The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-11-29
OBITUARY.
WALiINoFoRD, VT, !
Nov. Is. 1865. {

Editor Register Tho citizens Of Mid
dlebury were formerly well acquainted
with Lieut.. Edward b. Parker, late of
Co. u, lst Artillery 18th Vt. Vols, and
son of Eli b. Parker of your village
"His terrible end has been alluded to in
the public prints, hut discredit has been
thrown upon the tale, and it has been in
measure huslled up and forgotten. /
propose TO give short account of his mil
itafy career and character, and to mar
rate the incidents of his imprisonment and
death ms given me by an eyewitness of
the horrible affair. Vermont should re-
member it.
"rherc Is little need of mentioning his
manly bearing, his attention to his bust
ness, and his upright, straightforward
dcmeanor in all his relations with Others,
while a resident of Middlebury. trust
that many there still remember him, and
delight to honor him as one who ''deserv-
ed WELL of his county and nobly fell in
its behalf
'Licut. Parker enlisted in the Company
above mentioned about the first OF Aug,
1862. On the Of ganization of the COM
pnny, he was apo intcd among the Ser
gcants, partly on a, count of his recognized
capacity, and partly because he had pre-
viously seen service with the lst VT, ut
Newport News. W hen the regiment as
sembed he was detailed as Color Sergeant,
the selection being do ubtless made on ac-
count of his splendid physique and noble
carriage, as he stood much over six feet
in height, had a proportional, sym
metrical frame, was Ell 'ect and prompt and
looked every inch the soldier. His intcg-
rity of principle and uniform attention TO
duty, soon wore for him his Leutenancy,
and the more his clara ter became known
through the regiment, the better it was
appreciated unit! at the last he was uni
versally respected and beloved.
''ln skirmish near the Weldon Road,
4 miles south of Petersburg, June %,
1864, 1t. Parker was captured by the
enemy. He was serving at the time in
Co. "A' by assignment. After struggle
Of many hours in which the bravery of
Ut. Parker was especially marked, (he
has often been mentioned as conspicuous
on that occasion among many who pre-
vio,isly and subsequently earned great
dist iDction, tho whole command engaged,
com prising the 4th VT, and five comp,,n-
les Of the lth VT. was surrendered to
an entire Brigade of Mahones Division
-Fh,ncgan's Florida Brigade, if my
memo ry serves me.
Fro N this joint the narrative is in the
words Of Lieut.. (since major) Henry Il.
Chase Uf the same regiment, whose truth
fulness and accuracy | am ready to vouch
ave were taken that night to Peters.
burg city, after being robbed of what out
er clothing the rebs. desired and after two
days, to Libby Prison when we were strip
ped of all our clothing for examination,
and what money could be found was tax
en- by Dick Turner. We were soon
moved through Lynchburg, Danville, on
to Macon, Ga, when sixteen or seventeen
hundred of us were placed in pen COM
prising about l "a acres, July %, we
reached Savannah, and Sept. ID, Char
lesion, S. c., when we were put in the
jaiI-yard. This yard connects two large
prisons by wall some twenty feet high,
and contains from IL to 3-4 of an acre.
This was the worst spot of all, for we
were among the rebel criminals of every
sex and description, such as murderers,
thieves, and women of easy virtue, &c.
On the 25th of Sept. we were allowed
the benefit of building called Roper
Hospital, on taking a parole.
"About the LIST Of Oct. we were started
for Columbia, s. c., and 1t, Parker and
myself resolved to make our escape if pos
sible; so we collected what provisions we
could, expecting to abide fortune after
that was gone. We canned some onions
and red pepper to foil the dogs that night
fthcy should get on our track.
"Thus prepared we jumped off the cars
about two miles above Branchvile. A
fellow prisoner dropped our provisions
at the opposite door. Five shots were
fired upon us, but without effect, and we
started to make our lines in east Tcnncs-
see. In the daytime we lay in the woods
or thickets, for all, from the boy of twelve
to the grey-taired man, were soldiers and
on the watch.
"About two o'clock on the morning of
9th, travelling on the railroad, we came
to bridge that crossed the Congarec.
Concluding that the bridge was so far
from either army that it would no: be
guarded, we attempted to cross, were
challenged, and asked il we had papers
On giving an affirmative answer the guard
directed us to little camp fire at the end
of the bridge for examination. We took
advantage Of the sleepincss of the sentinel
there, and made for the woods. Several
shots were fired at us without effect, The |
guards got all dogs hear by, and tried TO
catch us that night, but they would not
follow our track, or could not in the night.
SAT a safe distance from the bridge,
took my shoes off and rubbed them and
the soles of my socks with the onion. LIT.