Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-31

q brigade to strike for country and honor.
They have the examples Of the old regiments
. to emulate Great are their duties and 70
1 sponsibiIities. But they are true sons Of YER
f mont The opening day brings the expected
? battle. With varying success. it RACES along
; from center to left and left to center. At last
the lines give way. Dingy squads of men
, come streaming back through the smoke Of
, battle. Reinforcements are called for. Then
: the generous Doubleday. to whom Vermont
owes so much for securing to her sons the
credit to which they are justly due, rides
along our lines, and his clear command is
heard above the din Of conflict, " Forward,
the light flying Brigade" Quickly they pre-
sent their breasts to the deadly missilee, and
pressing forward to the breach, turn back the
8 flooding tide of battle. This ends the second
day of Gettysburg, with the standards OF
t Vermont in the front. The next day brings
a renewal Of the bloody scene. Throughout
the right flank. Except the left centre, every
3 part of our lines have been tried. Lee has
heard that this is held by new and untried
8 troops. From his observatory be sees their
unsheltered position. Break through that
and the Potomac army is destroyed forever
The veteran division of the rebel Pickett, that
has never known defeat, is still fresh. Quick
ly it is formed for the charge. For two hours
one hundred and forty pieces of rebel cannon
: pour their deadly contents into the ranks OF
these sons Of Vermont unframed to the shock
? of battle.
By all analogy and experience, human en-
E durance has become exhausted. The founda-
tions of earth are shaken by the furious can
q nonade. but not the lines of these brave men.
There they stand upon these bloody slopes, tar
t to the front of other lines, firm as the bills
loF tbo,r in
!, ceive and shatter the charging columns OF trea-
C son amid the unrestrained applause of the
i. veterans of other corps who were the admir-
d ing spectators of the stupeDdous tragedy
t Gettysburg is won, and the brows of Yer
y mont's gallant soldiers are garlanded with
: the laurels of the victory from which the
VI wave of rebellion ever after receded-
h Time will not allow me to detail the events
= that preceded the nineteenth day OF October
n 1864 The Shenandoah Valley had again be-
e come the active theatre of war. The intrepid
&c Sheridan had pushed his victorious army,
, com prised largely of Vermont troops, far up
y the Valley Smartng under repeated defeats,
% and fully conscious of,hol1ing this valley, the
J. rebels had quietly assembled large and well
lie appointed force near Mddletown, and resolv-
p ed upon one of these sudden and overwhelm-
l. ing strokes that not unfrequently have de-
D. cided the fortune of a war.
lie cumstances combined to render the success OF
70 the contemplated blow exceedingly probable.
,r The victories that had so lately crowned tbs
Union arms, rendered an attack from the en-
lie emy improbable. Sheridan absent. The
g, elements even were favorable to surprise.
,e The foggy atmosphere of early morning COW
lie cred the rebels stealthy movements Nc
IN sound broke the all pervading stiffness
I'd w lille the victore of recent fields were resting
IN ne
ID tute usl rs the first streaks OF morning pierre
ed ed the Eastern horizon, the rush, the shout
" the opening volley startled the sleepers to du
ne ty. The surprise was complete. In front
OF in flank, rear volleys poured from un
II, seen foe. But the hardened veterans canno
Us Weld without struggle; blow Is returned
IS for blow. One position after another is tax
We en- but the rebel onset Is irresistible. Thu
e. passes morning into midday. Many haV
o. fallen, more have been captured, camps ani
b. artillery gone. The fruits of past vlctorie
he seem slipping away. But at tins Crisis She.
IN, idap arrives upon the field, and riding rapid
es along the lines, he reins up In front OF III
ce Vermont regiments inquiries what troops ar
at these " The sixth c0rps, the Vermont BIZ
OF gade," is shouted simultaneously from tn
nd ranks d" We are all right - exclaims n
Is, General, and swinging his hat above his hea
OF he passes off 10 the right - amid the exultar
shouts of the men, Soon the defensive
N, abandoned and the offensive assumed, an
tn foremost in that murderous charge, that al
)m INITIATED the last rebel army OF the vallc
SITS were the standards of Vermont
Do- But, comrades, the history OF these Al
many ether days is ade, 1t IL fresh IN CT
memory, and we need not 10 be our owe eul
giss.
n Had you selected 10 address you E
night VINO not of your number, one a
rs. eustomei tt stand up on great occ isIons ar
&C. portray the heroic deeds OF brsve men, OF
IN whose lip, were eloquent with we'll selects
~ words OF eulogy, he, inspired by his them
oie would have dweit long upon the scenes
ol which have only referred. He would ha'
by told YOU OF the first regiment, the militia
Vermont, the school which graduated mo
'ep than half a regiment of officers. He wou
'eu have dwelt upon the glory won by our ~
as regiments upon the shores of the CUT, al
On amid the bayous of the Mississippi. He wou
at have spoken OF that regiment which WAS
nus long the pride, because the best of the Is
eiu Corps, and the first of the army to tread II
ch' streets Of Richmond !; OF the gallant Tent
i've which at Monocscy and elsewhere, eepars
"H' from other Vermont reg lmenls, won Impers
III able fame in honorable competition with Il
Ids brave troops of sister states of the last o
I'M spring of Vermont, which ere its ranks We
lrts filled, took up It's march Richmond ward al
SCI rcely halted except tor battle until call
I'M up for It's final muster out OF the shar
lis shooters and batteries always summoned
lily the post of danger of our obiq uitous cav:
.ily ~ which upon seventy two hard fought fel
rolled up trophies of victory as tie f.bi
wed giants - upon Ossa rolled the leaiy Olyl
iete pus."
ack And he would have welt upon the deeds
red our - Old Brigade which be anne like t
and Old Guard of France, in the respiendent 81
Ioie ry of the Empire, the pride and envy of t
ield army ; not the least of whose honors it "
IN to win and retain the confidence and admir-
day lion OF those two eminent Generals, the O
'rn- that skiful soldier of Vermont, whose gent
heir alone could relieve a beleaguered and disco
am- fitted army IN the defences of Chattanoo
tch- from what appeared to others to be II
and pending fatality, and whose lofty conceptio
up carr ed victory through the clouds of hesy
e- over confident and previously victoria
-ena enemy the other that rugged veteran OF
the West, under whom the brigade reached
ever pinnacle OF heroic achievement, and 90 W h
careful training and soldIerly example
and brilliant career and surprising fame OF ,
par brigade are largely due. He would also BIZ
will told you more of that younger brigade, VI
that brIeter but not less glorious service.
lays would have presented In detail the Hercule
reen efforts Of little state IN the great war,
erv- facts and figures of statistics and by conpa
her son with the efforts of other states in OF!
g by ZINES, have oaablel you better to appreci.
alor the magnitude of the task performed by
the niout in the struggle for national preservati
)ct., All these tn ngs circumstances compel me
the leave to other and better h andS.
pon But, men of Vermont, would you have
A.ata oIy,hl n, Of =