Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-10
THE THIRTEENTH VT. REGIMENTS
MONUMENT.
Captain Browns Historic Hatchot Rep.
resented at the Feat OF His statue.
(From the New York Tribune)

stephen f. Brown, whose statue sur
mounts the new monument which Is to
mark the spot occupied by the 18th Regi-
meht on the battlefield, and the cemetery
commissioners were so averse to the idea
that j. n. Willing, the builder OF the mon
ument, has been kept in hot water for six
months. The contention resulted in a CON-
promise. The Ratchet is part OF the
statue, but 1t rests on the ground near the
captains right foot
/ The presence OF the Ratchet in any posi-
ton naturally suggests Inquiry, and that
Is just why tho Vermonters wanted it
there. Every cemetery guide will know
/ the story of Capt Brown and his Ratchet.
visitors VIII tell 1t to their children, and
1t will become history. At the battle of
Gettysburg the 18th Vermont was a part
Of Gen. STANDARDS Vermont command
The second Vermont Brigade had been left
on outpost duty in Virginia until the third
day after the Army of the Potomac had
passed it in pursuit of Lees troops into
\ Maryland and Pennsylvania. Then tho
brigade got orders to proceed by forced
marches to join the Army of the Potomac.
The latter was also en- forced march,
but In six days time the Vermonters had
overtaken the main body. Just before the
first days battle Capt. Browns command
came up to a well. at which was an arm
ed guard
You cant get water here" said the
gtard. & Garst orders"
DVtIlH your OrueTs, Salu capt Brown,
AND then, with all the opnteens of the
men and with only one man to- help him
he thrust the guard aside and filled the
canteens. His arrest followed and he was
derrived of his sword.
The history making battle began with
Capt Brown prisoner. He begged for
chance to rejoin his company, and was
, allowed to go. He picked up camp
, Ratchet and ran to the firing line, rush
ed into the fray, and, singing out rebel
officer nifty yards away, penetrated tho
rebel ranks, collared the officer, wrestling
from him his sword and pistol after which
: he dropped his Ratchet, while his men
cheered him amid the storm of bullets
and smoke. Such in brief was Capt.
Browns exploit.
FIRST DESIGN WAS NOT ACCEPTED.
Waling, the monument builder, said in
reference to it:
1T was the design of the committee to
, have the statue made with Ratchet in
the hand Of Capt. Stephen f. Brown. Ac-
cordingy, l made a model in this form.
. but the federal governments would not APP
prove 1t and permit its erection as design
ed A second model was made, showing
Capt. Brown holding a sabre and peit in
his left hand. the he tenet lying at mis- feet,
as If just dropped. This model was APP
/. proved, and the work is now being execut-
, ed The sabre depicted in the statue is
> an exact represents ton of the one captur-
ed which Capt Brown still has. 1t con-
sderation of lis gallant conduct in the
battle, no action was afterward taken in
. regard to his viola ton of orders
= Five hundred comrades witnessed the
4 presentation of a diamond badge to Capt.
a Brown in Chicago on the night OF May
4 2S 1852, when he was tried by mock court
= martial on lor g list of charges. Among
other things mertioned in the charges are:
For cushing into a place of extreme
= 6aDuGr q (,ott VsblVQ q wounded
comrade and receiving injuries from the
, conclusion of shell while thus rashly
: exposed
For losing lis left arm in the Battle
u of the Wilderness.
For forcibly taking a private of the 18th
n Vermont out Of ST. Adams Jail, wheCe he
u was imprisoned in civil action after his
. enlistment"
4 Capt. Brown is at present successful
t Chicago lawyer.
The four panels of the monument are
inscribed as follows:
FRONT FACE
THIRTEENTH VERMONT VOLUN.
TEER INFANTRY.
1s62-1s63
ON THIS FIELD THE RIGHT REGE
MENT OF STANDARDS VERMONT
BRIGADE, THIRD BRIGADE
THIRD DIVISION, FIRST
CORPS.
July Five companies under Lieutenant
Colonel William d. Munson supported
batteries on Cemetery Hin.
Near evening the other five compan
lea commanded by Colonel Francis V
Randall charged to the Rogers house
, on the Emmittsburg Road capturing
eighty-three prisoners and recapturin:
four gurs, after which they took posi-
i ton here, and were soon joined by thu
81 five companies from Cemetery Hill.
al,
forty-fve yards under IRE of sharp
shooters, and placed a line Of rails
When the Confederate column crossed
! the Emmittsburg Road the regimen
advanced to the rail brcastworks ant
= opened fire. As the Confederates obliQu
l. ed to their left the regiment change'
,fI front forward on first company, ad
= Vanced 200 yards, attacking the Confed
=. crate right flank, throwing it into con
ol fusion. and capturing 243 prisoners.
It Officers and men engaged ...........4s
Killed and mortally wounded ........ 2
Other wounded .... ...... ...........
PANEL AT THE RIGHT OF THE
FRONT.
IS The 18th Vermont Infantry VOLUNTEERED
In the summer of 1862 from the countie
E; Of Chittenden, FCanklin, Lamolle an
Washington, and with 9tS officers and me
II was mustered into the service October II
1862,
20 Before Gettysburg its service was in Vlr
gnia and chiefly pcketing a line fror
lCentreville to Occoquan. With othe
commands 1t repulsed the attack of tn
4, Confederate cavalry on Fairfax Coui
-, House, December 20. 1862 1t reached thi
- battlefield July /. After Gettysburg, Wit
- the army, 1t pursued the Confederates t
Middletown, Md, Its term of enlistmen
20 having expired, it was ordered TO Brat
% tleboro VT. July 81, 1863 1t was muster
ed out July q, 1863
Many of its officers and men re-entere
the service in othec Vermont organize
~ tiCns.
This monument was erected by 1893 G
It the survivors in 1899.
H. Three markers show its different pos
IN tions on the third day of tho battle.
We PANEL AT THE LEFT OF THE FROM
h, FRANCIS V. RANDALL.
20 CAPTAIN SECOND VERMONT
INFANTRY.
COLONEL. THIRTEENTH VERMONT
INFANTRY.
COLONEL SEVENTEENTH VERNON
:, INFANTRY.
~ July I'm the charge Col Randall fe
a ltt