Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-11-08

l Gade int. the flank of Picketts column.
! Irso world can never forget it, but the
/ honors e the day must be divided with
! Hancock, whose greatness oyershadows
/ ALL and hes les Stannard could not keep
( on breaking pivotal charges in pivotal bat
/ tlesof the wal. Had he fallen there he
/ would have been immortalized with Rey-
\ n0lds As it was he lived to serve his
country ly deeds not less important, but
less picturesque, than the one which placed
! him high in the hrmament--a star out
shone by more brilliant sun.
After Gettysburg the brigade of Yer
mont militia with which Stannard routed
Pickett's right flank went back home, and
Stannard resumed the command of his old
brigade. In the campaign Of 1864 he led a
| division in the Eighteenth corps under
another celebrated Vermont warrior, Gen
eral Badly Smith. Plenty of fighting,
with not much glory, fell 10 that command
during the summer, and at tho close Of
September the corps, with portion of the
Tenth, received orders to make direct at
tack on the Notifications Of Richmond
There was a war crisis at hand, and des-
perate work must needs be done Sheri.
dan in the Shenandoah valley found his ar
mics confronted by Confcdcratcs sent out
from Lees lines at Richmond and Peters
burg, and in order 20 make il dangerous
for Lee thus TO dctach the defenders of the
James river line Grant ordered his generals
TO force the fighting on those lines. The
Confederate occupation of Petersburg fur
nished ample defense Cor their capital on
the south and west sides of the James. On
the east and north, however, the safety of
Richmond depended ON mud and muscle;
on the eaFthworks extending from Drew
RVS bluif, seven miles below the city,
across to the swamps, and the Chickahom-
my bottoms, where Mcclellan had besicg
ed 1t two years before and themcn behind
them. In the hope that these latter would
be few in number, and that the works
could be carried by storm and the river
crossings seized before help could be
sent from Petersburg, the movement was
planned TO begin during the night of Sept.
IS. Two large Confederate batteries, or
forts, commanded the river roads leading
to Richmond. The most powerful, named
Fort Harrison crowned a hill and mount
ed l6 guns. On the Union right Of Fort
Harrison stood Fort Gilmer, connected
with the former by infantry parapets and
intrenched field artillery, and on the left
a similar system of defenses extended from
Fort Harrison 10 the river and commanded
the bridges Fort Harrison formed the
key Of the line and the announcement
was made at army headquarters that the
divisions of Stannard and Hickman of
the Eighteenth corps had been selected by
the general in chief to storm it at all haz
ards. Stannard was 10 lead in person
and had been named for thepost by Grant
So much for his Gettysburg renown, for
although ne had many daring deeds to his
credit in the matter of forlorn hopes, moth
ing counts but success or death. 1t was
Stannard who had begged TO be allowed TO
march his regiment, the Ninth Vermont,
ont of Harper's Ferry and charge the bat
teries which Stonewall jackson planted on
London Heights TO shell the garrison. Had
he been in command there instead of Miles
the most important and most discredit-
able Union surrender of the war would
never have taken place.
When Stannard learned of Grants selec-
ton of him for the Fort Harrison column,
he went TO the general and said Il am
told that l must lead this attack, and
have come TO protest in behalf of the poor
men of my division, who have led every
assault of this Eighteenth corps from Cold |
Harbor until now and are fought down to |
the skeleton OF division. l have not
word to say for myself. will go freely
wherever you send me, but it is inhum..n /
to give my men more than their share |
these forlorn hopes" General Stannard, I
we must carry Fort Harrison, Grant re-
piled firmly, land know you will do IL. "
IL called for higher courage to enter that |
protest than to charge the guns, but there /
was no gainsaying Grants reason for the
choice and Stannard set to work to make
the enterprise success. The division
crossed from Bermuda Hundred to the
north bank of the James in the nighttime,
and before daylight was marching along
the river road toward Richmond The
brigade of General Hiram Burnham the