Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-11-24
q WAR EPlSODE.


Assault on Petetsburs--Geu l., A.
Grants Efficient Action.
rNermoutors never tire Of hearing about
the old lst VI. brigade, and our readers
viii thanh Gen. Peck for the opportunity
to SEQ Maj 5prber's Interesting popcr
printed beto". 1t is porbaps only fair to
say. that ha incident lie describes is good
deal more than 'out ,incd" in Vermont in
! the Civil War. \ dozen or more pages of
I that work IRE devoted to it Cvol1. ~
| J-t-5GN orl whoever will tass tho pains
10 consult them, viii find IN tbom alnl,st
every material fact related by Mai Bar
! her, anu perhaps ono or two others not
mentioned in his paper. Scme Of the details
now given, however, are rathor more fully
defcrib1d ;hsu If any previous publication;
| and We ara gled 10 hrvo them placed on
record En-. FEE" ITsss.l
a>lyr PAU, Mimi, Nov. L. 1892.
| GEN. z. S. Tect, -idiutai,t. Gencrrl Of Yer.
| Wuti'
/ with Il des,o to add a few facts to the
/ history Of tho old Vermont brigade in its
conduct during tho great struggle for ma
tonul axi3,enoe and to place credit to its
aLlc commander winch he himself las been
TOO modest TO assume it has hcsn my pur-
pose for several years 10 put On lie 10 your
Office 4 statement III regard 30 ur Incident IN
/ u6g. l.. 4. Grants command OF the brigade
OF which 1 nm probably the only enc, OK
/ ccpt himself familiar visa ths details
1t ID in connection with the assault OF the
rebel works III 'front.' OF Petersburg on tho
morning. OF tpr.i ?, 1868, in which the
brigade led tho attacking columns and buro
such = conspicuous part. The incident s
| outlined in HaHsdict's Vermont in tle
Civil war, - but il is not SO fully stated Ia
my oYiaion as to give the brinad1 COM
nandez his proper credit for the splendid
achievements OF tho brigade on that oc-
cacion. 1t will h9 reno IL bored that through
ort the terrible Wilderness campaign OF
1864 tho brigade under lis command had
! written chapter Of renovn on every bloody
battlefield from brandy station to Fctors-
burg; had hastencd to Washing ton il July
to rcpe tho attack OF EAry'G yoSo' army
upon the national capital; Lad continued tic
brliisnt record ia every engagement with
Sheridan in the Shenundceh end mad re-
turned to its place ia the Pster. burg lines
ia December. During The absence of the
brigade in the valley, tho Army OF JLs 70
tomaC had made lie seated Unsuccessful 81
lacks along the nuC. covering Petersburg
and Richmond. 80 TIM, uYon the return ~
TIE 9th corps 10 tina. arm the fooing seem
81 TO pre- vail that tuose lines We're inpre--
nnbla. Not 50 withtho jth corps. Accustomed
to victory they could rot conceive da'cat,
and they looked uuon the massive works
frownng in irong OF tasm as their iecitl.
mate and coaident prey. a. tbs juncture,
too, it vG1 evident 70 all thht the coming
event would be tho final struggle NJ the
war No ono was mere gully alive 20 th!s
! t;r.f,. 4f-i, 81 i
prepare hial.sI. to take the psrs ia tia
ovort which the Vermont brigade had el-
ways SO conspioGousIy borne in Tho achieve
lNoDts of taa 9th corps, lie iabeTei incos-
sanity 10 pus his command Ia .no highest
state OF efficiency ANA to fGmil.ariIe him
self wish the enemY's limos in order to dis
cover, il possible, some wesene,s or circu M
stance Q. which Ee might be able 10 take
advantage IN the impending struggle Fol-
this purpose he made frequent visits to our
picket Inc and mnutoiy scanned the
enemy's works, not Only il front of our
! own commend, but to distance or eiths.
side in fro1V OF the al jscant troops. The
engagement Of March IS, in which the Yer
inont brigade 10 usual took the torsrest
part with It's accuqto,rad success was re-
wnrded b. DO capture OF tho eno9, ~
: ski:GniSh linz aad thor lIls pit, which wore
On - ''''"u
general Studied tho worAs more advantage
o"s'y- anN u. t'N%'" N's'0 '''eu one oPP"r
; 'uh''y u "'"'' '-' "''5sE' "purF mi' u
i,'''oH ''1N oN N"'uA9 80 "'iF or
''.I ~ az ~ "a ~" 'H'' was 'PA''
% - VI ~ ''' "a ''''' ms "Hp'oI'o'"'
2 occ@sioo9d By u sha.ior ravine runuiss
,'-' - ''o We. 49, ~ 'DNHn'' % ",tI'
~ 9o- cue" noai'y - 'o' Hu'l'' eiy' We
no." "iS9 VI 'aT ore0h 'u7 "oF"' t'rh'n I
"t''' '!',0-.C' 20 40 ''N "'N SH,S "'''
p''n'VH ~ 'N. ~u' "'"S "Sh''" On ei'"'r gu!
come "''1 1t'''Io' - ,"e iISul ana i'i
o' '"' r"N'N' '"e b he' - "'so ufcoVsi' .,
P"Ha8s' wy "l'"'' 'N' ~ oau' oe"P "''c'
~ ROM Ok Tue "o'Hs' eF"ohty prepare
10, 10 o'o's'1k 0l e''i' n'''usFa anu sucI
o,'1i So ''Is 1, - "ose i'I,',,''! IL Iron; o
< wa I'n's' Luz E"'o4a' WY on our iei
n"no @Pp'"'T" - "e S"'''i'nty s"p'ta"
.'Hl 1"' 'Ae C'ut''@S u d" ''' I"'ns co'u"n