The National tribune., 1883-10-04
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Hare TO Say About
Their 0ld Campaigns.
The rermont 60 !. nsrye,s uelshts.

1ht HNIEatHt AsiaHatf* - fst-h AttkAlcs
To the Editor NATIOSAE TRIBUNE:
have been looking Tor long time to see
some sketch of the dOsns OF the Army Of the
Potomac. asd cspecisay OF the Sixth Corps
from I55i to 1885, but tlEs far have failed to
see anything that has come up 10 my ideas OF
what is should be. Indeed. ! have been
aroused at some things thai have appeared IN
THE TRIBUNE For installce, the assault OF
Marye's Heights in May, IS6L l see chat the
New jersey brigade claims tae honor OF that
performance for themselves. and then the
light division claims il, and now / propose to
claim cor the "old Vermont brigade" that at
least they heard a few guns and smeiied a little
powder in that famous af5iiir. At chat time tho
brigade consisted of the second, Third. Fourth,
Fifth ard Sixth Vermont and Twenty y-siXtn
New Jersey nine months, and on the morn
ing OF the ID OF May crossed the river TO the
left Of Fredericksburg. Is we faced the
heights about noon, the light division as
saRlted one or more forts 10 the right and
rear Of the town. while the artillery IN our
front was pounding away at tho forts IN our
front. The Fifth Vermont supported battery
4, Fifth United Stsltes artillery; the Second
Vermont, under Colonel Whiting, and Twenty
sixth New Jersey, under Colonel MaTtindalet?)
were ordered to the front 20 carry the works,
which had been dispensing shot and shell
TO all comers. When the st6runing column ar
rived within about half mile of the fort, Ii
was met by such a storm as To stop Its progress,
and the First Connecticut heavy artillery on
the Stafford Hills begun firing with l00-pound
Rodman, but, disabling the piece, resumed with
a 42-inch PARROT They sileneed the rebel
6-inch hOYltzer, which had been throwing
grape, ard the column moved forward In splen-
did style until within about sixty rods OF the
fort, when the Second Vermont uncovered the
Twenty New Jersey, and the left wing OF
the Jerseys broke and scattered 10 the rear
badly demoralized The Fifth Vermont was
brought up on the run to support the col
umn, but arrived t1o late to be OF much benefit,
the fort being evacuated on the near approach
of the Second Vermont and right wing Of the
Twenty New Jersey. Five guns and
four caissons were taken with the fort. The
Sixth and Third Vermont charged redoubt
or fort Immediately 10 the right of where the
Second and Fifth Vermont and Twenty-sixth
New jersey had had their success, which re-
doubt reached over to where the light division
had charged. / did hot see the New jersey
brigade until after our recall from the heights;
do rot know where they were; had all wanted
to attend TO without watching that brigade,
but do not believe they stormed any redoubt or
fort between the sunken road, where Franklin
was repnlsea in December, 1862, and the road
leading 10 Salem Church or the fort command
ing Salem Church road When we passed
through the tewn In the afternoon ! saw quite
number Of dead rebs and light division men
lying in the streets, bat none from the New
Jersey brigade. do not say but that the New
Jersey brigade performed its duty and went
where il was oraered,-f0r there was enough
for all to dO,-but simply that the cemrade
who claims that that brigade carried Maryes
Heights in May, 1868, is mistaken.
J. S. CHANDLER,
Late Co B, 5th Vt Vet Vols,
RIPToS, Vt. I'd Brig, ID Div. 9th Corps.