The National tribune., 1889-06-13
THE VERMONT BRIGADE.
WAC MonId Have Not Been an old soldier

Who Would Have Not Been an Old Soldierl
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The Loyal
Legion sat at banquet at the Gibson House, Gin
cinnati, o. on the 10th of April, and the toast
"The Old Vermont Brigade " was responded to
by Gen. L. A. Grant, of Minnesota, and as l read
the dispatch relating to it, it not only furnlsh-
ed me information that pleased me, but it
brought recollections of the past, of the old war
days that are ' food and drink for any old
soldier at any time. l was member of the old
Vermont Brigade, and served in all its cam
pagns, and Gen. L. a. Grant whom have not
before heard from for years, commanded the
brigade for time, and subsequently our di-
vison-Second Division, Sixth Corps. He en-
tered the service in 1861 as pne of the officers
of the 5th VT, and after gallant record the
close of the war found him Brigadier. wish
that might have heard his response to the
old Vermont Brigade. Is is a theme that he IS
much more capable of doing justice to than /
am and l am sure that as his mind went back
to those old days of joy and gloom, of victory
and defeat, it was as mine is to-day, filled with
love and yeneration for the men who fought
with him during that long period of service IN
the Army of the Potomac, and l know that he
would give portion of his life could he see
that same old crowd of bronzed Yankees to-
gether once more even though when hungry
as he rode along the line they greeted him
with the old-time yell: Hard tack, Aunt
Lydia! Hard tack +" Aunt Lydia was our
Vermont name for him and it in no way re-
flected upon his soldiefly qualities but distin-
guished him from Others less worthy OF our
independent and discriminating notice!"
The old Vermont Brigade was composed of the
2d 3d. 4th 9Th and 9th regiments from that
State, and they remained intact as a brigade
throughout the war. The 26th n. J. were with
US during part-of their nine-months' service;
also the 1lth Vt. II. A, who Joined US at Spott-
sylyania doing excellent service until the close
of the war. The I'd regiment was organized
before, and fought III the first battle of Bull
Run, the other four regiments going to the
front the same Summer and Autumn t1S61).
They were probably as perfect specimens OF
young, hardy, able bodied manhood as could
have been selected in the country anywhere.
They came from the small towns, from the
farms, the schools and workshops of every hill
side and valley of the Green Mountain StatG
Healthy, rugged, 1.-THE of limb they possessed
courage intelligence and endurance. The rec
ord of that organization has only to be pointed
at as answer to "What did our volunteer SOL
diery do for the Union in 1S6125?" The bri-
gade was as good as the best for endurance and
courage. twas famous for its successful tight
ing and for its ability to endure long forced
marches SedgWck commanding the Sixth
Corps, when wishing to make long, rapid
march during one of our campaigns, said:
Put the Vermonters ahead and keep the
ranks we'll closed up" We were not particu-
larly we'll drilled or disciplined, but enough so
for practical purposes. We knew our officers,
and they had faith in US. We remained where
we were placed in battle until ordered to move,
and when we did move we generally arrived at
the place intended for US 10 occupy. We Were
particularly fortunate in having excellent Off
GERS and many of those who survived our long
term of service made famous records in the his
tory of the war.
Nearly all of our regimental and company
officers at the close of the rebellion had been
promoted from the ranks, and possessed that
practical experience and courage born in battle
and hardship. The colonel of my own regi-
ment 9th in 1865 Is. III. Lincoln), enlisted
as private in 1861. Young, handsome and
gallant, he was respected by every man in
the regiment not alone for his brave and in
teligent leadership, but for his kindness to
every man in the ranks and his watchful care
for our interests at all times. He is now an
officer in the Regular Army, and has served on
the frontier much of the time since 1865
The Vermont Brigade fought in all the prin-
cipal battles engaged III by the Army of the
Potomac, commencing at Lees Mills on the
Peninsula in April, 1861; our service ending
with the collapse of the rebellion in 1865. Our
battles included those of the Peninsula, under
Mcclellan, in 1861; Fredericksburg, Marye's
! Hights, South Mountain, Antietam, Gettys-
J DufG. hliGeIn6SS, AOlQ i1dtDOIs EpOAlSJ 4NduId
and Petersburg; at Winchester, Cedar Creek
and Fishers Hill in the Shenandoah Valley,
and again at Petersburg, where, on the left, at
| early dawn on the morning OF the I'd of April,
| 1865 we followed our flag over the rebel works
| in our front, our last battle, followed with the
surrender of Lees army and the glorious end
| ing Of four years of hard service.
! Statistics of the war show" that of the 1000
| infantry regiments of the Union army but 40
! of that number sustained loss of over 200
men in killed ana mortally wounded" The
| Vermont Brigade furnished four regiments of
| the 45 named, viz, 3D. Sd, 9th and 9th regi-
ments. Our 4th regiment lost in killed and
mortally wounded 81 men in the Wilderness.
The heaviest losses by brigades are credited
to the Vermont Brigade, of the Sixth Corps,
! and the Iron Brigade, of the First Corps, both
having continuous unbroken organization as
! brigades, which was rare thing in the war;"
Most of the boys when mustered out of serv-
! ice in July, 1866, went home and settled down
! in the old New England life. Some of them,
! however, like myself, wandered away and
! found new homes in every part of the Union.
| l have met them here and there all over the
! West-in California, Colorado, New Mexico,
| Arizona, Wyoming and Idaho; and III Wash
| ington Territory occasionally find one of the
! old Vermont Brigade, and l have never yet
met one Of them whose hand and heart was
not open with a comrades warm greeting, each
proud of his service, however exalted or hum
! bic it may have been, and thinking himself a
| little better man for having once worn the
white cross in the old brigade.
| But after ALL Mr. Editor, who can feel as an
old soldier feels in speaking or thinking of the
| war? We are glad that it came and ended in
! our time, and it is better, even if old age is
| coming on early in life, to know that our coun-
try, grand in its strength and prosperity, was
| saved by our brain, our muscle and our blood,
| than to live few more years without that
| thOught--the one glorious, loyal memory pos
sessed by every old broken-down soldier who
fought for the Union.-R. d. SANBoRN, Co. K,
| 9th Vt Tacoma, Wn. T.
MUSIC BY THE BAND.