Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-16

would make volumes.
We now recur to one of the important
events of 1868 and not without blush OF
shame for the disgraceful draft riots, which
called the veterans from the front, to oenforce
the laws. and preserve order and peace ai
home The name Of ''coppcrhead' will re-
main forever Il lit designation for such venom
ous traitors, as in time of such peril 10 the
nation, could rise in open resistance TO ncces-
sary laws. The murder Of innocent and
helpless colored people, arson and riot were
apt illustrations of the spirit which animated
them, and had Il worthy counterpart in tine
measures taken by the rebels TO fill up their
depleted ranks.
Colonel Richardson, the rebel guerrilla,
issued IN order requiring all men of West
Tennessee, between the ages of Is and Al, TO
report TO his camp under the rebel conscript-
ton laws: and issued the following instruc-
tions to govern them in carrying ont the
order:
..If n man should absent himself from home 10
avoid the ORDER burn his house and all his property,
| except such IA may he useful To this command.
III man rcssis this by refusing 10 report, shoot
| him down and leave HIM dying;
.'If man takes refuge in his house AMI Oilers re-
sistance. set the house on fire, and guard it,,
81 he may moi gel out
But we return to the front, where, at such
great sacrifice, the monster treason, in open
arms. was finally crushed. Commencing in
the Wilderness the 9Th day of May, 1864
the bright sun looked down upon the quiet
woods and peaceful fields, shedding. Gods
blessing on all the earth, Oh the just and un-
just alike, while the days were not long
enough for treason TO work its evil wishes.
and many loyal .JoshlIas prayed for power to
make the sun stand still while they should
destroy the enemies of their nation. We
| ha Iaart n rafnll dreadful
days.
| These We're not brave soldiers of the nation
only who fell on those fields. Long years
of peril incurred together, of labor shared, of
duties divided. of kindness reciprocated, of
love and friendship bestowed, had made
them our devoted comrades onr dearest
friends. our beloved brothers. These were
noble souls whose bloody death made many
many hearts To bleed Their names recall.
each one the noblcst characteristics of hu-
man nature the smiling kind and gentle
Barney. the prompt and urlanc Stone, the
cool and chivalrous Tyler, the ready and
impctuous Dudley, and all that galaxy of
stars. noble hearts, that went down amid the
fire and smoke, roar and crash, death and
carnage of those dreadful battles Have you
reflected, can We realize, that in those two
months of May and June occurred nearly
the Vermont troops The old Vermont Brig
ade lost more than half Of all who crossed
the Rapidan in the first fifteen days. But
We cannot follow the noble army through all
its devious way, 10 the glorious end What
a trail of blood Of trial, and of suffering did
that old brigade mark out, through those
weary months and years of march and battle,
of bivnuac and camp. About one fifth of all who
entered the service laid down their lives he
| fore the end was reached, not speaking of the
thousands more, who died subsequent to
| their discharge, from wounds or disease in
Cured in the line of duty. And this record,
we must remember. was duplicated by all the
States of the loyal North The statistics of
the Surgeon Generals Office, as published
in the Medical and Surgical History Of the
War" show that more than 800, 900 men of
the loyal army laid down their lives during
the war for there We're
Killed in battle ........... ~ gss
Died of wounds and IN iures .............. 1925
Died of disease anl oihrr .o.926
Total. 3ui aG9
The reports of the Adiutant Generals
Office also show 2Sd,5i5 enlisted men dis
charged for disability.
The last great muster only shall tell how
many of these came home, hui 10 linger 4
'iiii' IA anu l''iiii, I'M ~ " wv"
| How many shall we say: A few thousand
more or less do not matter, in the grand total
set to the account of treason and rebellion.
500, 900 loyal martyrs
| Sow they stand in the spirit land
\ ghn-Ily band; no sword IN hand,
confronting the foe that wrought this wo'.
