Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-02-15
Tha Vermont Brigade

hhN WAo hAN NV 1NAghS w Az "A@
never was In Vermont. ut will be seen by |
the tenor of the article that the writer |
is no flatterer, although the relation OF |
the truth renders his production
complimentary TO the gallent "Green
Mountain Boys" The editor says it Is
from the pen of Major General in the
army Of the Potomac:
They were honest farmers turned
vagabonds They were simple country
men changed into heroes. They were
quiet townsmen that had become rovers.
They stole ancient horses and bony
COWS on the march. They pillaged mod
erately in other things. They swept
the diaries and they stripped the orch
ards for miles where they travelled.
They chased rabbits when they went
into camp after long marches, and they
yelled like wild Indians when neighbOr-
ing camps were silent through fatigue,
They were ill-disciplined and familiar
with their officers. They staggered in
a cool, impudent way, and looked down
with q patronizing Yankee GOODNESS up
on all regiments that were better drilled
and upon that part OF the army gen
orally that did not belong 30 the Yer
mont Brigade. They vera strangely
proud, not of themselves individually,
but OF the brigade collectively for they
knew perfectly well they we're the best
fighters in the known world. They
were long of limb, and COnld Outmarch
the army. They were individually self
reliant and skillful in the use OF arms,
and they honestly believed that the Yer
| mont Brigade could not be beaten by all
the combined armies OF the rebellion
They were veterans in fighting qual-
| tiles almost from their hrst sKlTmlsh.
| This was at Lees Mills. They crossed
a narrow dam under q fire, made the
attack they were instructed to make,
| ard came back wading deep in the
| water with a steadiness that surprised
| the army. They were an incorrigible,
| irregular noisy set Of TaScal3. They
were much sworn at during their four
years of service yet they were at all
| times a pet brigade. There were but
two things they would dO-march and
| fight and these they did in manner
peculiarly their own. They had long,
| slow, swinging stride on the march
| which distanCed everything that fol-
| lowed them. They had quiet, atten-
| tive, earnest individual way of lighting
that made them terrific in battle. EaCh
man knew that his neighbOr in the ranks
| was not going to run away, and he
| knew also that he himself intended to
remain where he was. Accordingly
| 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
holly engaged they made queer, quaint
Jokes, and enjoyed them greatly. They
crowed like cocks, they ba-a-ed like
sheep, they neighed like horses, they
beloved like bulls they barked like
dogs, and they cOunterteitod with eX-
cellent effect the indescTib3ble music OF
the mule. When, pcrChance, they held
picket line in a forest il seemed az II
Noahs Ark had gone to pieces there.
In every engagement IN which this
brigade took part, it was compliments
for gallant conduct. One OF the mos,
remarkable Of performances, however
has never appeared in print, nor has il
been noticed In the reports. After the
battle o. Gettysburgh, when Lees army
was in the vicinity Of Hager5toWn anc
the Antietam, the Vermont brigade WaH
deployed as a skirmish line, covering 8
point of nearly thIee miles. The enemy
were in force in front near BeaVel
Creek. The 9th corps was held in read.
mess in rear Of the skirmsh line, antiCi
pating general engagement. The enc
my had evidently determined 10 attack
At last his line Of battle came forward
The batteries opened at once and tht
skirmishers delivered their fire. OGI
troops were on the alert and StOOC
watching for the skirmisher5 to come II
and waiting to receive the coming IS
sault But the skirmshers would no
come in, and when the skirmishing dice
away it appeared that the VermOnt1fs
thus deployed az skirmish line had &C
tually repulsed q full line-Of-battle at
tack. Twice afterwards the enemy ad
vanced to carry the position and Were
each time again driven back by this per
verse skirmish line. The VermOnters
it is true were strongly posted in {
wood, and each man fired from behind Z
tree, Bat then everybody knows tina
| the etiquette in such matters is for {
skirmish line to come in SO soon as they
are satisfied that the enemy means bust
ness. These simple minded patriots
from the Green Mountains, however
adopted o rule OF their own on this Oc
casion; and the enemy, diCgusted VIII
such stupidity, retired across the BeaV,1
Greek.
When the Vermonters led column OF
the march, their quick movement has
to he regulated from corps or division
headquarters, to avoid gap3 ia toe col
umu as it followed them. II a rapid 81
forced march were required, is was s
common thing for Sedgwirk to say witt
a quiet smile-'Put the VermOnurs a
the head of the column to-day and keeg
everything well closed up
After the riots in New York, wheu il
was found necessary TO send troops tC
the city TO prevent q recurrence Of tht
| outbreak, the Vermont Brigade was es
pecially named by the War Department
for this duty. Within two hours affel
the receipt of this dispatch the com
mand was ea yOatS for the city. They
occupied the public squares here fol
some time, enjoyed Themselves rot wise.
". nor yes yirtuOusly; aud returned