The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-03-15
The Vermont Brigade By one who did not
Belong to it.
From the New York Citizen.l

The Vermont Brigade By one who did no
Belong to it.
from the New York Citizen.l
They were honest farmers turned vaga
bonds. They were simple countryme'
changed into heroes. They were quie
townsmen that had become rovers. They
stole ancient horses and bony COWS on the
march.
They piIIaged moderately in other things
They swept the diaries and they stripped
i the orchards for miles where they Travelled
They chased rabbits when they went into
camp after long marches, and they yelled
like wild Indians, when other camps were
silent through fatigue They were ill-dis
ciplined and familiar with their officers
They staggered in a cool impudent way
and looked down with patronizing, Yankee
GOODNESS upon all regiments that were bet
ter drilled, and upon that part of the army
generally that did not belong to the Yer
mont Brigade.
They were strangely proud, not of them
selves individually, but Of the brigade col
IectiveIy, for they knew perfectly well they
were the best fighters in the whole known
world.
They were long Of limbs and could out
march the army. They were individually
self reliant and skilfull in the use of arms
and they honestly believed that the Yer
mont Brigade could not be betaen by all
the combined armies of the great REBEL
ion.
They we're veterans in fighting qualities
almost from the first skirmIsh This was
at Lee Mills They crossed a narrow DAN
under fire made the atteck they were Ill
structed to make. and came back wading
deep in the water with steadiness that
surprised the army. They were an incor-
| rigible, irregular noisy set of rascals. They
were much sworn at during their four years
of service yet they were, at all times. a pet
| bri gade There were but two things they
would do--marcn and fght and these they
/ did in manner peculiarly their own They
fh.M ~ q. 81 ., e n q .,striGe Qd1< t9e
march, which dista,ced 2serv thing that
followed them They has sqaiets attentiye
earnest individual way Of lighting that
made them terrific in 1bsttle. Each man
knew that his neghbet - 'ahe| ranks <ewas
not going to rim away AID 10 Knew an :.
that he himself intended to remain where he
was.
Accordingly none of the attention of the
line was directed from the Important duties
of loading and firing, rapidly and carefully
While moving into action and while holly
engaged they made queer, quaint jokes, and
enjoyed themselves greatly. They crowed
like cocks, they ba a-d like sheep, heSnelgh-
ed like horses they beloved like bulls they
barked like dogs, and they counterfeited
with excellent effect the indescribable mu
sic of the mule When, perchance they held
a picket line in the forest and it seemed as
if Noah ark had gone to pieces there.
In every engagement i'll which tins bri-
gade took part, it was complimented for
gallant conduct One of the most remark
able of its performances, however, has never
appeared in print, nor has it been noticed, In
the reports. After the battle of Gettysburg
when Lee army was in the vicinity OF Ha-
gerstown and the Antietam, the Vermont
brigade was deployed as a skirmishing line,
covering point of nearly three miles. The
enemy were in force in front, near Beaver
Greek.
| The 9th Corps were held in readiness in
rear of the skirmish line anticipating gen
eral engagement. The enemy had evident
| ly determined to attack. At last his line of
l.
at once, and the skirmishers delivered their
fire
Our troops were Oil the alert, and stood
watching for the skirmishers to come in, and
waiting to receive the coming assault
But the skirmishers would not come in, anc
when the firing died away it appeared that
the Vermonters thus deployed as skirmist
line had actually repulsed a full line-of- bat
tie attack.-Twice afterwards the enelny
advanced to carry the position, and were
each time again driven back by this per
verse skirmsh line. The Vermonters, it il
true, were strongly posted in wood, anC
each man fired from behind a tree Blu
then every body knows that the etiquette
in such matters is for skirmish line t.
come ia so soon as they are satisfied tn
enemy means business. These simple mind
ed patriots from the Green Mountains how
ever, adopted a rule of their own on thi
occasion and the enemy disguised wit
such stupidity, retired across the Beave
Greek.
! When the Vermonters led the column O
a march their quick movements had to b
regulated from corps or division headqual
tiers, to avoid gaps in the column as it 70
. | hO"OO biAOiAA- II d idtiu VI lOtNCO ibdiN
a were required it was common thing fc
Sedgwick to say, with quite smile: ''Pr
! the Vernonters at the head of the colnm
! td-day, and keep everything well close
!, up"
. |
u TRAINING CATTLE TO JUMp.-A wester
; farmer says he makes it rule tt whel
}, ever cattle are made to pass fen.e, whetl
u er through bars or ''sIipgap," to leave OF
y rail for them to pass under. This Civ,
them downward tendency. and lesser
e their inclination to jump or look upward
10 as they are sure to do when lazy atten'
ant throws down part of the rails, al
8 makes them vault the rest. Cattle may
learned to go over any fence, by the car
y full training they often get for this end, al
= !, performed as follows: First starve them,
u give them poor feed, which will make the
81 light and restless. As soon as they go ov
y the lowest part of the fence after better pr
vender, make them jump back again, al
y put on one more rail, saying, 81 guess tn
. will keep 'em out" Next day, Gas of cour
W they will be in mischief again. repeat Il