Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-12-28

4 History orCo. & by 1t. Col. W. Y. w
Ripley.

Tor The suppression of the great rebellion.
They were picked men. Their service was
one OF peculiar exposure, aud of especial ef-
fectv,ness. Yet hitherto much less has
been generally known about it than of that
OF the rest Of our Vermont troops. Their
numbers were small as compared with other
organizations They were generally scpa-
rated from all other Vermont troops, being
aitlchcd to lrlgaGcs and divisions which
contained TO Vermont regiments. They
had few newspaper correspondents among
their number, and did little blowing of
trumpets 10 their own behalf. The reports
of Adjutant General Washburn contain little
more than record Of their membership and
clsuaItits. There was serious danger that
the men competent 10 write their history
would all pass from life, and leave to pos
t.rity nothing approaching an adequate rec
ord of their service. This danger has been
to good extent obtia,ed by the appearance
of Col. William Y. W. Ripleys history of
Co +, Fist United States sharpshootcrs,
just issued from the press of futile e. Co. of
Rutland.
Col. Ripley was tue lieutenant colonel of
the Fist regiment Of sharpshooters during
the larger part of the first year of its ser.
vice, and till he was disabled bya wound
which came near costing him u leg, received
at Malvern Hill. lie was its commander in
its first camp of instruction and generally
during his connection with it, its fighting
commandCr-Col. Bcrdan having done little
moro than 10 orgauize the regiment and lend
it his name. A wealthy and leading citi-
zen of Rutland, with which town his
family name has been 50 prominently
and honoraby connected in many ways-a
man of affairs and large business responsible
tics, he hgs nevertheless been willing TO
spend the time aud labor-apprccablc only
by those who have undertaken similar tasks
to prepare n history Of his regiment, and
especially of the Vermont company IN it.
lie has looked up surviving members of the
company and got them together at Rutland
at various times during the past two years
for comparison of notes aud rrcollcclions
has collected much original material, and
has woven il into a history which makes a
compact volume Of ovor200pa and forms
one OF the bcs, written and most interesting
contributions 10 the military history of our
State. We give an extract on two as cx-
amples Of Col. Rpley's style. The following
is from his description Of the battle If Nal
vcrn Hill, which closed, with Union vic
tory, the famous seven days of battles on the
PENINSULA
AT about twelve o'clock heavy clouds of
dust Arising in the north announced the ap- |
proach Of lhe Confederate columns, and soon |
alter scouts and skirmishers began to make |
their presence known by shots from the |
eisc OF the woods, some two hundred yards |
distant, dirccte.! at every exposed head. A |
pull Of smoke from that direction, however,
was certain TO be answered by dozen well |
aimed rifles from the sharp shooters, and the |
rebel scouts soon tired of that amusement.
In the meantime the artillery firing had be-
come very heavy on both sides, our own de-
pressing their muzzles so as to, sweep the
woods IN front; the effect of this was to
bring the line of fire unpleasanty near the
heads OF the advanced sharp shooters. The
gun boats also joined in The cannonade, aud
as their shells often burst short, over aud
even behind the line Of skirmishers, the po-
sition soon became one of grave danger from
both sides.
AT about half-past two the artillery fire
from the rebel lire slackened perceptibly,
and soon appeared, bursting from the edge
81 the forest, heavy line Of skirmshcrs who
advanced at a run, apparently unaware of
my considerable force in their front. Bugler
Morse OF 20. +. who accompanied the CON-
handing officer as chief bugler on that day,
was at once ordered to sound Commence fir
ns" and the sharp shooters sent across the
ltld and into the lines of the ou-coming
'enels, such storm Of lead from their breech
oading rifles as soon checked their advance
and sent them back to the cover of the
woods in great confusion and with serious
oss. Inc rcpulse was but momen,ary, how
,ver, Tor soon another line appeared so beav-
ly reinforced that it was more like line |
II battle than skrmish lire Still, howev-
r, The sharp shooters chung to their ground,
irlng rapidly aud with precision as the thin
led ranks OF the Confcdcrates, as they press
ID on, atlcsed. They would not, however,
re denied, but still came on at the run, firing $
IS they came. AT this moment the sharp shoot
RS became aware Of force of rebel
kirmishers on their right flank, who COM
nehced flrlng steadily and at almost point 6
hank range, from the shelter Of roadway
'ordercd by hedges. The buglc now sound
a retreat, and the sharp shooters fell back
ar enough to escape the effect of the flank |
ire, when they were halted and once more [
Irncd their faces to the enemy. The tables .
we're now turned; the rebels had gained the
heIter OF the ravine, and were firing with u
tcat dell Grafton at our men who were fully s
Xposed in the open field in front of the Crew
oase. SIM the sharp shooters held their r
fouhti, aud, ny the greater accuracy of their
ire, combuci with the advantage of greater C
apidity given by brcoch leaders over muzzlc C
oaders, Kept the rebels well under cover. I,
having thus cleared the way, as they sup
ooscd, for their artillery, the rebels sought to p
ianl battery in the open ground on the 5
liner side OF the woods which had screened @
neir advance. The noise Of chopping had l.
cen plainly heard for some time us their
ionoers labored in the woods opening pas
age Tor the gnrs. Suddenly there burst out
The dense foliage four magnificent gray
orsts, and behind them, whlrled along like n
childs toy, the gun. Another and another
DloWed, sweeping out into the plain. As
nc head OF the column turned to the right to
o into battery, every rifle within range was L
roughl to bear, and horses and men began q
iall rapidly. Still they pressed On, and u
men lilcre were no longer horses to haul the n
uns, The gunners sought 10 put their pieces n
ITO battery by hand nothing, however, u
ould stand before that terrible storm of lead AZ AZ
nd after len minutes of gallant effort the s
'w survivors, leaving their guns in the open !,
cid, took shelter in the friendly woods. Not !;
gun was placed in position or fired from -,
iat quarter during the day. This battery &
'as known as the Richmond Ilowitzers and n
las composed of the very flower of the young II
zen OF that city; it was their first fight, and "
} many their last. A member of the battery, "
describing ii TO an officer of the sharp y
hooters soon after the close If the war, said y,
lthlly; "We went in battery aud came " ~
ut wreck. We staid ten minutes by the :, -
'atch and came out with one qua, ten men, ~
nd two horses, and without firing n shot" |,