Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-17

volunteer miuJdTy company ~ eA'Ao PAtAo0
whose relicts are gathered before me, be
led them instantly to the scene O
strife, where they bore part in the frs
battle of that terrible four years war
i The term of their enlistment expiring, they
returned, most of them to continue theil
patriotic services in other organizations
Il was his part to be elected Adjutant and
j Inspector General of the State, an office
which he held till the autumn of 1865
after the close of the war. 1t was a ter
rife labor. Over $4,000 men were sent
forth from our sparsely peopled State, te
the scene of carnage and death; 5000 and
more never to return, as it proved in the
providence of God; and 5000 more to re.
turn broken and disabled, to bear about
with them the marks OF exposure and
hardships, and the missiles of death, while
they more slowly approach the grave
than their comrades dying in the field.
The weight and responsibility of labor
in marshalling these freedom-loving sons
of Vermont promptly and efficiently for
| the field, devolved more upon him than
upon ny other individual or officer of the
State. 1t was work in which through
his nervous, brusque and impatient ways,
| he made scores of enemies; but where is
the man to say that it was not as o whole,
well and nobly done
Who has not felt a worthy and growing
pride over the service that our State rem
dered to the government in that war
| Has he not permanent share OF praise
| we love to give to all who wrought, and
suffered, and died in that memorable
struggle.
What diligence, what perseverance,
what thoroughness, what system, what
enthusiasm he displayed in it, others be-
side the people of Vermont, honor him
| for that great work.
Most appropriately have gentle and
| tasteful hands wrapt for this occasion,
his portrait in yonder mourning folds of
our beautiful national banner.
once had occasion to prepare a memo
rial record of about 100 soldiers enrolled
in the union army from our State. In do
ing this work turned over and over the
leaves of three heavy volumes of reports
which he prepared, in which there is con-
tanned briefly history of every one of
those 3, 1000 men, from their enlistment
to their death or discharge, and they
seemed to me to be a marvel of system,
skill and industry, as they will to all who
carefully examine them.
! If the nation, as it now seems in
clined, writes high among its distin-
guished servants in that contest, the name
of the great War Seoretary-Stanton-
surely the American people should give
Gen. Washburn a place as honored as
our prominence in the sisterhood of
States will allow; and we of Vermont
should allow few names to be written
higher than his on our proud historic
scrolls. Here is one finished work, and
we can to-day over his coffin, point to il
with pride, and say "well done"
But I must pause. did not mean to
write his history or become his eulogist
others will do that better. You have felt
that he must have public funeral, and
it seemed necessary that I should notice
some of the more prominent features of
his public life, while as minister of
Christ strive to point out to you the
lesson that his sudden prostration and
death, while in the midst of so many use
full and pressing labors and cares, seem, to
teach, viz: that the lives of all are i'll
Gods hand, and we must depend upon
His strength and wisdom, and look for
ward to the time known only to Him when
we must all go hence to be here no more.
and to give up at the court above an ac-
count of our earthly life.
l have spoken briefly and imperfectly
of his active and public life and of those
things necessary to notice in this solemn
hour.
regret to-day, that in early life he did
not--as he told me that he once thought
he did-consecrate himself also TO the
cause of Him who is the only sure and
safe guide to weak, SHINING and dying
men, so that to-day the church might have
history in which his life, so marked with
usefulness, might have been interviewer.
What a rounded character What pre-
eminently useful life hie would have been
Bat the past cannot be recalled, aud be
cause cannot say everything in his
praise, | shall not withhold what truth
full and commendatory words l can utter
words that the occasion demands should
be uttered, and that too, with emphasis.
[ feel sure l have contiued myself to pru-
dent and modest statements.
You will pardon me for a moment in
the expression of my own personal feel
ings as his pastor, and [ shall say only
what feel and what | have expressed
often in private. Coming here young,
self-distrustful and without u wide or
general experience either III matters OF the
world or the church, l was gratihed on
receiving q call from him, in company with
his wife, even before becoming settled in
our new home, and when, during season
of deep and extensive religious interest in
the winter following, having few Oppur-
tunities TO meet him alone, and not wish
ing to intrude upon his precious time, l
addressed note to him, urging his atten-
ton to the subject Of personal religion. |
was again gratified on meeting him upon
the street, when he invited ma into his
private office, acknowledged the note aud
the propriety of my sending il, and asked
me some questions in reference to the
beginning of christian life, and closed
the interview by telling ue he wanted [
should always be perfectly free 10 APP
proach him upon that important subject.
This is only 4 little thing, but il put me
on somewhat intimate and trieudly rela-
tions to him at once, and l shall never for
get it. I frequently met him by invita-
tion and otherwise in his office, his gar
den-where We used to see him SO often
at work among his flowers during the
summer months or his house, for Il lew
moments conversation, and II WIS mine
" prove the liOCl nc save me - vi
up matters pertaining to religious truth
and life, and II 80 chances now gratefully
remember, that at our last interview, a
few weeks since, of - or 30 minutes,
when neither Of Us supposed it would be
our last, this subject was bro lght upI
without difficulty, easily aud IA orally az
one for which he had profound respect
He didn't shun his minister, though 80
much his junior and inferior, but AWAY Us
seemed to meet him with pleasure. I shall
miss him, and I shall miss him there in
that draped and vacant pew where he has
sat regularly and constantly when at
home and well for these nearly two years
past.
A few moments since We left his weep
ing family at the house now darkened by
deaths entrance, and to be for that wor-
thy wife and those afactonate children a
sad and lonely home. There, for several
weeks the husband and father fingered
upon the brink of the grave, his great
strength gradually falling, persisting in