Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-09-21
THE VERMONT BRIGADE.
By o''s srko did ne: beloss To q. asd
seka Rerer snas Ia TernaeRt.

They were honest farmers turned vag.
abonds. They were simple eOuntrymen
turned into heroes. They were quiet
townsmen that had become royers. They
stole ancient horses and bOny COWS on
the march, They piIlaged moderately
IN other things, They swept the dairies
and they stripped the orchards for miles
where they travelled, They chased rab-
bits when they went into camp after
long marches, and they yelled like In-
dians when neighboring camps were 81
lent through fatigue. They were i'll dis
eiplined aud familiar with their officers.
They staggered IN cool. impudent
way, and locked down with patroniz-
ing Yankee eoolness upon all regiments
that were better drilled and upon that
part of the army generally that did net
belong to the Vermont brigade. They
were strangely proud, not of themselves
individually, but of the brigade collect
lively; for they knew perfectly well they
were the best fighters in the known
world, They were long of limb, and
could out-mareh the army. They were
individually self-reliant and skillful IN
the use of arms, and they honestly be-
lieved that the Vermont brigade could
not be beaten by all the combined ar
mics of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting quail.
ties almost from their first skirmish.
This was at Lees Mills. They crossed
narrow dam under fire, made the at
tack they were instructed to make. and
came back wading deep in the water
with steadiness that surprised the ar
my. They were incorrigible. irregular,
noisy set of rascals. They were much
sworn at during their four years of ser
vice; yet they were at all times a pet
brigade. There were but two things
they would do-march and fight: and
these they did in mnaner peculiarly
their own. They had a long, slow, swing
ing stride on the march which distanced
everything that followed them. They
had quiet, attentive. earnest individu-
al way of fighting that made them ter
rife in battle. Each man knew that his
neighbor in the ranks was not going 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 diverted from the important
| duty of loading and firing, rapidly and
carefully. When moving into action and
while hotly engaged they made queer
| quaint jokes, aud enjoyed them greatly
They erowed like cocks, they b-a-ec
like sheep. they neighed like horses
they beloved like bulls, they counter.
feited with excellent effect the indescrib
able music of the mule. When. per
chance. they held picket line in a for
est it seemed as if Noah's ark had gone
to pieces there
In every engagement in which thi:
brigade took part it was compliments
for gallant conduct One of the mos
remarkable of its performances, however
has never appeared in print, nor has i
been noticed in the reports After tn
battle of Gettysburg. when Lees arm,
was in the vicinity of HagerstoEn ant
Antietam, the Vermont brigade was de
ployed as skirInishing line. anticipat
| ing a general engagement The enem,
had evidently determined to attack A
last his line Of battle came forward Tn
/ batteries opened at once. and the skir
mishers delivered their fire. Our troop
were on the alert and stood watching 70
the skirmishers to come in and waitini
to receive the coming assault But th
skirmishers would not come In. and whei
the firing died away it appeared that th
Vermonters thus deployed as skirmis
line had actually repulsed a full line-oi
battle attack. Twice afterwards the en-
emy advanced to carry tie position, an
were each time again driven back b
this peryerse skirrnish line. The yer
monters, it is true. were strongly poste
in wood. and each man fired from b.
hind a tree But then. everybody know
that the etiquette In such matters Is f.
a skirmish line to come in 50 soon a
they are satisfied that the enemy mean
business. These simple-minded patriot
from the Green Mountains, howegel
adopted a rule Of their own on this occa
sion /; and the enemy. Disguised Wit
such stupidity, very properly retire
across Beaver Creek.
II When the Vermonters led the colum
On . march. their quick movement ha
to be regulated from corps or divisio
head quarters. to avoid gaps in the co
umn as it followed them. If a rapid {
forced march we're required. it was
common thing for SedgeHick to say Wit
quiet smile:
'.Put the Vermonters at the head ,
the column to-day. and keep eyerythin
veil closed up"
After the riots in SeE York. when
. was found necessary to send troops
/ the city TO prevent recurrence Of th