The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-04-30


on the 18th inst. Many of the Platts-
burg volunteers will BIO glad to learn that
our Senators are doing their best to OBJ.
tain an abrogation of the Department
rule iu respect of demanding Record ev-
idencc of service. Mr.. Foot argues with
spirit that the Department had no bust
ness to adopt such rule and that it is
against the cearest intent of tho law,
that it should exist He claims to know
what that intent was, as he himself draf-
ted the amendment TO which the rule
has been applied We extract from Mr..
Foot's speech the following picture of
what happened among our mountains
some forty years ago.
"But | cannot willingly or tacitly
surrender this proviso authorizing the
admission of parol testimony in the case
of these volunteers called out under a
special and sudden emergency A sense
of justice towards most worthy and
meritorious class of my own constitu
ency impels me to urge and insist upon
its adoption. My Judgment approves
it. The committee recommended it, 1t
is just and right of itself. 1t does only
what Congress, intended to do, and sup.
posed they bad done. for these volunteers
in the first instance As i have said,
these men were called out upon a sudden
and extraordinary emergency. The en-
emy's fleet were upon the lake, aud
within the American line The encmy's
troops were marching by land with rapid
haste upon Plattsburg full fourteen thou
saud strong. Our own troops, under
General Macomb. were not as many hun
drcd. The country about the region of
Plattsburg, along the western borders of
Lake Champlain, in the state Of New
York. was then but sparscly settled
The Inhabitants we're fleeing before the
invading army of Provost Alarm and con.
stcrnation were spreading far and wide.
Expresses were sent through the State
of Vermont, calling upon her hardy and
gallant sons to start forthwith and to
hurry gu in quick haste to the rescue.
and to the defensl AMI prot ection Of
General Macomb and his small army.
who we're in imminent danger. The
Governor Of the State hal declined to
order out the militia but the people
were obedient to tho highest dictates Of
patriotism aud Of humanity, and rushed
forward to the scone Of danger upon the
first summons Except in few instances.
they did not stop to organize and form
Themselves into regular companies
There was no time then 10 make up rolls
and recotJs. 4 sister state was Invaded
By foreign foe her citizens driven from
their homes, and our little army was in
peril. a confident and imporious foe
was threatening its march to Albany,
and to carry ruin and devastation in its
tIair. In this state of affiirs it was,
that these volunteers rushed to the res
cue, and by their timely aid saved al,
aud our country's honor, too. They
were not thinking Of pensions aud bounty
lands They were not then thinking of
making up an actount-current against
the United States for services rendered.
and made no record entries to that end
The BATTLE was fought-the victory was
won-and the enemy fed beyond our
borders. And here repeat only the
testimony OF the commanding officer in
saying that the fortunes Of that day were
saved by the promptness, the energy,
and the valor Of the Green Mountain
volunteers.
Now, when you are bestowing your
bounty upon those who have rendered
military service for fourteen days in any
of your wars, shall not these men be ad-
mittod to tie lists Of your beneticiaries
Are not their services equally worthy Of
this recognition Though their scrv.
ices were of short duration, were they
the less important Though no records Of
their names were made out aud
placed in your public archives, is it
their fault, if it is indeed, the fault of
any one Cannot the proof of their scrv-
ices be made as satisfactory under the
same rules Of evidence which have OBJ
taiuci in applications for pensions and
bounty lands, under all previous acts of
Congress Or, will you tantalizo these
brave and true men by a promise of the
bounty. and then permit them to be ie
prived Of it by construction | put it
to honorable Senators to answer