Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-04-30
THE VERMONT BRIGADE.
The Pet Organization of the Army
of the Potomac.
Ben: Perley Poore in Boston Budget.

Ben: Perley Poore in Boston Budget
The Vermont brigade was the pet
organization of the Army OF the Po~
tomac, and Miles O'Reilly described
them as nonest farmers turned vaga-
bonds-slmple countrymen changed
into heroes. They stole ancient horses
and bony COWS on the march. They
piIlaged moderately in other things.
They swept the dairies and they
stripped tho orchards for miles when
they travelled. They chased rabbits
when they went into camp after long
marches, and they yelled like wild
Indians when neighbo"ing camps
were silent through fatigue. They
were i'll disciplined and familiar with
their officers. They staggered in
cool, impudent way, and looked down
with a patronizing Yankee GOODNESS
upon all regiments that were better
drilled, and upon that part of the
army generally that did not belong to
the Vermont brigade. They were
strangely proud, not of themselves in
dividually, but of the brigade collec>
lively; for they knew perfectly well
they were the best fighters in the
known world. They were long of
limb, and could outmarch the army.
They were individually seIf-reliant
and skillful in the use of arms, and
they honestly believed that the Yer
mont brigade could not be beaten by
the combined armies Of the rebellion.
They were veterans in fighting
qualities almost from the first skir~
mish. This was at Lees Mills They
crossed a narrow dam under q fire,
made the attack they W 9re instructed
to make, and came back wading deep
in the water, with steadiness that
surprised the army. They were an
incorrigible, irregular, noisy set Of
rascals. They were much sworn at
during their four years Of service; yet
they were at all times q pet brigade
There were but two things they would
do-march and fight; and these they
did IN manner peculiarly their own.
They had a long, slow, swinging stride
on the march, which distanced
everything that followed them.
They had quiet. attentive, earnest,
individual way of fighting that made
them terrific in battle. Each man
knew that his neighbor in the
ranks was not going to run away.
and he knew, also, that he himself
intended to stay where he was. Ac-
cordingly, none Of the attention of
the line was diverted from the i'm
portant duties of loading and firing,
rapidly and carefully. When moving
into action and when hotly engaged
they made queer. quaint jokes, and
enjoyed them greatly. They crowed
like cocks, they ba-a-ed like sheep,
they neighed like horses, they below
ed like bulls, they barked like dogs,
and they counterfeited with excellent
effect the indescribable music of the
mule. When, perchance, they hela a
picket line in the forest, it seemed as
If Noah's ark had gone to pieces
there
When the Vermonters led the col
umn on march, their quick move
ment had to be regulated from corps
Or division headquarters, to avoid
gaps in the column as it followed
them. If a rapid or forced march
was required, it was a common thing
for Sedg wick to say, with quiet
smile: Put the Vermonters at the
head of the column today and keep
everything we'll closed up"