Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-02-25

called to the left flank of the regiment
and informed of the proposed assault
upon the heights above and the part
they were expected to take In the
drama. which was no less than to
charge the heights with the New Jer-
sew men in advance. This regiment
had never before been under fire. In
the artillery duel that had been going
on in the forenoon between our bat
teries and Early's they had shown
themselves to be extremely unfit for
the task now before them, and many
disparaging remarks were made
among the veterans of the second of
the probable position they would oc-
cupv at the end of the charge. Nor
will the writer ever forget some of
the Jokes that were cracked by the
Second boys, when the line officers
returned to their respective compa-
nies. and the men were ordered to
divest themselves of knapsacks, hav-
ersacks, and coats if they wished.
Somebody said, ''Well, lieutenant,
we are going up to see our friends
upon the Heights - "guess we shall
receive a warm reception - "wonder
if we shall make a good appearance
in our shirt-sleeves - ''the Heights
we must have :" were some of the
boys remarks. But when the signal
gun from Newton's division in Fred
ericksburg doomed forth its summons
to attack, the muskets were seized
bv men who were we'll aware of the
task set before them. AS | look
back more than twenty-five years into
that line of bronzed faces, though
some might have shown shade Of
whiteness about the firm set npper
lip, they were the worthy sons of their
Green Mountain sires, and knowing
we'll the bloody offering to be made,
they were nevertheless ready to do
their country's bidding and to offer
themselves willing sacrifice upon
the altar of patriotism. The New
Jersey men were the first to start out
of the road in line of battle, the Sec
ond closely following until it had
taken position somewhat to their
right and rear. The assaulting col
umns had now developed along the
whole line and Early's guns were in
play, sending forth missiles of death
and destruction on every hand. Sedg-
wick's batteries were not slow to ac
cept the challenge and were answer
ing back with shot and shell, which
gave great satisfaction, at least, to
the boys in blue. AS we passed up
by and almost through Kennedy's
battery, our particular friends, which
had taken a position some distance
in front of the road, working their
4
splendid effects of their fire upon an
rebel earthwork in our front, and we
were not neglectful in rendering them
our hearty congratulations for the
efforts they were making in our be-
half, which they returned in like
spirit in full, with the assurance that
they would back us with their whole
outfit. We had but just got clear of
the battery and were we'll under way
across the plain which extended some
three-fourths of a mile to the base of
the Heights, when the New Jersey
men became panic stricken from the
effects of an enfilading fire from the
rebel batteries on Lees hill and the
fire in front, and crowded down pell
nell on our front and right. We
were obliged to flank still farther to
the right to get clear of them, but we
also at this time did some smart re-
cruiting on our own hook from the
running Jerseymen thing the VT.
Brigade was quite famous for-so
that we added to our ranks large
numbers of them, and they proved to
be valiant soldiers under Vermont
example and discipline. Mayre's
Hill was about three-fourths of a mile
ahead. We found many distractions
and some very swampy and wet
ground which caused the line of bat
tie at times to be very irregular and
broken. but whenever circumstances
permitted it resumed its perfect form
and all the precautionary commands
to rectify the line were obeyed by the
men to their fullest extent. The
scattering line of rebel skirmishers in
the first line of rifle pits surrendered
without giving us any serious trouble,
and few attempted to get away. A
rebel battery that was in position on
the very crest of the first line OF
Heights, directly in our front, which
had been paying us particular atten-
ton in the way of shot and she'll ever
since leaving the road was now at.
tempting to depress the guns SO as
to get us within range of grape and
canister; it only succeeded in ripping
off the shingles and boards from the
roof of an old tobacco barn which WE
had to pass, doing much damage to
the barn but no harm to us. Some
of the men remarking that it was {
good chance to get kindling wood fol
coffee. At this point the two flank
ing companies of the regiment were
thrown quickly forward up ths
Heights and succeeded with the helI
of the regiment in capturing the bat
cry. After passing the captured