The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-10-04
OLD VERMONT BRIGADE
Its Part In Two important Battle Of
Civil War.

gade. Col Stone will be remembered
by the older citizens as a young man
from Readsboro, who at the breaking
out of the war, was studying law In the
Office of the Hon. A. b. Gardner at
Bennington Center. He was elected
LIST. lieutenent of Capt. j. II. Wal
BRIDGES (later Coll Co. A and at the
time this letter was written had risen
to the rank Of Lieut-Col. About a year
later he became full Col. and was
killed while leading his regiment into
action at the Battle OF the Wilderness
May 9Th. 1864. His remains were sent
home and repose In the old cemetery
at the Center. The battles described
are known to History as Mary's
Heights May 3D., and Salem Heights
May 4th. 1868.
Camp near Potomac Creek I'D.
May 18th 1868.
Hon. A. b. Gardner,
Bennington, vt.
My Dear Sir:
The Sd. and 4th. days OF this
month the I'd Div. and the entire corps
| fought superior numbers. 1t was the
severest fighting our division ever
participated in and | am pleased to say
that we have sustained our good
reputation. The Vermont troops es-
pecially received the concentrations
of all who know their good behavior
, | am happy to inform you that for once
, an official report of the part the Yer
mont regiments took in this movement
has been sent to Vermont and will be
published. | refer you to 1t. When
you have seen that perhaps what l
now write will not be untimely. know
how you and many others feel inter-
ested in our deeds and In the cause
and | desire that you may know the EN-
tire truth.
My life has been graciously spared.
My dear brother was wounded in the
right shoulder. The wound is severe
but not dangerous. He received the
wound while the regiment was charg-
ing upon the Rebel works.
AS the operations of the 9th Army
Corps were confined to Fredericksburg
and vicinity | can only write of what
occurred there The rest of the army
chossed the Rappahanock several miles
above. The night of April 2Sth Gener-
al Brooks division crossed the river
in boats at our former crossing. The
18th of December under General Burn
side, after he had crossed, three brid
ges were built We held a position
covering the bridges. General Howe
and General Newtons divisions were
kept until the End inst One could not
tell whether 1t was determined to at.
tack there or to make feint and keep
a large portion of the Rebel army i'm
our front.
After a while 1t appeared that If the
main force in front retired, We were to
attack. On the night of the End inst
the End and Ord divisions joined Gen.
Brooks across the river and moved to
the right toward Fredericksburg. The
advance skirmished with the Rebels
the entire distance. Our advance was
slow but at daylight the first troops Ell
tered the city. A considerable force
of the Rebel infantry lay in their rifle
pits and their guns opened on us from
several batteries in earth works on the
heights. Preparations were made to
storm the works. Gen. Newton's div
ision was to carry the works in rear
of the city and Gen. Howes the
heights known as Mary's Hill to the
left of the CITY, The regiments selec
ted to lead the charge in our division
were the End and 9th VT. 33rd and
18th n. Y, and 2lst and Goth N. J.
Our men went forward under q
shower of bullets and a furious artil
lery fire. Ii was the most glorious
achievement | ever witnessed. The
2nd was the first to reach the works
All speak OF the officers and men OF
that regiment In the highest terms OF
praise. The loss in the regiment was
nine killed and nearly 100 wounded
rhe other regiments behaved gallant
" and lost considerably. We captur
ed four pieces OF artillery and one
stand of colors. II was in this charge
that my brother was wounded. In the
mean time the works in the rear of the
city had been carried and our division
was ordered to join the others on the
plank road leading to Charlottesville
over Mary's hill. The eminence our
division carried led the telegraph or
Richmond road. | consider the emf.
nence and road very important posi-.
ton to hold and the result of the sub.
sequent fighting convinces me of 1t.
Our division joined the others on
the plank road nearly three miles from
Fredericksburg. Soon the advance un.
der Gems. Brooks and Newton became
engaged with another force of the en-
envy coming to reinforce those we had
driven from the heights. The Rebels
were in great numbers and the en-.
gagement was furious. Our division
formed on the left of Gen. Brooks to
l a,xI l,t
ed at dark and we kept our position
until morning. The morning of the
4th came and with it came to us a
consciousness of blunders having been
committed.
Instead of holding the hills and
works captured at such a cost, our
corps had pushed on too far unless we
should make junction with General
Hooker, and this junction 1t was not
probable we should make. If General
Sedgwick acted without instructions,
then he Is responsible If he acted by
orders then he Is only partially respon
sible. The facts will sometime come
to light and 1t is not proper to censure
or exonerate any person until the
truth is known.
At daylight larger force of Rebels
were seen moving on the Richmond
road before mentioned to our left and
rear toward Fredericksburg and news
soon came that they were i'm possess
ion of the city. Our division immedi
ately charged front facing Fredericks
! burg and waited for the attack.
Through the day it was evident that
the enemy were marching on our right
and in the direction of Fredericksburg
We had two lines of battle and the first
line had thrown out skirmishes and
was supported by battery. The Yer
mont brigade formed the second time
and the attack was not made until af
ter O'Clock p. m. The enemy then