Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-09-18
The 7th Vermont Regiment ia the bat
tie of Baton houge---sis alleged dis
graceful behavior denied.
Camp Williams,
Carrollton, La, Aug. 80, 1852.

Carrollton, La, Aug. 80, 1852.
Mr.. EDIToR Inclosed please find a
copy of " General Order No. g." pub
lished in the Daily Delta of this date, by
order of Maj. Gen. Butler. ...
By this order, verihed by speech
by Gen. Butler at review this afternoon,
Vermont viii learn that her 7th regiment
of Green Mountain Boys have been de-
prived of their colorS for cowardice at the
battle of Baton Rouge, La, Aug, 9Th,
1862, and that we stand before our ma
tive state and the armies of the Union,
disgraced for the asserted reason that in
the heat of battle we deserted the stars and
stripes and like towards fed the field Of
conflict and death. This is the charge
the edict has gone forth, and our brave,
but Heaven knows, tated regiment, to-
morrow marches forth stripped of the old
flag we worshiped, AYE, and for which
hundreds would die,-presented US by
Gen. Washburn, as we stood knee deep
in the SHOWS of our mountain State, only
to regain them, by the enactment of a
drama wherein grim death triumphs in
every scene.
The allegation is untounded and unjust;
the disgrace unmerited and disheartening.
| assert, and upon the assertion stake my
all, that the 7th Vermont regiment con-
Quoted themselves, as regiment, credit
ably, as can and will be proven in a court
OF inquiry. The regiment is disgraced
for no reason in the world but the malice
and envy of those not engaged in the
fight. These statements | make, and in
making them speak the verdict of all the
officers and men of the regiment. BY
reference to the order, you will see that
Col. Roberts is said to have fallen while
rallying his men. That he fell while
giving orders to his regiment is true
having dismounted, his horse becoming
unmanageable, and standing near the
right of company B but achen he fell the
regiment was standing firm as a rock
under most deadly fire, without one
broken file, at the same time loading and
firing very rapidly.
Again it is alleged that the regiment ere.
fused to march to the aid of the outnum-
bered and almost Observation-Disclosures.
The 7th Vermont regiment never refused
to march, and one thing is true-that
every movement executed brought US un
der fire from either artillery or musketry
The regiment was never ordered to sup.
port the 21st Indiana 1t is said we fired
into the same regiment "killing ant
wounding several" The regiment stood
annoyed under fire, without returning the
same until ordered by Gen. Williams t.
load and fire rapidly as possible. Tha
order heard myself from the lips of Gen
Williams not twenty minutes before h
fell MORALLY wounded.
Again, in the order it is said that Johl
Donaghue, 4th Mass. battery, brough
of from the camp of the 7th Vernon
regiment their colors at the time of re
treat" This charge is also wholly un
founded. When we formed line OF bat
tie and moved into position we took onl..
the national flag with us, the state fla
4 being left in Col. Roberts tent. The las
named flag after the action, was by ser
geant Ross of company b, unstrappe
from the tent pole OF Col. Roberts tent
and presented to It, Col Fullam, VIII
sent the same to the hospital. The color
brought by John Donaghue from cam
consisted of small flag formerly used q
marking flag in battalion drill, an
which had been used by Major HolbroO