The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-07-14
No. "a
Peter
OIIUI
Chase
Saturday, July Is,
julius Whitney

Peter :. Chase is in thorough accord
with the opinion of war as expressed by
Gen w r. Sherman. Mr. Chase, al
though a private from start to finish of
his service, was crippled for life by one
of the seN eraI wounds he received, and it
was not many years ago that he under
went an operation here, made necessary
by one of his wounds. His story is one
of terrible suffering, caused by lack of
hospital, sanitary and transportation con
veniences and necessaries That lie il
alive to tell the tale is evidence that he
was blessed with "A rugged constitution
and that the major part of his makeup
il clear grit.
Peter Smell Chase was born in Jamaica
March -, 1915, a son of Smell and Sophia
tAlen) Chase. He lived there until he
was 10 years old His father having
died when the boy was three, the latter
was under the care OF a guardian. He
went to Gardner Mass, when 10 and
lived there seven years Owing to cruel
treatment he away to the home of
his guardian in Weston (Nt), making
the trip Of 50 miles on foot III three and
one-haIf days.
His first attempt at enlistment was. at
Ashburnham, Mass Jan. 1, 1862, in
Company c. 21st Massachusetts, regiment
He was rejected because of his failure
to obtain the consent of his guardian He
next enlisted at Weston Aug Il, 1867
in the 18th Vermont regiment then in
camp at Bratteboro With four other
recruits he was taken to the office of Ad-
jutant General Washburn in Woodstock
only to learn that the regiment was re
crujted to it's full strength
Determined to serve in the Union
army. the five all enlisted once more,
this time in Company |, I'd Vermont reg
iment, and after instruction at Burlington
they Joined their regiment as recruits at
Hagerstown, Md, marching across the
battlefield of Antetam month after the
| battle
The regiment had just reached the
| firing line at Fredericksburg Dec. Il,
! 1862, and MIR Chase was about to engage
! in his first battle, when mimic ball, par
! tally spent, struck him in the left
| breast His breath was knocked out of
| him and an instant later blood spurted
! from his mouth Confident that he had
/ been fatally wounded before he had had
! d chance to fire once, he ripped open his
shirt and found nothing more than Il
scratch and a spot that was rapidly turn
ing black and blue The ball was lodged
inside his shirt and he carefully preserved
it. He began taking part in the firing
and soon afterwards was shot in the left
hand. He crossed the river to Falmouth
with others of the wounded and spent the
night shiverhg about little campfires
with them while awaiting transportation
to Washington He was taken to Har
wood hospital in Washington and after
one night there was sent to Fort Schuy
Ter, y. y, where he remained until
March, 1863, rejoining his regiment at
White Oak Church, Va.
His second engagement was, strangely
enough, in the second great battle al
fredericksburg. The regiment was on,
of those that charged up Maryes Height,
and the next day Salem Heights. Again
at fredericksburg June ), the regiment
was engaged, Company | crossing the riv
er in pontoons and charging the fortified
tons The regiment participated in thu
battle of Gettysburg, but did not hav'
such prominent part as did the othe
Vermont regiments Later it was sent t,
New York for the draft riots and tin
men had the best time of their entir
career III the army
After spending the winter in camp a