The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-02-14
TIE VERMONT BRIGADE.

TIE VERMONT BRIGADE.
The following description of this noted
brigade appears in the New York Citizen
OF last Saturday, written by "onc who
did not belong TO it, AMI who never was
in Vermont" 1t will he seen by the
tenor of the article that the writer is no
f1at'erer, although the relation of the
truth constitutes his production cornpi-
mentary to the gallant "Green Mountain
Boys The editor says it Is from the
pen of a Major General in the Army of
the Potomac:
''Thcy were honest farmers turned
vagabonls. They we've simple country
men changed into heroes. They were
quiet townsmen that had become rovers.
They stole ancient ho SEES and bony cows
on the march. They pillaeed moderately
in other things. They swept the diaries
and they stripped the orchards for miles
where they Travelled. They chased rab-
bits when they went into camp after LONG
marches, and they yelled like wild Indians
when nelghboring camps were silent
through fatigue. They were iIl-disciplined
and familiar with their officers. They
staggered in cool, impudent way. and
looked down with a patronizng GOODNESS
upon all regiments that were better drill
ed, and upon that part Of the army gener-
ally that did not belong to the Vermont
Brigade. They were strangely proud,
not of themselves individually, but Of the
brigade collectively; for they knew pei
fecty well they were the best fighters IN
the known world. They were long Of
limb, and could outmarch the army.
They were individually self-relant and
skillful in the use of arms, and they hon-
estly believed the Vermont Brigade could
not be beaten by the combined armies
of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting qualities
almost from their first skirmish. This
was at Lees Mills They crossed mar
row dam under fire, made the attack they
were instructed 10 make, and came back
wading deep in the water with <teadi-
ness that surprised the army. They were
an incorrigibIe, irregular, noisy set of ras-
Gals. They were mach sworn at during
their four years OF sc rvce yet they were
atall times pet brig ade. There were but
two things they could do-march and
fight; and these they did in manner pc
cnllarly their own. They had long,
slow, swinging stride on the march which
distanced everything that followed them
They had quiet, attentive, earnest in
dividual way Of fighting that made them
terrific in battle. Each man knew that
his neighbor in tie ranks was not going
run away, and he knew also that he in
tended to remain where he was. Ac-
cordngly none OF the attention of The line
was directed from the important duty of
loading and firing rapidly and carefully
When moving into action and while hotly
engaged they made queer, quaint jokes,
and enjoyed themselves greatly. They
crowed like cocks, they ba-a-ed like sheep,
they ncished like horses, they beloved
like bulls, they parked like dogs, and they
countcrieited with excellent effect the in
perchance, they held a picket line i'll Il
forest it seemed as ii Noah's Ark had gone
to pieces there.
In every engagement in which this
brigade tool. part, it WAS compllmentcd
for gallant conduct One Of the most re-
markabe of its performances, however,
has never appeared in print nor has it
been noticed in reports. After the battle
Of Gettysburg, when Ices army was in
the vicinity of Hagerslown and the An
tietam, the Vermont Brigade was dcploy-
cd as skirmishing line, covering point
of nearly three miles. The enemy were
in force near Beaver Creek. The Sixth
Corps was held in readiness in rear of the
skirmish-lne, anticipating a general en-
gagement. The cncmy evidently deter
mined Ia attack. A. last ms line Of
battle came forward The batteries
opened at once and the skirmishers deliv-
cred their fire. Our troops were on the
alert and stood watching for the skirmish-
ers to come in and waiting to receive the
coming assault, But the skirmishers
would not come IN, and when the firing
died away it appeared that the Vermont
ers thus dcpoyed as skirmish-line had
actually repulsed "a full line of battle at
tack. Twice afterwards the enemy
advanced to carry the position and were
each time again driven back by this per-
verse sklrmiSh line. Tho Vermonters, it
is true, were strongly posted in a wood,
and each man fired from behind tree.
But then everybody knows that the Ell
quette in such matters is for a skirnhsA
line to come in so soon as they are salts
fled that the enemy means business
These supplemented patriots from the
Green Mountains, however, adopted
rule of their own on this occasion and
the enemy, disguised with such stupidity
retired across Beaver Greek,
When the Vermonters led the column