Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-10-02

Va, y, regimen. EYER .ard an order from Col. !
hooer,s NC, 70 'n" .fect, or knew OF any such
re9uesl pe'ny received, nor have l been able |
70 iearn =. al any such ordev or request was
sent sem AZ Is true that the regiment, after the
'si,. of Col. Roberts, moved away, but IN no
greater confusion than was at times exhibited
by all the other regiments engaged, from q
position IN which the men could not hre
without wounding their friends, and where
several of their number had been more or less
injured by the fire Of the enemy,
The fatal mistake OF firing INTO the gallant
2lst Indiana, was the mistake of Gen. Will
Hams, instead of Col, Roberts, as has alrea iy
been shown, aud no blame could be attached
TO the regiment on that oecount
The exception of the 9TH Vermont from
G neral Order No. 81, letters to the inscribing
OF the words Baton Rouge upon the colors of
! the corps engaged which was directed by that
order do not think the name Baton Rouge
should bring to the officers or men there
engaged, who fought neither for glory or
praise, feelings of pride, but rather those of
fhankfulness to that Being who saved us from
| destruction or capture after the most culpa-
| BILE mismanagement, and crowned our efforts
! with success Nearly all the officers and
|
faction of rejecting that they did their duty
there, and brought no disgrace upon the name
of their native State, and trnst will live to
see this infamous attempt to cast dishonor
upon Vermont prove a signal failure. 1t
they have not yet earned the right to bear
their colors, Gen. Butler may rest assured
that under his command they never will !;
and if the deep, pentup bitterness which
found place in the breast Of every officer
and man upon the publication of his order, is
to be taken as an index Of the future, the
General need not expect cheers from the 9TH
Vermont. The remainder OF the order Is
devoted to praising every regiment and corps
at Baton Rouge but ours, not excepting the
9th Connecticut and 4th Wisconsin, which
to quote the words OF the order, "were not
brought into action, but held their positio n. :"
| have always said and still believe that all
our forces brought into action behaved well
for ra troops, nor am prepared to say that
those troops not brought into action but who
"held their position did not do it as we'll az
| others would have done when not attacked
but it is somewhat remarkable that no one,
officer or soldier, of the 7th Vermont, with
the single exception of Col, ROBBERS. should
have so conducted as to merit either praise or
censure; while among long list from all the
other corps who are praised, no individual is
found whose conduct was censurable.
do not claim that all did their duty, for |
am forced to own with chagrin that during
the action which continued several hours,
neither the Surgeon nor Asst Surgeon of the
9TH Vermont was upon the field TO my knowl.
edge, and that one Lieut.. who was in com
msnd of Company, his Captain being sick
ran away to the hospital when Col. Roberts
fell, and remained away until the fight was
over and until | sent for him. with no other
excuse for his conduct than that he went
after the doctor for Col. Roberts, who was
upon being wounded, himself carried to the
hospital; but the officers and men generally
remained in their places during the fight
obeyed the orders of Col. Roberts-and myself
and did their duty faithfully, During the
battle the following company officers were
with the regiment, viz: A, none B, 5; &
Capt. ID, list and End Lieuts. f, none; +
LIST and End Lieuts.; G, Capt.!and I'd Lieut.
! Ii, 3 |, LIST and End Lieuts X, Capt-ir
all Is, and upon calling the rolls on the night
after the battle 8 of these were found to be
with the regiment, the three remaining ones
being absent at the hospital sick. There
were also present 229 enlisted men, which
with l3 company officers and two field, made
the total number present PA add to this
number Is wounded men and three officers
at the hospital, the amount is 260, who are
accounted for out of the 2s8 who should have
been with the regiment during the fight.
nave no wish to censure the troops who broke
and whom | assisted to rally on the right of
our camp, nor one wing OF the 14th Maine,
which under the command Of the Lieut.. Col,
without colors and separated from the other
wing, was, by request OF its commander, al.
lowed to form upon the left of the 7th Yer.
mont after took command, for the time being
! forming part OF my command, nor yet the
gun OF the 4th Massachusetts battery which
came so near depriving me of my Sergt
I. Major, and only mention these circumstan.
ces, that all may understand the relative
treatment which the different regiments have
received at the hands of Gen. Butler.
think some Of our men were as deserving
: however, of slight praise as some OF those 81
highly honored by Gen. Butler sent
! | Sergeant and 20 men, a. the request of an
officer OF the 4th Mass. battery, think, tc
} assist IN putting a new wheel upon damaged
t caisson and bring 1t from the field, which they
t did under fire. | had several men who haC
Tue eAidoIuntdiy inefil so ngnIJ lduueu u.
Gen. Butler IN others, of being wounded, anC
one corporal of ny color guard also lost al
! arm; and am unable to see why my owl
i horse which received wound during the &C
ton is not entitled to puff from Gen. Butte
t as we'll as the horses of other officers which
a are mentioned in the order.
s There is but one other portion of the orde
n 10 which wish to refer, VIZ: ...
John Donahue 4th Mass battery, wh
, brought of from the camp of the 9Th Yer
mont regiment their colors at the time of the
5, retreat"
= Our State flag, which we are not above
= to carry into action, was during the fight i
the tent of Col. Roberts and after the battl
!, was brought away by Sergeant Ross of G.
. B and delivered TO me our camp color
= small f gs about Is by "a inches, had a