Camp Advance, Fort Smith
4th Vermont Regiment
Friend Swain:—We are now encamped on the “sacred soil,” at the advanced post of the division, in the vicinity of Chain Bridge. But a word regarding our trip.—
We left Camp Holbrook, at Brattleboro, Saturday evening about 8 o’clock, and arrived at New Haven about daylight, and embarked immediately on board the steamer Elm City and landed at Jersey City Sunday, about 12 o’clock, and started immediately by rail for Washington. We were furnished at Philadelphia with a splendid supper, and I assure you the boys did ample justice to the good things, for more hungry set would be hard to find. I understand every regiment passing through is fed—and in good shape too—a large building has been erected, and everything arranged in the best shape, with a separate room for working, which is all supported by a voluntary subscription, with plenty of pretty volunteer girls to wait on the bold soldier boys.
Without knowing ones location, it is easy to trace the change from freedom to slavery. The houses of the middle classes disappear, and we see only a mansion, or rich man’s estate, surrounded by hovels for the slaves and the poor whites; light crops and barren fields lake the place of the small, well tilled farms, and large, level fields are pastures, where the New England farmer would have a fertile meadow, with luxuriant crops.
Our trip through Baltimore was without incident but one thing I noticed in particular the first and last part of our march was receive with cheers, but the centre of the city was silent as death. The only explanation I can give is, that we were welcomed by the populace in their residences, but the business portion was neutral from necessity. Only one secession flag could we see in the city, and that a small one on a back street, still no effort is needed to pick out the secession element, who greet you witth dark, scowling looks, which had but little effect upon the Green Mountain Boys.
We arrived in Washington Monday evening, and quartered in the “soldier’s rest,” on the floor, and went into camp about one mile north of the capitol, where we remained until Saturday morning, when we were off for “Dixie Land,” a distance of eleven miles across Chain Bridge; and here we are now, about three miles into Virginia.
Fort Smith is an earth fortification on a hill, which, with Fort Lyon, a large fortification south of us, commands the valley—the only route to Chain Bridge.
You have, ere this, heard of the sad calamity in the vicinity of Falls Church, on Sunday morning, when friend fired upon friend—resulting in the death of nine, and wounding thirty or forty; whether the result of carelessness or inexperience we can not say.
We have a force in this vicinity sufficient to act upon the offensive or defensive, and is probably four times larger than you imagine, and is constantly increasing. We hear to-day that a great battle is being fought above us, at Great Falls; that the rebels attempted to ford the river and were repulsed by Banks’ forces, who cut away the dam. One thing is certain—the river has been very high here to-day, and several dead bodies have passed.
You think at home that we must, of course, know everything, when, in fact, we know but little of the movements of armies, and do not know even our own movements until we are there. And another thing—you blame soldiers for exaggerating stories. As a sample of reports on the very scene of action, we first heard that the result of the catastrophe Sunday morning, was 50 men killed, and 150 wounded; so you must allow always for exaggeration, when the excitement of battle is fresh.
We shall probably remain here a few weeks, and then move further into “Dixie,” as our forces are now gradually advancing. I will, however, keep you posted on our movements. The 5th is within half a mile of us in the valley.
G.
Bellows Falls Times, Bellows Falls, VT