The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1891-04-09

backbone. snd vas thus thoroughly lam
thar With The character OF the brissdr.
aud an eye Stiffness OF much oi its work
Ia battle. His testimony therefore is thai
Of ope Who knoss what he is talking abou,
and 81 be 10 not . Vsrmonier, |, may be
called also the testimony Of fairly dis'n
terssted witness. He vas call up 10 res
pond TO seaiiment 10 the old Vermont
brigade, He said
No mere panrgyric can DO them justice.
aud tbs wsrmesi words must fail before
the simple record 81 their service. The
brigade numbsred. during the four years
term sf service, original members and 10
cruits eli told. some 1900 men. Over
24O0 Of tbese. nearly one man IN four. laid
do wn bis life on The battlefield or In hos'
pi,sl ou the altar OF his country. by isr
the heaviest loss suffered by any brigade
In the entire army. Gould any more be
said! Bnt, although they fought 10 80
battles and suffered such severe lo,ses,
they never lost color or q gun.
These Vermoniers were the descendants
Of the Anglo Saxon Puritan stock which
has made the nation whs. 10 is. and true
types OF the race They were the grand
sons and great gtandsons OF the men Of
Bennington and Bunker Hill.s and on many
. field thoy proved that the breed had not
degenersted 10 them They had little OF
the pride, pomp aud circumstance OF glor
ious war about them, they we're plain far
mer folks. not given to frothy words or
snowy enthusiasm. They went 10 the war
as . matter Of principle, ss . patriotic
duty. The putting down Of the rebellion
they looked upon as tough job that had
to be done and they meant to do it.
Other troops were formed by severe dis'
cirline and arduous drill aud long service,
but The Vermonters derived their superior
iiy from the grit and Intelligence and pa.
riotic principle OF tue Individual soldier.
They never seemed 10 care much for or to
depend much on their officsrs; yet what
brigade produced brighter galaxy OF OFF,
GERS? = Gems Baldy Smith, l.. A. Grant.
George P. Stannard, George p. Foster.
the Stoughtons, the Piugrees, Traci.
Floyd, Veszey and scores OF others. Yet
the men 10 this brigade alwas seemed To
know what to do in every case OF emergen
cy, aud they did 1t in their own sober and
effective way, What Jackson said of his
men may be said Of the Vermonters with
m ore truth. that while they might not al
ways carry position, they never failed to
h. Id one. The VermoDters were never
routed. They were never driven from
position once fairly taken by y square
front attack. Sometimes as ut the Wilder
ness aud Cedar Greek they we're forced
back by the giving way OF other troops on
tn cir Aanks. but In sach cases they went
slowly, fighting stubbornly. aud only to
take up better position. from which
they eraeted heavy reckoning from the
foe.
But in the attack the Vermouters we're
even more effective. They went in with
mingled dash and resolution which oft
times swept all before them, and some Ct
their greatest and most valuable achieve.
meuts were gained with comparatively lii,
tie loss to themselves. They crushed the
enemy with such vigor and suddenness as
to leave him scarce time or opportunity to
inAict injury.
They never served under commander
who WAS not warm and epthusiaetic 10 bis
praise and com mendations. Wban Sedg
wick started bis corps on the forced march
30 miles Ia. the battlefield OF Gettysburg,
and every nerve was to be strained to
reach the field in time, ho simply ordered,
Put the Vermont brigade ahead and keep
the rest closed up The same stsunch
officer at Spottsy lvanis conrt house delay
ed the attack Of bis corps an hour 10 order
to have the Vermonters come up and join
10 the assault. And 30 thro ughout their
service they were constantly put 10 the I'D
vance, in the forefront Of danger and OF
d difficulty. No commander felt any un'
easiness as TO that part OF the field where
the Vermonters were posted.
they we're at once the envy and the ad.
mirHtiop OF the other troops. ! do not be
iieve that disiDterested man could be
found 10 oil that great army Of the Poto'
mac who would not unbesitstiDgiy award !
the first place US soldiers to the old Ver
mont brigade. Whether you take the bravs
record Of their losses and achievements, or
the verdict OF the historian, or the com
menda.ion OF their commanders. or the
universal testimony OF their comrades; by
either or slI Of these criterions the old
Vermont brigade stands not only the lst
Vermont brigade but first 10 the entire
army Of the republic.