Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-12-14

SHENANDOAH. Winchester. Va, June ~, 1864.
; Special Order, No. 50.
III.-The commanding general directs Majors
Sawyer and Collins, LIST Vt. Cavalry. now at
home, on sick leave, to report to his Excellency,
Governor Holbrook of Vermont, as recruiting
officers for the LIST Vt; Cavalry
BY command of Maj. Gen N. P. Banks.
[signed] Il. Norris COPELAND,
Asst. Adjt. General.
roflicial1
J. A. JupsoS, Asst Adjt. Gen. Cavalry.
On the back of which was the follow.
ing endorsement
"Received by mail from Brattleboro, July I'd.
1862, ii o'clock p. NJ. Enclosed from Ma OrCol
Inns. E. B.SAwYER, Maj LIST. Vt. Cav"
Under this order, Maj Sawyer, then
walking only by the aid of crutches, i'm.
mediately reported to Gov. Holbrook.
How he discharged his duty under that
order, We will leave for the Governor to
tell in his own way.-Suf1ice it here to
say that he continued to labor in the work
of raising, organizing and drilling men
until he was ordered to his regiment
about the last days of September. Mean
time the regiment had passed through
the Pope campaign--the Colonel and 1t.
Col. had resigned, as well as many other
officers The campaign had been very un-
fortunate, and from various causes the
regiment had become very unpopular and
was upon the point of dissolution.
Governor Holbrook, upon the resigna.
ton of ,rompkins, made up his mind not
to go out of the regiment again to appoint
colonel. Two experiments in that way
had proved very unfortunate. He ap-
pointed Sawyer colonel, and he immediate
ly joined mis- regiment, taking two humid
dred men for the old companies and hav.
ing new squadron of two hundred more
nearly ready to join them. replenished the
thinned ranks and gave the regiment
more hopeful look. In five weeks time
there was perfect metamorphoscs in the
regiment. Large numbers of promotions
were made to FIJI the vacant offices. and
every one seemed to wonder how such
favorable change had been brought about
in so short time.
On or about the 4th of November Saw.
received by mail from Washington, the
following order:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Adjutant Generals Office,
Washington. Oct. ~, 1862.
Special order, No. 3li. "Extract."
y,-Cooncl E. b. Sawyer, LIST Vt. Cavalry,
is hereby mustered out of the service of the Uni.
ted States from Sept. 10th, 1882, his date of pre-
sent commission. for inefdciency and neglect Of
the welfare of his regiment whilst major there
BY order of the Secretary of War.
tsigned,l l.. THOMAS,
Adjt' General.
[sficial.l n
e. II. HrGLEY, Adjt.
Filled with establishment and indigna-
ton, with copy of this order in his
hand, he repaired to the office of the Sec.
of War, and after many delays, obtained
an interview with Mr.. Stanton, through
the friendly intercession of the principal
clerk--the upshot of which was that Mr..
Stanton told him if he would bring a
statement from the Governor of Vermont,
substantisting his version of the case, he
would restore him Immediately to the
service. He was also given copy of the
following pretended charges relating to
the case: ttg
E. B. SAwYsR, LIST Vt. Cavalry. ~
In regard to his muster out of service, g. o.
3l4l thinks injustice has been done him and sub
Inits papers bearing upon his case. Enclosure
from the Secretary OF War, calling for report
HpH h'r War Department, .lJas !
Adjutant Gems. Office, November 4th. 1862. [
Respectfully submitted to the Secretary Of War
This case, with that of the lst Vt. Cavalry
came up by letter from Brigadier General Meigs
Quartermsstel General, September nth. In thi,
the abuses in regiment are reported, and the two
majors, including sawyer are reported az in Vt
and the regiment without field olicer---the 1t
Colonel being absent keeping bar, selling liquo
the Colonel recently resigned. Gen. Mei1
says that 1.-THE abuses in the promotion of officer
Is destroying the regiment"
September zOth.--t ase referred to Mai Gen
Banks, commanding, for investigation and re
port. tH ei'A
September 22d.---General Banks encloses spe
cial report OF Lieut. Alexander, 30 y. s. Caval
ry,--extracts as follows A elH
"No record Of Major Sawyer being on leave
rumor hat he has been appointed ColoneI-h
has served very little with the regiment has rel
utation Of beng entirely ignorant OF military al
fairs--was slightly injured in May by fall from
his horse--obtaned 30 days leave in conseq uenc
and June 30th was ordered to report to Cover
nor Holbiook, on recruiting service notbin,
known in regiment for the authority for prolonc
ed absence. The regiment ii IN groat need of III
efficient Colonel-it would not be benefited b.
lbeing placed under ts former Major (Sawyer. :
September 2I.--Major Austine,, supt. Of VI