The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-06-05


Roberts, was first lieutenant Of Co. x
Rutland Guards, First Vermont ReGi
nent. He was Afterwards colonel q
the 7th Regiment and was killed In u
battle Of baton Rouge, In.
The militia Of the state was in I
condition Of almost s'inocuous desue'
tude," but under General Baxter's en-
ergetic administration was soon fully
recruited, armed. equipped and resdy
for service. The newspapers Of tn
cities through which the first regiment
passed on its way south, ~ they wesu
in fact for all Vermont regiments
were most enthusiastic in their com.
ments upon the strong, sturdy sp.
pearance, "the magnificent physique
Of these giants Of the hills" the Yer
mont, or Green Mountain Boys.
This regiment was Ia the battle ol
Big Bethel and returned to Vermont
ut the end of its term Of enlistment
with nearly all Of It's men. One Of
them was killed in action. Later no
less than $50 of its members received
commissions in Vermont regiments,
and over 600 of its 1853 members re-
enlisted. Daniel Gleason and Charles
p. Dudley were the only boy that
know Of IN that regiment whose fam
lilies lived in this town.
May I'd President Lincoln called for
10000 volunteers for three years, and
two regiments the End and 3rd, were
raised in Vermont. One company 0f
the End regiment, Co. A, was formed
In Bennington, and four ManchesteS
boys enlisted, James Hicks, Solomen
Westcott, Charles Hill and Warren
Wyman. Waldo Burrows from East
Dorset and Abel Wyman from Dorsst
also enlisted. This regiment partici-
pated in almost all Of the battles
Fought by the Army Of the Potomac,
from the fsst battle of Bull Run to-
the surrender Of Appomatox Court
House, and lost during that period
eight times the general ratio Of killed
and wounded in the Union Army. In
November the community was sadden.
ed by the report that James Hicks, the
brother Of Henry Hicks, had died In
camp, His remains were brought
home. The funeral was held in the
Baptist Church and large concourse|
Of people followed to the burial in the
Meeting House Hill Cemetery, now the
Manchester Center Cemetery. His
was the first life laid down. for the
country from this town, as that OIL
Roger c. Perkins was in the present
war. These young soldiers paid the
last supreme sacrifice for their coun-
try and will be long and gratefully
remembered. "Dulce ct decorum est
pro patria mori."
The disaster at Bull Run demon
strated the necessity of increased ma
tional forces and two more regiments
were called for from Vermont, and the
north shire was to furnish one COM
pany. INwas quickly recruited and]
LOO stalwart men were enrolled. The
company was rendezvoused in Man
chester Village,7 fed at Vanderlip's
Hotel, now the south part of the
Equinox House, and those who did not
60 home nights were lodged in the
Court House. This company was
quickly recruited because the war
spirit was high and there had been
considerable impromptu drilling and
marching practiced. The hall in the
Did school house at Factory Point, now
Adams Hall, saw good many nights |
)f intensive drilling within its walls,
md on pleasant evenings there was
much marching about the streets to
he music of the two bands.
Charles P. Dudley was elected cap
ain, a splendid selection, as he had
seen service in the First Vermont and
vas most capable. w. H. H. Peck was
,h0sen first lieutenant and Sam f..
3urnham second lieutenant. | know
lothing of the antecedents Of Lieuten-
int Peck, except that he had served in
he First Vermont. Everybody knew
ind liked Lieutenant Sam. Warren r.
)unt0n of Dorset, was appointed
'rderly sergeant. Mrs. Anderson, the
wife of the longtime pastor of the
Congregational Church, gave the com
'any a reception one afternoon and
made the boys fine speech. Solomon
3ulkley, the letter-writer of the COM
amy, often referred to this reception
n his letters from Virginia. The
gave them a general re-
option and supper on the grounds
vhere William Benefits home stands.
he company left for St. Albans,
vhere the companies were assembled
Q form the Fifth Regiment, amid the
laudits and hearty God speeds Of the
,hole community. The Manchester
,ompany became Company E. The
egiment was sdnt to tine seat of war |
cry soon and the End, 3rd, 4th, 5tni
nd 9Th became the famous First Yer
iont Brigade. This brigade was
ssigned to the 9Th Corps and was {
nth General Mcclellan in his unfor-
lnate attempt to take Richmond BY
Iay Of Chickahominy in the first part !
1862. At Savage Station, on June
3, the Fifth Regiment in the course I
half an hour suffered the greatest
'ss in killed and wounded endured by
ny Vermont regiment in a single I
ction during the war, and Company q
!, the most Of any company. This 3
sgiment was commanded by 1t. Col.
: A. Grant, who, by the way, had two
sters in Manchester, Mrs. Manley. s
nith and Mrs. G. w. Sessions. The \
'giment was advancing upon the &
bel lines In two ranks, and iust as n
9. E appeared upon the top Of Z small 2
! or swell Of ground, 90 that their B
hole forms were exposed, . rebel
lttery. Kemper's, concealed In the d
oods, opened with grape and canister '
ID the men fell like grass before the p
'ythe. Seeing the line falter Colonel (
rant rode up and asked Captain Dud- q