Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-03-24

eu III IGfcISc Hlc ny HIc, edcu SuCceS-
sively by the whole rebel column; and
in simply time enough for the enemy in
his impetuous charge to pass over the
ground covered by the "Army of West
ern Virginia" that whole command was
a disorganized, routed, demoralized. ter
ri6ed mob of fugitives. their camp
equipage left behind, officers and men
rushing to the rear in reckless disha.
billie. 1t was not afterwards seen as an
organization during the entire day.
That these men were brave no one
doubts; their previous brilliant conduct
had amply shown it; but a night sur
prise, total and terrific, Is too trying for
the morale of the best troops in the
world to survive
The Nineteenth Corps across the pike
had sprung to arms at the first sound
of the conflict, the men for the most part
leaving their tents and extra clothing
as they stood, and forming their lines
like soldiers. One Brigade under Col
onel, since Brigadier General, and now
Lieutenant Governor Stephen A. Thom-
as, of the Eighth Vermont, which regi-
ment it included, was formed for the
march at thestime the fight commenced,
having been ordered out on an early
reconnaissance it plunged at once across
the pike into the woods. stemming the
rout, and facing the enemy. Gen.
Wright endeavored to use it as a nucle-
US on which to reform Crooks command
and so gain time to bring up the rest of
the army to the strong line of the turn
pike, but his hopes were disappointed
the Eighth Corps refused to rally, and
in few moments Thomas Brigade was
swept back over-powered, retiring sui
lenly and leaving in the forest the larg-
est proportionate loss suffered by any
brigade during the day.
The attacking column Having now
reached the pike, Early at once crossed
the creek with Kershaw's Division and
assumed command in person. He at
tackled the Nineteenth Corps without
delay. That organization was as above
mentioned drawn up in its works, some
of the troops being actually formed on
the reverse side of their entrenchments.
But Gordon's powerful right extended
far to Emory's rear and the Nineteenth
Corps, in turn fanked and enfiladed,
although it offered an organized and en-
ergetic resistance, was soon crushed by
piecemeal, and brigade after brigade,
first losing heavily, fed in disorder.
General Wright and Sheridan's staff
worked bravely and vigorously, endeav-
oring to stop the rout and reform the
stragglers, the gallant General riding
wounded over the field. his bleeding
face bound with a handkerchief But
bravery simply could not arrest the
torrent; the Sixth Corps was ordered
in. but the excellent disposition of this
Corps and the cavalry directed by Gen.
Wright failed of success through lack
of time, and on account of the fog.
Getty's Division, two miles to the
right of Crook, heard all this firing with
astonishment simply; we could only
suppose that the attack was in front,
for we did not dream that the position
could be turned on the left, and we ex-
pected the easy repulse of the enemy !;
still we instantly struck tents, packed
knapsacks, formed our lines, and were
ready to move when called upon,
The Third Division, then the First,
and lastly the Second, of the Sixth
Corps being now moved by the left flank
and by file left were succcssively put in
the way of the charging column, each
passing by the rear of the preceding
Division and forming in echelon on its
left, so that Getty's Division passed to
the left of the corps, endeavoring to
reach the high ground on the pike near
Middletown. The cavalry from our
right continued the same movement ard
passed behind US to our left and rear
But the right of the enemy's column
kept along the creek toward our right
flank after sweeping clear the intrcnch-
ments of the Nineteenth Corps, and our
Third and First Divisions were success.
sively attacked and overpowered by
Early's now concentrated army. They
were lost to our sight in the fog but we
could hear the noise of their battle, and
we knew that they were fighting. despe-
rately. Nearly every field officer in the
First Division (Wheaton's) was killed
or wounded. General Ricketts,, in COM
mand of the Corps, was wounded almost
mortally. The Tenth Vermont in the
Third Division went back long dis.
tance after commencing its retreat, in
the face of the leaden rain, to recapture
and save battery from which the hors
es had been shot, dragging off its guns
by hand. Twenty-four cannon had now
been lost and the enemy had hardly
been checked for a moment.
AS Getty's Division moved by the
left across the plain in the rear of the
late camping ground, making as men
tioned ahova for tho hioh oround MOO,