Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-05-28
From the Windsor Journal.
Letter from Washington.
A VERMONT SOLDIER RECEIVERS A LIT
TIE GOLDEN BADGE, SACRIFICED
WHILE A PRISONER AT AN
DERSoNyILLE.

boro, Nt.,-reallzlng that 1t was the fate
of a soldier sometimes to be left helpless,
unconscious, or dead upon the battlefield,
and among strangers, or to die unknown
in some distant prison pen, obtained
gold badge, and at Windsor had engrav-
ed upon the face of it, his name, regi-
ment, company, and Windsor Yer
mont" also masonic emblem, and as
he went to the front, wore it constantly
about his person.
In June 1864 he was taken prisoner
by the rebels at Weldon Railroad, Va,
and was taken first to Libby Prison at
Richmond then to Lynchburg, Dan
Vile, Andersonville, Charleston, Race
Course, and Florence, and exchanged in
November of the same year.
As he was entering +" Libby" he OBJ
served that they were taking the blank
cts, shelter tents, and everything Of any
value from his comrades who were taken
with him, but that he was among few
excepted, who were allowed to retain
their watch and piece of tent, and he
attributed it to nothing else but the sig
nifcant emblem upon the badge, which
he noticed was observed as he passed in
to the prison,
Out Of forty six who were captured OF
the same company and at the same time,
| Mr. Lamson was one of thirteen only
who survived the horrid treatment and
starvation to which they were subjected.
While at Andersonville, Mr.. Lamson
came very near meeting the same fate
which the :thirty-thred of his company
! comrades did. He parted with every
thing he could spare to add to the pris-
oners' starving allowance, and last Of all
he sold this badge. He was already re-
duced to a mere skeleton and this was q
last resort, and he parted with it reluc
family He valued it as it would prob
ably prove his only identity and source
of information to his friends, of wha
became Of him should he follow the daily
dying scores Of that pen. But he sur
vived, and now, after four and hal
years has received letter from gentle
man in Georgia, directed according tt
the inscription on the badge, who STATED
that he had in his possession a badge o
gold with description heretofore given
which he would be pleased to deliver t
the original owner The letter. was re
piled to Immediately, and few week
since the badge was sent to Mr.. hanson
accompanied by letter explaining no,
the badge came in his possession, whicl
was in the following singular manner
viz:
I Early in the year 1865 some soldier
Of the 4th Regular Cavalry, and som
Volunteer soldiers who were stationed i
Georgia, were in drinking saloon t.
gether. near this gentleman's residenc
and after imbibing freely, thought a Ii
tie fighting would do no harm, and so
general row ensued, which resulted in a
cumulating mass of broken bottles an
a heterogeneous mess of debris general
The next morning when the rubbi;
was beng cleared up this badge WI
found amongst it by man who elaine
it by right of discovery.
The Georgia gentleman says" e
postulated with him, using the argume
that the rightful owner, if alive, wou
value it highly, and that it was not rig
for him to keep it, as the rightfui ow
er's name was on it, and that he was n
mason, &c, but it was to no purpo:
until subsequently, l found him intoxic
ted, and purchased of him for trifil
amount, and determined that it shou
be restored to its owner if he were y
: alive"
Mr.. Lamson received the badge wi
. many thanks to his considerable frier
(who would take nothing more a
: will ever prize the badge as relict
severe prison life, and as little treasu
which with the significant emblem up
it had perhaps saved him from an U
marked and unknown grave by the 81
> of the prison pen of Andersonville, wht
J scores of our brave boys were cart
away daily from starvation, filthy wat
and exposure to the beating storm a
scorching sun, as they had not wherewi
5 to shelter them from either
: The badge is little, a very little thu,
y yet you will rightly conclude that ii
= priced as an interesting and histo
/, treasure. L. S. E
n SAD.-In Shaw, ILL.,, a few DAYS sin
IS farme rnamed Stanton went into
r field to pillow, and was followed by
s two little children, boy and girl, v
], stopped to play in the high prairie gr'
n Not being aware of this fact, Mr.. st
Is ton set FIRE to the grass, and the child