Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-27

It seemed 70 be generally recognized particularly
significant, in the military department of the gov
ernment; somewhat after the manner of the state
of New York, where the crest of the State Arms is
of itself the military seal of the state In one
more of the brigades of Militia a general order
provided that the Infantry button should bear the
tags head surrounded by the words Vermont
Militia and buttons Of that description were
struck, and were worn by the officers of Infantry
for several years.
The crest having been adopted as the legitimate
accompaniment of the shield, it Sc emed necessary
to complete the Coat of Arms that supporters
should be added. When the Revised Statutes were
published an opportunity seemed to offer to make
the addition vignette Coat of Arms was to ap-
pear on the title page And Green Mountain
Boys at the Battle of Plattsburg and elsewhere had
been distinguished by the sprig of pine, it was
thought that vigorous ndluxurant branches of the
ers- These added in a well executed cut on
the title page Of the Revised Statutes of Vermont
printed in Burlington IN 1910.
This addition was well received and the escutch-
and its emblems, and the crest IFS support
ers are very gracefully arranged in a cut now in
common Justice Commissions and appearing
in newspapers over notices published by
authority.
The only fault with this cut that the supporter
not sufficiently full and round to be the unmis-
taxable representation of the pine, faint impreS
sion often giving them the appearance Of feathers
on some of the vignettes of state maps, the
artist, having conception of the signfcation Of
the emblems adopted supporters, perhaps
better satisfied with his own taste and fancy in
decoration, and discarding the plaudit - Honored
and bIest he the erergreen pine" has substituted for
its young branches a growth of nettles plebian
shrubs which have significance of any kind.
And within Capitol, in the most splendid
blazonry of our state Arms which has ever been
produced, plumes take the place of the vigorous
and appropriate evergreeni
The state Seal now in contains the same de
vice as the Seal of 1921.
The foregoing sketches are communicated in
answer to the request in your letter of the 18th ult
Yours respectfully,
NORMAN WILLIAMS.
Woodstock, oct. !, 1850.
HISTORY OF TIE PRESENT COAT OF ARMS
AND SEAL.
This subject and the correspondence with
Mr.. Williams were laid before the Historical
Society at one of its Annual Meetings. The
Society memorlalized the Legislature as
follows
Memorial Of the Vermont Historical Society,
Relating 10 The Coat Of Arms and Seal Of the
State.
The Vermont Historical Society at a late meeting,
appointed the undersigned a Committee, part of
whose duty it should be TO take measures to
describe and establish the " Coat of Arms of the
state.
The Committee represent that the investig gations
the Society lead the belief that the devices of
our Coat of Arms and the state seal rest wholly
upon usage and tradition and that there ia no law,
resolution or order eXtant, establishing the same.
That some of the devices now in use appear in
the first seal of the state; Impressions OF which
we have early May, l77s; and since that time
the devices have changed with the fancy of every
officer that had occasion to procure new die 10
Impress an official character upon state documents.
The object OF your memorasts Is, not to change,
but to fT and establish by law. Their mission Is TO
ask the General Assembly that the emblems now
emblazoned upon state Flag, and under which
our 20 forth to battle, may be as constant
and unchangng the mountains they portray
and that the devices of the Seal, that attest the
power the faith of state upon official papers,
NAV remain forever, Unaltered-
We ask that precisely the same emblems, re
minding of homes among Green Hills, and that are
already of historic renown, may gladden. the eyes
and incte the hearts OF Vernon ters till the last
syllable of recorded time
Your nionnorialIsts therefore, pray that the Gen
eral Assembly VIII pass law fixing and establish
in. Coat Of Arms ana Seel for the state OF er-
mont