Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-10
From the Rutland Herald, May Sth.
Uls War Record.

Col. Redfeld Proctor will be candidate
before the next State Convention for the
office of Governor. 1t is his right to run for
the office of Governor; it is the right OF the
Convention to reject him and choose one OF
his competitors if it takes, but it is the
right of no man to attempt to soil his reputa-
ton by brutal personalities and lying insinu-
atoms. His war record is called for by his
enemies with clamor that forbids silence
on the part of his friends, since silence would
imply that truthful answer to this call
would do Col. Proctor dishcnor. A reticent
man by temperament, Col. Proctor does not
pirate about his war record, but he can claim
this advantage over his mean spirited enc
mics, that be has war record that whatever
degree of merit his fellow citizens may con-
cede to it. was made by honest and upright
service in the field; if his blood did not
water, nor his bones fertilize the soil o. Nir-
ginia, it was not because of any failure on
his part to put himsel at the front where
the angry shots CT the enemy fell the thlckest.
Col. Proctor entered the service of bis country
in the Summer of 1851 as quartsrmaster of
the Third Vermont, but asked and obtained
of Governor Fairbanks the first vacant field
officers place, that of Maj of the Fifth Yer
most Major Proctor was with his regiment
during the autumn of 1861, but during the
dreadful Winter of 1861 and 60, when tho
5th Vermont had over 500 sick at one time,
Major Proctor was Frustrated with :he rest
BY typhoid fever, and his life was despaired
Of more than once by his friends before he
finally recovered. As soon as his condition
permitted him to travel, Major Proctor hast
ened to Join his regiment, and found it on
the Peninsula in face Of the enemy. Moth
ing daunted by the sickness and hardship of
army life that he had already tasted of,
Major Proctor accepted the command of the
18th Vermont regiment in the Fall of 1862,
and the work of the ID Vermont brigade, as
everybody knows, was no holiday work.
The brigade was at Gettysburg; 18th, 18th
and 10th regiments. showing the most
muskets, were ordered into the fight that
was raging when the brigade arrived,
and the 18th and 18th regiments were
detained by order of General Sicklss
to guard the wagon train Of the army.
This is Colonel Proctor's war record. A
man of frail health, he cast into the scale
at that terrible time the weight OF mis- char
acter and example when none too many men
of education and social influence were an
SWeTlDR kit VI Tue CniOu hC otlNSu
the Third Vermont as quartermaster with
zeal, integrity and ability !; he did his whole
duty in the Fifth Vermont as soon as he
was able to leave bis sick bed he did his
whole duty with the Fifteenth Vermont.
and if any man thinks there are no sacrifices
nor trials in military service in tho field,
saving wounds and death, let him ask his
first neighbor who served in the Army Of the
Potomac but to thrice place one self in the
Army Of the Potomac. where. under unrc-
lenting rigor there is no such thing as
favor or shelter when the enemy are to the
fore, to place yourself deliberately where
wounds and death are the probabilities,
and ayoidable by no act Of your own, is as
noble as If your possibilities had become
actualities and your name was found among
the wounded or the dead.
Colonel Proctor, at that time when the
nation had need of him. went to war like
man taking his chance fairly to return
or to fall, Just as God willed, and it is
an insult to every man who risked wounds
and death and honorably missed them to be
asked for his record by some stay-at-home
ranger who spurred his neighbors with
winged words to the front while he urbanely
refused to divide with them the danger and
the Immortality of the sacrifice he urged
them to accept. 1t is but a transient honor
in the eyes of men to be Governor of Yer
mont, but it is undying honor in the eyes Of
God to have been stout and faithful soldier
in the army of the Union.
We have never happened to see anything
approaching "slur" upon Col. Proctors'
military record and to seriously question it
in the presence of any Vermont soldier
would probably not be very agreeable for the
questioner. Col. Proctor was one of the
hest of the Colonies of the Second Brig
ade. having the fullest respect and conf
dence of the officers and men Of his command,
and Of the whole Brigade. 1t was regi-
meni which, under his command, was count
ed on to do its full duty, as measured by the
most exacting standard, and it never failed
in any particular. The regiment was on the
field of Gettysburg, joining the Brigade on
Cemetery Hill, the centre and key of the posi-
ton, on the night of July LIST. and remaining
till noon Of the second day of the battle,
when it was ordered back to guard the army
train at Rock Creek. Though not put in
during the actual shock of battle, Col.
Proctor and his regiment were there on the
field ready and willing to go in ; and no man
in the Brigade ever doubted that if they had
had the some opportunity, they would have
done as gallant and effective fighting as did
their brothers Of the other regiments en-
gagged.