The Portland daily press., 1892-08-27

venlence in group
ing, it bore its bap-
4 tismal name to the
/ end without a
break, and that not by chance, but because
the name accumulated significance and
was never played out. The first three
years. volunteers to leave Vermont for the
front constituted this body of troops, and
the size of the little commonwealth per-
haps suggested that this installment of five
regiments was the one only contribution
of Green Mountain boys that could reach
the sent of war in time to put in an oar.
So it was at first ''thQSe Vermonters,"
then ''the Vermont men, 'sand finally ''the
Vermont brigade" There are more than
enough good words to say in praise of the
brigade to make book. I am writing
about a fifth part of it only, and simply
throw out hint that my heroes held up
their end Of a big task. The brigade lost
more men in battle than any other in the
Union army. It fought in every cam
paign Of the Army of the Potomac from A
to Z-from Yorktown to Appomattox.
Each of it's five regiments re-enlisted when
it's term expired in 1864, and each of the
old flags, with Of course but scant rem
nants OF the original defenders to rally on
Glem, was III al bH0 Q6dGQ.
The men Of the Fifth Vermont were OF
the class that took second thought on the
war question and went to the field to stay.
When the news of Bull Run reached the
green northern hills the governor Of Yer
mont told the young men to get into war
harness-the nation would need them.
Two regiments were already in their
camps and material for two more, with
fees, and when the official call from Wash
ington reached Montpelier the volunteers
asked for were actually under arms.
The Fifth was formed in August, 1861,
from companies that fell into line at ven
ture on hearing from Bull Run. The men
hailed from the narrow strip west of the
mountains Lieut.. H. A. Smalley, of the
regular army, was appointed colonel. He
was Vermonter, and when the regiment
reached the Potomac it fell into the hands
of other Vermont regulars. Gen. w. F.
Smith, familiarly known as "Baldy"
Smith, with some difficulty got the Fifth
and it's companion regiments, the Second,
Third. Fourth and Sixth, united in one
brigade and assigned to division then
forming under his lead.
Gen. W. T. III. Brooks, nicknamed by
his followers "Bully'' Brooks, became
brigadier. Both Smith and Brooks were
Vermonters and had been appointed from
the regular army to colonelcies in regi-
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 and how
not tn RIM atyay the story of dead earnest
wor,r higgins with the first actual battle
hatween the two great eastern armies.
Tee,s Mills in the Yorktnwn siege Anril
IA 1889 The Vermont brigade answered
for the ARMY of the Potomac in that; little
affair the beoinnino of the DAYS when II
was heard from in q fight. The Fifth fur
nisbed the sharnshooters and slxirrisbers
to omen tha hall and also the first victims
of the camnaion in an infantry attack
The sharnsbootinp silenced a noted Con.
federate battery and cleared the way for
an assault by the brigade. In this way
the first battle OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES awaited
at that stage of the contest-heralded
abroad the name of the Vermont brigade.
After that there was fighting enough fol
each reoiment in the command to go il
alone in record making. The Fifth bore
off the nalm IN the next important action.
r. was the desperate Sunday evening en-.
counter at savage Station in the s.Seven
Daysn The ,ear enard of the army. com.
nosed Of General Summers Second corps.
was figbtino to cover the passage of the
trains over white Oak swami
Toward n,ghtfalI sumner found his line
hsra pressed SEQ. anu Daily SnilSn DIVISION ~
VI we o!Asn o9lpe ~ MI a, W az
souois 4uioA W nis ioue 1ne Vernon.
prigase was nu ~ nv posi.loL 70 oea0
pacA colulnn =, " Co1ieeeia'es ena. were
~ saueins -. VI ono lanA' nis. sweeping 'ne
VnlcseO wiDn uaIlefy u nelo pieces ana
capnon nlo .u On away bruck. IN
passAls " ene !roli1 0lle nun Stumbled on
plosGra1e Iesilnen1 u crlhs.ng men wno
teluseu " auyance anu neeo ene zoe. Inc
epec1acle urea shs veInohIels 70 one SUI
prene plccn, anu 'ney Marcnea on cusslng
sne cowaIos anu burning 70 re0eem we
no ID, Oh 1ne army.
INC commander OF 1ne reglmene was
Aieuo. e'ol; L. "A. urant' clVilan
hoiuler, ana supposing tnaI oroets were
oroers ana musb De ooeyea, ne unosrtooA
70 push pach 1ne eAeAhy as ue nau pesn