Year: 1868

The Great Battle of FairyieW.


The following spirited account OF the
great SNOWFALL fight between the Vermont
soldiers and & the jersey Boys" in the
winter of 1868, il from a volume of war
sketches, called " Blue Coats"


The night of the 9th had enveloped
terra frma with its dusky shades. Many
a waxen nose in the camps of the Second
brigade snored sonorously, happily uncon-
scious of its ruby discoloration on the
morrow Many an eye placidly closed in
slumber was to be violently closed in bat
tie ere the approach of another nightfall
And many chronological bump sparscly
developed on the night in question WIS 10
be suddenly brought to an age Of puberty
on the approaching day. The eyentful
morning opened, Colonel Morrison sent a
challenge to Colonel Seavcr Of the third
Vermont, to engage in the open field at
three o'clock p NJ. The challenge was
accepted, on the condition that the fourth
Vermont should be included with the Sd.
This was agreed to by the colonel. Be-
fore the appointed time some of our men
were detailed on fatigue duty, and at the
time of the engagement we were only able
10 muster some three hundred men


Nothing daunted by the superiority of
numbers, Colonel Morrison ordered Lieut.
McCleeSe, of Company c Captain Penn
berton being sick,) to tortify Il small Hill
on our right, make as much ammunition
as possible. and pile the snow-balls in pvr-
amids This arduous duty was hastily
performed. 1t was a strong position, a
swollen brook at its base answering the
purpose of a moat-too strong in fact for
the Nermonters, and they declined to at
tack US while occupying this miniature
Chepultepec. Commissioners were ap-
pointed, and after a parley, the twenty
sixth was marched across the brook, and
formed in line of battle on the field front
ing the Nermonters The hills were COW
cred with spectators. and the eagerness to
witness the novel contest knew no bounds
Companies 4 and B were thrown out as
skirmishers. Company f occupied the
right, was given the center, and III
rested on the left. The colonel dashed
over the field in all directions, encourag-
ing the men to stand fast, amid the blue
wreaths curling from a g briar wood >
nonchalantly held in his left hand, and
the adiutant danced about on a spirited
charger, apparently impatiently awaiting
the hour of contest, the light of bat
tie dilating within his eyes, and quid
of navy plug" reposlng beneath his
cheek. Lieut.. Woods of the ambulance
corps, and Lieut.. acted as mounted
aids to the Colonel, while the sergeant


and John X. Shaw, an aspiring Newark
youth of eighteen, acted as perambulating
aids. The line being formed and every
thing in readiness for the contest, red
flag was raised as a signal, and in breath
of time strong body of the enemy drove
in our skirmishers, and fercely attacked
our centre. At the same moment another
strong force advanced against our right,
but only as a feint; for they suddenly
wheeled to the right, and joined their COM
rades in furious charge on our centre.
Major Morris ordered up company + from
our right, but too late TO be of any advant-
age, and they were completely cut off from
the main body of our army. Although
fankcd and pressed in front by over
whelming numbers, our centre heroically
contested the advance Of the enemy. An
imated by the presence of the Colonel,
they fought like veterans, and the white
snow-balls eddied through the air like
popping corn from the frying pan But
the enemy were madly surging upon us in
superior force, and it was hardly within
the power of human endurance to stand
such a perfect feu denfer any longer.
Gradually the centre fell back inch by
inch, the line then wavered to and fro, and
finally the men broke in confusion and
rolled down the hill followed by the victo-
rious Vermonters. In vain the colonel
breasted the torrent; in vain the ma
urged the men to stand fast; in vain did
adiutant White, the chivalric Bayard
of the twenty-sixth, implore the gods to
aid


The boys never rallied. Lieutenant
Woods made an attempt to rally them,
and form them in a hollow square on for
tilted hill to the right, but he was mis-
taken by the boys for Vermonter, and
unceremoniously pelted from their midst
But the colonel was totally deserted by
his men, The Vermonters seized his
horse by the bride, and made desper-
ate attempt to take him prisoner. The
fight at this point was terrific beyond
description The men fought hand to
hand. Colonel Seaver, the Achilles of the
day, dashed through the combatants,
seized Colonel Morrison by the shoulder.
and called upon him to surrender But
his demand was choked by the incessant
patter of snow-balls on his physog"
Around the rival chieftains the men
struggled fearfully; there was the auburn
haired Hodge, alias Wild Dutchman,' %
fighting manfully. There was the fierce
Teuton, captain of company E, dropping
the foe right and left at every swing of
his arms; but all in vain Amid the wild
excitement consequent upon the shouting
the rearing and plunging of horses, the
colonel was drawn from his saddle and
taken by the enemy. Most of his 6 staff y
followed him as prisoners. A desperate