Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-06-18
THE EIGHTH VERMONT VOLUNTEERS.

]
| for the beauty of its site. SHAHPIE'
THE EIGHTH VERMONT VOLUNTEERS.
Another History of Vermont Regiment.
To the regimental histories of the
Seventh and Tenth Vermont regiments,
and to that of Co. i, of the Sharp shoot
ers, is now added the history of the Eighth
Vermont Regiment. 1t has been prepar-
ed by Captain George y. Carpenter of
! Boston, under the direction of a commit
tee OF publication, consisting of Col.
Stephen Thomas, Capt. George y. Car
penter, Herbert f. Hill and Capt. 5. f..
| Howard. 1t forms neat volume OF 333
pages, from the press of Deland and Barta
of Boston-and is a highly valuable addi
! ton to the war literature of our state
The Eighth regiment was one of the very
! best as regards both officers and rank and
| file, sent by Vermont into the service. 1t
was one of the three Vermont regiments
which by the re-enlstment of three
fourths of their numbers, gained the right
! to add the name veteran to their regi-
mental title 1t had an eventful and most
honorable history, and no regiment better
deserves to have its record presented in
| full and permanent form.
The regiment has been fortunate in its
/ historian. Capt. Carpenter is IA gentle
man of education and ability, a graduate
of the University of Vermont, who served
| for over two years in the Eighth, and is
| familiar with all its history. He has had
effective assistance from other pens and
/ has produced a volume which every men,
Der of the regiment will value and many
citizens of Vermont be & lad to own. The
| frontispiece of the book is Il handsome
| steel portrait of Gen stephen Thomas, en-
| graved for vermont in the Civil War"
and a similar portrait of Governor Hol-
brook is given, together with alberttyppe
reproductions of photographs of some 30
of the field and staff officers of the regl-
ment, as well as of Generals Sheridan,
Emory and Weitzel, Father" Blake, II.
+. Hill and others. We should be glad if
our space permitted, to make liberal eX
tracts from the book Here is a sketch of
! the attitude Of the citizens of New Or
| leans when Uncle Sans boys fl rst occu-
| pied the city, which provoked Buffers ia
| nous order concerning the New Orleans
women
During the first week that the Union
| troops occupied the city, the people show
/
! other public places against the wearers of
! the blue i; but the desire for trade and
gain presently unlocked their doors again.
| At first, when Union soldier ordered re-
freshments at any of the restaurants and
offered greenback in payment therefor,
| it was refused by the indignant propre
tor, who declared he would take nothing
! but coin or confederate money. This eX
| hiDtion of southern venom was also short
| lived for when the rebel troops failed to
! hat ls.N
KEGS had come to stay, confederate scrip
was at Il discount and traders were glad to
take any kind of Uncle Sans money at
| par
But the prejudice of the male popula-
! ton did not express itself in so many
| spitetul ways as did that of the southern
| women In them the spirit of hostility
| knew no bounds, and they improved every
| chance that offered to insult and abuse
! the northern soldiers. They wore small
! confederate flags fastened cOnspcuously
! to their dresses, or waved them in their
hands in public places if a Union officer
entered a street car containing southern
| women, they would rise and leave II and
| to avoid meeting soldiers on the sidewalk,
they would step into the street, and show
! their intense hatred by every look and act.
\ southern lady, for example dropped
delicate lace handkerchief AS she entered
a car. \ Union officer picked ii up and
politely offered 1t to her, but she refused
to take II, and, withdrawing herself with
| a look of bitter scorn, said i would
never receive it after being contaminated
10y your touch The officer without re-
ply, raised the car window and dropped
the offending scrap of embroidery into
the street"
Among the most interesting passages are
Herbert f., Hills descriptions of battles in
the shenandoah Valley. From his &C
count of Cedar Creek we take the follow
ing:
"Gen. Thomas, after furious ride, hot
| ~ pursued and barely escaping with his
lie, had arrived from the picket line, and,
| by direct verbal order of Mai. Gen. Emo
ry, had led his brigade forward across the
! pike, mere handful of men, to meet and
| resist whole divisions made up of the flow
| CT of the rebel army BY the fortune Of
war the Sth Vermont, under Maj. Mead,
occupied the most exposed position in the
! brigade, rs the enemy, with deaiening
| yells, were moving swiftly III from front
| and flank.
suddenly mass of rebels confronted
the flag, and with hoarse shouts demand
ed their surrender. Defiant shouts went
back. Never = Never And then, amid
tremendous excitement, commenced one
OF the most desperate and ugly hand-to-
! hand conflicts over the flags that has ever
been recorded. Men seemed more like
demons than human beings, as they
SlIuCk llcICtlN Ut EACH OlHtI WIN CluDDcl
muskets and bayOnets. A rebel of power
full build, but short in stature attempted
to bayOnet Corporal WOrden of the color
guard. WOrdOu, a tall, sinewy man, who
had no bayonet on his musket, parted his
enemy ithrusts until some one, think
Sergeant Brown, shot the rebel dead. A
rebel soldier then leyelled his musket and
shot Corporal Petre, who held the colors,
in the thgh-a terrible wound, from
which he died that night He cried out
Boys, leave me take care of yourselves
and the flag .
"Lieut Cooper was seen to raise his
arm in the air ; and shouting Give il to
them, boys = he, too was stricken with a
death wound, and his white, sad, dead
face is one of the living memories of the
spot. Lieut. Cooper's death was instantly
avenged however, by Sergeant Hill Of
company a, who shot the rebel. Hin
then turned to assist wounded compan-
ion who had fallen at his side, when an
excited enemy made a lunge at him, his