The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-12-24
WHEN GAN THEIR GLORY FADE

The passing of an old soldier with
whose name are linked deeds oil
valor done" leads to reflection, and
reflection takes a wide range and
runs deep when a veteran of the civil
war who was, individually, part
Of the history of that titanic strife,
takes his place in the bivouac CT the
dead" To the re Elective mind the
story of General Thomas military
services suggests the xtent to which
the final success of the war for the
preservation of the Union was due to
commanders of minor rank, but whose
vslor and capacity to act decisively in
emergencies sometimes saved the indi-
vidual armies whose united strength
crushed the rebellion.
A major commanding battalion Of
Pennsylvania cavalry at Chancellors-
Vile saved the army of the Potomac
from one of those disasters that had
encouraged the Confederates to believe
that they would finally succeed in
breaking up the Union. When Stone
wall Jackson, with 10000 troops,
broke from the sheltering woods and
surprised the right wing of Hooker
army, all unprepsred for an emergen-
cy, and the frightened soldiers
Broke and fed.
Not one stayed-but the dead,
Major Keenan,, at the head of his
300 troopers, charged on the twice
ten thousand foes that bad suddenly
confronted the Eleventh corps, to
hold jackson in check the ten min
utes the Union commander needed to
wheel his retreating batteries and
train their guns, double shotted, on the
advancing rebels. Major keenan, and
his men rode till there were no
more to ride" but they saved the
army. They stayed the Confederate
rush till Pleasanton's cannon were in
place, and their thunder was alike q
knell to rebel hopes and death salute
to the heroes whose exploit ranks
them and their leader with Leonidas
and his 300 Greeks at Thermopylp.
In the comparison, their useful sacri-
fee renders beggarly the vain charge of
the light brigade at Balaklava-but
Keenan, and his little band had no
Tennyson to immortalize their deed
and death.
General Thomas, at Cedar Greek,
performed similar service for the
army in the Shenandoah valley, when
he threw the brigade he was COM
manding across the pike to take the
brunt of Early's onset. When rout
and disaster were everywhere else
in the Union camp, as the con-
sequence of Thomas movement
there was one body of troops that was
maintaining its formation and block
ing the Confederate advance. When
Sheridan arrived on the field, at the
head of this unbrokeu phalanx, he
cried, What troops are these?" "rhe
Sixth corps, the old Vermont bril-
gade." We're all right !" was the
response. Well lick 'em out of
their boots. before night, by God -
And the army oamped at night on the
ground it had occupied in the morn
ing: Lees expectations of advantage
from the movement down the Shen-
andoah valley were vain.
A man of heroic stamp was General
Corse, who held the fort" at ALA
coma, in Sherman's Atlanta cam
paign, his less than 1000 men COM
pletely environed by 5000 Confeder
ates. To the rebel summons to sur
render to avoid needless effusion
OF blood" his Spartan answer was.
We are ready for the needless effu-
sion of blood whenever it is agreeable
to you. " The beseigers were beaten
OFF, Sherman watching the fight from
Kenesaw Mountain. ten miles distant,
where he had received the reassuring
signal. 'Corse is mere. In his report
OF the action, the intrepid soldier,
who had been severely wounded, said
c''oip q OiOOh DOhO anu all
but am able to whip all hell YETI
The holding of the fort at Allatoona
was a matter of vital Importance.
Upon it, with other similar stations
along the two hundred miles of rail-
way stretching back to Chattanooga,
depended the maintenance of Sher-
mans communication with his base of
supplies, and to the destruction of
this line of railway the rebels were
constantly devoting their energies,
with an intensity of purpose that sig.
nified its vast Importance.
This circumstance brings into view
another officer whose deeds have been
unsung, but on the efficiency of
whose services the fate of Sherman's
army hinged. This officer was Col.
W. W. Wright, civilian, whose bust
ness it was to keep the railway open.
The road was raided necessarily by
the rebels, and transportation was
often interrupted. On one of these
raids eight miles of road had been
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