The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-01


Major General Commanding
approved, |. :. GRANT.
Lieut. Gen. Commanding the
"Arm rs Of the United Smlcs
The action of the 18Th Of May was the
last hard battle in the vicinity 60, ''potsyl- /
vania. For week longer dctlcmcn's .
were daily ont ~ picket guards and sti'm- .
ishcrs, and nj this time the picket irr was .
not the hospitable pleasure resort which 1t /
became during the next winter at Peters /
burg.
Their were no mutual card parties where |
the Yankees furnished the blanket and the |
Johnn,es the euchredcck no trading com /
mssary whiskcy for applc-jacli the com /
plimcnts exchanged were leaden only, aud /
they moved with rapidity which was a
very serious objection to their being re.
ccivcd with pleasure One night during |
this period, your speaker well remembers, /
because it was the first occasion when the |
eleventh Vermont was called upon for a |
muddy and melancholy all-nght march, |
with the promise of n battle on the NOR |
row. Daylight found us advancing in line !
of battle under fire Shell were living
through the woods, and the effect of their
rush and burst among the branches was
particularly demoralizing. Presently an
open pasture was reached. extending IN
slight hill the top of which was held, as
we were told, by our skirmishers, and be-
hind which our army, as we were told was
massing for charge The order came,
Lie down e. 1t was obeyed without
murmur The rebel shell began TO come
surprisingly fast and plenty. For the first
time in the campaign the artillery had a
fair chance. Sharpshooter5 from the high
trees.yot their eyes, on us and improved
tlicir opportunity. Every man in the rcgi-
ments was hit, scratched, or frightened
by the shell or the bullets. Gen. Warner
was shot through the neck, but escaped
| death miracuously. Lieut. GlaMer now
| pastor Of the Baptist church at Montpelier,
/ mere lost an arm.
Meanwhile not one of us loaded gun or
/ saw a rcbc at noon the firing slaciened,
/ the smoke lifted. and we incOntincntly
marched back again to our camp of the
| previous day. The whole affair was ALSO
mtely inmnprehensble TO us, but
we Were well pleased TO be told
that somebody had decided not to make the
contemplated charge, and plumed our
selves greatly on the fact that we didn't
succumb to tho tcrrors Of anticipation and
run away.
Presently the direct advance was once
more abandoned and the thanking
process resumed. The army filed out left
in front taking the main road to Rich
mond \ hot race with Lee ensucd for
the hills beyond the north Anna. He had
the shortest distance and marched the
lightcst, and, in u word, got there first.
We would rather have beaten him, but we
could hardly have done better than we did
upon that weary march.
Perhaps il may be interesting to try to
illustrate the occasional peculiar hardships
of a soldiers life by brief description of
what ut this time bcfcll small detach-
ment of the Vermont Brigade perhaps 200
men, who had the luck to he detailed for
, pickle, duty on the night of May 90 The
front was reached soon after dark, as ii
was impossible to relieve the line by day.
, The outposts were established and the
watch commenced, occasional bullets
whistlng through the trees all the night
, long. At break of day the work grew
warmer No Yidette could be relieved, eX
| ccpt rs the new man crept out upon his
, hands and knees. Meanwhile. as we pres
| emily learned. the army was gone. 1t has
= crawcd away in the night like a serpent
! leaving the picket line behind as blind t,
7 the enemy. Towards noon the order wa
| passed along with batcd breath to retire L
4 the works formerly occupied by the army
/ line, and at the given signal the pickets re
C trcd-a mancuver not laid down in Casey
which consisted in q dead run for half
e mile to the rear, with the rebel skirmisher
after them and the rebel bullets flying
Once behind the riile-pts, however, they
t. felt strong, for by the necessary cOntrac
ton from the extended skirmish line ant
p, the employment Of the reserves. it wa
seen that the whole line of cntrcnchmcntl
= was filled by a single rank of soldiers. Tit
5 occasion was soon suitably improved. 70
, towards o'clock the enemy sent ont two
= brigadcs. with Il section Of artillery, t
] rcconnoiie and investigate. They Charge
| three times. the main attack being Just t.
f the right of the Ncrmontcrs.
ON the third assault the rebels got thrc
c a Massachusetts detail, planting their col
ors upon our brcastW0rks, and were only
: held in check by flank attack of thu
J, Ncgmontcrs. At last. baflled and torn
they gave it up, vanishing from sight a
: the evening fell, having gained no intorma
Il ton whatever concerning the movement
. of our troops. But they left no promis
\ that they would not return. and new lin
\, of outposts was ut once established in tn
u darkness In thecntrcnchmcntsthe dcadWcr
c buried where they fell, and the living watch
Il Ell and counted weary hours until m o
o the second night of anxious wakefulness
o when orders came to move Mt once afte
i, Wv any w w 'C"''' - ~ nv
no lIed can pe sNeil' p.'. 'he hlutCh wa
t. continued at very RAPID pace WIN ohl,
i a snort matt Tor breakiaS'' until IN;
;, then coming up win the corps at Guinea
> staiioh' whence 1t was at once resumed
= and maintained until long alter dark wa
- again taken UP at day-pfeak; ana one
# NOR hGpt up ul'in i NJ, ,ne las. Nv
. i'ii'.H ocsls i.ioo'. ill'' va w. ',,c sului
: VI llic mn v"il'S, ,l,pi' "nucl 'iio ~ IN
il CLossinS ~ t'u Naitn ;,ila ti.s sNi
Il ene .oH9' Hpt",,''S ','u ",I c LrWa' et",I h
put VI 81 houIS "' ,l'''c' % NUTS " VI
II muI"rs' ''SN',,'o uu,!' VIM " sGNci ~
i tNr"Nil H. 9u'h were inc lWp9is WING
=. our soldiers "o'c sometimes c"''eu ul'""
. perform ,...,.. ........
:. ne U'',ys incN'c'lt 10 'nc laSsa?c .
i inc Norm ANNA S'Nc 'hc Vermont pIIsGu
TWO or lhlCc Gays bI comparative resi-, 10