Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-08-13

transmitted to Us how determined were we
shat in our hands at least il should suffer no
change or diminution. To how many q
soldier came the remembrance of that heroic
age, and to the lips of dying men, lips that
were to know JOY or grief 20 more, there hal
come smile as they have remembered " We
too have trod, and with no unequal step, in
the paths marked out for US by our great
forefathers.' As the men of rs were an in
SEPARATION to the men Of '6l, so will we be-
lieve that the men of '6l are to be hereafter
10 the hour of trial an inspiration to those
who. after you, are to till these fertile fields.
Ap plause. l honor the memory of the
patriots of the Revolution; Green Mountain
boys who fought with Ethan Allen and Seth
Warner at Ticonderoga, and under Stark
over here in Bennington, yet know they
were not better or drawer men than Vermont
sent to fill our regiments in the army of the
Rebellion. Sure am /, as look down upon
them, that recognize them as their legal
descendants and not an alien offspring. for
on every battle field they proved themselves
the bronze recast of the old heroic ages,
Applause. Would, my friends, that l had
time and the ability to sketch here the ser
vices of your noble regiments and to cpeak OF
the honor that they brought their State, but
it is the task of the historian and not the duty
of him who delivers merely casual address.
Yet there rise before me many of your brave
men with whom l have been connected in the
army and with whom l served. You will
pardon me, am sure, if allude to the
Ninth Regiment, because it was long under
my own command and because it was always
faithful and true. l recognize to-day the old
brigade flag that went into the city of Rich
mond. Applause. l remember full we'll
in that brigade was a colonel of your own,
and in that brigade, the glorious Ninth reg
iment.
True it was, we reaped that which others
had sown, but it was much that we were
able to bring again to That rebellious citadel
the flag which is our symbol of law and
equality and Justice and union. Even there,
there were eyes that were dim, there were
cheeks that were wet with tears as they
gazed upon its starry folds. l remember
we'll the day after the city was taken, as sat
ON the piazza which formed the river front
of the house of a lady, well-known for her
devotion to the Union prisoners, lady who
was herself prisoner in her own house, and
think It no improperly to mention her
name, Mrs. Van Law-as we 1t there on the
river front of her house she pointed out to
me the road over which our troops marched
that morning. GAIL night long, she said, "
" we knew that the hour of our deliverance
was come, for we heard the retreating rebel
my, and as morning dawned we came out
here, my daughter and L. to wait, and We
saw at about sunrise struggling line; what
were those ~ told her what, of course,
need not be explained to you they were
the skirmish line Then over the hill"
said she, " came the solid column of bayou
cts, and above 1t waved the American flag {;
it was the first time we had seen it for four
years, and we sank down here together and
thanked God that He had allowed US to see
it come again and in triumph
If allpde to my comrades of the old YER
mont brigade, you will recollect that | was
always soldier of the Army Of the Potomac
or the kindred Army of the james, and that
know wei! how brave and how true its men
were, how completely and 'ully identified
with the army of the Potomac it is. recol-
lect toe first time when | was ordered to re-
port with the rank of Brigader General, the
three New England men that sat around the
little fire Of a few sticks in that damp cour-
try of the Peninsula, all or them are in
their glorious graves-BrOoks, John Sedg-
wick. and the gallant and true Sumner of
Massachusetts,. repeated applause) Now,
when speak of the glorious Vermont Brig
AIDE, do not forget the gallantry OF the Sec
ond Vermont Brigade. | congratulate you,
fellow citizens and soldiers, that you are
able to welcome to this stand to-day so man =
officers whom l have already had the pleas
ure of recognizing, who distinguished them
selves upon that ever memorable field OF bat
tie, Gettysburg, the great eliminating point
of the war. am proud to recognize here
such men as the Colonel of the Sixteenth
Vermont; (applause) as the Brigade COM
mander, General Stannard, whom you have
already so cordially remembered. Gap
plause } rejoice, and hope you will par
don me if say would like to hear three
cheers for the division commander, General
Dou bleday, who is on this stand. Three
cheers were given with hearty COOL will
and not only three but six and tiger in
numerable.)
Time would fail comrades, continued the
speaker, if | should continue > pursue the
history of your Vermont regiments. | nave
spoken only of those who were nearest t.
me, yet know that on other and more dis
tant fields your sons won for their State a
gallant and proud name. But when l ecol-
lect how noble and how united this State
was in that war of the Rebellion, cannot
but hope that at some time or other, there
shall some monumental structure rise that
shall honor together all her brave and noble
dead The statue of Ethan Allen which
the citizens of Burlington have lately erected
in honor of that heroic general and all his
brave comra les, leads me to wish that at the
capital of your State some monumental
structure might rise which would commem-
crate all the brave men, no matter how
widely scattered, that served in the war un-
der the flag of Vermont. And as speak of
them, they seem almost to rise again in all
the pride of their faithful devotion, in all
the ire of their splendid courage, in all the
glory of their patriotic enthusiasm.
Soldiers of Vermoet, you have honored me
by allowing me to address you, and now let
me remind you that upon you all the duties
of icitizens press. By those who have
done much, much always remains to be done.
The world has witnessed with admiration
the return of an army Of more than million
of men to citizens and the pursuits of peace,
and it has seen them return with brig liter
and loftier ideas of the true dignity and glory
of citizenship. For yourselves and your
State you have made bright record and let
q Just consciousness of your achievements
still inspire you in every relation OF life, in
all the duties OF citizens.
The rebel army cones no more with drum
and trumpet, and their banner no longer
insults the free air Of heaven; but your 10y
atty is not to be shown on the battlefield
alone, but in the defense of the fundamental
principles Of our Liberty an in constant and
unwavering warfare against all that makes
against it; against that luxury that would
e1ervatea nation, oppose the power of your
own earnest and heroic lives against the
corruption that always SEEMS to prey upon
prosperous nation arm and show yourselves
unalterable and incorruptible.
Before you left the shade OF these
bills, with uncovered heads and up'- fted
hands. you swore your great oath of allegi-
ance to your country and that you would de-
lend her against all he foes. Nobly in the
= L.ks Il. IL