Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-22
Letter from Bennington.
BENNINGTON, Vt, August IL, 1877.

BENNlN'lbNf W. august TO- lou
The celebration Of Vermont's centennial mt Ben
nngton is a thing Of the past. The crowds began
TO thin out yesterday, and to-day will witness the
departure Of all but few stragglers, who propose
to stav in town over Sunday and partly recover
from the effects Of the weeks transactions before
starting for home. The celebration, ms whole,
may be called a success, with Of course the in
evitable Irregularities resulting from more ex-
tensiye affair than was anticipated: The com
mittee who had the matter In charge deserve |
great deal of credit for the manner In which the |
large number of guests were taken care Of and |
all other arrangements made and carried out It |
was great occasion for so small n town rs Ben
nington, and such an one rs will not he witnessed
there for hundred years to come-if even then.
My last letter gave you merely the NOTES OF
preparation" so in this will try to give brief |
account of the proceedings on Wednesday and
Thursday-the real days Of the occasion, when |
the crowds were largest and the interest ut its
height On Wednesday morning, the procession
was formed about hali-past nine. II comprised
all the military organizations then present, with
invited guests, etc It was not The parade Of the
OCCASION, still it made grand appearance and
was the attraction Of the morning After march
ing its prescribed route the procession halted at
the centennial grounds where the oratory was to
take place After the invited guests had been
provided with seats the large tent was filled with
the general public" and the exercises Of the
day began. Hon + j. Phelps, of Burlington,
president of the day, presided and in few we'll
chosen words welcomed all to this celebration of
the events of hundred years ago lie then in
troduced the orator Of the day, Hon. Daniel Rob
I'll, bp la, ti,o ord 18Th a p-
lighted audience, surpassed himself" in an eo-
quent and stirring Grafton lie held the close
attention of the crowd for an hour and q half, and
was frequently interrupted by bursts of hearty
applause
Professor Churchill, Of Andover, was then in
troduced as the reader Of Mrs. DORIS poem. The
poem is, as expressed by good authority, the best
of Mrs. DORIS productions and compares favor
ably with the efforts Of some Of the more famous
poets. 1t was grand tribute to the Green Noun
tain state and, read by such master OF elocution
as Professor Churchill, it was listened to with
almost breathess attentions it is repete with pa
thetic passages, during the rendering of which
the moisture was visible in many an eye.
At the conclusion Of the poem brief speeches
were made by General j. b. Hawley, ex-Goyer-
nor Hartman of New Hampshire, General Banks,
Mr.. Stephenson Of Rhode Island, and Governor
Van Iandt of the same state.
The President arrived during the afternoon of
| Wednesday, and was met by the First Regiment
National Guards Of Vermont, and other military
and civic organizations. lie was enthusiastically
received by the large concourse OF people along
| the line Of march, who gave expression to their
feelings of esteem for the chief magistrate in fire.
quent and hearty cheers The President was
| taken to the residence of Rev. Mr.. Tibbitts, at
| Bennington Center, whose guest he was during
| his stay in town
On Thursday morning occurred the grand pa
rade of the occasion, which was very extensive
aud witnessed by large number Of people. In
stead Of reaching the grounds at eleven o'clock
rs had been previously arranged, the procession
did not halt there until about one o'clock; con-
sequeutiy the oratory was delayed some two hours.
The crowd at the Pavilion tent ON Wednesday was
as nothing to that ON this day-this being of
course due to the presence of the President and
mis- family As the President and Mrs. Hayes
took their seats upon the platform cheer after
cheer arose from the vast crowd in the tent; and
the entrance of Secretary Evarts, Postmaster-Gen-
eral Key and Acknowledgement Devens was APP
plauded almost rs heartily. Seated on the plat
form near the President and his party, was our
own Governor, the Governors of Maine New
Hampshire Rhode Island and other states, as
well as many other distinguished personages
whom we have not time to mention here.
After singing by the entire audience the ad
dress of welcome was delivered by Governor Fair
banks, who said :" Mr. President and ladies and
gentlemen 1t is well, and we are glad that thi,
memorable occasion should be honored by tn,
presence of the citizens and chief executive Off
GERS of many states; and especially by the pres
ence of the President of the United States, anC
his cabinet. The heroic deeds of one hundred
years ago were not done To achieve the independ
ence or liberty Of any one colony or state, but Il
achieve the liberties Of America. Fellow citizen
of this great republic, and patriot soldiers lover
of human rights and liberty, in the name of thu
State of Vermont bid you n most hearty and cor
; dial welcome to these commemorative service
and hallowed associations. Well will it be
from them we catch and carry away in som
measure the same patriotic devotion to univers,
freedom which inspired those valiant heroes OF
yonder battlefield one hundred years ago
President Bartlett, Of Dartmouth College, wa
then introduced as the orator of the day, an
+ spoke for an hour aud half His Grafton ais
, was an able one, and won the hearty applause q
e the audience President Bartlett has had acces
tn original documents not brought to ligh; before
Il and this gave additional interest to his 1t is nc
y within the purpose of this letter to speak exter
sively of either Grafton, as doubt not most c
d your readers have had opportunity to read ther
e in full or in abstract ere this
e After the reading of William Cullen Bryant
e brief poem, President Hayes was presented, an
A. | t--.g.T l..