The Irish standard., 1915-04-10
An Incident Of I he Civil War

The following interesting and some.
what remarkable incidents are taken
from an account given in the Worces-
ter, Mass, Daily Telegram Of Deem
Der Is, 1918. The article is memorial
written on the late G. P. Spaulding by
his neice, Miss Burgess, and relates a
series of incidents in connection with
the experiences of her uncle during his
enlistment in the war of the rebellion.
He requested that the incidents related
should not be published until after his
death. Carrying out this request his
neice wrote the following interesting
article, which we credit to the Tele.
gram:
George Perham Spaulding was
born in Cavendish, Windsor county,
VT, March 80, 1S43. He was the son
of John and Lucy (Marsh} Spaulding,
Jr.
"Mr. Spaulding lived at home until
Is years of age, when he went to live
with General and Mrs. Davis in Caven>
dish, vt. He remained there until the
Civil war broke out. He distinguished
himself in the Civil war by his
bravery. When he was IS years old
he enlisted in Cavendish, VT, in April,
1861. He served three months, being
in the battles of Bethel on the James
river.
"Enlisting a scond time, August 20,
1861, Mr.. Spaulding served three years
and at the end of three re-enlisted to
serve until the close of the war. He
was taken prisoner and told many in
teresting stories of his confinement in
the southern jails.
''While camping at Newport News,
Va, he saw the Cumberland and Con-
gress sunk by the Merrimac, March 8,
1862. One of the sailors of the Merri-
mac stamped the crucifix with the
blessed virgin Mary at the foot Of the
cross on Mr.. Spaulding's right arm.
''Mr. Spaulding said that he was
sure that helped to save his life
through the war. 1t surely was the
most skilful piece of work to be done
of that kind and acquaintance init
mate with Mr.. Spaulding viewed the
perfect picture on his arm.
"Mr. Spaulding figured in many
L-k T. rs,,s1 II
was first taken at Petersburg, Va,
June %, 1864, and was kept in Rich
mond prison and later prisoner at
Danville and in Andersonville more
than six months.
From Andersonville he was taken
to Savannah, Ca, and was paroled
from there, returning to Rutland for
visit with relatives. He remained 60
days and then having been exchanged
returned to the army and fought until
peace was declared.
'Mr. Spaulding was in G Co., 4th
regiment of volunteers of Vermont,
second brigade, third division of the
9Th army corps.
Ellis regiment was in the army of
the Potomac and saw almost continu.
GUS service from the first advance into
Virginia until the fall of Richmond in
1865. Among the battles in which Mr..
Spaulding was engaged were the Sec
ond battle of Bull Run, Fair Oaks, the
Seven days battle, Harpers Ferry, the
battle of the Wilderness, Spottsyl-
vania, South Mountain and Gettys-
burg and many other battles.
"He served under Gen. George B.
Mcclellan, Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside,
Gen. George B. Meade, Gen. Ulysses S.
Grant and Gen. Hooker.
"At the battle of Gettysburg, where
the doom of the confederacy was made
certain, shot took off Mr.. Spaulding's
cap and to the fact that he was small
of stature he attributed his escape
from death. Another bullet grazed one
elbow, but otherwise he came out of
the greatest battle of the war unin-
jured.
During the fighting in the battle of
Gettysburg, one of the confederate gen.
erals and his horse were shot and DUR
Ing the firing of the bullets, Mr.. Spald-
ing crawled over stone walls and the
battlefelds on his hands and knees,
and lodging the shots reached the
general and his horse and unstrapped
the saddle from the horse, and also
the rifle and then managed in the
same way to get back.
He gave the saddle to his captain
and the rifle he sent to his brother in
Worcester. He was made list corporal
soon after enlisting and then promoted
to LIST sergeant, I'd sergeant, orderly
sergeant, I'd lieutenant, and at the
close of the war he was acting captain,
but had not received his commission.
He was acting captain of II Co. He
returned from the army aching to the
bone with scurvy, which he contracted
while in prison.
"The food in prison, Mr.. Spauldins
said, was terrible. Many day only
beans were given the soldiers to eat.
Half the time there were no fires to
cook with and the water was white
with life.
~ "Mr Cno,,1dino &o1d ~ -