The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-07-03
Soldiers Budget.
Strange Acquaintanceships

"The Johnstown food brought about
some strange acquaintanceships, be-
cause after the disaster men hurried to
the Conemaugh valley very much as
they hurried to Shiloh or to the Wilder
ness after those great battles were
fought. In most cases these acduaint-
ances of critical time have separated,
and it is doubtful whether they will
ever meet again. Whether they meet
or not, they will always remember each
other and prize the acquaintance that
began in the white heat of a great
crisis" The speaker was well-known
clergyman, who in war times was noted
for his activity in behalf of suffering
soldiers. Il doubt, however," he con-
tiuued," if any of the meetings at Johns
town were stranger than the unexpected
meetings of army life. The second
chapter of a striking little drama which
began in one of these war meetings has
just been put on record in Chicago. On
the second day of Gettysburg section of
the Third New York Light Artillery
was the forlorn hope on Cemetery Hill.
Confederate cannon were constantly
blowing the ground, the shot and shell
coming from three directions. No
horse could have lived there a minute,
and twenty-seven devoted men hauled
the guns of the battery into position.
The rebel fire was so terrific that our
artillerymen had to leave their ammu-
milton in a less exposed place in the
rear, to be brought up when wanted.
The Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania Regi-
ment, which had been posted in front
of the guns to protect them from the
infantry charge, soon fled in confusion.
Company X of the Thirteenth Vermont
took their place, the men lying on their
faces further down the hill and nearer
the enemy, the Union guns firing over
them. After time our cannon ceased
| firing. A lieutenant of Company X
went back to inquire the cause. He
came upon a scene that has lived in his
mind ever since like brilliantly-lighted
tableau. Three artillerymen stood by
their guns with folded arms-three
only of the twenty-seven dedicated to
death an hour before stood there erect,
facing the enemy. They could not
handle the guns, but they could not de-
sert them. The lieutenant went back
to his company for volunteers, and re-
turned with three men. Two of these
DiOuShb llOul llC NdlltJ W luC
danger line, from which point the
lieutenant and another carried them to
the guns, which reopened fire. These
men worked in that iron hail until
Company X was ordered to rejoin its
regiment and to participate in that
memorable charge of STANDARDS Yer
mont Brigade that closed the bat
tie. So these men parted. Cap
tain Stephen F. Brown, the then
lieutenant, lost his left arm subse-
quently in Grants Wilderness cam
paign, and he draws his pension from
the Chicago office. John j. Amber
crombie, one of the three artillerymen,
is chief clerk in the Chicago pension
office. After years had passed these
two men met in Chicago. A reference
by one of them to the incident on Gene
terry Hill called out the inquiry from the
other how he knew anything about the
matter. The answer came in the shape
of a statement that he knew all about
it, because he was there. Thereupon
the other declared that he was there as
one of the artillerymen, and he pro-
ceeded to enlarge upon the bravery of
the lieutenant who came to their rescue.
After listening to the story Captain
Brown held out his one hand and an
nounced that he was the lieutenant in
question. To make the story complete,
itshould be stated that Stephen Pidgeon
was another one of the cannoneers,
and that Daniel J.. Manahan of High
gate, VT, was the member of the Thir-
teenth Vermont who carried ammuni-
ton across that shell.plowed hill. p
Chicago Inter Ocean.