The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-15

thing bids fair for the imposing ceremonies OF to-mor
row aud tho day following
LxpERs REGRET.
Many letters have received from disting uishcd
invited guests expressing regret at their inability TO 10
present ct tho Bennington Centennial celebration.
send you those IRON the most noted abscntees:-
FROM TIE GOVERNOR eEsEMAL or Canada.
OTTAWA, Canada July 20, 1871
To His Exoellency HORACE FAIRBANKS, Governor OF
SIR have the honor to acknowledge the recent
Of your very courteous communication OF tho 23d ins
covering invitation to me from the President and
members Of the bennington Battle Monument Assoca-
tion DO present their guest the centennial eel
cbration OF the Independence Of Vermont rs state
Inc v,s 70 Man,,oba should have been mos, happv
TO accept tho hospitality OF Your Exccllency and the
association Of which you arc President, and l trust
that you viii DO good enough whilc expressing to tho
members Of that assocaton my extreme regrcis that
bong unable TO avail myself OF their very kind nvi-
their centennial celebration Of tho 18th and 10Th OF
August next With regard tho suggestion that in tho
sion above referred 10 some Other person nigh: scs as
my representative, shall have much pleasure in con-
suitins my Ministers on tho snSlec, with tho view OF
Monument Association. have the honor, to be, sir,
your most obedient servant DUFFERlN.
FEON GOVERNOR HUBBARD O0NKRCTICUT,
HARTFORD, Conn, July 26, 1871
To the Hon. HoRAcE FAn,nASKs. PresideBt, &c -
DEAR SIM um In receipt OF your kind invitation
independence of your State and OF tho baltic Of Ben
nington. have delayed iss acknowledgment until
COP. your courtesy and convey ia person to tho asso.
citation you represent the greetings OF the sister state
Of Connecticut nnd however a. last that shall be
compelled TO- DO absent, suffer me TO present by
single ~Srd .o, word Of homage to the The
commemorate and Of saiutnton TO your gallant
Commonwealth, tho younger sister Of the thirteen.
born and Graded the Revolution. Denied admission
into the Conicdcracy, with an intrcpidity which
scarcely parallel in history she erected herself into
sovereign state and separate and alone declared her
State which "did In violation Of tho tenth command
ment covet her lands; gave her blood and treasure
kept her constancy and her loyalty to the common
cause unseduced and unshaksn 10 the end. Honor
snd glory, then, to your noble state the clone Starr
Of the Revolution and to tho heroic sleep
her green bosom In blessings Tho State OF Israel
Putnam and Jonathan Trumbull, which furnished TO
your forofathors tho great solder Ethan Allen and
their first Governor, Thomas Chttcndcn, sends hom.
ago to tho memory OF tho ''Grcen Mountain Boys" Of
the Revolution, md centennial congratulations ard
ssterly greetings 10 their sons and daughters. With
renewed acknowledgements for your courtesy have
emit ssrvaa. II. il. H6BBARD.
PROM GENERAL suERIDAN
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION MISSOURI
CHICAGO, ILL.,, July 81, 1871
Hon. hoRAos FAIRBANKS, President of Bennington
Battle Monument Association and Governor OF Yer.
DAAA SIR-I have Just returned from Ave woeks'
trip the Far West and among other letters awaiting
copy Of resolution OF the Monument AssociasIcn,
anu also your cordial invitation to be- present on
the 10th and 10th OF August next At tho centennial
celebration OF tho Independence OF Vermont and the
battle Of Bennington am very sorry to be obliged
TO deoiine the invitation; but, from present appear
ances shall be kept busy within my military al
vision for some months to come. No man living has
higher appreciation Of the patriotism OF tho SONS OF
tho sires OF 1877 than have, and no one knows what
the descendants OF the Green Mountain Boys can DO
upon hard fought helds bettor than do, and feel
that Il 10 eminenty dttng that We do everything IN
these centennial years TO honor the memory OF tho
Fathers OF the Republic Trusting that your ceebra
ton Will DO worthy OF It's object am, SIR with great
respect your oO'd'ns servant, SHERIDAN
Lieutenant General United states Army
THE QUAKER RESPONDS.
DANvERs, Mass, August Z, 1871
MY DEAR sIk-I regret deeply that cannot be
present at tho Vermont centennial celebration, to
which tho letter invites Tho state OF my health
will permit II, and the same reason prevents mo
from attempting 10 cmbody in verso the spirit and
feeling Of the great The record Of Vermont
throughout century OF her existence has been
Of which her sons have every reason TO be proud
Your sister States aud tho neighburing provinces OF
tho fair Dominion which stretches along your border
will not fail to DO represented at your gatherings and
tho congratulations Of the Canadas Will mingle with
those OF Massachusetts and Now HHmpshire Tho
cause OF pcacc will DO streng, hened by such celc-
bration. TO me, as a lifelong opponent Of human
Her soil has never been polluted with slavery,
ana her wore the first to oppose the encroach-
mcnt6 OF the dete9t0Oe wrongs elsewhere. Win my
very best wishes Tor tho complete success Of your
''''''- w JOHN g. WHITTIER
DR. LEONARD BAcoN's SENTIMENTS
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.< August !, 1871
To CHARLES n. BLISS, Secretary
DEAR SIR--The invitation addressed to me at New
tho association the honor which hoy confer by
Wiling partako with them In the double celebra
MOI non DO o. s 70 bo Clam
rotation 10 tho 'Grccn Mountain Boys" OF hum
dred years ago. remember that one Of my ancestors
and others OF my fathers kindred found homes and
graves IN Vermont As cittzen OF Connecticut ! am
proud to read on the maps OF your State
Hartford and Now Haven, reminding us that what IS
now Vermont was onco las "a sWcstern reservo' was
at a later date) called New Connecticut And Us a
citizen OF tho United States give thanks 10 God not
only for what Vermont was and wns doing hundred
years ago. but also for all her hardy and heroic
by daring enterprise. by genius OF artist poet by
phosopnic scholarship, by wise and faithful states
e es IN
service of the Prince OF Peace 10 The stability, tho
wealth, tho benchcenco and the OF national
'''''' '''''' ' LEONARD BACON.
THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON AND ITS HERO.
One of bravcst actors In the great drama Of the
American Revolution was John Stark, of New Hamp.
shire. Graded amid the mountains OF the north
and accustomed from youth to fatigues OF hun.
his native hills. and inhcrting that hatred or oppres.
sion which, in tho rcign OF Jamos l., drove hts
ancestors from Scotland, he was well fitted the
part which the struggle for popular freedom In America
demanded An officer in tho celebrated corps Of tho
Rangers during the whole OF that sangunary struggle
from 1854 to l76O In which England and Franco con-
tended for the mastery Of North America hts courage
and military skill secured for him the confidence OF the
British commanders Espousng the of liberty
from tho earliest dawn Of British aggression, tho
tidings of blood split at Lexington found him ready
to lend hts countrymon to tho Geld. Tho namo of
Stark cmbazons tho record Of the victory Of Ben.
nngton which from It's date and consequences
may we'll bc considered as ono or the greatest cpochs
OF the Revolution
THE STARK FAMILY.
John Stark was a nasivo OF Nutlcid-so called from
It's numerous groves Of walnut and chcstnut--uow
Londonderry, In New Hampshire He was born
August II, 1928 His father, Archibald Stark was a