Awaiting the call To the Judgment hall,
Where the Judge oi ALL notes the sparrow $ fa
All. All the blood of the South, all the
tears of the widows and orphans left help
less and dcsolate, by the death of those gal
liant and sacred dead can not wash out the
guilt Of the desperate treason that was the
cause of their taking off.
| But in writing up the sum Of villainy Of
! the rebellion, we must not forget the Keen
est, hittcrcst trials of all which were incur
red 10y those who fell into the hands of the
enemy, and We're first robbed, and then in
carccr;t,c,i in ..iu i.sis.n p.ns of anderson
Vile. Columbia, Belle Island, and Libby
| Prison No tongue can tell, no pen can
write the tale, of the suffering, anguish
and DEATH witnessed by the unrclcnting
fcnts, that would not amclioratc their con-
di,ion, rs they might have done.
! IT WAS my painful duty in the winter Of
| ls6i IL To inspect the men in nearly all of
our hospitals, and can meyer forget the ap-
pcarancc of those starved and blasted men,
| who had but recently been exchanged. In
every hospital, especially along the border, -
| for most Of them were unable 10 he moved
| further North, as the men of each ward
| were mustered for our inspection. il was an
easy matter 10 select out without further aid
| than their appearance those who had been
confined in the rebel prisons
| The cmaciatcd bodies, the dull eyes. the
dry and seemingly dead hair the shrivclled,
dlscolored, parchmeni-appcaring skin, the
uncertain feeble movements all these told
the story Of their sulIerings more cloGuently
than words can do.
How striking the contrast with the treat
mcni accorded II Confederate soldiers who
| fell into our hands. Immediately following
this inspection duty, my orders brought me
ia command Of the Post and Prison Camp,
at Elmira. n Y, where j, 900 rebel prisoners
were well housed, well clothed, and well
fed confinement alone being the only in
convenience they suffered. And ! parocd
these men and shipped them of t" their
homes the hclthicst and hcarticSt, j"llicst
set OF men that ever Wore the Confederate
gray with all their private property AMI
money restored To them with the most care
| full cXactntSs | need not rchearse Ia you
| the dreadful atrocities that attended the I'M
prisnnmcnt Of our unfortunate comrades.
We find opposite the name of Lieut.. L. Is.
Parker in the al julani- generals reports tins
simple record Taken prisoner June o3,l,
1851. and died at Columbia, :. C., October
18th, 1864, from injuries received from blood
hounds.
Could volumes reveal more clearly than
this relation oi these simple facts the spirit
which governed the two sections? And
when at last armed rebellion had been hunt
ed from its last ditch and brave though tie
4 10 lsli
down their arms what more fitting finale
than the capture Of the arch traitor himself.
Disguised in female apparel. while skulking
away with stolen gold, in the attempt 10 hide
himself from the worlds coniumcly IN some
foreign land. And when did vanquishcd foe
ever receive from gallant conqucrcr such
generous treatment! Their necessary ami
pressing wants supplied, their horses and all
their private property restored; they were
moi even detained for more perfect settle
mcnt of terms OF peace M hostages retain
ed, no pledges required except Ia return To
their homes remain at peace and obey the
laws. But, alas even then the mourning,
suffering nation was not permitted 10 rejoice
/ with glad hearts over the last browning vic
! tories of her armies. one more last supreme
sacrifice must hr made To the demon of de
slructlon, before the white winged angel of
| cd President whose great heart was filled
with charity for all and malice toward none,
might moi see the fruit of his !aburs hut
stricken down 10y the asS;issin's hand, laid
| down his life that would have been Il bless
| ing and "A hulwarl, of defence To all rcpcntunt
rebels How generously how "rindly. how
ever, were the purposes of the martyr Prcsi-
dent, and tho pledges of the generals of the
| army fulfilled in all the subsequent treatment
of the Southern States. How justly, how
rightcnusly might the entire area of the
| States in rebellion have been treated as con
qncrcd territory, the leaders arrested, i'm
! rrisuncd and executed, their estates ronlis-
Gated, a territorial government established
over the South, and her people put upon II
| Ion. and severe probation before they should
be- entitled To- the liberties and privileges for
which they had shown themselves unworthy
| II was II prrsCicnt wisdom that forcsaw the
dreadful end from the beginning. and stern
sense of justice, that prompted and pcnncd
the poster that placartcd the walls oi the