Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-07

ago the entire body OF our youth were enrolled ny
i iorS from the o farm ' and he counting house.
from the factory and tho shop, from the lumber
camp and the college one aud all urged by the
demands OF duty, o willing Offering Our regi-
ments were not purchased or driven 10 the held
The veterans ut to-day were the volunteers OF lsos
The Vermont Brigade was the product OF our COM
mon schools. 1t was In effect the State itself, IN
the person OF YOUTH the choicest and best with
ness, at Gettysburg, at Zig Bethel and at Sailors
Greek. The first and the last engagement OF inc
war sent our mountain sons to their burial ~ the
bloodest conflicts over the entire territory OF the
State, The banner OF our little state waved side by
side with the stars and stripes, and no Vermont
regiment ever lost to the enemy Its battle nag
The tota cnlistments from Vermont were over
thirty thousand Our population was about three
hundred thousand one-tenih a. hrst Hoes nor
or these three hundred thousand one half, i've.
tenths, were women 1hrec-ienths more We're
cnildrcn or aged men, The total number Of men OF
military age was only ABOUT Sky thousand.
large rart OF these were incapicitaei from
military duty by III heath or Disability by their
professions and the cN gencics OF home require
mcnts, by honorable INABILITY TO respond OF many
kinds, so that practically nearly every one OF our
abe-bohlci youth was present or accounted Tor,
IN the armies OF the Union The total enli ''inents
credited to our State by the War Department were
1921 This number exceeded the proportion que
from vermont in the distribution Of quotas among
the Northern States by 1918 men Of TINS number
there died In action, OF wounds or OF disease, De-
fore discharge total OF SIPS How many more were
dIsaD ed aud broken down, no one can tell. Inc
engagement, In which our troops took honorable
enrolled IA the recirus OIL tne Ate unu
Nation. 1t VIII not weary you II briefly enumer-
ate the number OF actions participated III by each
| command. The First Vermont 4 three mouths
regiment. was q Great Bethel. The Second TOOK
par; III tweny-elght engagements, from the nrst
bull Run to Sailors Greek The rhird in twenty
eight. The Fourth In twenty.six: The Fifth IN
enth III five. The Eighth In seven. The Ninth IN
tour. The Tenth in thirteen. The Elevehtn III
twelve. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth and sixteenth,
nine months men, were in Hancock front al Get
tysoure. The seventeenth was ia thirteen battles
The FIRST Company of Sharpshooiers was IN thirty
seven. The Second and Third Companies IN TWEEN
ty. four. The cavalry regiment fonght the enemy
no less than seventy.threc times. from the Shenan
doah Valley In the Spring OF 1859 to Appomattox
Isii any wonder, my comrades, that we love to
meet from time to time and revive the memories OF
those stirring days7 This beautiful park Is devot-
| ed to social and philanhrop.c assemba ages aud re-
| unions Week by week are gathered here Organll-
| atoms OF every name and devoted 10 every worthy
cause. What other body that here assemblies has
the right TO take rank with us ?
| We represent. to-day vermont as u was In the
days OF the rebellion. Sturdy, loyal Vermont. Her
sons were IN the ranks. Her daughters cheered us
on with words OF love and courage. Her father,
bale us go and do our duty. Her mothers-those
LOVING mOthers-lid not hold Us back but saved
their tears until the NE and drum were yoiceless
down the dusty road, and then fastened to their
closets where they wept and prayed In silence. on,
those anxious days and those weary nights
Weary were the hearts ARTS waiting for the light
| As memory flows back TO those terrible years. We
begin to realize how trivial and common-place are
the sUcCtrsts OF lU-tluy. Now prosperity dUDuuus
throughout our borders, and cheerful faces meet us
| everywhere. Then, constant and all pervading
anxiety and gloom illed the land. Enquiries for the
latest news from the arby were In every mouth.
Strangers were stopped al every farm house for re-
cital and conjecture Defeats were only stiInu-
| lants 20 a renewed putting forth OF the Nations
energy victories were the theme ofdevout thanks
gvngs. And thus through the alterations OF the
| many fears while our dear ONES at home watched
and tremblcd, the soldiers AT the front struggled
and toled, until our hopes at last became triumph
ant DER our fears. and were realized in full frui-
| What day was that when Richmond fell I!
CHANGED to be passing through New York, return.
| ing from afurough, on the day the news came In.
II seemed US If the entire city was wild with de-
4 light. Flags without number filled the air. floating
| from every mast, and from every building top
cnging about every pillar AMI arching every en-
trance way. Words u Joy echoed on every hand.
Strangers graspcd strangers hands, some in loud
exuiaiOn. sonle In silent but more expressive emo
openly III every street and the burden OF the
whole was this God bless the Army OF the Po-
tOmac, Its noble officers ami men. God bless them
! ALL now and ever more"
We know what was the price of this success then
so vociferousy appaudel We who were at the
front found little reward in congratulations and
| glory The applause of men Is of pubic worth,
honol 4 'asalit 10 the ear It may appear, by way OF
reeompense for day uson the eai'le hed: We
Our true compensation is found only in the welIal,
and salvation OF the nation, worked out at our ex-
pensr, AMI hy the toll and suffering chiefly OF the
common soldiers, the prlvates IN the ranks.
