Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-05-23
Incidents Of the New Haven Re-Uslon.

compelled to stand upon the table and every
gesture was provocation of mirth lie saia
he did not know why he should be called
upon to respond for ''the wives" Ii 1t was
for s'the husbands" he could tell great |
many things, but of wives he was very
ignorant. and he protested that his knowl-
edge of sweethearts was much more, limited |
than is generally supposed. The General
danced in every set at the grand ball.
Thursday evening.
There was rare sport at the gathering of the
ssPotomac Bummers." portrait OF Benny
Ravens was placed on the table, with Sharpe
and Sheridan standing on either side, ana
chair filed with empty champagne bottles
in front A regular list Of comical toasts
was prepared and the wits of the Potomac
army were called on to respond. Ihere
ensued an hour or two of indeseribable iun,
over which the sides Of those who were
present are still aching. There was laugh
ter enough for a year, and IIarrisburgh Will
have to begin early lift equals next year
the endowment furnished in New Haven.
The New Haven correspondent of the
Boston Advertiser writes sharp letter IN
which he very truthfully insists, from all
we can learn, that the success OF the re-
union was not due to its management. lie
says:
1t would 20 hard indeed if several hum
dred old comrades-in-arms should meet ana
not keenly enjoy the occasion; but Their
pleasure can be greatly enhanced by well
organized and efficient committees, the lack
of which in this case has been ielt by nine
ont of every ten Of this week soJourners IN
New Haven. officers who notified the
proper representative of their corps of their
| intention to be present, and desired to have
n sleenipc-place reserved, found on their
arrival that nothing whatever had been
done for them, and that they might consider
| themselves lucky if they secured a share IN
the attic with some other unfortunate
veteran. The proprietors of one hotel, at
| least. the New Haven House, calmly lgnor-
ed ali letters and dispatches for reserved
rooms. As they received no notification
| that their requests were not 10 be complied
with. the feelings of the would-be guests,
on being told at the Office that the house
was full, were expressed IN such terms that
the air in the immediate vicinity became
| slightly sulphurous. 1t was generally an
no1nced. and of course expected, that the
city of New Haven would provide entertain
ment during the three days festivities,
but to the main body of the visitors tins
| alluring promise was a deluslon ana
a snare. 1t would be unjust, however,
to overlook the generous and entirety
| impartial invitation TO mount the tower oil
city hall. To the presidential party, 10
| General Sherman, General Sheridan and
| General Hancock, the city, as represented
| by the mayor and a committee. was eA-
cessiyely hospitable. Even in the doorway
of the New Haven House, General Hancock
was button-holed by the mayor to-day and
| entreated 10 forego his intention OF leaving
| the city at once " General Hancock,
said the chief magistrate, you are one OF
| the brightest stars in the galaxy OF the
heavens. The people have a right TO see
YOU. and ask you on behalf of my constltu-
| ents to stay. Now, General, I'm talking
| earnestly. earnestly. earnestly" In fact
/ he was talking 80 earnestly that crowd
| gathered about the door and stared at the
! General with such hungry eyes that he
seemed glad of the opportunity to get
away. as the mayor turned to greet Vice
President Wilson. The last conner was
| fervently thanked for " cOndescending TO
| stay in New Haven, and then the mayor
| fastened away TO see that the other lions OF
the day were enjoying themselves. There
| Is no reason TO doubt the hospitality OF the
people of New Haven, and that 1t did not
manifest itself more generally i owing. IN
questionably. to the absence OF proper or
| ganization rather than TO n lack Of good
| will. To sum all mp, the reunions of 1873
are notable tor the presence Of the three
foremost captains Of the Union army but
| they were deficient in point of numbers,
/ and lacked the very agreeable accessory OF
| public hospitality, for 4 worthy example OF
which the soldiers viii ever hold themselves
\ indebted TO the city Of Boston.
The following comrades from Vermont
were present at the National Eneampment
of the G. 4. R.: Col. W. G. Yeazey and
J. II. Goulding, of Rutland Gen. W W.
Henry, Gen. J. L. Barstow, Col. 7. ;. Peck
End Capt. R. H. Start, of Burlington and
Capts. II. E. Taylor and B. r. JENNIE Of
Brattleboro.
In view Of the National Centennial to DE
held at Philadelphia, July 4, lS7G, it was
voted that the encampment for that year be
held at that time and place, and to offer the
committee on said Centennialany aid posi-
bic to be rendered by the Grand Army.
In the centre of the stage at Music Hall.
where the exercises of the Society Of the
Army Of the Potomac were held, was the
identical table upon which the agreement
for the final surrender Of the Army Of
Northern Virginia was signed, at Appomat-
tox Court House, April 10, 1865. Gen.
Deyens alluded to it in feeling manner, at
the commencement of his Grafton.
\ correspondent of the Rutland Herald
thus speaks of the Grafton and the appear
anee Of the Generals as they listened to it.
"For over an hour the speaker held the
audience cntranced, as he sketched the
career of Gen. Meade and described his great
achievement, the battle Of Gettysburg.
Words cannot depict the vast power aud
depth of his style and the magnificent march
and flow of his well formed sentences. Flo
quent, and untrammeed by notes, he took
Us with him to that bloody field. We heard
the one hundred and fifty cannon of the
rebels as they Numbered that long two
hours, raining their tempest of shells upon
our lines, till, in the terrible lull that be
tokened another phase Of the raging
storm. we saw the dark line of the charging
force. half a mile in length and eighteen
thousand strong, headed by Pickett and
watched by Lee and Longstreet, rs it
emerged from the sheltering wood and
charged down 50 splendidly upon the Union
centre. We were held in suspense as
breathless as if the fight were before our
eyes, till the proud array beat itself to frag
ments against the terrible fire it met 'as the
wave is tossed back in spray from our rocky
II i. ~
their surroundings they Saio it all again.
and. a. the eOnsummation was reached, and
Lees great assault failed. as they saw the
miserable remnants Of that host fleeing into
the woods from which they had just marched
so proudly. they gave way 10 loud and ex-
ultant shouts. again and again, till the ban
ners overhead trembled and the air resOund-
cd with 1.-THE old Union cheer"
Grant, as the speaker began sat in his or
binary manner. his head a little forward,
his eyes not very widely opened and look
ing their usual gray color. As the speaker
warmed with his work and gradually drew
his audience with him, Grants eyes be-
came fixed upon him, gradually opening
and darkening till, as the great charge that
decided the fight was made, they were wide
open and the pupils enlarged till they ap-
peared to be large black eyes, with FIRE and
spirit unmistakcable.
Sherman sat nervously hitehing in his
chair, watching Gen. Devens with a most
intense earnestness and interest in his face.
Sheridan could hardly keep his feet still !;
they were moving with him necessarily as
he too hung on the orator words.
Gen. Franklin, with fists clenched, could |
hardly keep his seat, 50 engaged was he in
the action.
Gen. Hancock, with his noble form, sat
like statue, his eyes fixed on the speaker
till, as he mentioned his (Hancock - name,
he involuntarily bowed his head.
Gen. Deyens paid Worthy tribute to the
Christian character of Gen. Meade, describ-
ing, IN a very solemn manner, his earnest
Thank God as the result of Pckett's |