Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-09-11
VERMONT REGIMEN rs.
The Vermont Brigade.

by one who does not belong 10 IL, and who
Rcrcr toaS ia Yermon
They were honest farmers turned vag;-
bonds. They Were simple countrymcn turn
ed INTO heroes. They were quiet townsmen
that had become rovers. They stole ancient
horses and bony cows on the march. They
pilIaged moderately in othor things. They
swept the diaries and they stripped the orch
ards for miles where they travelled. They
chased rabbits when they went into camp
after long marches, and they yelled like In-
dams when ncighboring camps were silent
through fatigue. They were i'll disciplined
and familiar with their officers. They swag.
gered in n cool, impudent way, aud looked
down with u patronizng Yankee GOODNESS
upon all regiments that were better drilled
and upon that part of the army generally
that did not belong to the Vermont brigade.
They were strangely proud not of them
selves Individually, but of the brigade col
lectvely; for they knew perfectly well they
were the best fighters in the known world.
They were long of limb and could outnarch
the army. They were individually selErel-
ant and skillfu in the use of arms, and they
honestly believed that the Vermont brigade
could not DO beaten by all the combined
armies of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting qualities
almost from their first skirmish. This Was
at Lees Mills. They crossed Il narrow dam
under II fire, made the attack they were in
structed to make, and came back wading
deep in the water with II steadiness that sur
prised the army. They were I'M ncorrigible,
irregular. noisy set of rascals. They were
much sworn at during their four years OF
| service; yet they were at all times n pct
brigade. There were but two things they
would do-march and fight; and these they
did in n manner peculiarly their own They
had n long, slow, swinging stride on the
march which distanced everything that toll
lowed them. They had quiet, attentive,
earnest individual way of fighting that made
them terrific in battle. Each man knew
that his noighbor in the ranks was not going
to run away, and he knew, also that he him
self intended TO remain where he was. Ac.
cordingly 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 holly
engaged they made queer, quaint jokes, and
enjoyed them greatly. They erowed like
cocks, they ba-a-ed like sheep, they neighed
like horses, they beloved like bulls, they
counterieited with excellent effect the in
dcscribable music ofthe mule. When, per.
chance, they held picket line in forest II
seemed as If Noahs ark had gone to pieces
there.
In every engagement in which this brigade
took part 1t was compimented for gallant
conduct. One of the most remarkable of liz
performances, however, has never appeared
in print, nor has it been noticed in the re-
ports. After the battle of Gettysburg, wher
Ices army was in tho vicinity of Hagcrs
town and the Antetam, the Vermont brig
AIDE was deployed rs a diminishing line, an
tioipating n general engagement. The enc
my had evidently determined to attack. A
last his line Of battle came forward. Tn,
batteries opened Mt once, and the skirmish
ers delivered their fire. Our troops were on
the alert and stood watching for the skirm
ishers to come in and waiting to receive the
coming assault But the skirmishers woulC