The Bennington daily banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1877-1877, 1877-08-21

every degree; the veterans of pui hc hee'-
ings, political. civic and military 4 hey were
trained critics all; Judges from dpenence,
and know what successful hbrat'on
should be. In all this crowd tlierdF we're none
10 find fanlt. ali we're more tbon stisfed,
and from tbe frat note If musict hat an
nonnced the annroacb of The yiIdng SOL
diery on Saturday, Aug. 18th, uot The las'
tent was struck aud folded, eight BIS later'
there was no grumbling on diseon a; part
ly, ptShaps. because nobody wante topunl-
bic, but more probably and justI because
there was nothing to grumble at OF 6nd tAui.
with. All the DAYS were gala davk and all
the hours were happy and wide awpke Inc
event was the Harvest Home Of Ne"
England patriotism and enthusiastic pride.
The sons of the sturdy fathers vho had
made the dav and the week memonbe, had
gathered to do homage to ancestt names
AID deeds; to honor the presf 2, anf ihsotape
ON the first page of the future centoy's MS
tory words Of hOpefulnes and good theer.
1t should not be understood from bnything
that we have written that there was any
sombreness or lack of hilarity and joI bfcation;
every where everybody was happy The dis
cipline of military rule prevailed Throughout
all tho camps, but was hardly more inyalent
than the discipline of self-respect ttat pre-
vailed throughout our streets pI town.
There were encamped in the centen1 ial fields
more than five thousand veteraas, They
were under no restraint except sud as was
self-assumed. In their wasting raIks the
heroes of which grow less and lesss the
years pass bv, were mingled the psd- VINO
helped to fill VermonHs first regimdb of vol
unteers, when the note of alarm, cue thai
the American flag and the Union ii ( Sbich u
was the symbol had been fired upon at For
Sumpter. and also the Distinguishing Oficeri
andglorious privates who had helped tOfll the
other sixteen regiments that Verul bui con
tributed to the service during our Unions
years of terrible trial.
It requires that areader should KIN sOme
thing of soldier life or something okhe de
priyations that accompany it, to 3 Pdatt
fully the heartfelt joy with which Ieter
ans who have touched elbows" on mhy {
battlefield meet and greet each Othr il
these days of peace. Mankind knows b no
bier emotion than that which nlakesAsgdie
a hero; there is nothing of life NOT hal
the fortitude which stands firm on hcAttl,
field Throughout Vermont there Ore hOu
sands of patriot heroes who were voluueer
to resist the attack upon our national IiioI
and to maintain the hlstoAic prestige Olth'
Old Green Mountain State. -
There were gleeful times in the Vstenns
campsJ hilarious, heartfelt and jOous
Crippled men, who bad been borne d Bun til,
battlefield ON strctcher OTin ambulahceOm
rades who had suffered in prison peIlt car
red and unscarred men who bad j0ind II
gain many a victory or waited trustipgly t.
retrieve many an unavoidable defeat, vert
all gathered on our centennial fields. Wha
wonder If in the exuberant greeting tbat on
ly such men can feel, there had beef
something of excess and I'M pnPrie
ty. But our veterans id wa
are also veterans In peace, and 50 81 re
union. They had glorious time ID amp
and whenever they appeared on our sreeti
they were cheered with ringing welcome
such as is seldom heard along Vilom
schoick's" stream, But the steadinl \ ant
soldierly bearing Of the old camp and httle
fields, still characterized the veto sps il
their citizens life, and added renew " lus
ter to their glorious fame.
Here, In the wild whirl" of the foul
days enOampment, they Fe-establishel theil
right to be known and hailed by tho iognO
men which General Hancock gave tIel OF
the field of Williamsburg, when in REFUSING
a fearful attempt of the rebel forces d Ieizt
our batteries, he gave his famous CIDER
" Now gentlemen. charge p
The soldiers of the enlisted militia oul
own and other states, while, off dptAfre
aus%tIy thronssd our streets ssa 3
moo nave t'f,tiHa "sa nv =
lieyed from the strict rp'es'of military cam
life and the restrictions which auFroun
them inside the picket lines, they had bee
occasionally hilarious, jubilant and indis
Greet, But during all the days they wer
here, there Is not single record agains
them, nor q single uniform dishonored
There were of course occasional episodes 0
fun, jOllity and sport but these were quie
ways OF amusement more to be enjoyed b,
all, than to be complained of by any.
Of the routine of camp life we might writ
many lines of hoy well aAd satistaetOril.
to all the vast concourse got their rations
and enjoyed their living, day and night, W
might also speak, but IT Is sufficient to sa,
hat the extensive preparations made AM
admirably carried out, furnished everything
that could be desired IN tho boarding an,
lodging departments There had been fea
that the large crowd sure to gather here tina
week, might be too large to be comfortabl,
cared for. If the company had been inoreas
ed half, there would have been no com
plaipG Of lack of accommodation. We can
not, here, us we should like to do, particular
iSe the names Of those who ara entitled I,
commentator for their labors and success
in carrying out the entertainment of oul
visiting guests. In another article. which
will relieve us from making this one too
long, we will mention and delineate how
and by whom thess tasks WeFs 80 well per
formed.
Of the multiplied incidents and occprren.
ces, many of which viii belong to history
and many Others Of which will be pleasant
to read for the present and
preserve for the future, we shall also write
as time and space allow.
We should do ourselves and the citizsrs NJ
bennington Center village, 1.-THE early
bennington VI the century that
commenced one hundred years AGO.
Diusticel if we did not snesL n
5he special interest, effort aud enthusiasm
hey manifested in every possible way NIB
&c and private, social and patriotic, to add
% the success Of Bennington's centennial
celebration. As In I'M, many of the llyiliest
Genes OF that period occurred in thot his-
orc village. where really, Vermont ,vas
'orn, so in the centennial week of 1877. m4ny
i the pleasant events connected with tbe
elebrant iubilation, transpired in Benpine-
on Center,
Decorated buildings, lnwnsennd Rrodt3s-
ocial gatherings and other evidence and
in the occurrences of the wsek
ully testified to the interest felt by the mi.
ems OF the old Town." in the" Dav we
LAY We
we have already extended this article
ute lengthiiy, but we have no anolooia. 20
lake' In fact we shall return to the snb;setI
sHtuI ana write many more descriptive apd