1t Will not he altogether waste OF time to revive
phase OF TWO OF MS MY
Is guided by the announcement in The official pro.
gIammG Of the day that " Prisoners Association
was TO he here organized. There Ia material
for such an organz eaton among our pleasant hills.
Not all OF our comrades who were captured by tn
enemy III hattla, died IN the Southern stockades.
few survived aud are here to d \ My own regi-
mcnt ha the Misfortune on one occasion to lose, as
prisoners, almost an enti'e battalion, is 5fcers and
24j enlisted men. OF the officers. one was shot to
death as lie was lcaplng for life from moving
| tram one WAS pulled down aud Killed by blood
hounds IN Carolina swamp; some I'VE or SIX cs-
and the others after time We're regularly eX-
| changed. OF the Unlisted men, 1855 out OF the 245
died IN prison, and many OF the 50 who returned
soon after passed away.
| Col. Walker then graphically narrated the story
| Of the Anders0nvil deaih-irap AMI continued:
| Let us turn from this terrible picture and briefly
recall, by way OF contrast, another scene In the
history OF the half-forgouen war, IN which again
many Of you were participants refer 10 the alter
noon OF Oct /. 1864, when we reestabllshed our lines
on the banks OF Cedar Creek rs the SUI went down.
No one Of yua needs to be reminded OF the story
| Of the morning of that eventful day III, sudden
surprise upon the distant left the hasty striking of
tents, an forming OF ranks, anu marching out into
the battle; the fierce conflict In the foX and mist
with an ardent enemy flushed with victory over
powerlng our divisions III succession one by one
the dogged retreat; the new line OF battle taken
up; the gathering together Of the scanty regiments
OF the 6in and 18th Corps, forming the Official
reports agree upon Getty vs. line" OF which the old
Vermont Brigade was the stubborn centre, win the
| 10th and sth Vermont, aud the Vermont cavalry
| regiments IN sight near by.
Wnie thus waiting for the complete reformation OF
the army ,sulkiy ana perhaps proi.nely growing
and expecting the reDtl charge which we grew
more confident We should repulse, we heard cheers
behind US gu the pike. We were astounded. There
we stood, driven four miles already, quietly wait
| Ing for what might be further and immediate dis
asler. while lar IN the rear we heard the straggers
though victory had been won. We could hardly
| believe our ears.
when Buchanan Reads well-known poem has
since made familiar As the sturdy sheridan, on
his merry steed, necked win foam from his two hours
down the line, our DIVISION broke forth into the
most tumulluous applause. Ardent General Custer
Irst stop ed MIN aud Kissed hun before MS inen
His Lext halt was before our own brigade. Such
a scene us MS presence produced and such emo
tious as II awoge can not be realized once In cen
| fury. All outward manifestations were rs enthus-
iastic Us men are capable Of exhibiting cheers
seemed 10 come from threats OF brass, and caps
Were thrown 10 the tops Of the scattering oaks
but beneath and yet superior 10 these NOISY demon
STATIONS, there was In every heart revolution of
feeling, AND a pressure pressure, Of emotion, bel ond de-
listed we were safe, perfectly and Internationally
safe, and every man knew II.
| COL Tracy, of the 9th, the lrst man In the
corps to address him, rode up, hat In hand, saying
General Sheridan we're gad 10 see YOU Nv ell, ny
G I'm glad to be here exclaimed the Genera
| Brigade " was shouted from the ranks. His an
swer was as prompt : "All right We're all
right Wen have our camps by night !" and he
sherdan's plan Of battle was something as fol-
| lows: 10 throw forward the right, nineteen corps
and cavalry, striking the left OF the enemy and
turning II If possible TO occupy the rest OF his me
| by a sharp attack, the whole army following the
| movement in grand left wheel. With this view
the Sixth Corps, our LETT, was drawn up In one line
| considerably extended.
| Time was consumed In making the necessary
| dispositions and In distributing ammunition, 80
that 1t was nearly four O'Clock when the lew guns
we had remaining commenced their ante battle sa-
| lutte. The challenge was promptly answered. and
at The appointed Time the whole line advanced
against The endny. Their stragglers had been
c0llec ed, their line well-coseI up and strong
ly ported, and their advance would soon have been
Resumed, had not our army taken the initiative
lhe long thin line Of the Sixth Corps was thus
hurled against very heavy line OF the enemy
covered throughout by series OF stone walls
| After charge in which the Vernon, Brigade
drove the enemy out OF group of buildings by the
side of little mill pond, we Kept IN the cover fol
half an hour or more, nrlng heavily, and receiving
| a return so hot that our wounded could not be re-
moved, or ammunition obtained.
AT la.t however the excellence OF Sheridan's plar