Year: 1862

yield up their coiors and squad OF men
10 the 4th Vermont.


II Vermonters do not believe that this
brigade is commanded by good Gene
raj they should have been there to see
him in that fight. lie got off his horse,
in going up the mountain and went on
all fours, COR it was so steep no one could
ascend it otherwise. He kept close to
the skirmishers until the victory was de
cided. With such a Gen. as this, men
wifi 90 wherrvcr 0roIorO3. This JattIo
was on the 14th. Once more the road
was clear, but the roar Of artillery on our
right told US distinctly that a portion Of
Maryland was yet held by the enemy.
But our army was at work pushing them
back as fast as possible. Our corps was
ordered to remain here to keep the reb
els from coming through a pass in Ford'-
Mountain, while others give it to them
in front Each day the roar Of artillery
told US that hard fighting was going on,
and that the battle was going all right,
Our men were pressing them down the
valley towards the Potomac every hour,
and when below the gap, we were order
ed to reinforce the forces now engaged.
This was on the morning Ct the 17th.-.
| We arrived on the battlefield abuu, noon,
and the scene battles description. This
was the seventh day of the fight, and
each day the rebels had been compelled
to fall back more or less. As we ap-
preached the line Of battle nothing could
be heard but the continuous roar of mus
kerry, ard the laundering Of artillery.
The rebels had been pushed back fully
three quarters Of mile this day ere we
arrived, and as we went forward in to
line of battle, We passed over the ground
which they had Just yielded to our men.
Here, there and everywhere laid the
killed and wounded. Horses and riders
piled up together; Rebels and Federals,
all alike. We were first ordered 10 the
right, but soon the fight was hardest in
The centre, and we were ordered there
double quick. we arrived there and
took the front. We advanced a short dis
tance and halted. All was gained in the
centre that was wished for at present,
and all for us now to DO was to hold our
position. The enemy's sklrmishers were
about 40 rods in advance, concealed BY
stone walls and from behind them they
sent many a well directed bullet ,hat day,
and as often as one Of them showed his
head, Just SO often he received minnie
from us.


Just before we arrived on the ground
now occupied by US, a furious charge
had been made. The ground was al
most covered with the killed and wound
ed but worst of ALL a little in front of
where we laid was a road where The re-
bels had made a stand. They laid there
piled one upon another, pile after pile.
Men Of every rank, from a private to a
major general lay together, and these
were all one kind (rebels.) Such sight
never saw before. Waterloo could not
have been worse. For once we had the
best Of it. Five rebels to one of our
men had been killed in this fight.


The last Of the fighting was on the
18th near Sharpsburg, only a short dis
tancc from where we are now encamped.
What there is left of their army that
crossed into this state have gone back
into Virginia. They have done but very
little towards taking Washington, Balti-
more and Philadelphia, which they boast
ed that they were going to do. l think
their loss in killed and wounded cannot
be less than 25,OOO. | don't believe ours
is one fourth part of it. The loss to our
brigade does not exceed fifty in killed
and wounded. There are but few killed,
one only in our company wounded
Sergeant John S. Thompson, slightly, in
the shoulder. Gen. Brooks was slightly
wounded in the face, but he never left
the brigade even to have the wound
dressed.


This portion of Maryland through
which we have passed, is the most noun
famous part of the state, and | suppose
the most loyal. There is no secesh here
scarcely. The inhabitants appear very
much more loyal than those in Virginia,
and the farms here show very plainly
that the slaves of Virginia farmers never
titled this soil. There arc but very few
slaves here. 1t looks like New England,
almost like home. The finest portion of
country that we have ever passed over is
Middletown valley. The view of that
valley from the heights west Of it is the
most grand, sublime and magnificent my
eyes ever beheld. Grain and fruit Of all