The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-03-10
The Battle of Fairview.

There was II seems, one battle in which
the Vermont boys won victory and re-
nown, in the late war, the report Of which
never got into the Adjutant Generals
Office, and it would have remained unrc-
corded but for Jersey 'Boy in Blue"
whose lively description Of il is comprised
in the volume of War scenes and sketches
entitled "The Blue Conts," and copied
below.
During tue late heavy fall of snow, the
Vcrmonters twice made an attack on the
cncampment of the twenty New
Jersey, sending perfect shower OF SNOW
balls at the head of every luckless Jersey
man who made his appearance without
his tent. The first attack was complete
surprise to us; but we essaYed q sally
from our camp, and drove the attacking
party back TO their reserves. Being heav
lily reinforced they charged on us again,
and after q desperate resistance we were
driven back into camp, fighting rcsoiutely
from the shelter of our tents until darkness
put an end to the contest. Our casualties
were quite heavy, but those of the enc.
my, it is thought, exceeded ours. A few
DAYS aiterward the attack was renewed,
hut we took up a strong position on
hill in the rear of the camp, and rcpulsed
every assault of the toe The snow was
crimsoncd with the blood issuing from
the ofac,ory organs Of the Nermcntcrs
f and the appearance Of the battlefield in
dcatcd the fierce nature OF the contes'.
The enemy raised a,g Of truce. an ar
, misice of few hours was concluded,
, and then ensued that novel spectacle Of
r war-men, who but few minutes pre-,
vious were engaged in one Of the most
sanguinary battles of modern timos, har-
monlzing and fraternizing with caspsd
= hands.
/ But the matter did not rcst here The
night of the 2i,h had cnveloped terra
iirma with its dusky shades. Many II
f wRxen nose in the camps Of the second
, brigade sonorously, happily Unconscious
of its ruby discoloration on the morrow.
Many an eye placidly closed in slumber
I was to be violently closed in battle ere the
, approach OF another nighifall. And many
II chronological bump sparsely developed
, on the night in question was to be sud
denly brought to an age Of pub'rty on
. the approaching day. 1ho eventful morn
ing opened, Colonel Morrison sent chsl
. Icngc to Colonel Seaver Of the Third Yer
mont TO engage in the open field at three
o'clock y. NJ. The challenge was ac-
. ceptcd on the condition that the +, urh
Vermont should be included with the
+ Third. This was agreed TO by the col
, onel Before tho appointed time some of
y our men were detailed on fatigue cut ,
II and at the engagement we were oaly able
n to muster some three hundred man.
;. Nothing daunted by the superiority Of
;. numbers Colonel Morrison ordered Li"u-
tenant McCIecse, of company c Captain
, Pemberton being sick, to foriify ~ small
, hill on our right, make AS much ammuni'
y ton AS possible, AMI pile the snowbills il
~ pyramids. This arduous duty WAS per
:, formed. 1t was n strong position, =
., swollen brook nj its base answering tie
:, purpose of a msat-too strong in fact, fol
- the Vermoner., and they declined to at
# tack us while occupying this miniature
i Chcpultepec. Commissioners were ap
70 pointed, and after parley, the twenty
sixth was m ,rcled across the brook, nnr
. formed in line OF battle on the Fl Ia font
> ing the Vcrmontcr-. The hills were Gov
=. cred with spectators, and the cagcrncs,
, to witness the novel contest knew NJ
:. bounds Comp mics 4 and b were thrown
out IA skirmishers. Company l. o c l
:, pied the right. G WAS given the centre
" and II rested or the lcft. The colone
dashed over the field in all directions, en-
= couraging the men to stand fast, amid tn
:, blue Srca,lis curling from "bricr wood
-, nonchaanily held in his left hand, and III
u adjutant danced about on spirited char
- ger, apparently impaiiently awaiting Tia
hour of contest, the light of battle dila
n ting within l!' eyes, AMI "A quid Of nav
:. plug reposi-g beneath his cheek Lieuten
mt Woods Of the ambulance corps, an
sr Lieutenant - acted as mounted aid
,e- 10 the colonel, while the 'sergeant" nm
J., john h. Shaw, an aspiring Newark yo,n
K. Of eighteen, actei rs perambnlatins aid'
n. The line being formed and everything /
i'm readiness tor The contest, a red hig wa
" rais' as a signal, and in breath OF tim
i'll a strcng body Of the enemy drove in ou
ed skirmishers, and ficrcely attacked ou
ms centre. at the same moment anothe
nd strong force advanced against our right
al but only ms a feint; for they sud'Ienl
Ter wheeled To the right, and joined the
nd comrades in furious charge on our cer
he ter Major Morris ordered up compan
th E from our right, but TOO late TO be
ew any advantage, and they were eodiplelel
IN, cut off from the main body Of COR arm.
m Although fanked and pressed in front !
in overwhelming numbers, our centre herr
Of ically contested the advance Of the enetn
nc Animated by the presence Of The colone
cir they fought ike veterans, and the viii
ion snow.balls eddied through the air III
ow popping corn from frying pan. but q
bis enemy were madly surging upon us
superior force, and it was hardly with
r the mower of human endui ance to star
i under such perfect fen deafer any longe
e." Gradually the centre fell back inch
inch, the line then wavered to and ir
:. y .,.,J UnolIv tha man brnka in eonfiisi,