Smyrna times., 1866-03-07
The Vermont Brigade,

The following sketch Of the Vermont Bri-
gade is one of the liveliest and most condensed
pieces Of military sketch-writing that we have
! ever read 1t is from pen of a Major Gene
raj Of the Army of the Potomac:
They were honest farmers turned vagabondS.
They were simple countrymcn changed into
heroes They were quiet townSmen that had
become roverS. They stole ancient horses
moderately in other things. They swept the
dairies and they stripped 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 neigh
boring camps were silent through fatigue
They We're ill-diSciplincd and familiar with their
officers. They staggered in a cool, impudcnt
way, and looked down with a patrOnizng Yam
kec GOODNESS upon all regiments that were bet
ter drilled, and upon that part of the army gen.
orally that did not belong to the Vermont Bri.
gade. They were strangely proud not Ofthem-
selves Individually, but Of the brigade collec-
lively; for they knew very we'll they were the
best fighters in the known world They we're
long Of limb, and could outmarch the armv.-
They were Individually Selfreliant and skillful
in the use Of arms and they honestly believed
that the Vermont Brigade could not be beaten
by all the combined armies Of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting qualities al
most from their first skirmish. This was at
Lees Mills. They crossed narrow dam under
lire, made the attack they were instructed to
make, and came back wading deep in the wa
ter with steadiness that surprised the army.
They were as incOrrigible, irregular, noisy set
OF rascals. They were much sworn at during
their four years of service yet they were at ali
times pet brigade. There were two things
they would dO-march and fight; and these
they dld In manner peculiarly their own
They had long, slow, swinging stride on the
march, which distanced everything that follow
ed them. They had quiet, attentive. earn
est, individual way of fighting 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 ntcn-
ded 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 iutO ac-
ton, and while hOtly engaged, they made queer,
quaint jokes, and enjoyed them greatly. They
crowed like cocks, they ba-a-ed like sheep,
they neighcd like horses, they beloved like
bulls, they barked like dogs, and they counter
feited with excellent effect the indescribabe
music of the mule. When, perchance, they
held picket line in a forest, it seemed as if
Noah's Ark had gone to pieces there.
III cNcIy cuBdSCNlCuJ Ill WHICH In1S Drlgaue
took part, it was complimented for gallant con-
duct One of the most remarkable of its per-
fOrmances, however, has never appeared in
print nor has it been noticed in the reports
After the battle of Gettysburg, when Ice ar
my was in the vicinity of HagcrstOwn and the
Antietam, the Vermont Brigade was dcployed
as 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 general engagement. The
enemy had evidently determined to attack
At last his line Of battle came forward. The
batteries opened at once, aud the skirmishers
delivered their fire. Our troops were on the
alert, and stood watching for the skirmishers
to come in and waiting to receive the coming
assault But the sklrmishers would not come
in, and when the firing died away it appeared
that the Vermonters thus deployed as u skir-
mish line had actually repulsed full line of.
battle attack Twice afterward the enemy ad-
yanced to carry the position, and were each
time again driven back by this perverse skir-
mish-line. The Vermonters, it is true, were
strongly posted in wood, and each man fred
from a tree, But then everybody knows that
the etiquette in such matters is for skirmsh
line to come in as soon as they are satisfied
that the enemy means business. These SIM
pIe.minded patriots from the Green Mountains,
however, adopted rule Of their own on this