The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-02-16
best fighters in the known world

and they honestly believed that the Yer
mont brigade could not he beaten by all
the combined armies of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting quail
lties almost from their first skirmiSh. This
was at Lees Mills. They crossed n mar
row dam under a fire, made the attack
they were instructed TO make. and came
back wading deep in the wafer with a
steadinesS that surprised the army They
were an incorrigible, irregular. noisy set
of rsisclls. They Were much sworn at
during their four years of service: Yet
they were ;,t all times pet brigade
There were but two things they could DO
march and fight: and this they did in
a manner peculiarly their OWL They
had n long. slow, swinging stride on The
march which distanced everything that
followed them They had a quiet, ear
nest. attentive, individual WAY of fighting
that made them terrible IN battle Each
man knew that his neighbor in the ranks
was not going 10 run away, and he also
knew that he himself intended 10 remain
where he was. Accordingly none of the
attention of The line WAS directed from the
important duty of loading and firing. rap
.dly and carefully. When moving into
action and while holly engaged they made
queer, quaint Jokes. and enjoyed them
greatly. They crowed like cocks. they
l:l-;l-ed like sheep, they neighel like horses,
the bcllowed like bulls, they hlrked like
dogs. AMI they counterft;ted with excellent
effect the indescribable music of the mule
When, perchance. they held a picket line
in forest it seemed as if Noah's ark had
gone TO pieces there
In every engagement in which this bri-
gade took part, ii WAS eomplimemfed for
gallant conduct. One of the most remark
able of lis performances, however, has new
er appeared in print. nor has If been no
ticed in the reports. After lhe battle ot
Gettysburg, when Lees army WAS in the
vicinity of Hagerstown and the Antietam,
the Vermont brigade was deployed as a
skirmiShing line, covering point OF near-
ly three miles. The enemy Were in force
in front near Beaver creek. The sixth
corps was held in readiness in rear of the
skirmish line. anticipating a general en-
gasement. The enemy had evidently de
terminei 10 attack AT last his line of
battle came forward. The batteries open
ed AT once and the skirmiShers delivered
their fire. Our troops Were on The alert
and stood watching for the skirni>herS TO
come In and waiting 10 receive the COM
ins assault But the Shirmishers would
not come In. and when the firing died
away it appeared that the NeI1nonters
thus deployed as a >kirmi>h line had ac-
tually reiul>ed a full line-of-battle attack
Twice afterwards the enemy advanced 10
carry the position and were each time
again driven back by this Peryerse >klr-
mish line. The Nermoniere il Is true were
strongly posted In Il wood. and each man
ii,,d from behind a tree. Bui then every
body knows that the etiquette in such
matters i for Il skirmish line 10 come IN
IL soon as they are satisfied that the enc
MY means business These supplemented
patriots from the Green Mountains. how
ever. adopted a rule OF their OWE on this
occasion: and the enemy. ,ii~guSled with
, such stupidity, retired across the Beaver
creek.
When the Nermonters led n column on
4 march, their quick movements had 10 be
regulated from corps or division hea,lIuar-
ters. 10 avoid gaps in the column a. it
followed them Ii rapid or forced
march Were required, it WAS a common
thing for Se,lgwich 10 >ay with 4 quiet
>mile-'Pm the Eermonter> AT the head
of the column to-day and keep everything
well closed up
After the riots in New York, when ii
!. WAS found Necessary Ia send troops to the
.citv and prevent Il recurrence of the CHI
!, break the Vermont brigade WAS specially
named bv the war department ior this
duty Within two hours after the recelp.
OF the dispatch, The command WIS e. roate
for the city They occupied the public
squares here for some time. enjoyed them
selves noi wisely. nor Vet yirtuou>l ": and
returned TO the army pf the Potomac sad
iv de!noraiizol in all but the two great e>-
. scnlili lu,rIitieS OF fighting and marching
Ii WAS u fortunate thing for the New
York mob that ii avci led a conflict with
the New En-lanl troops III that time
Upon the return of the brigade 10 The
field they quietly held on 10 their old rou-
tine oil lite and maintained 10 the close OF
the war the splendid reputation they had
won at the very outset
! There We're many regiments equal 10
the Vermont regiments III actual battle,
and some that. like the 9TH New York,
not only equaled them in fighting quail
ties. but greatly surpassed them in drill,
discipline and appearance on parade As
a brigade, however, they were undeubted-
" the best brigade in the army OF the Po-
tomac. for they not only fought ;ls well is
il was possible TO fight, but they could
outmarch with the utmost ease any other
organization in the army.
Ii was the intention of the writer only
, TO refer to this brigade rs furnishing the
best type of the American soldier, but
this article has grown beyond lis intended
limit. and we have therefore not the space
10 examine into the causes OF this superb
oriiy. Two. however, may be briefly
stated First, that the regiments from
Vermont were brisaded together This
] rule, strange to say, seemed to work well