St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-05-07
a Chief Hero of Gettysburg.

IL lS' d. III RESPONSE 10 tue pIc>lueNt $
call for troops for three months service.
lie was then about 30 years of age, but
had left law practice, giving promise
OF great success. The regiment never
saw active service, but ut the eXpira-
tion OF Its time was reorgauized as a
Chiee years regiment, the S3d Pennsyl-
wanna, with Vincent as lieuteuant-cul-
Onel.
-, When Lee moved his army down the
Shenandoah valley, at the beginning of
the campaign that eliminated at Get
tysDurg, Hooker, whose army had been
scattered along the Rappahannock.
moved so as to keep between him and
washington. Vincent was then colonel
commanding Il brigade. About the
middle OF June, Hooker was not far
from the old Bull Run field and Lees
cavalry had been pushed across the
London valley, and over the low range
Oh the Bull Run mountains. Our cav
! any, under Pleasanton. had driven
! t,lell back into the valley and through
me ilttle village of Aldie, but OWING to
Uhe nature of the country were unable
10 uilVe them further, and sent for as
SlStahce from the infantry. Vipcent's
brigade was selected, and lust at sunrise
ol il beautiful summer morninr. thev
formed line on the hill overIool1in@
| the valley, west of Aldie. 1t was a
beautiful scene. The previous cam
paISn of the Potomac had been in \
sterile, wornout country here was the
garden or Virginia. 20 miles away
was the hazy line of the Blue RIDGE.
with Ashby's gap Immediately in our
front-a splendid turnpike running to
the gap over succession of little hills
the road bOrdered on each side by
regular walls made of flat stone, and
the fertile fields separated by walls run
ming at right angles with the road.
These walls had stopped our cavalry.
as looking across the first little valley.
we saw, on the crest of the opposite
hill, line of the enemy's cavalry, with
two batteries, and behind another wall
IN the bottom of the valley Il line OF
dismounted men. Soon a puff of white
smoke from the opposite hill and the
scream of shell told us they had not
ed our approach.
Vincent surveyed the field but few
moments. The right of the enemy's
line (opposite our left was plainly Wis
lble Ill the valley. Detachiug one reg
iment from his brigade, he directed it
to move to the left some distance, and
then advance to the front in some tim
Der which would conceal them until
they had fanked the enemy's line. A
battery was brought up to reply to the
confederate guns, and the ball was
opened.
The fanking party moved rapidly.
Cavalry, however numerous and we'll
disciplined, will seldom stand against a
well-sustained attack by infantry. Vim
cent advanced his line in front as the
tianking column appeared. A few en-
fiiadlng shots along the wall started the
dlsmOunted cavalrymen for their horses.
The battery limbered up in hot haste
and disappeared behind the hill. The
line moved on steadily down through
the valley and up the hill, to find the
enemy IN similar position Oh the next
hlli, mile away. The cavalry filed
into the road and moved slowly along
in our rear; the battery took position
on the hill just vacated by the enemy.
The maG9uvre was repeated again and
again with the same result. The enc
my's cavalry could not or would not
stand after our men came within rifle
range. The chase was exciting. but
exceedingly hot and tiresome, as the
sun rose higher and the day wore on.
| Vincent had been ordered to assist the
cavalry, and as he saw his men becom-
ing exhausted by the heat and rapid
marching, was annoyed that the caval-
ry had done nothing. At last the enc
my reached a point where they seemed
determined to stand. Our flanking
party was out of sight; one of our regi-
ments, deployed as skirmishers, was in
front. The other two were slowly fol-
lowing in line when Vincent, with his
staff, reached the summit of the hill
which the enemy had just left. They
had evidently received reinforcements,
as another battery was plainly visible
on the opposite hill. In the valley be-
tween us, strong line was seen, post
ed behind the usual wall on the right
OF the turnpike. On the left was strip
OF timber, extending for perhaps a mile
along what was evidently stream, as
at the turnpike we could see a bridge
which the enemy had blocked against
our cavalry by placing pole diagonal
ly across it. The firing of the skirmish-
ers up in the timber was rapid, but the
men did not advance, an aid, sent to
direct them to press on, returned with
word that the stream was too deep to
ford. PleasantOn sent an officer of his
staff to say that if Vincent would take
the bridge and remove the pole, he
would charge. Vincent replied ''Bring
on your cavalry the bridge will be
ready" One moment he sat on his
horse surveying the field. then drawing
his sword he flashed it in the sun, and
dashed for the bridge, shouting as he
rode, III tones distinctly heard by the
enemy on the opposite hill: s'There
they go again, boys! now give them
-" well no matter about the remark.
The enemy did go. The officers rushed
to and fro across the field, trying to
stop them and prevent panic, but in
vain. The skirmishers, who had begun
to move down the stream, were quick
ly with Vincent; the pole was tossed
into the gorge; the cavalry thundered
over the bridge and up the hill, and we
saw no more of the enemy that day.
They rallied some miles beyond, in the
plain at the foot of the Blue Ridge
but vigorous charge dispersed them.
and drove them into Ashby's gap.
len days later we were in Pennsvl-
vania. The marching had been rapid, but
the men pressed on jubilantly. In Ma
ryland we had found many sympathiz,
ers; the stars and stripes fioated from
the windows Of many private houses
but in quite as many the curtains were
down, the doors closed, and the people
If visible watched our moving column
IN sullen silence. But once in Peppsvl
vania, our march was continual oyo.
ton. We learned that Lee was near
and that the advance of the two armie,
had already met. All knew that n de-