St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-12-20
THE RALLY FOR THE UNION.
How Gov. Erastus Fairbanks Recruited
lhe Vermont Repimauin.

How Gov. Ernstus Fairbanks Recruited
she Vermont Regiments.
The one hundred and twenty-second
volume, in serial sequence, of the Official
Records of the War OF the Rebellion, be.
ing volume |. of series Ill, is just out
from the government printing office. 1t
is chiefly devoted to the correspondence
between the government and the govern
ors and other officers of the loyal states
during the first year OF the war. This is
now thus officially presented to the pub.
lie, thirty-four years after the dates OF
the documents. A glance at its pages
will give to the reader who has come
upon the stage since that time realiz.
ing sense of the exciting and trying
character of the period; OF the way in
which the Northern States rose to the
emergency; and of the magnitude of the
task undertaken by President Lincoln
and his advisers. The military opera
tons of our own state, as of the other
states. during the first nine months OF
the war; as thus Indicated, make those
OF the late war with Spain seem like
boys play in comparison.
President Lincon's first call for rs 900
troops, was issued April 49, 1861, and
Gov. Erastus Fairbanks was notified by
telegraph, that Vermont's quota would
be one regiment OF 7S0 men. His re-
spouse OF the same date, April 18th, was:
II shall promptly respond to your call
for one regiment" Gov. Magoffin of
kentucky at the same time replied:
Kentucky will furnish no troops for
the wicked purpose of subduing her
sister states" and Gov. Ellis of North
Caroliua telegraphed; "You will get no
troops from North Carolina" The next
day, April 16, Gov Fairbanks was noti-
fed by Mr. Cameron, secretary of war:
ut will suffice if your quota of volun-
teers be at it's rendezvous by the Goth of
May" April 90 Gov. Fairbanks inform
ed Mr.. Cameron that the list Vt. Regi-
ment would be at its rendezvous in ten
days. An incident of the time was the
offer made by Harrison Stephens, OF
Montreal, a native Vermonter. of large
wealth, to raise regiment with recruit
ing headquarters at Rouses Point, for
the service Of the United States. To this
the secretary of war replied, April 80, de-
Ginning the offer, with iull appreciation OF
the patriotic impase which prompted it,
since more men were volunteering than
the government could accept. On the I'd
of May, eighteen days before the time
which Mr.. Cameron had set, Gov. FAIR
banks informed him that the First Yer
mont Regiment was in camp at Rutland,
fully equipped, and ready for service;
and that it would be sent to New York
without expense to the government;
also that the Vermont Legislature had
met, appropriated million dollars for
war expenses, and authorized the enlist
mrnt OF six more regiments, two of them
to be raised without delay. He urged
that the First Vermont be ordered tor
ward at once. May II, he notified the
secretary OF war that three years regi-
ment was enlisted, and awaiting arms
and equipments. May 20 he inquired if
some cavalry would be accepted from
Vermont, to which Mr.. Cameron replied
that only one cavalry regiment could be
accepted and that it would be raised in
the West.
June 4, Gov. Fairbanks informed the
war department that the Second Yer
mont would go forward at once, and
that the Third regiment would go into
camp at st. Johnsbury the next week,
June Z, and in other communications,
Mr.. Cameron expressed cordial thanks
for the promptuess Of Vermont's re-
Spouse to the calls of the government.
So it goes, our little state furnishing
volunteers for the defence Of the flag at
the rate of regiment month, TILL on
January 6, over 5000 Vermont troops
were on the field, and the government
was informed that our Seventh and
Eighth regiments of infantry Zone of
cavalry having gone forward) were or
ganizing and could be ready in three
weeks. In the first year OF the war over
ten thousand Vermonters put on the
army blue, and the number was trebled
before the war was over.
Our younger readers may imagine, il
they can, the stir and excitement Of the
time when every other able bodied man
of military age in the state shouldered a
musket, and went to the front to fight
for his country.
We have noted briefly but few of the
communications which passed between
our state officials and those at Washing
ton, contained in this volume of the OFF,
cial Records.
The volume contains little that is new
to students of the history OF the civil
war; but it forms a splendid record Of
patriotism and devotion on the part OF
the men who stood behind the soldiers OF
the Union, and responded with unfailng
energy to every call of the government,
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