Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-12
DAYS OF '6l-'65 RECALLED.
"The War Legislation of Ver-
mont"

Harris of BrattIebOro, Telling of the
Measures Which Put Vermont nc the
Frout and Kept Her There in the
Great Work of SuppressIng the Re-
belliOn.
The November number of The Vermont
er contains an article by Hon. B. D. Har-
ris of Brattleboro on "The War Legislal
ton of Vermont" in which is given a re-
view of the prompt and effective measures
taken by the state, through its legislature,
to meet the emergency presented by the
outbreak of the rebellion in 1861. 1t is
undoubtedly true that in no state was the
action, at the very outset of the great strug-
gle, so instant, so broad and comprehen-
sive, and so generous as was that of Yer
mont, and Mr.. Harris has done the state
historical and patriotic service in gather
ing up the record and presenting it in con-
crete and incisive form.
When the call to arms came in the early
spring of 1861, Mr.. Harris says, Vermont,
probably, was the least prepared of all the
loyal states to meet the great emergency.
Except some skeletons of practically in
dependent companies of infantry, here and
there in the larger towns, without adequate
| reglmental organization, equipment or Of
| hcers, the state had neither soldiers to be
put into the field, nor laws under which
men could be properly recruited, organized
and disciplined. The long period OF pro-
found peace, extending back beyond the
recollection of nearly all then living, had
apparently almost extinguished the old
time military spirit of the people. Mill
tary organization had fallen into disuse.
and even into disrepute. The annual
training day" was an occasion of bur-
lesqne and rldicule of all military organi-
zAtion. The whole foundation upon which
| $4,000 valiant soldiers were to be equipped
aud sent into the field had to be builded
anew. This was the situation in Vermont
on April II, 1861, when the rebels fired on
| Fort S.mter.
President Lincoln's first call for u, 900
three months troops-one regiment from
Vermont-was the almost instant Federal
| response to the boom of the rebel guns:
and this was followed, with but a single
| days interval, by the patriotic proclama-
tion of Gov. Erastus Fairbanks, calling
| upon the legislature to convene in extra
| session at Montpelier on the 23d day of
April.
Meanwhile, Gov. Fairbanks, with the
efficient cooperation of Adjutant General
ID. ii. Baxter, and Quartermaster General
Geo. +. Davis, took vigorous action in re-
sponse to the Presidents call for troops,
by selecting ten of the least unready of
the skeleton infantry companies before
mentioned, hastily filling their ranks to
The required number with new recruits,
and organizing them into the first regi-
ment under Col. John W. Phelps, after
wards general, and Lieut.. Col. Peter T.
Washburn, afterwards governor. This
regiment was mustered into the service of
the United States and went to the front
early in May.
Work of the Special Session, AprII, 1881
Pursuant to the governors procl 4m alton.
the general assembly met in extra session
at the capitol in Montpelier at 10 o'clock
in the forenoon of April %, aud, both
houses being already fully organized, pro-
ceeded without an hours delay to the per-
formance of the grave duties before them.
Lieut.. Gov. Levi Underwood, president of
the senate, in his opening address to that
body, vigorously and eloquently voiced the
intense earnestness and stern purpose that
dominated the executive, the general as
sembly and the entire population of the
state.
Governor Fairbanks, in his message at
the beginning of the session, gave a lucid
and detailed statement of the methods,
progress and viruience of the rebellion, and
of the unprepared condition of the loyal
states, especially Vermont, to meet it; and
closed with these emphatic words: ''The
United States government must be sus-
tanned and the rebellion suppressed, at
whatever cost of men and treasure"
Party names and political distinctions
and differences instantly disappeared. The
few members of the general assembly who
had been chosen as Democrats, under the
lead OF Paul Dillingham; afterwards gov
ernor) in the senate, and OF Stephen Thom-
as afterwards general, who later did val
liant service in the field) in the house,
We'd successfully with Republicans in sup
port of the most vigorous and radical mil
itary legislation.
The session lasted less than four days.
all told-having met at 10 A. NJ. April 23d,
and adjourned, sine die, at 2 A. NJ. April
21th-but in that brief time all the gener-
al and essential principles, conditions and
policy underlying the war legislation of
the state throughout the whole period of
the rebellion were formulated into legal
enactments.
The most important and comprehensive
of these enactments was senate bill No. 2
(also No. of the session laws), entitled
"An act to provide for raising six special
regiments for immediate service for pro-
tecting and defending the Constitution and
Union," approved April Goth, 1861 This
act authorized and required the governor
to recruit and muster in two regiments
"without delay" and four other regiments
as might appear necessary. 1t established
the number and grade of all regimental,
staff and company officers, and the man
ner of their appointment; and prescribed
all the details for recruiting, arming aud
equipping the troops. Among its most
important benefcent provisions were those
of sections 10 and IL which provided extra
pay of seven dollars per month from the
state treasury, In addition to the pay of
the United States, fJr non-commissiOned
officers, musicians and privates. This ad-
ditlOnal seven dollars, however, was not to
be paid to the soldiers monthly, but was
to be placed TO each mans credit ami used
as needed, by orders on the state treasurer,
for the support of the soldiers family. If
not needed Tor this purpose the accumu-
lated money was TO be paid 10 the soldier
or his legal representatives at the end of
his term of service. The policy thus in
augurated was strictly Verm ont inven-
tiolI.
Under the provisions of sections 10 and
IL of act No. 2, it is understood that
nearly or quite 81, 4,00O, ,OOO-(the exact fig
ures are not at hand)-was paid from the
aN..Nn E.. a.