Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-11-01

the glory OF preserving Is equal TO that
| of fouding an empire. Thirty thousand
and more OF such men left the 0eds, the
shops, the desks of Vermont to swell the
ranks OF our armies. Thirty thousand
and more of such men, my comrades,
has II been your honor with that OF 9TH
ers, whom the grave separates nom
this happy reunion, to lead against
the hosts OF treason.
Are the familiar words of the poet
true, that
"Men, high minded men,
Men who their duties know
But know their rights, and knowing dare
maintain"
constitute a state; Then what a state is
ours. Would you, men OF Vermont,
kaow the record of this gallant band,
this Green Mountain army2 Then read
the history of the Rebellion. Follow
these worthy sons of noble State from
your quiet firesides to the fields OF their
achievements, to well nigh all the CORY
fields of the Rebellion.
Hear them first at Bethel uttering
| deep curses upon the incompetency that
restrained them from performing their
mission of chastisement upon the rebel
horde. See them on the plains of Manas-
sas, unconscious OF defeat, reluctantly
following our retreating columns before
virtually beaten foe. Again behold
them wading the turbid stream of War
wick, with gun and cartridge box held
high above its waters, pressing through
| leaden hail. against a sheltered enemy
vastly superior in numbers, driving him
from his strongholds and holding them
against furious assaults until ordered
back half after their brave heart had
ceased TO beat.
Follow them through from the Chick
ahominy to the James, stemming the tide
| of disaster, burning with shame at those
nightly evolutions that abandoned the
fields of daily victory to a defeated foe.
So on through, wherever rebellion
showed its "upreared and abut.ing
fronts" there stood Vermont at Ante
tam turning back the march of rebellion
Northward at FrederCksburgh storm
ing Marie's Heights, and planting her
standards upon those memorable hills
again on that outstretched battlefield
from the Rapidan to the Appomattox,
running through from May to April,
every day garnering up laurels that
would have adorned the Chaplets Of Ro-
man Emperors in their triumphant re-
turns fIom the conquest of Empires; in
the valley of the Shenandoah snatching
victory from defeat +; at Port Hudson
| and elsewhere on the banks of the Mis-
sissippi; up the Red river; at the defenses
of Mobie-everywhere indeed through
| out the vast arena of conflict, making up
arecord which the most brilliant achieve
ments of war never eclipsed.
And here | may be allowed to pause,
and dwell for one moment upon two
DAYS in particular, which Vermont and
the nation will ever hold in grateful re-
membrance; not that they are eXGep.
tional but types of many days that al
ded SO largely to the fame of the Greer
Mountain State and, at the same tine
serving to illustrate both the unparSl
leled soldierly qualities which her sons
can acquire by experience; and their na
tive, unframed valor in the midst 0
great emergencies one the Sd of July
1868, the other the 10th of October, 1854
My blood thrills at the thought of tn
glory which the sons of Vermont wol
upon those memorable days.
1t will be remembered that after tn
disastrous battles of Fredericksburg
and Charlottesville, the rebels induces
no doubt by the gloom that had over
spread the country, undertook their las
great invasion of the North. 1t was
hopeful day for the heresy of secession
Traitors in the North, in ecstacy over na
tional misfortunes, had begun to assum
an open defiance Of law. The term {
service of many troops had expired,
, was about to expire. The opportun
i moment seemed to have arrived for tn
: rebels to carry "the bloody course
y war" to Northern hearthstones, and /
. one overwhelming blow destroy forevt
- the vestiges Of American freedom.
The passage of the Potomac is SOC
forced and the centre Of war
a transferred from Fredercksburgh to Ge
- tysburgh. For the first time the Pot
n mac army is to meet its old foe upon Il
n free soil of the North. Upon the bait
to ensue are to be staked the hopes
the Republic, the hopes of liberty.
:, brave men can be spared from sue
q battle. Stretched along from Blu
# Run to the Rappahannock, a brigade
;. men made up of Vermont bone, muscl
n and brain, have luxuriated near
q through their nine months term of eai
service. But their days of ease ha'
4 passed. Through heat. and rain, sho
q less, blistered and weary, they find then
1. selves on the evening of July first, fai
q to face with the victorious legions
/. Lee. Before them lie the manned al
Z lfeless forms of those who had that ds
o fallen. The morrow's sun will brir
y their first dread reality Of battle. f,
4 the first time they stand side by si'
!, with the veterans of the grand old arm
q Of the Potomac. Their term of servi'
a is about to expire. This will be the
+ only opportunity as brigade to striB
!, for country and honor. They have tt
7 example of the old regiments to emulat
t Great are their duties and responsible
. tiles. But they are true sons of Vel
+ mont. The opening day brings the eI
, pected battle. With varying success,
2 RACES along from centre to left and lei
to centre. At last the lines give way
Dingy squads of men come streamin
| hack through the smoke of battle Re