The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-20
(our War Correspondence
From the 18th Vermont Regiment.
BATON ROUGE, La, Aug. 10, 1856:

| BATON ROUGE, La, Aug. ~, 1907.
FRIEND WLLARD:-I think promised wher
l left Montpelier, that if anything worthy of not,
occurred in relation to the 7th VT Regin ent,
would keep you posted in regard to it. Most Of
your readers, presume, have fewer acquaintance
in this regiment than any other that has left Yer
mont, owing to the fact that all the members are
from distant parts of the State with the exceptioo
ofthe Mortified Co., but as they are all Vermont
ers few words may not prove undressing.
About the middle of June they received orders
to proceed up the river from Camp Parapet, some
miles above New Orleans without tents or bag
gage to Vicksburgh or opposite that place. They
were put with other regiments to digging canal,
in order to turn the course of the river so that
Vicksburgh would be left out one side, and our
vessels could pass outside the range OF their guns,
but the river falling so rapidly the enterprise was
postponed for the present. During their stay at
that place, they were subjected to the severest hard
ships of a soldiers life, without tents or any COM
forts whatever. They remained in that swarpy re-
glon, exposed to all the diseases prevalent IN those
low marshes on the Mississippi, until hardly one
! fifth of the men were able to do duty. In this
condition they returned to Baton Rouge, the
29th of July, and went into camp in very healthy
location in the eastern outskirts of the city. In
short time there was a decided Improvement IN
the appearance Of the regiment.
| might relate one sad incident that occurred
previous to the departure from VicksburSh, show
ing the utter want of principle and total disregard
OF all feelings OF humanity, with which this wicked
war is waged on the part of the Confede"tes,
and resulting in the sdeah OF one Of the finest
officers in the regiment, Capt. l.. d. Brooks Of
the Swanton Co. Capt Brooks IN company with
several others officers and prlyateS, had charge Of
a large squad of negroes, who had been working
IN the canal, and was on the humane mission OF
returning them safely TO their oHners. The reb-
els in the meantime, had passed down on the OPP
posite side of the river, and erected small masked
battery on the shore, and there laid in ambush
awaiting the approach of the transport. They
were very cautious however, not to fire upon her
as she passed down the river, lest perchance, they
| might destroy some OF their own property, which
they were all so over sensitive about. They
waited till the boat returned in the dead of night,
and then opened a murderous fire upon the de-
fenceess craft that had just been doing them a
kindness. The officers on board Immediately ex
tinguished all lights, and fortunately but one cas-.
ualty occurred. 1t was not known for some half
an hour that any one was injured, it being very
dark, but finally Capt. Brooks was found with his
body nearly severed by a cannon bail that passed
through the cabin. Such barbarous acts can
hardly fail to rebound with whitening condemna-
ton upon the heads of the instgators.
The regiments had hardly been in camp at this
place four days, when information, through seces-
sion sources. was conveyed to General John G.
breckenridge, at Camp Moore, that the troops
were all Frustrated by sickness, and that the cap
ture Of the place would be an easy task. Accord
ngy he collected his forces, some seven or eight
thousand men, and decided to make the attack on
the morning of the 9TH of August
In order to make his victory doubly sure the
celebrated rebel ram arkansas, that you have
all heard so much about, that passed our fleet at
Vlcksburgh unframed, and was the terror of all
Union men this side of Memphis, was to come
down and engage our feet, while Breckenridge
was to attack in the rear. The plan was admir-
ably arranged, and so confident was the rebel
General OF success, that the day previous to the
attack he made speech to his soldiers stating
that the Yankees were all sick, and that ali that
would be necessary would be to fire volley,
make one charge, and the day would be theirs
He also stated that the band would play "The
Bonnie Blue Flag" from the dome Of the C,pitol
at noon the next day. This | learned from
rebel prisoner
AS the monster ram made its appearance above
the town, all eyes were turned in that direction
and many cheek grew pale. But, alas the
hand OF Providence seemed uplitted against their
Detarious schemes. The ram was suddenly
aground, and all efforts to extrcae itself were I'M
awaiting. Our 2un-boats taking advantage OF the
occasion, opened their batteries upon her. The
crew, in order to avoid her falling into our hands,
set her on fire, made for the shore in small ho4ts
and escaped. In short time the fire reached he
magazine and terrific explosion ensued, and the
great rebel ram Arkansas was no more, and, like
the Merrimac, it only lives in history. In The
meantime, and previous to the above transaction,
| there had been fierce contest going on between
the land forces. Our pickets were driven in about
three o'clock, A. NJ. The rebels took position in
graveyard and corn6eld adjoining, and com
menced the attack at daylight.
1t is useless to deny the fact that they fought
with great bravery and courage, especially the
Both Louisiana Regiment, which was composed
largely of citizens from Baton Rouge and vicinity,
who felt they we're fighting for their homes and
families; but they were met with equal determn-
alton and valor by our own brave troops. Three
times the attempt was mad" to take certain bat
terry by charge They would advance with unfal-
terng STEP as it were into the very jaws OF death,
and when at the right distance, the battery would
open upon them with canister, with deadly effect +;
in moment the thinned ranks would be again
filled, and again they would push on for the prize,
but only to meet with the same fate as before.
After the third charge they broke, leaving the
ground covered with their dead and dying. They
succeeded, however, in killing nearly all the horses
attached to the battery, some forty or fifty in
number, and several of the men. The battle
ragged for nearly three hours, both armies occupy