Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-10-23


The following account of Jul ian Scotrs
war picture, the Battle of Cedar Creek"
now TO be seen at the State House in Mont
pelier, is from the Aldine magazine, rec
ognized authority in matters OF art:
Considering all the circumstances, it is a
little remarkable that up to the present
time not more than three or four great bat
tle-pieces have been paintel representing
conflicts which occurred during the civil
war. While a large number of memorial
monuments and statues have been erected
in all parts of the country in commemora-
ton of those who fell in the war. and while
large appropriations have been made hy
the Federal and State governments for flu
ture works of art from the hands of the
scul ptor, not more than two or three COM
missions have been received by artists for
pictures upon canvas. There are, doubt
less, various reasons for this. The num-
Der of artists who tan paint battle are very
limited; il is quite natural that the people
should first wish to perpetuate the memo
ry and honor the virtues of those who fell
in the conflict and there has been wide
spread feeling that civil conflicts are not
exactly appropriate subjects to be perpet-
uatcd on canvas, especially since we have
become a united people. Vermont and
Pennsylvania are the only States, so far as
we know, which have made appropriations
for ttle-piclures. Rothermel has painted
for the capital mt Harrisburg an incident Of
the battle OF Gettysburg, showing the at
tack made on the Pennsylvania reserve
at Round-Top; aud Mr.. James Walk
er has painted a large and what may be de-
scribed as "a typographical view of the bat
tie of Gettysburg. Other celebrated pic
lures which have grown ont of the war are
DE Haas's grand naval conflict of "Farra-
gut before Mobile" and Balling's Grant
and his Generals"
Vermont is the first of the Now England
| States to make an appropriation for war
| picture. Scme four years aLo she gave a
| commission to one of her sons, Mr.. Julian
| Scott, for picture of the desperate battle
| Of Cedar Creek, fought in the valley OF the
| Shenandoah, on the 10Th of October, 1864,
| exactly ten years ago this month. The
"Green Mountain Boys" ars very proud OF
their Vermont Brigade, which was conf
posed of the Second, Third, Fourth, Finh,
Sixth and Eleventh regiments. This brig
| ade. the Second, was in the Sixth Army
Corps, and saw much heavy fighting. On
the morning of the 18th of October, 1864
the Federal army lay for four or FIVE miles
on the easterly side of Cedar Creek, tho
Vermont Brigade holding the extreme
right of the line. Just before daybreak
General Early made sudden and uneX
pected attack on the left, flanking the Un
ion forces and driving them back in grea
disorder. It will be remembered that tn
battle rap ell iuriously all day, that the los
of men had been heavy, and the retreat o
many of the Union troops had been so dis
orderly as to assume almost the appearance
of "A total rout. The Vermont Brigade sus
tanned the brunt of the attack a number %
times, but was finally driven back towar,
Newton. The day was considered lost un
til General Sheridan arrived upon the field
Fighting was renewed shortly after, Gen
eral Sheridan having reformed the troops
The Vermont Brigade attacked the enem
: and a heavy battle ensued, which, just be
fore sundOwn, resulted in a victory for tll
Union forces. 1t was the last victoriou
charge OF the day, aud this is the inciden
, Mr.. Scott has faithfully reproduced on car
vas. The distance from the point of attac
to Cedar Creek was about three miles, mo-
of the way through an open country. I'll
Vermont troops advanced over the battl'
!, ground of the morning, and soon after dar
e took possession of their old camp.
Mr.. Scott's canvas is twenty by ten fee
and shows the valley of the Shenandoa
looking southwest, with the Massennutt6
Mountains on the left, and in the cent
distance the high ground between Middl
l. town and Cedar Greek, on which the en-
d. my was in a very strong position, back OF
e, stone wall which crowned the crest of 4
,g continuous ridge. The perspective is a
lg mirable, and in the distance, on the ridg
n. can be seen the enemy while the for
ur ground and middle of the picture show
Vermont soldiers advance up the vallt
Sheridan is at the extreme right of the p
ture, and General l.. A. Grant, who col
manded the Union forces, is at the extrel
left-hand corner, in the rear, his position
general. Most battle-pictures are pail
ed amer the conventional manner, the 81
erals aud their stats occupying und
~ prominent positions, while whole re