The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-04-14

least one officer, whom those in that fight
know was too cowardly to even get up to the
front line of breastworks. i presume you
will notice quite a difference between my
recollection of that day and the report in
Vermont in the Civil War" have writ
ten as ! saw 1t, and / am willing to leave IT
with my comrades who were on the field
that day. The historian, in sitting facts
from fancy" evidently took my report for
fancy" but | am willing to leave it
with those that fought the battle.
Yours truly, j. Il. ELDREDGE.
Warren, VT, April 2, 1886.
q. q. Benedict, Vernont Miiitary Historian,
Dear ST-In accordance with my promise, l
will try and write you my recollection OF the
affair of the Weldon railroad June 23d, 1864,
AT about ten A. NJ, June 23d, 1864, Com
pany A (MorrilPs company and Company
II (my company of Flemings Battalion,
Eleventh Vermont Volunteers, were ordered
to report to Lieutenant-colonel s. e. Pin
gree, field officer of the day, who marched
us about three-fourths of a mile in the direc-
ton of Petersburg. We were deployed as
skirmishers, commencing with the left Of
my company, Company on my right, my
left at the edge of some woods. Com
pany AS right extended short distance
across the railroad. We were then faced
about, which brought us facing Petersburg.
The pioneers were destroying the track
in our rear. The orders / received from
the last possible minute; not to give an inch
unless we were actually obliged to, and in
case we were driven back, to fall back due
south until we struck the Jerusalem plank
road" Colonel Pingree said the Third Di-
vision skirmishers would advance and con-
meet with my right. At about eleven A. NJ.
they made the connection, and stayed with
us about one hour, and then had orders to
fall back, and we saw no more of them.
The pioneers fell back at about twelve NJ.
There was no fighting for us until about two
P. NJ. Occasionally some horsemen would
come out into the oat-field in our front, but
would leave on being fired upon AT about
twelve M. the enemy were discovered
marching troops in our front and moving to
our left. By one p. NJ. 1t was evident to all
on the line that we had got to fall back, or
we would be captured. Company A had no
connection at that time on its left, and Com
pany III none on its right, and there We're
no other troops in sight. | sent Corporal
Leonard of my company to report our stu
alton to Colonel Pingree. He was gone
about one hour, and on his return reported
that he could not find the colonel, but that
Major Fleming, with two companies of our
regiment, with portion of the Fourth Yer
mont were back in the woods and that the
major said " Hold your line" At about two
P. NJ the enemy advanced upon Company
A and skirmished with them for about two
hours, when they advanced in line of battle
rear. After Company A fell back the
enemy advanced a skirmish line upon my
company and, after exchanging shots for
about one hour, came upon us with line of
battle and drove us back into the woods
where Majors Fleming and Pratt had thrown
up some breaStworks of rails. The enemy
were close upon us and there was some
sharp fighting for few minutes. Then the
enemy fell back. We remained in these
works until it was getting quite dark, when
line advanced upon us from the rear and
ordered us to surrender. Some one called
to them to " give us few minutes to con-
suit" which was granted. Major Fleming
sent for the company commanders to report
| to him. The officers that obeyed the order
found the two majors in a little pen made
out of rails, which looked as though it might
be bullet-proof. By looking over into this
pen l got the first sight of field officer
| had had since Colonel Pingree stationed us
some eight hours before, with orders &c
keep the rebel army back until further
orders. All except one company commander
were in favor of surrendering. This officer
said it was dark, and in the woods there
was nothing to keep us from slipping away
but he was overrued and we surrendered
Sergeant Lafayette Soper of Company A
who saw the situation of affairs, with six OF
eight men slipped off to the right and made
their way into our lines. They saw none
of the enemy after leaving us. General l.
"a bIdut, III Ills report \pdSe 100 AuJutdHu
generals Report, 1864, says: The detail
that reported to Colonel Pingree were so de
ployed as to form a skirmish line from the
Fourth Vermont and the main force" Il
did not connect with either, except for
short time with the Third Division Skin
mishers. On page 1856 he says: " And wher
they attempted to fall back towards tn,
right it was found that the picket line il
front of the Third Division had fallen bacl
and the enemy occupied in force the woods
on the right and rear" The command die
not try to fall back on the right, and the
enemy did not occupy any ground on oul
right, as some of Company III went out tina
way at about sunset, and Soper at abou
dark, and neither squads saw any signs of
line. 1t is evident that there was SOM
very bad management on that day. Their
can be no excuse for the field officer of tn
day. Placing skirmshers so far to the front
without any connection either to the RICH
or left, and in the immediate presence o
the enemy, with positive orders to hol,
their line, and to leave them for eight hour
and to certain capture, as far as he could d
so, cannot be eXcusable. Mai ors Flemin
and Pratt, instead of looking the field owe
and learning the situation, had long dis
pute about which was the ranking officer
Neither of them wanted to take the respons
bility. Yours truly, j. E. ELDREDGE