Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-07-22
CHARGED Up THE BLUFFS.

One month later at the head of a recon-
noitering column, the regiment fought its
way across the Rappahannock river in the
face of a heavy fire from the enemy's rife
pits on the opposite bank. AT signal the
Vermonters dashed to the rivers brink,
launched number of pontoon boats,
scrambled in and pulled across On the
other side the men in the foremost boats
charged up the bluffs and overpowered the
Confederates who were paying attention
to the boatloads yet in the stream. 1t was
a daring feat, carried by holiness and nerve.
At Gettysburg these Vermonters were
in reserve. 1t was STANDARDS Vermont
militia that was immortalized in the re-
pulse of Picketts charge After Gettys-
burg, in the pursuit of Lee to the Potomac,
the Fifth was away to the front ON the heels
of the cavalry. At Funkstown, Md, near
Antietam, on July TO- the Confederates
turned on their pursuers, and the Yer
monters again displayed their valor on an
obscure field. Col. l.. \. Grant of the
Fifth, commanded the brigade, and, noting
that the enemy was making for ridge
between the lines he thought it would be
n good scheme to get there first with his
Nermouters.
The position was so extensive that his
troops only made fair skirmish line when
deployed. The outwitted enemy tried to
carry by force what they had let slip by
dalliance and charged again and again.
But the Green Mountain boys were grit"
to the bone and didn't bulge an iota. The
main Union army and trains were yet far
in the rear, and the skirmishers We're left
unaided a whole afternoon and night.
They held out, though, and after firing
away their supply of bullets sent messen-
gers to fetch up more on stretchers. In
one of the charges made upon the Yer
monters Col. Grant counted seven regi-
ments in the column. Yet they fell back
before the deadly skirmish fire.
At the close of the Gettysburg campaign
and its sequels the plucky souls of the
army began to re-enlist. The Fifth was
the first Vermont regiment to go in for
second term. After a holiday trip to
the old green hills as a reward for re.
existing, the regiment took its place in
the Sixth corps, numbering 500 muskets
At the Wilderness, May 3, 1861, it was i'll
Gen. Getty's line, touching elbows with
! Hancock's men in the Plank Road fight.
The lieutenant colonel, j. A. Lewis was
wounded at the outset, and Maj c. p.
! Dudley stepped to the front to lead. Col.
/ Grant was still brigadier of the Vermont
ers, and discovering, as he thought, that
the Confederate line was thin in front of
the Fifth, ordered Dudley to charge. The
men dashed in with "A cheer, carried the
point and looked around for supports.
! The latter had weakened and left the
brave boys in tight place for the enemy
! kept strong reserve and 1anked Dudleys
/ little band, forcing il to retreat. The reg
| iment got out of the Wilderness with an
| even half of its men on their legs, and
three days later the dashing Upton chose
1t as one of twelve picked commands to
make up storming party at Spottsylvania.
That famous assault was only step
around the corner from the scene or Han
I cocks bloody game little later, and was
aimed at the same stronghold, the angle
on McCool's farm. The breastworks were
| headlogs, but the stormers went over them,
rapturing and dispensing two lines of Con-
federates and spking their cannon. Once
more the Union supports skipped the APP
pointment. Lees generals rallied their re-
serves and drove Upton from the works.
The Nermonters refused to back out and
said that If rations and cartridges were
TO 8 finish But headquarters took diff
ferent view and recalled them. The Fifth
lost 81 in all % of them mortally hurt
Mai. Dudley arose from a sick bed -
his boys and received "A wound th2
waited his disease and death folloWro.
In the Petersburg and Shenandoah cN
Paigns the regiment fought as "A batts
ion AT the inal assault on the works
Petersburg, April ?, 1865, it led the Six
corps line and planted its colors first up
the Confederate works. Ii lost 10 kill
} that day, making grand total of
deaths by the enemy's bullets besides
. wounded. GEORGE l., KILMER,