Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-03-05

olers moves the main army on southward.-
He soon meets and disperses part OF the en-
env that had been collecting cattle IN the
country and takes 26 of them prisoners, and
arrives about eight o'clock directly east OF
Castleton village, where he encamPs, logging
himself in the house of George Foot, while
(another specimen of the fatigue OF the sold
iers and of the want of obedience to the orders
OF their commanding general) two regimesis
under Col. Bellows, his own and Coi. nal
colts regiment, encamp for the night tniee Vi
four miles north of st. Clair.
Capt. Wolcott testified at the court mar1ial
Of st. Clair, that he was in front wnen ,ne
main army arrived at Hubbardton. DE lay
down and fell asleep When be awoke, ne
found the party were nearly all gone. ne
asks Capt Smith where they were gone 10 +
Smith replied to Castleton. Wolcott ASKS
Smith if Mey were to march smith an
swers that it was Gen. St. Glars orders, Or
livered ny Gen. Patterson, that they rere ~
march to Castleton. After TINS c. nversauoh
Capt. Woolcott goes into house, WHERE ne
finds Coils, Warner, Francis and Hale VOL
colt enquiries of Warner whether he had de-
termined to march any frrther 2 Warner re-
plies. he did not, that night; although thert
were orders TO n.ar, b to Casleton, he dld mol
Intend to GO on any further, because the men
were much fatiguei. st Clair sends up or
ders two or three times in the evening, ana
once toward morning, for Warner to Lring up
the rear, as he had been instructed to DO, put
all his orders, to that effect, were in VAIN
We have thus briefly considered the clrcum-
stances which placed the rear of the army OF
the prudent and anx GUS St. Clair in such
per!lous condition, danger caused by rank
disobedience to his orders and while we sym
pathise with Warmers tenderness for bis SOL
diers, we cannot avoid doubling whether his
/ previous habits in the New Hampshire Grants
had not implanted a deeper regard for per-
sonal bravery than for strict military obedi-
ence, while the fearful results of bis mistaken
| mercy signally exemplify folly.
Let US turn our attention to his pursuers.
The evacuation of Ticonderoga and Mt. In
| dependence promised to be perfect success,
| really brilliant achievement, until the HI
| timed bonfire of the f. .ench Brgadier General
marred its beauty and destroyed its success.
The indefatigable British General Fraser, as
soon as the Forts were fairly taken possession
| of, without waiting for orders from Burgoyne,
takes $50 of his best troops, and, followed by
| Baron Reldsel with three battallions OF the
more sluggish Germans, commences the pur-
! suit OF the American army, while Bulgoyne
! garristn rs the Forts, and eagerly follows Col.
/ Long and his party. But Notwithstanding the
/ promptness of the pursuit, the health, disci-
pline and spirit of his troops, Fraser found
! the fficultes of the march so great, that ne
| could not overtake the Americans, during al
whole day. although he picked up several
stragglsrs from their army, who informed him
that the rear guard was composed of picked
men, under Col. Francis whom the Ameri-
cans regarded as one of their best officers, and
also that the rear was detached some miles
distant from the main army; but after travel
ling, according to their own report, very ex
peditiously from four o'clock until one, he halts
his army about four miles nofh-westerly o.
"Lacey's Camp" and there waits until Baron
| Reidsel comes up. Together they plan ano
arrange an attack on the American rear in the
morning, and towards night Fraser goes for
ward about three miles, and, selecting an ad
vantageous situation, his men sleep that night
on their arms.
Thus briefly have been presented some o
the noticeable peculiarties and features o
RutlandCounty at tie time of which we treat
with its invasion. Perhaps at some future
time there may be presented to the soci ty
such gleanings as have been gathered con-
corning the next days battle-an event which
hitherto has received less attention from tn,
historian, than the chronclers of our day be
stow upon the details of Lilhputian wed
ding, the genealogy of spawned horse, o
the all. un- utterable glories of "Cornwal
finished" sheep.