Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-24

The First regiment Col Estey uniformed IN
gray, slight variation being noticeable among
the companies, some being slashed with black,
was more observed than even some larger com
mands, by reason " the pine tree sprigs worn In
their hats stalwart set Of men, the command
made very creditable appearance the LIST, ID
and 9TH companies especially. The First Battal
ion. MajorMoultou, followed. Arguments excel
lent, but distances too Close and step short
Fuller battery, Captain Fuller, next passed.
with good alignment, men making good ap
pearance, but guns and battery dirty and gene
rally In bad condition
The Army and Navy journal of May II
contained the following contradictions Of
this charge Of untidiness
BRATrLEBoRo, Vt. May q, 1888
| To the EiitOr Of the army and Nary journal:
In your issue II May III you say of this battery
that its guns were dirty aud generally In bad con
dition That statement is not correct The bat
terry was thoroughly cleaned aud newly painted
| the guns dismounted, cleaned aud polished, the
equipments put In perfect order harnesses clean
! ed, blackened and In good order The only dirt
/ upon the battery was the dust that accumulated
on the march ! am not responsible for being
obliged 10 use the brass l2pound guns Of the
] United States army, now obsolete In all nations
| but this; but AS for having dirty battery that
statement is not true Yours truly.
LEVI X. FULLER
Captain and Brevet Colonel
Another officer Of the Vermont contingent says
| m a private letter.
The fact is. every other criticism W. have had
/ and We have received many letters from leading
showing, II not the best Of any volunteer battery
| In the column The fact that the horses wer,.
| brought from Vermont, and we're drilled. was an
| important point. The carriages were newly
] painted, harnesses thoroughly cleaned. and the
| guns dismounted and put in order, and every thing
] about the battery was in the most perfect shape
/ when they started out from the steamer city Of
| Lawrence al 10 O'Clock that morning To h. sure
/ the battery harness and equipments etc. were
| old. and Vermont has had them in service since
/ 1854. The Vermont contingent lay in Church
/ street from II 10 until almost three O'Clock and
| like other troops that waited many hours. were
not only fatigued. but the men and horses equip
/ ments, etc, got more or less dust upon them
There Is no officer ~ the national guard that has
/ put more time and money, outside II the appro
| priation allowed by the state, than Gov Fuller
would say further that the secretary Of war itiov
/ Proctor spoke most highly " this battery when
/ 1t passed the reviewing stand
! In its last issue the Army and Navy Jour
nal returns 10 the subject in the following
| article
FULLER LIGHT BATTERY Is rHE PARADE
We observe that the secretary VI the Vermont
] commission, iu his report on the part taken by
| that stat. ~ the Washington centennial quotes
| the very complimentary allusiou 10 the military
contingent from NrriiHi1t which api1arrd 10 our
| notice Of the parade IT April 49, lie omits. how
/ ever the criticisms upon the guns NJ Fuller tat
/ terry, which our report contained. From letters
We have received from state officials and ,th..rs
II would appear that the correctness Of our criti
| cism is questioned. We published two OF the let
ters last week, and should have let the matter rest
/ by our gun friends In Vermont t. put us in thu,
] wrong. II becomes necessary therefor. Tor ms
! to state that We had, Ia the most favorable posi-
ton possible ON the grand stand ON the day % the
/ review, two representatives, one Of whom was a
! graduate OF the military academy, serving suhs..
quently IN the artillery As We have given ula,,.
70 criticisms upon their report, and are asked to
publish others, It Is only just that should give
/ them the benefit Of their statement in reply in
/ which they both unite and which is as follows.
In commenting IN detail upon almost every
company, battery and troops something prob
| ABLY never before attempted With so large body
! OF troops As passed IN review ON Aprl ~ IL 4
scarcely possible that errors wer,. not male by
| mistaking one organization for another or in
some other manner. Al this date it would h.
difficult matter to recall the circumstances con
| nected with the passage Of many uf the urgani-
/ cations, ~ as to assert our accuracy Nof 81
however, with regard Ia Fuller battery. II il pass
ed 10 It's regular order with the rest Of the Yer
mont contingent, and, no statement Ia the
| contrary APPEARS, We have no reason To think
otherwise. We have no hesitation in .upubati,,ai
| " asserting the correctness of our decision
Fuller battery was known To- us by reputation
As one OF the best, II not the very test battery m
| the national guard or militia service. We there
t1re Looked Tor It's appearance with that interest
which enables US u clearly recall its passage We
rHPcttd 10 See II IN all its appointments the equal
u not the superior, " any Much To our sitrt,ri
therefore, when the guns Of tht. battery with m.
