St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-10-05
An Episode of Gettysburg.
HOW GEN. SEDGwICK'S SIXTH CORPS
MARCHED TO THE BATTLE.

HOW GEN. sEDGwICK'S SIXTH CORPS
MARCHED TO THE BATTLE.
The proposed excursion of Massa-
chusetts soldiers and their friends to
Gettysburg, Pa, on the 23d of October.
to locate the memorial tablets to mark
the positions of the various Massachu-
setts commands engaged there on each
day of the battle, naturally awakens
fresh interest in the part taken by the
soldiers of our state in that great con-
tiict. The only Western Massachusetts
soldiers on the field were the 10th and
;1th regiments in the brigade of New
tons division, 9th corps, formerly com
manded by Gen. Devens, but ut that
time under Col. II. l.. Eustis. The 9th
corps, it will be remembered, was the
last to reach the battle field, being
more than thirty miles away at the
opening of the contest, and was but
partially engaged ut the close of the
second day and through the last or
third days fighting. But on their
march from Manchester, taken in con-
nection with their previous severe ser
vice, the men of that command exhibit
ed that wonderful power of endurance
which later gave the corps the name of
''Sedgwick's foot cavalry"
This march has been declared by
competent military authority the most
wonderful in modern history, and a
graphic picture of it from the pen of
one who participated will be given i'll
Mr.. Bowen's forthcoming history of
the 9th regiment, which it is expected
will he published in the early part of
1884. The story properly begins with
the movement of the two opposing
armies nOrthward from the banks of
the Rappahannock in the early part of
June, 1868. Gen. Lee having decided
upon his unfortunate invasion of the
free states left A. =. Hills corps in the
old defeuses at Fredericksburg to
maintain Il show of strength, while the
bulk of the confederate army sought to
elude Hooker and gain some decided
advantage of position before the inten-
ton of the movement should be dis
covered. Lees design, however, was
penetrated by Gen. Hooker at the out
set and the main body of the army of
the Potomac moved between the south
ern forces and Washington, Obliging
Lee to remain on the west side of the
Blue Ridge, while the 9th corps was
left to watch Hill and protect the rear.
For ten days Gen. Sedgwick operated
necessarily against the heights across
the river, and though there was only
Il continual skirmishiug between the
two corps, with no serious fighting, the
weary federals during all that time had
little rest or sleep. BY day they were
on the skirmish line or marching and
cOuntermarching i'll and out of sight of
their enemies, to give the impression
of large force intending determined
attack, while by night they were in
trenching or engaged i'll other duties.
Finally, on the night of June l3, under
cover of II rain-storm, the corps with
drew to the Falmouth shore of the
river and the exhausted men, wrapped
only IN their blankets, threw them
selves on the soaked ground, regard
less of the pouring rain, and slept
heavily till the bugles sounded the
signal for the march toward Washing
ton.
And such march Considerable
rain had fallen, and over the muddy
Virginia roads the great army had
been moving with its multitude of
horses, wagons, artillery and ambu-
lances. Let the reader picture one
vast eXpanse of mud, in the midst of
which runs a poorly defined highway
for i'll the search for better footing
thousands of men and horses and wheels
have made a common way of the bOr-
dering lands. Far as the eye can
reach a great blue throng surges hither
and thither, but who can say whether
it recedes or advances No cavalry
are there, for they are away on the
outskirts, engaged in many Il daring
deed, but infantry, artillery, pontoon
and wagon trains are mingled in one
mass of confusion. The soft mud al
most engulfs the heavily loaded
wagons, and the pOnderOus wheels of
the gun carriages sink deep in the
mire. The drivers whip and scream
and swear-principally the latter
and not infrequently the pressing in
/ iantry come i'll for "A share of the male
dictions. Nor are the latter backward
in consigning to a place where no
artillery could he used the unwieldy
vehicles which block their way.
| If the country is level and unOb-
structed the infantry take to the fields
and make reasonable progress, but
here is a detile where all must pass
through the narrow cut, and the mud
is especially deep. A great Parrot gun
blocks the way, stuck fast in the slime
The horses and drivers and artillerists
who are striving to rescue their be-
loved piece occupy all the available
room, and only now and then a com
mon soldier can dodge past. Mean
while the pouring infantry fill all the
| approaches, and when at length the
cannon rolls Oh there is a rush from the
| impatient mass. Fortunate indeed il
some luckless comrade does not los,
his footing and roll over and over il
the half-liquid sea. A few pass and
then another gun or caisson or Wagon
lurches into the same slough and the
struggle is repeated as the long day
wears itself away. But at such time
:.