The National tribune., 1890-03-20
FIGHTING THEM OVER
Wlat0Ur Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns
An Old .svarmOunter Tells About Cedar Greek.

AZ
An Old sTarmounter Tells About Cedar Greek.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: / have been
reading the "Story of Cannoncer with great
interest You will see from the date of this
that am sn old soldier waiting patiently Tor
the last tattoo" Crippled aud disabled, 1
have found home here at Dayton. But my
old blood warns mp at the Cannoneer's descrip-
ton of Cedar Creek, and thank him for what
be says about the Vermont Brigade there, for
was in it right there in what remained of Go. i,
9th VT, and did what little ] could to help save
his battery-Mcknight's of the 9th Regulars.
And / Will say that those Regular Canroneers
stood by their guns that morning in way that
j never have seen the like OF. Sergt Aid
rich, whom he speaks Of rs killing that wIry
little rebel cuss who bayoncted him, be-
longed to the 9th Vt. He was big fellow, and
do not know what has become Of him. But
we Just made up our minds that we would help
that battery out and we did. IF their horses
had not been killed they would have got all
their guns away. As il was they had TO leave
some, but got away with two or three by hand.
But the rebels did not get a chance to use the
Others. After they had got their two or three
guns away we staid there and drove the rebels
out and when we retired there were several
on both sides lying dead among the guns who
had been killed by bayonets. / saw dead men
lying across other dead men in the position held
by the battery. IL was the most desperate night
our old Vermont Brigade ever had, except the
Bloody Angle at Spottsylyania. IL was just
about like that but at the Angle we attacked
earthworks, while at Cedar Creek we were both
on open ground.
The Canuoncer is right about the way those
men IN the battery stood their ground. lhey
certainly did stand by their guns and many OF
them died there. We loved Meningitis 9th
II. $. Battery, because il had been with us
long time, and was always ready for action.
The CannOneer says we used 10 call zen. l..
A. Grant, Aunt Lydia" We used 10 pro-
nounce it Aunt Liddy." This name was given
10 him by Jim Mason, Of Co. G, 9Th Vt, when
Gen. Grant was Colonel of that regiment, Jim
Mason was a good soldier, but he would get
drunk whenever he could get hold of liquor
One time he got drunk, and Col. Grant,who had
let him of easy several times, ordered hlm TO
be punished. Then Jim said: Colonel, you
remind me of ny Aunt Liddy.n don't know
what that meant, but all the boys seemed 10
catch il up in the 9th VI, and it extended
through the brigade, so that when Col. Grant
was promoted TO be gadier-General ali the
boys called him Aunt Liddy," as the Cannon
Ger says.
Another thing. am pleased TO sec that the
GannOneer saws that our diyisiou-the Second
Division Of the Sixth Corps-did not break and
was not rallied by Gen. Sheridan or anyone
else. This is true. The Second Division Gen.
Getty composed Of orr Vermont Brigade and
Mheatons Brigade and Bidwells Brigade, was
not rallied. None OF us were routed at any
time. The CannoneeF states the truth when he
says that we did not need 20 be rallied
OF course, we were all glad to sec Little Phil
when he came along the line and we cheeied
him, and ali that; but if anyone thinks that
Sheridan or anyone else ever rallied that old
lrOnclad Second Division Of the Sixth Corps
on any battlefield he is mistaken. ] was with
them from the Peninsula, under Mcclellan, 10
AppomattoX, and ] never saw . time when
they needed rallying." All they wanted was
somebody &c lead them, and that they had in ali
their b2tties-such men a. Gen. Wright or Gen.
Getty or Aunt Liddy" tGen. j. A. Grant, etc.
If you want TO know what the Vermont Bri-
Fade was made OF look at Gen. Humphreys
account Of our attack on the Bloody Angle al
Spottsylgania Courthouse the 18th of May,
1865, besides many other places from 1861 10
1865. But sometime history viii be written
about the {" NzTm0nnt Brigade" or as the Can
nOneer calls them =" Ethan Aliens Guards ?
You viii then see what sort Of soldiers real live
Yankees were The Vermont Brigade were
always real live Yankees from away back
There was hardly any foreign element Of any
kind among them, except few Irish, who, Ol
course, are the same "a ourselves, and some Can.
adams toward the last, who were always good
soldiers, aud who are Americans anyhow.
thank the CauH0necr for what he says about
Us; but he could not say Jess, because We
rescued his battery from the jaHs Of death.
viii return hIs compliment By declaring that
neFer saw any HTtIilerymen stand by theil
guns like they did there az Cedar Creek, when
abe rebels got among them with their bayOncts
-IHAELEs J. THOMSON. Go. ], 9th Vt, Ma
ID ~ LE.