Year: 1863

a GolaleI LetteI--No' 10,
SECOND VERMONT REGIMENT, I |


November l3, 1868.
4 EDITOR FREEMAN Doubles your readers
\ have long before this time read every particular
Of the fight near Rappahanuock Station where
the 9th army corps surprised and captured up
WARDS Of thousand prisoners, and where tbs
5th Wisconsin and 9TH Maine covered th mselye
viii glory, and the b4,tle-feIl with their dead.
| shall no. attempt to give you any particulars Of
thai interesting, though bloody affair beyond
whai has already teen given. only wish to be
allowed to tell my story Of the events as they
appeared to me, and tell it in my own nomely
way.
We let our camp at Wareuton Saturday
morning little after sunrise, with knapsacks
packed, and with sr days rations. The move
ment took US by surprise, although we knew
thai such an eyeat was liable to occur 1T any me.
| As usual we we're preparing our tcab or com
fort not exactly as we used to in summer, but
exactly as we are obliged to r winter or freeze
/ Vi N4lIl H'It 4 u4Ag AA'L vs-a'loH ~ oiNN'e
more particularly 10 some future letter. The
boys, Of course, dislike to pbor patiently on
their house for several days, and then leave
be house and lose .her labor but on this occa-
sion the officers we're as much the losers as wei
that matter, for nearly every one of them had
made fire places to their tents and chimneys to
their fire places, and apparently we're as Ignorant
OF any intention 70 move as the least Of Us,
FhAy, the day previous, an old-fashoned
brigade drill had been ordered, which was
10 take place at two o'clock the usual hour
but Just before that time arrived, we were not-
fed OF the impending march, and told that the
drill was to be postponed, and we could devote
our time to our own benefit as each man chose.
The principal military business that we had to at
tend to was to draw SIX days rations, and the
principal private business was perhaps to write
letter or so, when We were ready for any event
that might be called for. Long before morning
the orderly came to each and every tent to be
sure We we're all Of Us awake, and by the time
appointed, early daylight, We had shouldered our



knapsaeks and our six days ratons, and a little
later we were on the road once more to Dixie's
capital in as high spirits as II We had never tray-
elled that way before. We made remarkably
GOOD time on our march, the weather was ccol
and we kept our ranks closed in q manner as graf
kipe to the officers as to ourselves. We ac'
complished twelve miles or more before noon.
By that time we began TO feel that to halt and
rest for short time would be an agreeable ex'
change for so much marching, and that few
moments attention TO the contents OF our hayer-
sacks would be by no means unpleasant. We
noticed in an open field in front Of US that the
troops we're budding in together in various
shapes, and we hardly knew whether they were
forming en- mGsse to give US our customary hours
"noouing,' or what disposal they were going to
make of us We had line Of skrmishsrs
marching on our right flank, who were deployed
a few rods in font Of the troops, and these were
halting and moving as if in doubt of what they
really ought to do. Still further ahead as we
faced to the right, away to the top Of the hill
could be seen another line Of men, and there was
quite discussion in the ranks whether they were
friends or foes Before we halted to rest, oul
regiment was swung round into line on the right
where we stacked arms and rested ill the middle
Of the afternoon. Whether the line Of men al
luded to we're rebels or not, it was now pretty
evident that we we're in the near vicinity OF tht
enemy, for the positions that the different com
mands we're assuming we're almost exactly hk
those We always assumed when we approach IN
enemy, or are actually on the battlefield.


During our halt here important preliminar
operations are going on elsewhere, and when III
time came for us TO act our part We were ordere
forward. Skrmish firing had commenced wit
yieor, and the object OF our mission was n
longer matter Of copjectuus We marche
in close column by division through piece
woods where we halted Ot the foot Of he bill, o
the top Of which we had seen the rebel line


skirmshers. A strong line of battle now occ


pied the crest oil the hill, Of an identity unmi
taxable, with their faces leeward, while the reb
shells we're bursting over their heads In mann


that might have unnerved any but the bravest


troops Sharp musketry firing was heard J.


over the other side Of the hill. This " hill


might say in passing, is not at all like Vcrm0


hills abrupt aud steep, but long cononu


swell, rising barely high enough to hide tho


on one side from being seen by those on the


posite. A cannonball fred on one side wo'


describe an arc that would almost exactly corr


pond to the lay of the land,aud many OF the re


shot and she'll fired at the line on the top oil


hill came screaming over and lodging unpea'a


ly near US, so much so that we were obliged


change our position once to get more Ou'


anger, do nj know that any one IN our =