier need ask. 1t was not
soldiers living at all: it was good enough for a
first class hotel. This is the first place OF the
kind that has been opened since the war broke
out, and doubt If any more modern, can surpass
it. 1t came just in lime, for we were both tired
and hungry, and we could not possibly compose
ourselves to hardtack and pork SO soon after leav-
ing Poughkeepse, and this was all that was pro
vided US. We had tasted with wonderful patience
till then. imagine the proprietors of that Shop
have no Insignificant ideas of our capacity to dis
pose of good food when We can gett. Supper over
we formed into line again outside, where we had
stacked our guns, and giving three hearty cheers
for our reception, we started on our way through
the city to take another train. Here we were
packed into the cars again as before. There was
every shade OF difference between that and a reg
uar sleeping car but notwithstanding that, slep,
most soundly there till morning. | might have
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