Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-27
The Late Col. H.. IL. Plat, u. =. a.

est nlChe OF the temple OF Fame.
The Late Col II. IL. Plat, u. Is. A.
The recent death, at Fort Lcavenworth,
| after short Illness, of Lieut. Col Edward
| X. Plat, |. S. ~, has been mentioned in
| our columns,-far too briefly, however, to
| do justice to the character and career of one
of the most gallant, modest and efficient
officers of the United States army. The
| following fuller sketch has been prepared,
from authentic sources, with especial refer
ence to Col. Platrs notably mcritorious and
effective service during the war for the
| Union which has, we think, never been
adequately described.
Col Plat was born in Burlington, VT
| the eldest son of the late James II. Platt.
lie was appointed to the United States mil
| itary academy, graduated with credit in
| 1910, and was Immediately sent, as Second
Lieutenant of the Third United States Artil-
| lery, to Florida, to tase part in the Semi
mole war. The next year he was stationed
| at Fortress Monroe, and in 1853 returned to
| West Point to be Assistant Professor of
French. He was next stationed at Fort
Smith, and Fort Washita, Indian Territory
| and in the two years following he fought the
| Indians in Florida as First Lieutenant in the
Second Artillery. From Oct. 5, 1866, to Aug.
81, 1859, he taught French At West Point, and
the breaking out of the civil war found him
at Fort Brown, Texas. Being lett in COM
mand there, by the trcachciy of Gen. Twiggs
and the desertcn Of mis- superior officers, he
brought away safely all the men, guns and
horses Of the command, floating them down
the Rio Grandc on RATS, till they were picked
up by United States vessel. He was then
sent to Fort PcKens, and was engaged in
the defence Of that solitary foothold of the
| Government in the Gulf, till shortly be-
fore the first Bull Run campaign, when he
was promoted to captaincy in the Second Ar
tillery and ordered north, with his battery to
| form part Of the army under Mcdowell,
with which the rebellion was to be crushed
at blow. In the disastrous battle of the
| first Bull Run, it fell to his lot TO render an
especially valuable piece of service. Stu
dents of that battle will remember that
about five o'clock in the afternoon, after the
rcpulse and rOut of rhe right of McDowe lis
army, formidable demonstration was made
against his left, posted along the Centrcville
ridge, by a rebel column, which crossed the
Bull Run at Blackburn's Ford, and
moved up a ravine to attack Miles's Di,
vision. This was the Miles who afterwards
surrendered H0rpcr's Ferry to Stonewall
jackson. lie was charged with drunkenness
at Bull Run, that afternoon, by Gen. John
b. Richardson, who openly refused to obey
Miles's orders because the latter was drunk"
and court of inquiry justified Gen Rich
ardson, both in his conduct and the term he
applied to Miles. What sort G: opposition
would have been made by Miles to the
attack referred to, can be imagined For
tunately he was not called on to repulse the
assault: for as the Confederate column
emerged from the ravlnc, it was swert back
by the Union artillery, and did not return to
the charge. This repulsc was largely the
work of Capt, Platts guns, and the estimate
placed upon the exploit by as competent
q Judge as Gen. Henry j. Hunt, 50 long the
able chief of artillery of the Army of the
Potomac, is best expressed in his own verde.
which we copy from letter addressed t.
Major Plat, after the closc of the war
ARyM;ERY Headquarters, ARMY or TnE)
| =. POTOMAC, June IS, lSGi. [
my Gear MalOr-As TINS army is about break tng
np am dcSlrou' Of testlfying TO you nv appreca,
ton OF you services, In connection with its artii
lery on me circumstances connectc with the rr-
mQyal OF Your battery from Texas. and cf its labor
at Fort Pickens, Florida, at the COMMENCEMENT nj
Inc Rebellion, all Of when reelected credit upor
you, it is hardly worth whic 10 dwell Ar Rvi
Blackburn Ford made by D. r. Joness hrig mta
7 assisted by portion OF L0ngSreets, am, il,
| Ioles cavalry, was repulsel by the arillcry
without all from the infantry, This artillery con
sisted of your battery OF fnut Napoleons and
Z section of Elwarls'6 ritz battery. The Gpnttnc
was 81 cls'e range ! GU used only canister and
the enemy vas promptly defeated ana pui 10 flight
l,s lopMSe was due principally if not entirely /,
your guns and It's immediate effect was. as state,
, by the enemy to throw Jones back across the KIM
70 cause suspension of the pursuit Of our right
90 dlVertlne troop INTENDED for that pursuit from
To- Il nd
4 Ewell, VINO nat crossed at Union Mills and wa
9 moving to CenllevlllG, 20 rrlrace his steps an
hurry 10 BlacSburns Ford. Ceneryillc was Inn
saved and by its safety secured the retreat of on
G army, ana do not hesitate 10 say thus ave
washington from capture ny the rebels / nav
uWeit upon Ihls, because III the disaster on Gu
+ rlght at Bull Run, the success Of our left aud If
hpersnre 70 Inc safety OF our army and the Cap
que manly to the battery uIder your COMMAND
Very truly yours
e| HENRY j, Hunt, Brgadier General.
s Capt. Plat was brevett3d Major for "-al
, liant and mertorOus service in the battle q
$ Bull Run, July 81, 1861"
t With such worthy record at the openin
o OF the civil war, it may be considered stranU
d that Capt. Platt did not receive the rapi
;, promotion either IN the Regular Army or i
l. the Volunteer SERVICE secured by so man
d who were his juniors in experience and In
1t ferlors in capacity. The fact is bowevc,
If easily explainabe, Col. Plat was a man Z
} at once singular modesty, aud of extrem
q sensltiveness. Conscious Of capacity and goo
y desert he would take no measures I
II press himself on the notice Of the State Al
r thorlties and representatives Of Vermont
d Congress and they were undoubtedly. to
considerable extent, ignorant of his uualit
II cations for higher commands, Beyond sign
II tying to the Governor Of Vermont when on
IT LIST Regiment of Heavy Artillery Cotherwi,
g known as the Eleventh Vt. Vols. } was raise,
1t that he would like to be considered in COZ
Is necliOn with the Colonelcy, we belle,
!, that he never made any application fl
Z appointment in the Volunteer service. m
Colonclcy Of the Eleventh was given to a r.
a cent graduate Of West Point, and Col Pa
7, made no subsequent attempt to call the n
n lentlon OF The appointing powers to bimsel
d lie was offered the command of regimen
a from other States but if he could n1t ba,
n a Vermont regiment he would have no 9th,
II and resigned himself to the course of slo
10 promotion in the regular army, This W,
II peculiarly slow in the Artillery, owing
1t the fact that the field officers of the Unto
V states Artillery regiments were for the mo,
n part old soldiers, who were assigned to Carr
) son duty, and very rarely offered oppoItun
70 Ties for promotion to their juniors, either h
# resignation or death
ri Col, Plat remained with the A