Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-03

y THURSDAY, JANUARY 81, 1870.
THE Vermont Brigade i'm the Shen-
andOah Valley,

m When Gen. Butler was leading to Wask
iugton the firstasoldiers that entered tha
city after the war of the rebellion actually
commenced, In that critical time when i
was necessary to go round Baltimore, and
found the railroad from Annapolis tt
N Washington torn up, and the engines
broken and unusable, he is said to have
"a called for volunteers to set things ste
II rights"- to put the road, the cars and the
a engines into running order, and he found
he bad mWl in the regiment acquainted
gith all this work, as able as they were
willing TO build railroads, repair engines
N andorGn them and do any thing else which
the exigeneies of the case seemed to call
faro Such were the character of the men
whom our country called into the field at
th9t timeo dnd ussn competent for any
needed work oou the march and in the
field, are competent also-iet least some in
each regi@ento omust be---to tell the story
Of Spm9 they dSd aud how they did it.
% ThieOt, the Hgork attempted by the author
Of the ySlumo above named which we
81 Ave recently read with great interest.
M Il az a history of only a part of the
Vermont regiments, and for only five or
IA sizomonthsof their service; yet the time
0,eIected is not one when all was ''quiet
ou the Potomac" bat covers the period
when TfhS busy SheGdan was keeping the
u loyal peG3le of the country in sort of
a exsoy over bis successive victories The
StoS Of 5tteopaSowhioh the old Vermont
y brigade tool, in these victories, and in
N tho msrlnes and counter-marches pre-
aedipg andc attending them Is well told
and will not orgy interest Vermont read
ere especially those who had friends in
the brigade, or We're themselves a part of
it. bGf Will be valuable addition to the
history of that part of the war. 1t is not
a mere compilation of statistics which any
oIS may find in the Adjutant Generals
reP1rt Mr. that year, nor a copying of
newsptper accounts of the campaign but
Al original history by ene who can speak
INV J0ayents NJ they transpired, and as they
,ppeured at the time from the standpoint
o the soldier. The battle of Fishers
Hill, the Importance of which is not gem
gallo appreciated, has here more fall
and accurate description than we have
csver seen elsewhere and it is clear from
the account given of the battle of
Cedar Creek that it was only
tho indomitable courage and ten
aoity of the second division of the
Sixth ccrps, of which the Vermont brigade
!. composed no unimportant part, under the
gallant Gen. Getty, which made it possi-
ble for Sheridan, on reaching the army in
the afernoon, to "renew the engagement
aSd wipe out the disgrace of the morning
"a Wy nm overwhelming victory. His first
ofder on 9reachingOthe army, after his hot
gaBop from Winchester, was to join con
Gety's lfne;" and9the other divisions of
the Sixth Corps, which "were to the right
and rear of Getty about tsc0 miles," were
ordered up to tsk9 their place on this
line, as also the lgineteenth Corps, which
was still further in the rear. All this
is told, however, without any exclamation
points, Or superlative adjectiyes, or even
italics, to call attention TO the fact; with
10 little of boastful spirit and manner,
iiEleed, that the real Importance and in
terest Of the relation to oVermonters will
only be appreciated after careful pe-'
rusal.
An episode is given in the chapter on
camp life, which presents the fortunes of
war in aGway to make every reader feel
that "facts are stranger than fiction" In
Showing how the life of Vermont SOL
dieiSwas preserved, the story presents to
sns the character of q true woman, albeit
4 70 -G6el, and the wife of q rebel officer,
Egives us a glimpse of the heart of the
s great worker in the war--the lamented
Stanton, and in its thrilling incidents,
briefly told, will make an impression on
the mind of every Vermont boy who reads
that he will never forget.
1ohe book is thorough unpretentious in
Hpirit, and is a specimen throughout OF
he good use Of good Saxon English. The
volume i@not large, containing only about
two huudred pages, but is neatly printed
ION tinted paper, and in style and finish
xrdoes honor to the Vermont press.
1t Is the duty sof the people of Ver-
mont to keep the record of her sons in the
EarCn5 Seave them to their children.
We do not hesitate to say that this little
vessume shoGld find its way into every
hSasehold among the Green Mountains.