Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-01-05
GEN. kiIpaticksS Lecture.

opera house, FRIDAY evening, TO listen 10
lecture by Maj. Gen. Judson Fitzpatrick
descriptive of the 'Incidents and Battle
Scenes of the Rebellion. Gen. Fitzpatrick
was introduced to the audience by Hon.
Walter 9. Dunton, who was, himself, con-
nected with the army for the suppression
of the rebellion.
The lecturer commenced by remarking
that five years ago the victorious army of
the Union marched home, they had
stacked their arms, furled their banners,
and laid aside their tents forever, after
having fought for over four years. Dur
ing that whole time their first and last
effort and their whole aim had been to
save the Union, and the honor of the Great
Republic was the key note of their action.
The soldiers of Vermont stood among
these devoted legions, and to commemor-
ate those deeds of arms we have as
sembled together this evening He said
he was not the only orator of these scenes
and deeds,-but the soldiers' graves, and
that we meet every day in the street was
more eloquent than any words of his.
He said that he should attempt no elo-
quence to describe the part taken by YER
mont soldiers because it WAS needless.
Among her sister CONFERENCE.-The in the
war that achieved the independence of
~
mortal, and the same is true of the war
for the suppression of the rebellion.
Neither would he attempt to open the
controversies between the North and
South or revive the fires # patriotism
among the loyal oitizens Of the North.
Bat to many the scenes and incidents of
the war, which bat short time ago were
vivid and always present to TIE mind had
now faded and were only remembered as
a dream or Il disagreable nightmare, and
perhaps it is better that it is so, But in
forgetting these things and in torgiving
traitors, let US never forget trsason. No, q
traitor can never be as good as the soldier
who fought to preserve the Union. AS
men they may he our peers and equals,
but let us never lay wreaths on their
graves as We do on those of the patriot
soldier.
In describing some OF the scenes and
incidents of the rebellion, he did not in.
tend to discns- questions of policy or
criticize plans If campaigns, or the man
ner in which they were carried out,
neither would he attempt to delinoate
the Treason. which at the first, was in the
Cabinet, government and legislative de-
partmaats, or describe President Lincolns
Journey to the capitol, I'll remembered
these thing4.
In the first days OF the rebellion, it was
not only the Sixth Massachusetts that en-
countered traitors in Baltimore. He re-
membered u New York regiment that, on
it's way to Washington, was marching
through Balti4iore. Col. Davis, the com
mander, was sneeringly asked "where was
his band y He Immediately turned to
his regiment, gave the necessary orders to
load, ready, aim, etc, and told them
that was his band, and then told the
crowd to "get," and they got"
He referred 10 the army Of the Poto-
mac and the cry that was echoed from
the press, pulpit and rostrum, Of "On to
Richmond" and then to the different com
manders, Mcclellan, Burnside, Hooker
IL ~ ~ 30
one Of tie b~st eyer organized, that the
disasters Of the FIRST tw2 years was owing
to the ignorance end incompetenoy Of the
officers, aud illustrated it by
an anecdote of a Michigan colonel.
10 this connection he alluded to the re-
verses met with by the French army in
TIE Erapco-Prussian war, and esid if they
had one hunare.l regiments OF undiscip-
lined Yankees armed with the Spring
field" or any other Of our ordinary guns,
and commanded by such officers, the Ger
maug you'd dust" In this Fr4nco-Prus-
sian war ii ieadius oIcer was killed,
that was the end, not go with us II onei
OI our OulCtIS " as hIli0u, thClc "0io ECh
orally at least one hundred sergeants, if
no higher c4G1fioers, ready and competent TO
take command and LOAD thg men.
Toillustrate the peouliarities Of our army
he related an amusing anecdote Of Major
who inadvertently left his sword behind,
and Of a chaplain who said that the good
abo,,I1 Ia tlo bra,ost W. xo,rot Via :
we cannot reproduce thasq anecdotes ver-
batim.
1862 opened with the Emancipation
Proclamation going into effect, and with
the spring campaign, which commenced
with general movement of the armies
on the first of May. and eliminated on
the fourth Of July with the victory at
dettysburgh In the east and the capture
Of Vicksburg ct the west. The rebels |
the march northward because,
after the retreat of Hooker at Chancellor
Vile, they thought the Union was too
week to resist them, and they intended to
plant their flag in Washington, Philas
lelphia aud Baltimore. He then alluded
% the secret service department of the
army, which, be said, was the most per.
ect the world ever saw, and to illustrate
t, he referred to a CLOTHES line telegraph"
~ wAioh, VITA the use OF red shirt, the
movements of the rebel army were accu-
ately reported,
A cavalry battle could not be properly
unless the narrator was a par
icipator therein, and therefore, and at the
isk of being considered egotistieal, he
sopls 2ndeayor to describe the battle at
3randy Station, @hish developed Lees
,lans and was the greatest cavalry battle
Fe9 fought on the American continent.
ae then proceeded TO give an eloquent
nd thrilling description of that bsttle;
nd as ns report could do it justice. we