News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-06-19

fcer fell. Only one Colonel was left unhurt,
fifty of the best line officers had fallen
thousand soldiers of this state fell in one af
ternOOn. All night they lay under arms,
waiting for the day. Before five o'clock in
the morning Lee began again and continued
Tor three long hours the most determined and
bitter warfare Once they were forced to fall
back, but they rallied and held the foe in
check. Here til" 7th regiment was receiving
It's first baptism of fire In this battle too
the 10Th regiment entered its first great bat
IL hut 1t did It's work well; also did the
cavalry and the sharp-ShoOterS. In no battle
was the valorof oursoldiers more tested than
here. 1t was battle costly to both sides
with nttle advantage to either. TWAS step
toward Richmond There was no more going
back, Gen. Grant led the army. On the mid
night of May 9TH the soldiers fell into line and
were soon on the march toward Richmond.
They meet the rapid and fiery Lee, at Spotsyl-
NanIa Court House. and a second great battle
was fought. Into the action here the "Old
Brigade" went amid the cheers of the whole
army, as they filed from right to left on the
front. But their fighting at the battle of the
Wilderness justified this praise. | have not
time to tell how they fought at the death
angle face to face and hand to hand until
the trenches on either side ran with blood,
and the dead literally lay in heaps. In this
battle Gen John Sedgwick the beloved lead
er of the 9th corps. was killed.
There was no time to consider whether the
battles OF Spotsyvania were defeats or not.
The word is "On to Richmond" Grant is de-
termined to fight it out on this line if it
takes all summer" and on they go fightingas
they went until the army reaches Cold Har-
Dor and the banks of the Chickahominy. The
hght1ng here is not so murderOuS as that at
Spotsylvania. 1t was rather Il siege, which is
soon raised The Chickahominy is crossed
and the army is on its way to the James Riv-
er n little below Burmuda Hundred which
Lori .,lI 1 u I . 1N
18th of June the army begins to mass itself
before Petersburgh At Weldon Railroad
Hills raid took from the union forces 1000
prisoners many of whom belonged to the
brilliant 18th regiment, ia of whom died in
rebel prisons.
ion of the North under Gen. Early. To head
off Early the 'Old Brigade with the
/ 18th regiment with other troops are sent to
Washington. The 10th regiment helped to
hold Early in check at MOnoccasy Station
until the army reaches Washington. Not an
hour too soon do they land, for as they march
ont of the Cnpitol - bodASsg of Early's
guns is heard fine rrseler go reiJri forces
is soon compelled to retreat inso Virginia.
IL is followed by union troops under Gen.
Hunter, who is careful not to get into close
quarters with the enemy Soon a change is
made IN the command and with Gen. Sheridan
1T the head, the enemy is found, and defeated
at Winchester, and Fishers Hill, and at Ced
ar Greek, where after determined and deadly
fight an almost complete route was changed
by the presence of Little Phil'' Sheridan to a
complete victory and Early's forces scatter
ed, aud crippled in every part. Here the YER
mont infantry and cavalry did perhaps the
shnrpest and best work of the war.
The work for which they had come North
is finished successfully and now the troops
must go back to Petprsburgh to have a share
IN the closing act of the war. There has been
almost continuous fighting before this city
which Is the last defence of Richmond. Time
serves to draw the lines closer and closer
about the enemy. II the final attack upon
Petersburgh, the 9th corps, Vermonters all,
bore prominent part. For three days was
the work IN Cl ect preparation. Said Gen.
wright III the corps does as well as | expect
we will have broken through the enemy's
lines In fifteen minutes from the word go."
When the time for the attack comes, the
"Old Brigade" that had done such gallant
service was chosen to lead the attack. At
40 on the morning of April 2nd the signal
gun is fired and the ''Old Brigade started for
the foe When the guns of the rebel pickets
gave notice of this action they rushed on with
a wild cheer that told friend and foe the sixth
corps on the charge.
You know the result on that first day of the
battle, $4,000 men were taken and 30 guns;
the way is opened TO Richmond. On the Bird
the 9th Vermont led the way into Richmond
being the first regiment to enter the Capitol
VI bltt lOSu COlleuefdCN. Inc UeTTlDle uEdlud
of this four years fratracidal warha reached
the last act and the last scene opens at APP
pomatoX where Gen. Lee surrenders his sword
on the 9th OF April, 1863.
have not spoken of the 18th and Sth regi-
ments who in the South on the banks of the
Mississippi, amid the malaria before Vicks-
burg and Baton Rouge where they suffered
more by disease than other regiments from
killed. wounded and disease; but in spite of
sickness they did noble service for their coun-
try.
have spoken bat little of the heroic works
of the cavalry heroes of seventy-five battles,
so many of whom died in rebel prisons, nor
of the effective work of the three batteries,
nor of the sharp-shooters whose faithful ser
vice added SO much to the success to our arms
oIrsmany a bloody field.
8 Time forbids me to speak further save to
present to you, as the representatives of that
Grand Army of the Union, sincere thanks; to
you we owe the honor of our land, united, ex-
tended, developed as representative of the
citizens of this town permit me to return
thanks for your service done so nobly and at
80 great cost
Your Organization must of necessity be
YEA kening So the TasSCne viii be muster
ed out of life's service. See to it now that
you enlist in the Grand Army, whose captain
is the Lord God of Hosts. Enlist here and
then in the grand roll call and review of the
Judgment you shall stand arrayed in the uni
form of the Heavenly Army, the emblem of
peace, purity and love.