The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-11-06

1ul cltlZen 10 tue Tuppeu Solulcr Wy ail III
huence within, more irresistible than
the appeals of oratory, or the magnetism
of genius.
Feeble would be my lips to describe
the warlike attitude Of our own gallant
State, perchcd high upon these green hills
above the foul atmosphere of treason, in
response to the call TO arms. Not more
quckl did Clan Alpine's warriors an
swcr Through copsc AMI heath the shrill
whistle of Roderick Dhu, than dId these
Lold mountains bristle with thinking bay
onets. The men who answered this call
were not mercenarics, men of low degree,
but likcncd most perhaps, after the heroes
of the Revolution, 10 the IronSides of
Cromwell men Of "grave character,
moral, dllgent, accustomed to reflect and
Jealous for public liberty, induced to take
up arms. not by the pressure of want,
not by the love of novelty and license,
hot by the arts Of recruiting officers" but
by the highest sense of political duty, the
preservation of the Republic; recognizing
as binding upon them the obligations of
/ 'iIc lOuiIutIS vi lle HdllOli' mncii tHcf
pledged their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor, for the independence
Of the colonies not unmindful perhaps
that the glory o: preserving is equal to
that of founding an empire. Thirty
thousand and more of such men left the
fields, the shops, the desks of Vermont
to swell the ranks of our armies. Thirty
thousand and more ofsuch men, my com
rade>, has it lie n your Ia Jnor with that
Of others, whom the grave separates from
this happy re union, to lead against the
hosts of treason
Are the familiar words of the poet true,
| that
''NIen. high minded men,
Men who their duties know
But know their rights, and knowing dar,
maintain"
constitute n state! Then what state i:
ours. Would you, men Of Vermont
know the record Of this gallant band, til
Green Mountain army Then read the
history OF the Rebellion. Follow these
worthy sons of noble State from youl
quiet iire,dcs to the fields Of their achieve
mems, to well nigh all the CORY fields o
the Rebellion
Hear them first at Bethel uttcrine
deep curses upon tho incompctency tha
restrained them from performing ihcii
mission OF chasliscmcnt upon the rebe
horde. See them on the plains of Man
assas unconscious of defeat, reluctant,
following our retreating columns bctor
n virtually beaten foe. Again behol,
them wahing the turbd stream Of War
wick. with gun and cartridge box hel,
high above its waters, pressing throug
a leaden hail, against a sheltered enem
vastly superior in numbers, driving hin
from hs slronghol,ls and holding then
against furious assaults until ordere,
back after half their brave hearts ha,
ceased TO beat.
Follow them through from the Chic
ahominy to the James, siemming the It'd
of disaster, burning with shame at thos
nightly cvolutions that abandoned tn
fields OF daily victory TO defeated foe.
SO on through, wherever rebcllio
showed its ''upreared and abutlin
fronts" there stood Vermont at Anlit
tam turning back the march of rebellion
Norlhwar'l; at Fredericksburg stormin
, Marie's Heights, and planting her stand
ards upon those memorable hills; agai
on that ouistret;hcd battle field from tn
: Rapidan TO the Appomattoy, runnn
through from May TO April, every da
garnerng up laurcls that would hev
| adorned the chaplctS of Roman Emperor
5 in their triumphant returns from til
, conquest of Empires; in the valley {
: Shenandoah snaiching victory from dc
feat; at Port Hudson AMI elsewhere o
the banks Of the Mississippi; up the Re
rivcr at the deienses Of Mobile-every
; where indeed throughout the vast aren
, of conflict, making up record whic
the most brilliant achievements of wa
, never cclipsed.
: And here | may he allowed to pause
I and dwell for one moment upon two day
in particular, which Vermont and tl
nation will ever hold in grateful remem
brance; not that they are exceptional bu
types OF many days that added SO largel
to the fame of the Green Mountain State
. and, at the same time, serving to illui
: trale 10th the unparalleled soldierl
qualities which her sons can acquire b
, experience an1 their native, untraine
/; valor IN the midst of great emergencies
, one the 81 of July 1868, the other l9t
Of October, 1854. My blood thrills 4
| the thought of the glory which the sons
t Vermont won upon those memorials
f days.
Ii will be rem INBRED that after III
9 disastrous battles of Fredericksburgh an
Charlottesville, the rebels induced II
n doibt by the gloom that had oversprea
n the country, undertook their last GRE;
e invasion Of the North. 1t was hop, f
$ day for the heresy Of secesson. Iraito
Y in the North, in ecstacy over nationi
D misf,rtunes, had begun to assume a
open defiance of law. The term
f service of many. troops had expired, L
r was about to expire. The opportnr
= moment seemed TO have arrived for Il
n rebels to carry "the bloody course
n war"to Northern hearthstone, and by OF
h Overwhelming blow destroy forever Il
h vestiges of American freedom.