Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-03-14
From the New York Citizen
v uoNr BRIGADE.
=. o.x VINO DID NOT BELONG TO 1T. AND
oxr VINO NEVER WAS IN VERMONT


~ oxx VINO DID NOT BELONG TO IT. AND
o., upo NEVER WAS IN VERMONT.
Thew were honest farmers turned Vaga'
bonds They we're simple cOuntrymen
changed to heroes. They were 9nie'
that had becQme rovers lhey
sto,e ancient horses aud bony cows on
the march. They pillaged moderately IN
other things. They swept the diaries ano
they stripped the orchards for m,'es "hero
thew travelled. They chased rabbits wheh
they went into camp after long marches
and they yelled like wild Indians when
neigh boring camps we're silent through IA
tigSe. They we're i'll Disciplined aud IA
miliar with their officers. They swag-
pered in q cool. impudent way. and look
ed down with patronizing Yankee cool
less upon all regiments that were better
drilled. and upon that part of the army
generally that did not belong to the Yer
mont brigade. They were strangely
proud, not of themselves individually. but
Of the brigade collectively we'll they were
the best fighters in the known world
They were long Of limb, and could out
march the army. They were individual
" self reliant aud skillful in the use OF
arms. aud they honestly believed that the
Vermont brigade could not be beaten by
all the combined armies Of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting quail
ties aim ,st from their first skirmish This
was at Lees Mills They crossed mar
row dam under fire. made the attack
they we're instructed to make, and came
b ,ck wading deep in the water. with a
steadiness that surprised the army. They
were an incorrigable, irregular, noisy set
of rascals. They were much sworn at
dur'g their 1 years Of service yet they were
at ali times pet brigade. There were
but two things they would do--march
and fight, and these they did in man
ner peculiarly their own. They had IA
long slow. swinging stride OH the march,
which distaDced everything that followed
them. They had quiet. attentive. ear
nest individual way of fighting that made
them terrific in battle Each man knew
that his neig hbor in the ranks was not 60
ing TO run away. and he knew also that
he himself intended to remain where he
was. Accordingly. none OF the attention
Of the line was directed from the impur-
tant duty Of loading and firing. rapidly
aud carefully. When moving Into action
and while holly engaged. they made queer
quaint jokes. and enjoyed them greatly
they crowcd like cock. they IA b cd like
sheep. they neighed like horses. they bel
lowed like lulls. they baked like dogs.
and they counterieited with excellent Of.
feet the Undesirable music of the mule.
When. pcrchance. they had picket linc
10 forest 1t seemed as il Noah's AK had
gone to pieces there.
In every engagement which this bri.
gadc took. it Was complimented for gallant
conduct One Of the most remarkable of
its performances. however, has never APP
peared in print. nor has it been noticed
in tho reports After the battle ut Get.
tysburg, when Lees army was in the vi
cinity Of Hagerstown and the Antietam.
the Vermont brigade was deployed as a
skirmishing.line. anticipating u general
engagement. The enemy had evidently
determined to attack. At last his liue Of
battle came forward. The batteries open
ed at once and their skirmishe,s delivered
their fire. Our troops we're Oh the alert
and stood watching for the skirmishers to
come 10 aud waiting to receive the cum.
ing assault. But the skiimishers would
not come in, and when the firing died
away it appeared that the Vermoutsrs
thus deployed as skirmish line had ac.
tually repuised full line. of battle attark.
Twice afterwards the enemy advanced to
carry the position and each time again
driven back by this perverse skirmish line
The Vermonters were strongly posted
in wood. and each man fred from be.
hind tree. But then everybody know.
the etiquette in such matters is for u
skirmish line to come ia So soon as they
are satisfied that the enemy means bust
ness. These simple minded p ,triots from
the Green Mountains. however. adopted
rule of their own on this occasion /; and
the enemy. Disguised with stupidity. re-
tired across the Beaver Creek.
When the vermonters led the column
on march. their quick movements hsc
to he regulated from corps or division
headquarters. to avoid gaps in the col
unln as il followed them. If rapid o.
forced march were required, it was . com
mon thing for Sedgwick to say with
quiet smIle Put the Ver'nonters 1T tn,
head Of the column to-day and keep eve
rything well closed up"
After the riots in New York. when i
was found necessary to send troops to tL
city TO prevent recurrence of the out
break. the Vermont brigade was special,
: named by the War Department Tor ,hi
.. duty. Within two hours after the receip