Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-08-28
Tictor .tfWoOd's UG1' RccOrd.


time, which duty is made plain by the
thousands of circulars which have been
gotten up by the champions of the
" boilers and indictments" to flood the
country on the eve of election. It's the
purpose of these small bills to satisfy
the people of franklin County that the
war record of Victor Atwood is pecu-
liarly choice one; and we should
prove untrue to ourselves and our Coun-
ty did we not take this opportunity to
offer an explanation. We disclaim at
the outset any and all personal hostility
to Mr.. Atwood. and only wish that his
past political life and present position
would warrant us in keeping silence.
AS we have heretofore stated in the
TRANSCRIPT, Mr.. Atwood, from early
life associated himself with the Wing
party of Vermont, and if he was consci-
cntious in his political views during
that time, there is no patriotic reason
why he should have gone over TO the
enemy afterwards. The people should
not forget the old issues, if they would
follow this man. The Wing party OF
Vermont resisted the encroachments of
slavery upon the free territory of the
United States, and the Shareholders be-
coming satisfied that they could not ro-
lutte the whole free and virgin soil of the
United States with slavery, inauguratcd
the rebellion to destroy the government.
Where was Mr.. Atwood then? Silent,
my Lords. a conservative Democrat
who did not wish to take a responsible
ty. Our fathers had not been involved
in just such war, and as there was no
precedent to govern him, he would not
be held responsible. He associated
himself with those who denounced the
war as niger war;" an unholy war,
and who would not, for the purpose OF
fighting it out, afford another man or
another dollar.
AT the outset the people needed the
help of every one who could be kept
within the bounds of loyalty, and were
free to elect men to their local Offices
from the ranks of the Democracy, often
to their great sorrow afterwards. Mr..
Atwood, Charles Stilphen, and w. w.
Thorp, all Democrats, were the Select
men of the town of st. Adams, from
March 1861 to March 1865, at the end OF
which time each of them failed of being
elected, by overwhelming majorities,
r. l.; Sd, r.
obvious. During the early period OF
their administration of the affairs of the
town, enlistments kept up fully with
our necessities, and it was not until af-
ter McClellan's Peninsular Campaign
and its total failure that cnlistmcnts
were difficult to be obtained.
Urgent calls We're made by the gov.
eminent for troops in the months OF
July and August 1862, and Company L..
1st Vt. Cavalry was recruited in this vi
entity, and in this town about the mid
die of August, of that year, by authori'
ties outside of The Selectmen and upor
the profler Of bounties voted by the
town. BE it remembered, that Victor
Atwood was the first Selectman, anC
whose particular duty it was to enforce
the will of the town as expressed bytheil
votes, and yet that company was delayed
in going forward to the seat of war un
til the month of October, for no Othel
reason than that Mr.. Atwood, togethe
with the other Selectmen, could not bt
induced to pay these bOunties. SO tire
some was their stay, and restless had thu
boys become, that q number of then
abandoned their intention of going, anC
left before they were mustered in. |
may be claimed that the tax had no
been collected, but we have knowl
edge of the fact that the money to pay
these bounties was freely offered by thu
Bank of which Mr.. Barlow was Chashei
to Mr.. Atwood upon his order as Select
man, but Mr.. Atwood would not so re
ccive it.
In fact he would take no responsibility.
in the matter, and the citizens of st
Adams privately become vouchers t.
the soldiers for the money if they woul'
go forward, and in some instances ad
vanced the money from their owl
pockets. So indignant were many o
the boys over their treatment by Mr.
Atwood, that it was with considerable
effort that they were restrained from us
ing violence with him and his property
Mr.. Atwood excused his negligence t.
the boys, by saying that they coul'
wait, the government did not neet
them. During this time thesecond bat
tie of Bull Run and Antietem occurred.
BY the laws of Vermont the Select
men were made the recruiting officer
in their several towns. During the Au