Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-04-22
aatcbman s. State 3ournal.
sYE.P. WALTON.
MONTPELIER. APRIL %, 1864.
THE FIoHr AT oLUsrEE, FLORIDA.

THE FIGHT AT OLUSTEE, FLORIDA
We find the following account Of the un.
fortunate affair at Olustee, in the report o.
DIR. NJ. NJ. Marsh (ofMontpelier,) to the San
itary Commission. As DR.. NJ. is we'll known
to many Of our readers, they will be interest.
ei in bis statement It shows that Gen. sey.
mour was surprised, and that our forces were
most heroicaly defended by a regiment oil
negroes.
On the 18Th ult the main body Of the army took il,
line Of march frem Jacksonville, aud bvoucked three
miles east Of Baldwin. On the succeeding day, at p
NJ. it reached Bsfbers. The next day, at A. NJ, the
march resumed and the line Of railroad followed to
the point where the wagon road the railroad EAST
II Olnstee; thence following the wagon road leading
nearly in the SANE direction to point where the road
passes between two cyprus swamps aud just after
gng from these swamps, and TO the nofth Of them,
met the fnsmy IN position and awaiting Our march
all ihs day had been narrow path, lined BY almost i'm
peneuable hiekets, parts sandy but oen suampy.
hui the cnrapeiled - march In from 10
two and half feet in depth officers In stocking feet
some carrying Their boots others having thrown them
away.
In passing between the two swamps the artillery was
nearly quite abr of the infantry and in this rea
tion Unexpectedly met the enemy. Capt Hamilton OF
the artillery, that when he hrs the enemy
he not fifty yards from them, and too near
to work bis guns and further states that himself and
EyRRY OFFICER Of his command had been picked on
previous 70 the FIRE from the enemy front The enemy
N logs aud In rife pits with his cannon In position 10
the rear and partly side. Our natural
w. by such unexpected stack thrown into disorder but
soon rauied inspnted BY their daring commander Gen.
seymour. who shared ia the thokest of the fight Prom
the nature Of the ground il impossible hold
position, aud retreat ordered To IL the
ist ~ C. c. T., and the ndomiiahle 6ith Mass (color-
fd,) brought up 10 hold the field while the main
force reufsd-and we'll did they hold IT, until the retreat
secured Then. and not ill ordered. did they leave
the heida field covered with their dead comrades The
54ih the last the hed, and covered all retr.
ing force and itscf in perfect order snc could any
point have been turned and hurled Hpon the foe
As no expectation of action bad existed 90 few
preparations Tor casualties had been made Zach man.
not too severely wounded in the best way he could With
drew ON the field few on army wagons, on
aorses snd mules, and the larger portion foot Bar
nert, sixteen seventeen miles distant To this point
the had previously proceeded from Jacksonville and
a. this point the assistants u the Commission hsd halt
ed, mot being allowed proceed arher) aud prepared
Co receive the wounded need detail the work Of
the Commission here II aid "a duty IL left NO roR-
rios Of i,s duty USDoSE. l will simply state that from
Commission stores we fed the wounded clothed them,
placed them upon beds, improvsed from bed sacks and
hay ana then forwarded six carloads Of them Jack
sonyille. Three loads still remained and this june
ture, Gen Seymour, having ordered what commisssry
stores had there accumulated 70 be burned advised
corps and their noble assistants 20 leave the remaining
wounded aud retreat they would be captured All
solved stay with the wounded and II these were cap
tufed 70 with and minister their Fortunate
ly three returned and the wounded with
remaining stores having been placed upon them the
train followed the reresting army Through eagcrness
TO escape the supposed pursuing enemy too great pres
sure steam was employer anu tle nues cOuapsed-
And here the immortal 54h (ooored) did what ought
insure II higher praise than hold the field in the face
Of victorious foevth ropes 1t seized the engine (now
useess aud dragged with its doomed freight for many
miles, into Jacksonville. They knew their fate cap
,ured their humanity triumphed Does history record
nobler deed
Thus suddenly thrown upon the medical staff sew
eral ndreds of wounded and Amishing men. True,
for want of uAnsPorauon the medicines Of FIVE regi-
msnts left here but there absolutely other
provision and wounded men do not need medicines -
Here, again the stores Of the Commission were thrown
open. and assured by the chief executive medical
ocer Whose statement forward you) that he needed
no supphes medical or other, which he did obtain
from Communication none used which
the Commission did not furnish.
The statement of DR.. Smith. the medical
officer. alluded to by DR.. Marsh, is as follows:
SANITARY COMMISSION IN FLORIDA.