Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-16
MEMORIES OF WAR.
Dedication of the Sth Vermont Monument
at Cedar Creek-Speeches of Col.
Hill, Capt. Howard, Col.
Grout and Others.

For one who fought with Sheridan" it
was Il moment long to be remembered
when party of five of u.s. all officers in
the old "Sth Vermont started to ride
over the road passed over by Gen. Sheri-
dan when Oh the morning of the 18th of
October, 1864, he rode lesurey out of
Winchester on his return to his army at
Cedar Greek, hearing, to he sure, the dis
tant boom of artillery, but still feeling
perfectly secure, for were not his three
corps of tried troops, and his splendid
cavalry all at their posts and could any
devices of the enemy trouble that splen-
did army But as he rode,
''Widcr still those hlllows of war
Thund"r'd "ion+ the nor IONS bar,
And louder yet int Winchester rolled
The roar of that red 1ci unC >ntrolled."
And the General quickly comprehendng
that this was no skirmish but that II
buttC was being fought put spurs to his
splendid horse
"And then through the flash of the morning
A stec as black us the stecds of night,
Was seen to pass us wi eagle Hight"
At Kernstown he met the advance guard
of the great army of stragglers pouring
to the rear with their tale of defeat and
woe, and as we draw rein here and look
about Us the thought found expression
more than once "Whnt splendid courage
and p uct Sheridan displayed on that day.
A weaker man would have lost every
thing, but he gdinCd it all AS we passed
in quick succession Newton and Middle
ton and came upon the GCld how the
memories of twenty one years ago throng
ed over us. In the near distance the
familiar little North Mountain, right in
our faces old MaSsanutten Mountain
looms mn and we rpmpmbpr how we uSal
to watch and speculate upon Gen. Eirly's
signal torches as night after night and
nearly all night they were waved from
this bold summit. Yonder are the
heights OF Fishers Hill, where on the 23rd
of September, 1864, we made a charge as
gallant and reckless apparently as any
ever recorded, but were saved from great
loss 10y the fact that as we struck their
front, Crook 5 Sth corps struck their flank,
and no army can serve two masters"
or fight IN two directions Here was our
10Th corps's camp-there the Sth and 9th
corps Wonder is Belle Grove plantation
as lovely in situation and appointments
now as when twenty-one years ago it was
Gen. Sheridau's headquarters. Now it is
the property of n most genial Engllshman,
MI j. ". Smellie who with genuine hos
pitality opened his grounds and house
for our excursion party of some two hun
dred. over across the pike and down
those ravtnes, is from whence came that
awful rattle of muslletry and that fearful
veil as the enemy charged before hight
into the camps OF the Sth corps. There
we formed our line and here by this tree
and i'll front of it we made our fight.
We are To dedicate monument in mem
DRY of tnat desperate struggle, a gift to
the rec .ment from an esteemed friend and
cOmrade, Col. Herbert h. Hill of Boston
In design 1t Is most appropriated mas
Sive block of marble, standing on the
ground without base or adjunct of any
kind, rough on three sides hut smoothed
on the fourth for the inscription, which
is as follows:
"1hG st Vermont Vo'untecrs.-Gcn stephen
Thomas, commanding brigade advanced
across the pike n the morning of October -,
1854 ; cnaugcI the enemy near and beyond
this point md lost b fore sunrise in XII led and
wounded 10 men. Three color arers were
shot down. and thirteen out of sixteen COM
missio ca officers. The whole number of men
engaged, lGi Ded'cated Sept. n, 1885. Gift
of Herbert f. HIM.
Capt ) +. Howard presided. Col. Hill
was not able 10 be present and his address
presenting the monument to the regiment
was read by Lieut.. James WEIGH whJ
was wounded in this battle.
Col. HIS Address.
Comrades of the Sth Vermont and sur
rirors Of the Union and Confederate
Armies:
The battle of Cedar Creek was the most
remarkable battle OF the war Indeed
we may ~ there were two distinct bal
ties during the day, and it was in the first
OF these, On the morning of October 49,
1864, that one Of the most savage and
bloody fights of the great civil war occur
red on and near tins spot.
The SLh Vermont, accompanied by the
18th Connecticut and l60th New York
led BY General stephen Thomas and by
direct verbal order of Major General En-
cry, crossed the pike at early dawn, and
marched INTO the very teeth of the war
trained veterans of GOrdOu's and Ker
shaw, several divisions.
The solid block of Vermont marble
which we are assembled to-day to dedi
cate, was purposcly carved and fashioned
on three 81 les in rough, to represent tn,
savage and peculiar features Of that aw
full struggle.
1t rt~eutS the regiment MS it was sur
rounded at one time on three sides by III
excited foe fresh from their great victor,
over Crooks corps. 1t represents tn,
three color bearers who were shot dow
in the terrible hand-tO hand conflict ant
who died II represents three-fourths o
the commissioned officers killed an
wounded. Again, | may say it represent
the regiments total loss. for almost three
fOurths OF the number of men and officer
actually engaged were killed or wounded
Surely all the good people of this broa
land Will JON with us i'll commemorative
lnt NdlDF Ol lHt brave fellows VINO nODl
stood when it seemed almost certain deaf
to fight longer.
| present this marble memorial to tn
Sth Vermont Veteran Volunteer associt
ton
Capt 5. E. Howard, who was twio
wounded here, responded accepting I'll
monument in behalf of the regiment.
Captain Towards Response.
Comrades ana Friends:
We read in sacred history that JacC
fled secretly from Laban the Syrian
Mt. Gilead, carrying away his daughte
and properly, and when Laban pursue
and came up with the fugitives. and
seemed blood must flow, the Lord +
buked Laban's wrath and he said to Ji
cob: Come let us make covenant
and thou, and let it be for witness b
tween me and thee" And Jacob took
stone and set it up for pillar. and Labi
called 1t Mzpah for he said, "rhe Lo
watch between me and thee and this p
lar shall be witness tnat / will not pa
over this stone To thee, and thou sha
not pass over this pillar to me, for harm