Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-09-18

boarding flag for vessels passing the Fort, |
and afterwards used for blotting paper in |
the adjutant's office, and thrown aside as
worn out. That, sir, is in possession of
Major Holbrook. So much for our colors
which we are represented as deserving.
1t is falsehood no man will presume to
utter to an officer of our regiment, The
national flag was borne by the color
bearer Of the regiment, sergeant 8. w.
Parkhurst, who brought the same on to
line on which to form our regiment on
that memorable morn and by him was
carried throughout the entire action, and
which under murderous fire he held
aloit and kept where the regiment could
see and rally if need be around it. That
flag was ever where il should be and no.
bly, did he stand by and bear the same
from the field, without its once leaving
his hands. Thus to impeach the bravery
of a man who stood the test of Bull Run
credtably to himself and his company, as
LIST lieutenant, and to publish to the
country that other hands than his bore our
flag from the field of battle is a statement
SO unjust that pray God it may never
stain the annals OF our history. watched
in the smoke of battle our flag, and
watched him bring the same to where we
halted.
Thus, sir, l trust have proven to Yer
mont that our colors were borne by none
other than our own regimental color
bearer. Our colors left us not for one
!, moment, and yet we are deprived of them.
{ / believe Maj. Gen. Butler thus acts upon
his best judgment upon reports furnished
him, and laments the disgrace of our
most surely unfortunate regiment.
In conclusion l have to say that the
order seems to us like the death knell Of
the 7th Vermont regiment. 1t is oul
own Green Mountain State that VIZ
: mourn for, for believe me, we can and
will die, but those colors shall be restored
$ to the regiment. We feel mortified anc
t, chagrined that our State must be disgrac
t ed by us. Heaven knows we struggled
st to do our duty, while we knew our broth
ers were falling like leaves of autumn up
+ on the Potomac in defense of the old fla,
that we would thousand times rathe
die for than be disgraced.
Our regiment entered the contest witt
= but Some 200 men all told, the remainde
s. being sick in quarters and hospitals, ant
when the battle was raging fiercest thos
sick men were ordered to the river by a
aid of Gen. Williams, for safety. Thu
a comes the impression that our regimen
b. broke and ran.
|
~ We wish the people of Vermont
know the facts of the case, and we will
h the struggle; but men fighting in tn
q, cause we are, men who have suffere
ut what we have in the fruitless seige {
e. Vicksburg officers and men who for tie
he days after our arrival at Baton Rouge
b, buried our dead at the rate of one, tw
a. and three per day from a company, an
n, in one day buried nine men side by sid
in three from each of companies B, G an
ID H, (when at brigade reviews some CON
Of panies were utterly incapacitated from be
= ing represented, as they had not me
e, enough to care for the sick and dying, an
O. give dead comrade christian burial
ID l say when in that condition they wer
CHI called upon to fight that bloody battle {
~ Baton Rouge, and conducted themselve
ep like men, better than other regiments VII
ly were broken up and forming upon oil
a right and left, suffering as did only tt
in 21st Indiana and 9th Michigan to be
this hour compelled to give up our fla
1t; for the asserted reason that we prove
g. ourselves towards and deserted
ny which God knows we never did, and OF
n State unjustly disgraced-then man mu
it. murs, and believes there is "policy
rt war;"
ed Our regiment in the maleriaus Swan
ce of Vicksburg have sown seeds of disea
he that have and | fear Will prove fatal
in many forced to do fatigue duty until
he was impossible to fill the details from Il
BY regiment, where slave owner would n
lat work his slave, as the atmosphere arisir
lie from the disturbed earth was sure to bre
lie disease; and brought to Baton RouI
lie, and sick and well forced to sleep upon th
ng ground when all the other regiments wei
he quartered in buildings, it is now after ha
he ing as a regiment behaved well in battl
ok disgraced. Curse as, ifthat will save Oh
ne state and friends. If our country can
nd saved am willing to die with my reg
ment, but for Gods sake, VermonteI
re- don't believe US what we are Representa-
NJ as being, a disgrace to our State.
s." SALMON DUTToN,
ed Capt. Go. G, 9TH VT. Infantry.
,a (The following is the portion of the {
rv der referred to, which relates to the Z
lp- Vermont regiment.)
ed Col. Roberts of the 7th Vermont v
nd unteers, fell MORALLY wounded, while rs
g 1