The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-07-14
The Shooting at Burlington.
A SOLDIERS VERSION.

MIR. EDITOR In looking over LII
CALEDoNIAN of July 9TH, l see a notice o.
some trouble at Burlington Hospital, as
follows: A number of riotous soldiers
tried to rescue a soldier from the guards
and were so rough about it that the officer
in charge, Lieut.. Underwood Of the Vet
eran Reserves, fired his revolver killing
one man and wounding another
Now as this account misrepresents
the true case, l feel it a duty to the pub
lie, as we'll as to the friends of the wound
ed men, to correct your version and give
it as | saw it, which was this: The dim
ner being nearly ready, the crowd around
the dining hall door were making some
noise, but nothing to what had been done
hundreds of times before. But Lieut..
Underwood, wanting to show his authori-
ty, ordered the guard to put QUE Of them
dustin Bareau) in the guard house. In
stead of b. going with the guard, he start
ed on a double quick forward of them,
while several EXPLANATIONS were uttered
by the crowd, such as Il wouldn't 90 for
him.; ;" why don't you rum" &c. Up
on this the officer drew his revolver and
fired shot towards Bareau, but hit an
other man in the leg. At this moment a
man page from Rutlaud, stranger to
me) stepped up to Lieut.. Underwood and
asked what that fellow had done that he
should be put in the guard house The
Lieutenant's answer was this: "God
damn you, it is none Of your business; get
out of my way" But said Page,
"you have no right to put him in the
guard house he is not a soldier. he is a
citizen and YOU will get into trouble if
you do it, The Lieutenant, still holding
his pistol in hand, put it within less than
foot of Pages heart and fired Page
did not stasger Or fall, but said, - You
have done well; you had-better try anoth-
er shot" At this time somebody gave
the order to fall in Vermont Brigade"
but before gun could be brought out OF
the barracks, the brave and daring Lieu
tenant who had the courage to fire two
shots on unal'med and defenceless citizens.
sneaked off into the room where his wife
was and curled down by her side like any
other dog who had done what he was
ashamed of.
call these men citizens for we had all
been mustered out of the service, and our
discharges dated a week before that, and
we were only waiting for pay. The boys
brought out their arms and would have
taken Underwood out and given him his
final portion, but the officers promised
them that if they would lay away their
arms and be quiet, the Lieutenant should
be duly arrested and tried; and SO they
let him 90. If any of the friends of shout
der-straps dispute what have here stated,
l can bring fifty witnesses to testify to the
truth of it; and furthermore, if this piece
should meet the eye of the valiant and
courageous Lieutenant, and he should take
exceptions to anything herein stated, he
will find me most of the time at my old
home, and perhaps he may find me better
prepared to meet such dastardly ruflians
than l or my comrades were when we last
saw him.
Neither of the men shot were dead
when left Burlington Saturday morn
ing, although Il ball was lodged within {
few inches Of ones heart.
J. G. PAGE,
: Late member Co. +, lst U. S. S.
The article in last weeks CAL t(
which the above soldier takes exceptions
was substantially as published in one o
the Burlington papers. We had seen III
other account till this letter was received
ED. CAL.