The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-07-21

Fifty years ago today the Second Yer
mont Volunteers received their baptism
of fire at Bull Run. The men of Company
G, recruited in Brattleboro, had been in
camp at Bush Hill in Virginia two weeks,
and the novelty of camp life and drilling
having worn off they were anxious to meet
the rebels and vanquish them. When Col.
Howard told his brigade, which included
the Second Vermont, Saturday evening,
July 90 that the following day battle
with the "rebs" was probable the men Of
Company @ were anxious for the opening
of actual warfare Col Howard said il was
probably the last time they would all
meet on earth and yet this serious view
of the approaching engagement did not
lower the spirits of the men of the Second
of the north and only wanted an oppor-
tunity to show the rebels what Vermonters
could and would do.
At go Sunday morning, July u, How
ards brigade was aroused from its slum-
bers. but owing to the movement OF other
divisions of the command the Vermont
boys were not able to start on their march
for the firing line, until about Z O'Clock.
The story told by survivors OF Company
C of that breakfast 30 years ago this morn
ing contains no touches of pathos, no re-
grets nor warnings to be back on the
hillsides of Vermont Every man OF Com
pany C was anxious for the fray. They
had come south to settle things with the
secessionists and imagined that one en-
gagement would convince the men OF the
south that the northerners were superior:
Gathered about their coffee the men q
Company told each other what would
happen to the men in butternut ralment,
Al hot hafp
done that there would be dead and wound
ed in their own command.
Forty rounds of ammunition were issued
to the Second Vermont and the using OF
that ammunition, as the survivors tell the
story. is extremely ludicrous. Charles )
Stockwell of Brattleboro says he iiIed -
rounds. He shot the first time INTO the
air and then let his musket balls go where
they would. The men of the company had
no idea as to the nearness OF the enemy
until the bursting of shell cut short tine
career OF Russell Benjamin, known ~, at
home and in camp as Rusty Ben. Inc
Second Vermont waited Tor several houis
after the order came to advance before az
came for the men 70 staft
Several divisions of the brigade llled tns
road leading from Bush Hlli camp !o"aLo
Sudley church. About Z O'Clock IN the
morning the Vermonters began moving
md the recollection of that double, qmck |
march for three or four, miles VIII ilngei
IN the memory of the men who maze II
until taps are sounded for the last survivor
The men had been in camp few DAYS
ess than one month and their drilling had
consisted principally of instruction IN the
manual of arms. The boys, though OF the
oick of the youth of Vermont, were un
,ble to stand the heat and within hall an
,our after the men started on douDie-
mick they began to fall by, the wayside,
)ne Of the survivors of that grueillhe
march says that at least one-third OF the
company fell along the roadside al liines
Turing the early hours OF the moI Lnai
When the men reached Sudley chuiin
here came an order TO- discard knal'eaTrhh TIE
which was done with aiaeIiy' on;n
nemy captured this part OF the EQUIP
nent of the northerners the next day. II
ras aboi,t 3 o'clock in the afternoon wneh
he hrioade arrived on the field OF pattle
fer several miles of double-quick march,
no. They were passing over, the erest VI
Hill near the turnpike short distance G
rom SIdley church when the boys OF oonl'
'anv q had their first introduction to war
bursting shell from the enemy , PA,
cries struck Corporal BENJAMIN, Killing
i'm instantly, and piece from the saTe
he'll took off an arm of First Sergeant ID
/ Woodbury. of Company ii, afterrwafGq
oyernor of Vermont, and now tne na,n a.
,r proprietor of the Van Ness III ilous st =,
burlington. This was the first ne io ~ ~
ction and the first sleeve empued o oS
ebel shot among, the Veflt 4In reg;ment
he effect upon the men OF the Tegirhh ',nr
,av he imagined. Sergeant WOODBURY.
,as carried to the rear to be cared for Dy
,as uu,. and the body of Rusty Ben was
IL ii Fe bu the roadside. When the brlgaae
, ,as ropted there was no time IN wnc1 ~
,as rouieu h NV and the enemy buried It,
e The o az record of the days events
a nc hot The Vermonters had eight or ~
~, sounded as the command passed over
h he" r;doe where Corporal BENJAMIN los
a life and Sergeant Woodbury. ms arm arm
bont 300 yards distant iron, t tha r rpI;
here the first fatality occurred !'' were
,ent was halted. The reoI bob;nd a :
,me 200 or 300 yards distant h be, The I
ali fence. For about han an la nJ' firing !
sriment held its position anu Af Tben an !
/ the line behind the lenese' march "bv |
rder came to cease firing ana n nart;on Of
,ae ao NJ TO the right Only portion %
\, nc na heard the order with tne I'd
Ne IL that the command became separatthha a !
ut tna that w Gr;ng squads. Then came the
ITO several s ,it hat famous "hollow square.
rder 70 dor Nd If # been executed than the
o ssaata na began TO fire grape shot anu
o a4tor order was given to reuu1e /,
no.mej J, 4 few minutes later Company - !
!u the sacond Vermont fired voliey te cd ;
! tn rebels eeeo and then the brigade started
retreat. -, roused from their t
ads at go and had partaken "A y footsore. \
yht breakfast, were , hunedds and tired as Q
n sy b @saS their fight threw to W a%y al
ler clothing but shirt and pdn ar0 tSe entire
uskets could be found along 10 he "" outskirts
ute from the battlefield e to t the oadjntant
Alexandria. A record II FL from Capt. h