Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-09-04

The 0Ia First Vermont Brigade.
We reprint the following article, which
originally appeared, after the close Of the
war. in the Troy Tunes and was understood
TO De by Gen. Romaine b. Aver Though
often copied, il is still good reading
TIE VERMONT BRIGADE.
b. oae ,rio d,d not 5eiang 10 1T. and ,rho
Hsr0 ,ras m Vermont.
They were honest farmers turned vaga-
bonds They were simple countrymen
changed into heroe-. They were quiet
town~men that had become royers they
| stole ancient horses and bony cows on the
march they piIlaged moderately in other
/ things They swept the diaries and they
stripped the orchards FOR miles where they
travelled. They chased rabbits when thew
went into camp after long marches. and
they yelled ike Indians when neighboring
camps were silent through fatigue They
were Ill disciplined and familiar with their
officers. They swaggcrou in cool impu-
dent way, and looked down with a patron
ling Yankee cpoluc~s unon all regiments
that were better drilled. and upon that part
of the army generally that did not belong
to the Vermont brigade. They were strange
/ ly proud, not of themselves individually,
bat of the brigade collectively, Tor they
knew pc fectly well they were the best
fighters in the known world. They were
long Of limb, and could on; march the
army. They were individually seli-reliant
and >killul in the use If arms. and they
honestly believed that the Vermont brig
ade could not be beaten by all the COM
bined armies Of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting qualities
almost from their first ~kirmI~h This was
al Lees Miil- They crossed narrow dam
under fire, made the attack they were in
structed To make, and came back wading
deep in the water. with a steadineS~ that
surprised the army. They were an incor-
/ rigihle, irregular, noisy set of ras ais They
were much sworn At during their four years
/ Of service Yet they were at all times pei
/ brigade. There were but Two things they
would do-march and fight; and these they
dli m manner peculiarly their own. They
had long, slow. swinging stride on the
march which distauced everything that fol-
lowed them. They bad quiet, attentive,
earnest individual way OF fighting that made
them terrific in battle. Each man knew
that his neighhur in the ranks WAS not
going to run away. and he knew also that
he himself intended to remain y mere he was.
Accordingly none ui the attention OF the
line was diverted from the important duty
o. o.. i'"1ih- ana ming iaPidly ana carefully
" h'h mon ih- mo Acu'h anu WINE hotN
engaged theN maze queer quaint jokes,
an anu cry 'H'" lHeih greatly. IheS croWed
HAe S'e+-; '"'y "i-a-eu ISe SHeeP' tAey
ncighcd ike horse. they beloved ike bulls,
they iarkcd like dogs. and tucv counter
itlttd With excellent effect the inde>crihable
mG~lc 81 mule. " hen. perchaucr they
'-G " %, inc III Il forest IL seemed a. il
N3AH AK "au gone u pieces there
ia every engagement III when ms hrlg-
Az. ''"N ''n0o "dN com pIiheh'eu iof sal-
'0 u 'l'e mus IvinaI hdu-c
'' "' - i'i 'ia"oeN' H'"eter' mas never APP
i'"l'u ~ p''nt, nor H4' IL "eeh h"'ced In
''- - l'''i '.'0 "''t'o oi "st'f -4InI5'
~ a. wa III me NIcih'N "l Ma
+. vi anu INC = "''e'ann' inc vermont
~ ='ue wa u'ii'S ga a. sNlFl'i9nih- me I
aa,.i. ~ i -i,'idl 'I-.-e,heht Inc .
.'au Iiu'H'S u.tJliiillleu 10 all"cA'
A. u.s.. ~, i'',1 va va '.g 1ai!e .Ir"aIl'
.V vat ~ i'hoG Ill once ana tue >HH-
nI1nei9 utiFereu thSlr hFe' our troops /
~ va 'l0 "'0I anu Slo'u "i'cllh- I'r
..'e "A IL a. o''no '' AM "aI'ih- 10
-. - -, - '1i .ig
.ii','i,iI "Iu.N NOV come m anu "non 'ne
LII . ~ oNVi a. A''Hil>n Hhe
''',a JS''S'IN i'u.>.u d iu'. l'lie-oI oa1'ie
- -. 49,, - '.'e 'll-ins a,'-
-, Nv ,i''In anu "eIo 'aen
-, T., m. " y 'Ni, i.'i ~
- II - IuJ'
fJ-'It !" ""'N' 1uu ca0H
li,''.. iii'I a.. iloIi "Juinu rec plt 'heh
W.. 9'u9 MN .:d' 'iie oti. ue''1 I'D >uch
=, 'g- sAII mn i'he 10 come III a.
. soou a my "'' Sa'iSli'u 'nat tne enemy
gu c. \, ni''ll.u pa
o5,a 'i',H .,T S.i Iouiili'liS'
i','o VI '''''i o"n oii .H.I o'0I
SIo" anu 'ue enemy ul>Eu>ted Win >ich
W ~ Vl--.. ~ - - Ol0eN'
. ,,-oI 80 49, - .le ''v'i1 On
+ '.-'' " I'm 4"'oA "io'eiheh Hau 10
w ~ C''''eN iI'in oorps uI uN'1Ioh mead
= "a ~ ''0-,i -'I'9 III 'He SoiuiIu d. IL
,ol.o"e Gu 'Lenli /! IapiI OF forced march
w. iieauiieu' IL wa common tang
:. ~ ~ - Nc 70 S"S WIN qulet Shhe-
~ ',o reiinol'eI, al 'ne neaI 81 me
.1,il11 'G,0'9' anu Keep every 'AihS Wei
ul'i
AI5er tne fiotS IN Ne" YORK "hen 1t was
ouLu necessary 10 Sohu troops 70 the city
~ pIe'ti' recurrence oi 'He outbreak the
eiuiph' urIgaIe was specialiy named ,
~ 'no "di b' par 'Hlent Ior TINS duty' {
"''' '"' iSNoiP' va tuc
iie9patch' III. me command was a. route Tor
ne cry lhey occupied the pubic squares I
iere lor some time, enjoyed themselves not I
INeIy' nor yet 'irtuously and returned to {
ne army OIL the Potomac sadly demorallzed t
. an but the two great essential qualities a
II hghung ana marching. It was iortu- I
la'e tnlns Tor the New ! ork mon that IT i
Foleeu conflict with the New England |
r9opS at that time il
pon the return OF the brigade to the C
.'ld' they quietly held on to their old rou- a
me oiIlieand maintained to ihe close OF the c
var the splendid reputation they had won h
.I Ihe very outset. h
Ihere were many regiments equal to the :
trinont regiments IN actual battle. and n
ono that' IKE the flith New York Noiun- 81
Gers NOT only equalied them IN fighting it
uaiifieS' but greatly surpassed them in p
rlII' ui5ci piine' ana appearance on parade Ii