Vermont contingent came into view TN. brass wa
! NOT clean and polished but furnished aud much
more 50 than II would have become Ia tb, INN,
intervening between 10 A. N and the hour of uas
sag When the guns passed far enough l-.yuuJ
IL
tl'e vtrdigris on the face Of the muzl. and I'm IN.
mouth OF the piece its gray green tingr depoting
age 10" many Of the guns we're ia this coudI
Ton at tins date cannot say but sufficient az
noticed Ia tuly impress II upon our minds
We have no doubt that The secretary of war
spoke mighty uf the battery a. II passed and il *
possible thAt We would have said il made As good
a showing "a any battery in the. column ha6 AZ.
b-tn making our comments in general ami n,t If,
urtal upon the mrris ~ each organization as il
passed, ana without rrgard 10 hat might Ia. IN.
ophon OF others or its prev iuus record or r,.n,ta
! toh' We were well aware Of the fact thai very
many II not ALL the national guard batteries a, .,
horss-d with trans hired for the occasion. In son
sequence, rarely made comment thereon ,X,,.rt
III cases where the hursing was especially suit.j
T, uI.S y, LOT tnr purpose aud made none with
respect 70 the hurslng Of Fuller battery Whrth-
cr the horses were drilled or not they wrr,. hin
vel IN hand, thus showing knowledge Of their
duties ON the part Of the drivers was .yLi.nt
from our comment on the alignment. IN. nt,t,-..r
antt OF the men was also commended Thai IN.
guns are obsolete is no excuse for their dirty con
uitloh mat they were So is quite as rrprehensi-
Die as II they were the most modern of hr,..rb
leaders Nothing can excuse the soldier for MOI
heeplhg Tue arm upon which he depends for fight
ing ia condition 10 make the most out of II I'M.
condition ut the guns was. therefore "A nrnn.r
subject Tor criticism. IL is stated that Cant I,l
lt a, nas put more money and time than any other
pilcer III the national guard. The gunner of I'M.
battery should, therefore have shown better an
Preclhtlon OF capt Fuller's generosity one thing
Is certain: II an officer was detailed To sunerine
vnu tue WORK OF cleaning the guns, he shrkt.d his
duty; and II shows one Of two things either Cant
ruler ulI not know the condition Of his guns Or
MS idea Of what constitutes battery in u4rf.,,,
order and ours differs very materially bnr ,.v
perlence IN keeping brass guns in condition has
Taught US That they are not clean until good
nara rubolhg and buniug has removed every spnt
OF tarnish As 10 verdigris il should moi H.. -
mltted TO appear at all. -
The notebook Of the reporter mentioned aboy,
as an old artillerist says: Fuller battrrt ,y,.n
RAJ appearance and passage excrllent-tl. hest in
tle national guard Guns diugy outside and
Among the letters we have received in
regard TO this matter is one from an officer
OF the army whose Indebtedness to the hos
plIaole people OF Vermont prompts him to
say sood word IN behalf of the battery, i'm
whose favor we have also had so mucb IN
say. Our correspondent thinks it "proba.
Die that the representative of the Journal
'did not make that allowance which bs
should have made for the age and wear of
carriage and harness" Gen. Peck writes
much more to the point when he saws Ms he
does in a telegram 70 us:
carefully looked over Fuller u,,bt l,a,,.r,... -,
ll;n' morning OF April 81, in Church street
where vermont troops were awaiting narching
cieSn bo rounu al, mems clothing and equipments
lases ana appendagcs newly painted pms
bright battery serviceabe SUM
We have also received telegram as fol
lows: 4"' a. io'
! concur in Gen Peck's report I saw Full-r
II was in fine condition '" ''"'
W. L. GREENLEAF, Brigadier- General
Commanding VI Brigade q
The journal apparently does not choose
to SIT in Judgment, as between the Aatlv
opposed statements of its reporters and
these Vermont officers in regard to the con
dition OF the guns of Col Fuller's battery
we submit, however, that officers like col
ruler Gen. Peck and Gen. Greenleaf are
competent and responsible witnesses upon
matter OF fact OF this sort. They know
NeIuisris ana art when they see it, and
are us well qualified as any three man ~,
the continent TO judge of the condition If
piece of artillery. Not one of them could
he hired, or induced by any feeling of stat
pride or personal Partially, 10 set his name
To "A statement that dirty battery was In
good condition, and we think their testimo.
ny based upon careful and leisurely in
sPeGtloh, WIN be accepted by unprecedented
readers-the hasty observations of an anon
yhious crltlc TO the contrary notwithstand.
ing,
we may add that our own conclusion nm
the subject is not altogether a matter of in.
ference, The editor of this paper occnnisd
an excellent position on the grand stand
not many feet from that occupied bv the
representatives of the Army and Nav
. Journal lie paid critical attention To Fni /
ler's battery as it passed the stand. The
guns were not ''dingy" or furnished |
Ihey were clean and brightly polished and
reflected the sunbeams as brightly. we
should say, as any brass Napeleons that
passed the stand previous to O'clock NJ
A seat on the grand stand. by whomso.
ever occupied, was not favorable nosj.
ton Tor looking into the mouths of pnns
passing IN the review with muzzles depress ]