Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-08

ployed in getting on his Datterihg tlaii, uiu
,recting his batteries and approaches. and con
stantly skirmishing at the bridges and lords
By this time. the militia Of New York, and the
volunteers from Vermont, were pouring IN from
Ill quarters. / advised General Mooers to keep
his force along the Saranac, to prevent the en-
envy from crossing the river. and to send strong
body in his rear to harrass him day and night,
and keep him in CONTINUAL alarm. The militia
behaved with great spirit after the first day ,and
the volunteers from Vermont were exceedingly
seryiceable = fs*F q n -
At dusk the enemy withdrew his artillery
from the batteries, and raised the seige, at nine
under cover Of the night, sent off in great
hurry, all the baggage he could find transport
for, and also his artillery. At two next morn
ing the whole army precpitately reiterated, leav-
ing the sick and wounded to our generosity, and
the Governor left a note with surgeon, request
ing the humane attention of the commanding
generll **s s.
The light troops, volunteers, and militia,pur-
sued Immediately on learning Of his flight; and
some of the irUuated men made prisoners five
dragons of the 18Th regiment, and several 9TH
ers Of the rear guard. A continual fall of rain
and violent storm prevented further pursuit.
Upwards Of three hundred desertcrs have come
in, and many are hourly arriving. We have
buried the officers OF the army and navy with
the honors or war, and shown every attention
and kindness to those who have fallen into our
hands. ~ ~ The
loss of the enemy in killed, wounded, pris-
oners, aud deserters, since his first appearance,
cannot fall shortof twenty-five hundred, includ-
ing many o0icefA among whom is Colonel Wei
lihgton, t'pas.t ;
At this. poist I will read few sentences
from Thompsolis Civil History of Vermont
"Aboat the frstof September, Governor Pre-
vost entered the territory Of the United States
at the head of fourteen thousand men, and ad
yanced towardsP lattsburg, which was garrison
ed by only one brigade, under General Macomf
the main Northern army having marched to thu
westward. On the It'll Of September, the enc
my appeared Before Plattsburg, and were EN-
ployed in getting ON their battering train, erect
ing batteries, and in skirmishes with the Amer
leans, hut didnot make II general assault til
the arrival of their hotilla. l
"In the mean time every effort was made t.
call in the neishboring militia. Expresses wer
sent int Vermont, and the Green Mountain
boys, without distinction Of party, shoulders
their guns, and fastened forward to repel tn
invasion and in the part which they took il
the subsequent conflict, they nobly sustaine
their high character for frmness and bravery
This testimony is abundant, Mr.. President
to prove the great Importance and value o
the service OF those volunteers, aud their tideli
ty and devotion to the interests and honor o
the country upon that trying occasion. Sii
| should reproach myself as derelict in tn
discharge of my duty towards these brave AM
true men, and patriots. were | to fail to urg
their claims upon the favorable consideration
of this body when you are proposing to bes
tow bounty upon all who have ever, at an
time, been regularly enrolled in the service 0
the country, in any of its wars, and been pal
by the United States, without reference to tn
length of service, as the bill now under dis
cussion proposes to do The Discriminate
which the bill makes, as it now stands, is mar
ilestly invidious and unjust. You offer
bounty to one who has rendered service in
war; and has been paid for it, and Withhold
it from another who has rendered like service
and, itmay be, vastly more important service
and who has not been paid for it. The mel
statement of the case shows forth the pap
Bile injustice and gross partiality of this d
elimination, and | insist upon it there is ne
4 a sound dsteasble reason for it. L..
But, says the honorable Senator from Penn
sylvania, (Mr. BRoDHEAD,) who has taken tn
very vigilant charge Of this bill, this will |
extending its provisions too far; it viii en-
brace too large number; the law could nc
be executed ; it will increase the facilities 1
frauds upon the Government, &c. I answe
as the bill already embraces everybody VIII
has ever been enlisted in the service of til
country, in any OF its wars, and who has bee
raid for it. however short the service ma
have been, why net take in the small remnal
who have been left out, and excluded by tn
conditions of enrolment and payment, bl
who have rendered actual and most importal
services, at most important and critical tim
and who arc equally meritorious to say tn
least, and not the less meritorious because the
have not been paid; certainly not the les
mertorous, no one will undertake to say; b.
cause, in the hour of their country's nee
they left their fields and their work shops, an
hurried away to the field of battle witho,
stopping for regular enrolment ? The
drove that invading army from your border
and restored quiet and security to the inha'
itants Of your northern frontier, and then +
turned to their homes and to their daily tot
Not the less meritorious are they, that the
did not take care that their names were e
rolled for payment, or that they have new
called npon the Government, even for a ju
remuneration, until long years afterward
= when they found the Government, in the flu
ness Of its Treasury, and in the magnitude
its domain, dealing out pensions and boun
lands to almost every body elsy.
The objection that this will extend the pr
visions OF the bill too far, and embrace t
large number, is not very satisfactory re
son Tor an act of admitted and manifest pa
TALLY. Besides, sir, it comes too late. Y
have already extended the provisions of t
bill either quite too far, or not quite far
nough. The objection has already lost its d
plication, and, therefore, its force. The b
adopts the principle OF granting bounty
all wing, bsyatsar rendered osen nominal y
i vice inSsr, and now we only ask you to {
tend 50 far asto reach all who have render
actual service in times of pressing emergen'
We ask you, only, in other words, to ma
your bill equitable and impartial in its opel
ton. r.. - p
The objection that the law connot be e,
cuted, | regard as mere chimra-as max
. and unsustained assertion. IF the law col
be executed as the bill now stands, embrace
all who have ever been mustered into the m
: itary service of the country, or their gene
ton after them, it is idle to pretend that
cannot be executed if it be made to embra
the comparatively small addition Of the une
! rolled and unpaid volunteers who, in a time
,. imminent peril, went out to aid your regul
troops, and saved them from defeat and yo