Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-11-23

time has certainly decided to be, right,
we do not undertake to say. Let each read
er judge for himself.
The resignation of Maj Bartlett, Apr.
25th. 1862, led to the promotion of Capt.
/ Sawyer to the majority. Although this
position was conferred upon him without
his asking for it, and it was obvious
enough that the promotion would not be
made in the regiment in the regular or
der according to rank, we incline to the
opinion that Sawyer committed an error
in accepting it. He was junior captain
of the original ten.-made so by his own
Indifference as to his rank, to be sure
and there was no doubt as to his fitness
But there were seven captains his seniors,
who, with each of their two lieuten-
ants, would regard themselves aggrevied,
and deprived of their just promotion, and
who, however superior Sawyer might be
to them, would not readily acquiesce, nor
was it just they should. The question in
promotions III regiments has now come to
be, not who is the most fit man, but is
the mau whose promotion is in regular Or
de rift. and, if so, though others may be
more fit, he receives his just promotion in
order But in the first years of the war
this Just rule was not observed at all
We were in hurry. We were going to
crush the thing out in very short time.
Besides at that time IL must be reccollect-
ed, none of the officers had shown their
qualities for command IN the field and
although man might be acknowledged
to be an excellent disciplinariau and tao
tician in camp. aud superior to his fell
lows, he should not for this reason al0ne
be promoted orer the others; because it
might and often does transpire that an
officer superior in camp is quite inferior
in the field. And it was quite natural
for these men who were Jumped" aud
who were mostly all officers of merit, to
inquire. what qualities he had shown
that should entitle him to such marked
favor" Especially in a regiment where
the seeds of characterization and the spir-
it Of cabal were early diffuscd, as we
shall have occasion to show they were in
this regiment, would this be very natu
raj ? and it is not to be wondered at
that these sagacious men soon surmised
that Sawyers rapid promotion was pure
ly for political reasons. About this time,
political promotions were the bugbear of
the army. There was much just cause
for complaint in this direction. Many
of the Governors made scandalous
promotions for political reasons alone
and to such high pitch did the feeling
run in many instances that it was only
necessary for malice to point out an IN
known officer, and insinuate that he was
a political promotion of Gov. A. or Gov.
B.. to damn him almost beyond redemp-
ton.
But such had become the state of his
feelings at this time. from the continued
malicious assaults Of his enemies, that we
are inclined to the opinion that he looked
upon his promotion as kind of provi-
Dental act of justice, at least that he en-
joyed, as decided triumph, and accepted
it without that calm and considerate re-
Election as to consequences to himself that
otherwise might have been given to it.
However this may be, circumstances soon
transpired calculated to render the worst
consequences of such acceptance inevita-
BILE.
On the Oath of May. in the famous
Banks retreat, where he was for the first
time under the enemy's fire, be so con-
Quoted as to elicit the commendation of
his commanding officers, and no doubt
saved his regiment from humiliation or
} capture, as will be remembered by those
who read the newspaper accounts of the
! affair. In this affair he received an inju-
ry from which he has not yet fully reeov-
cred, by fall from his horse, crushing his
left foot The physical pain which he
has suffered from this injury though Sc
: we're, is small as compared to the mental
: anguish which it has occasioned him. 1t
happened in the night time, and few ex-
cept the surgeons who attended him, saw
him n ftar tho ;p;,rv a. 1,nnr, Sc ;,o -.