Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-08-22
The Vermont Centennial.

nlverSary OF tne Well-lOugnJ anu utViSiNc |
battle of Bennington. The particulars of this |
gallant fight, the first during the revolution
where the people, en- mdsse, without previous |
drill or organization, met and successfully |
engaged the Royal troops and mercenaries |
of England, are already familiar with our |
readers; and memorable as the occasion |
was its centennial observance was in every |
respect worthy of the event 1t was indeed |
a fitting recognition of the gallant efforts OF
our sires, whom Burgoyne in the report OF
his campaign styled as "the most active and
most rebellious race on the continent, hang |
ing like gathering storm on my left
We feel like congratulating the people OF
Bennington upon the admirable provision
which they made for the reception within
their borders of the vast number of guests
they so well entertained on this occasion.
Forty thousand strangers, thrown upon
community no larger than theirs, is burden
beside which the grasshopper shrinks into
merited iusignifcance. Every house was
thrown open, and latch-strings were I'M
heads of all who came or might come.
With few minor exceptions, all the details
Of the affair were well arranged, and the
problem of having a quart celebration in
pint measure has been thoroughly and salts
factorily solved.
Wednesday and Thursday may properly
be called the "great days OF the feast,
little besides the reception and assignment
of guests and soldiers having previously oc-
CURED, il we except the appropriate services
held at each of the churches in Bennington
OIL Sunday The procession of Wednesday
was the largest and finest ever previously
seen in the state; but was exceeded in num-
bers and interest by that of Thursday. Both
included many of the best military compa-
MES in New England, not to speak of the fine
regiment of Vermont militia which won high
encomiums from all sources, nor of the four
battaions of Vermont veterans, twenty-five
hundred strong, who, without arms or uni
forms, showed every man of them a COM
pete soldier. With their soldierly gait and
I,
at the many attentions they received all
along the line of march, they evinced every
element which rendered them famous in those
troublons times when they stood before the
cannon's mouth, prepared to do and die for
their country and its free institutions. In
cluded in these professions were many OF
the most illustrious soldiers and statesman of
the day, including Governors, congressman
aud officers of every high degree, the whole
forming line nearly four miles in length.
The only drawback to the thorough enjoy
ment of this part of the programme was the
frequent clutches" which necessitated many
and protracted halts in the line of march,
showing conclusively that "sone one had
Numbered" and that innocent components
of the line had to suffer for the blunder.
And this leads us to speak of an unpleas
ant thing There was no recognized "head )"
to the celebration to whom application could
be made for authority to change in any par
ticular the published details of the celebra-
ton; nor was there any established head
tanned relative to the thousand of matters
which, on an occasion of this kind, need
constant supervision. 1t was essentially a
divided command, each division of which
had its headquarters in the saddle, with the
saddle continually ON the move. 1t was a
soldiers and civilians celebration, and the
two did not always move tremendously.
Possibly this was unavoidable, but it was
certainly exceedingly inconvenient, and the
celebration lost considerable of that flavor
which comes from the right man always be-
ing in the right place, in consequence
With this exception, however, and few
unavoidable cases of hardships on the part
OF vistants in seasonably procuring pleasant
quarters, we have not IA word of criticism to
offer. There are few communities that
could have done so well, or have given so lit
tie occasion for oiiense
The number in attendance was simply
enormous being certainly not less than
forty thousand on either Wednesday OF
Thursday. Of course very general interest
centered in the President aud his cabinet
After the reviews hy the President on Thurs
day. the vast throng of strangers called upon
him for speech from the reviewing stand
He readily complied, making "A few particu
larly pleasant off-hand remarks, after which
he introduced his cabinet officers Evarts, Nc
Crary, Devens and Key. 1t might as wei
be added here that the President and his es
timable wife, by their courtesy, their lack o.
ostentation and their hearty and unaffected
manners, won the respect and good will Of
all who came in contact with them. In
deed, the heartiest cheers the President re
ceiyed upon the reviewing stand came from
the command Of Captain A. n. Merchant
the democratic editor of the Burlington
Sentinel, who, after passing the stand, turned
TO his men, and gracefully called for tire
cheers for "the President of the Unite,
States which were given with right goo'
will. The President has certainly mad
many new friends among the people o
Vermont
The camp, situated about midway bt
tween the villages of East Bennington an
Bennington Center, was decidedly the fines
we ever saw. 1t embraced about thirty acre
upon the side of a gradually sloping hill
with wood and water convenient aud i
abundance. The view from the ground
was decidedly magnificent, embracing tn
whole Of Bennington village charmingl
EMPOWERED in trees, and a prospect of {
least twenty miles of as lovely landscape q
the sun ever shone upon. II was delightfl
spot, and many were the regrets espresso
at leaving it..
The literary exercises of the occasio
comprised addresses by Hon, Daniel Rober
of Burlington and President Bartlett
Dartmouth College, aud poems by Mrs. Jul
G. X. Dorr of Rutland and William Guile
Bryant of New York. They were all of
high order of merit, Mr.. Roberts adore
and the poems being noticeably so, Pre-,
dent Bartlett's address, while valuab
historical paper was too prolix for an occ
sion OF this character II will read bett
than it sounded.
The decorations about Bennington al
the Center, were very superb. There W
hardly dwelling so humble that il had II