St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-08-23

village Colonel Stannard called for 80
volunteers to go ahead, push through
the town and make for the Confederate
pontoon bridge which lay across the
Potomac river into Maryland. He de-
termined to risk the fire Of the Confed-
crate batteries on Maryland and Loudon
heights, hoping that once across the
bridge by bold dash we could make
our way to McClellan's line. A. P.
Hills troops, however, had advanced,
and the regiment was missed by the
Confederate general, to whom all the
other Union troops had surrendered.
His line of battle occupied our camp be-
fore we got to the village, and when
we were missed from the line he sent
staff officers to intercept and bring us
back. They caught the regiment as it
was entering the head Of the pontoon
bridge. At first Stannard refused to
obey the order to march up and stack
arms on Bolivar heights, but upon be-
ing impressed with the punishment that
would be inflicted upon his men and the
other troops upon his attempt to violate
the command he yielded with heavy
heart AS the regiment about faced and
marched up the rocky road it was a
sight to behold. Soldiers were smashing
their muskets, officers breaking their
swords, and the national colors were re-
moved from the staff and replaced by
their black coverings, which no doubt
caused the enemy to think the flags
were beneath. AS the command ap-
preached Bolivar heights every man,
from the colonel to the youngest drum
mer boy in the ranks, was crying. Each
side of the road was filled with Confed-
crate soldiers looking at the regiment
that had caused them so much trouble
and had been trying to cut its way out
for two hours after the garrison had sur
rendered
Shortly after this the men tried to
stack what arms there were left, but
these had been so badly abused coming
up the rocky road that it was impossible
to make it, and the arms were thrown
Oh to the ground. The rebels put
guard over the regiment, and then the
paroling of the troops commenced. 1t
was understood that the commanding
officer of each regiment should sign the
parole of his command, but Colonel
Stannard said he could not be RESPONSE
BILE for each member of his regiment and
declined to sign. This brought on a new
complication, and the Confederates be-
lieved that Stannard was doing this to
delay them. The colonel thought if he
could keep them busy with subterfuges,
etc., that Mcclellan must relieve us be-
fore the next day. About shutdown the
Confederate authorities told him that if
he did not sign this parole for his regi-
ment they would all be sent to the
southern prison pens. This caused the
gallant commander of the Ninth regi-
ment to sign the parole. The next morn
ing the troops were marched across the
country 100 miles to Maryland In Jan
uary the Ninth regiment was exchanged,
and its colonel made brigadier general
of volunteers for his conspicuous gal
lantry and efficient service at Miles
surrender of Harper's Ferry.
After the surrender the gallant Green
Mountain boys passed through varied
experiences, first lying in parole camp
at Chicago for months and afterward
joining the small army in southwestern
Virginia and the peninsula.
In 1864 the regiment, 700 strong,
joined the Army of the James, in front
of Richmond. Its gallant colonel had
long since been promoted to general
ship and commanded a division in the
Eighteenth corps. The Ninth served in
that corps also, but not, much to the re-
greet of the men, under Stannard. How
CALAMITY they would have followed
their old leader was shown at the storm
ing of Fort Harrison, Sept. 49, Stan
nard's division led the attack, and Rip
ley's brigade (of Heckman's division),
which included the Ninth Vermont, was
ordered to follow. But just as Stan
nard's line mounted the walls of Harri-
son Ripley was ordered to storm an out
lying battery north of it, In the course
of the charge the line became entangled
in swamp, and being under fire part
Of it came to a standstill, but the Green
Mountain boys pushed ahead until they
reached open ground in view of Stan