Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-15

break, md that not by chance. hut because
tho name accumulated Significance aud
was never played ont, Tho first three
years volunteers 10 Have Vermont for tho
front constituted this body u troops, aud
tho size OF the little commonwealth pr
haps suggested that this installment of i've
regiments was the one only contribution
OF Green Mountain boys that could reach
the seat Of war in time % put In an oar
So Il was at first those Normontcz.n
then ''the Vermont men" and finally 'thc
Vermont brigndc" There nro mora than
enough good words TO say In praise of the
brigade TO make book. ! am whiting
about n flfth part NJ II only, and simply
throw ont hint that my heroes held up
their end Of big task. The brigade lost
more men In battle than amy other In tho
Union army. II fought IN every cam.
paign of the Army Of the Potomac from 4
10 Z-from yorktown 10 Appomattox.
Each Of It's five regiments rc-onlifted when
its term expired In 1901, and each Of the
old flags, with Of course but fcnnt rem
nants Of the original defenders 10 rally Oh
thom, wna Ia at the death
The mon Of the Fifth Vermont were Of
the class that took second thought ON the
war question and went 10 the field to stay.
When the news Of Bull Run reached tho
green northern hills the governor Of Vcrs
mont told the young men to get into war
harncss-thc nation would need them.
Two regiments were ALREADY In their
camps and material for two more, wIfh
some To spare, rushed 10 the recruiting Of
fees. and when the Official call from Wash.
ington reached Montpelier the volunteers
asked for were actually under arms
Ia.
from companies that fell into line at ven.
ture ON hearing from hull fun. The men
hailed from the narrow strip west Of the
mountains. Lieut.. II. a. smallcy. Of the
regular army, was appointed colonel. lie
was Vormonter. aud when tho regiment
reached the Potomac II fell into the hands
OF other Vermont regulars. Cen w. r.
Smith, Familiarity known as Badly"
Smith, with some difficulty got the Fifth
and its companion regiments, the Second,
Third. Fourth and Sixth, united IN one
brigade and assigned TO n division then
forming under his lead.
Gen. W. Il. II. Brooks, nloknnmcd by
his followers "Dully" Brooks, became
briRadicr Both Smith and Brooks were
Nernonters and had been appointed from
the regular army to colonclcies In rcgl.
ments from their states. With two West
Point generals and West Pointer for
colonel the Fifth had no lack OF school.
masters at the outset.
Passing over the months Of drill. when
the men were learning how to fight aud how
rot to run away, tho story Of dead earnest
work begins with the first actual battle
between the two great eastern armies,
Lees Mills, 10 the Yorktown siege, April
10, 1852. The Vermont brigade answered
for the Army OF the Potomac Ia that kttlo
affair, the beginning OF the days when Il
was heard from In n fight. The Filth fur
nlshed tho sharpshpoters and administers
TO open tho ball ar also the ilrst victims
OF the campaign inkn infantry attack.
The sharpshooting silcncod Loted Con
fcderato battery and cleared the way Tor
an assault by tho brigade. In this way
the first battle nows-brcnthlessly awaited
at that stage Of the contest-horalded
abroad the name OF the Vermont brigade
After that there was lighting enough for
each regiment In the command 20 20 1;
alone In record making. Tho Filth bort
OIL the palm in the next important action,
IL was tho desperate Sunday evening en-
counter at Savage Station In the "Sever
Days." The rear guard OF tho army, com
posed Of General Summers Second corps
WIS fighting to cover the passage OF til,
trains over White Oak swamp.