Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-08-17
From our Special Reporter
yermopi's Centennial National Guard.


HUNDRED YEARS.
Peace hath her victories as well as war,
and while "all was quiet" in the valleys on
the Connecticut, and among the green hills
OF the interior of the New Hampshire
Grants, to the shores Of Champlain, in the
mid Winter of III, when the Frost King.
unlike King George Of England-was
monarch of all he surveyed, there assem-
bled at the snow-bound hamlet of West
minister, a convention Of brave and hardy
pioneers and freemen, who declared their
independence Of Britain's King, and laid the
foundation for free and sovereign republic
to be known as Vermont. And as the ad-
vancing Summers sun unbound the icy
fetters and loosed the hold Of the Arctic
King on the Green Mountain slopes
81 d fertile valleys of the new born State,
81 the coming season witnessed the form
ard sceptre Of Royalty ware and disappear;
while edicts from the King were scOrned as
chah. Midsummer came and the pioneers
and patriots of the New Hampshire Grants
assembled at Windsor and adopted consti-
tuition for the new republic while the
|
ders of English artillery were heard within
her borders. Six weeks later. these same
Green Mountain boys, fresh from the farms
and meadows, came down to Bennington
with hunting gun and powder horn. undis
ciplined, and unused to war, to battle for
the right to life. liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. and in defence of their
constitution and newborn freedom,
against the flower of the English army
1t is gratifying to recall the fact that at Ben
nington, " the flag that waved hundred
years"-the stars and stripes-received its
baptism Of fire, and was carried to victory
for the first time on land. 1t was worthy
initiation of the National emblem. which to-
Gay floats in silken colors over -" Camp
! Stark, the Centennial Encampment of the
| First Regiment National Guard OF Yer
mont.
For eight days to come the scene of Ben
nington's brilliant victory will be enlivened
| by strains of martial music, and by the
tramp Of citizen soldiery, of whom Vermont
may well be proud. Although no battle
will be fought. no victory won, yet the dis
| ciplIne, the solderly bearing and fine equip
ment which peace provides, are not the
| least among the results Of the century.
From the flood wood" era of snte-re-
| bellion times, the transition in the dress
| and equipment Of our militia has been very
marked. But up to 1872. when the State
was encumbered BY three regiments of
raw" militia, the improvement was not so
marked as that which has characterized the
First Regiment since its organization, five
years ago. The State did wisely in forming
one regiment from the three, and under
Col. T. S Peck the discipline and esprit de
corps of the National Guard has become
matter of pride to all Vermonters who have
been present at the last two or three annual
musters. The personnel of the companies
comprises our best citizens. This is the
sixth annual muster and the regiment and
the State have the Ransom Guards OF st.
Albans to thank for taking the initiative
in furnishing fine standard uniform,
which all the companies in the regiment
have at last adopted. The style Of the
uniform which has thus superseded the old
army blue is that Of the famous Seventh
New York. with which most of our readers
are familiar, and in taste and elegance it is
not surpassed by the uniform of any regi-
ment in the larger cities.
The regiment Is composed Of ten compa-
MES Of infantry, attached to which is the
Fuller Battery of Brattleboro, with tine fol-
lowing field and staff officers:
Colonel, Theodore S. Peck, Burlington.
Lieutenant Colonel, William L. Greenleaf.
Winooski.
Major. Carlos W. Carr, Brandon.
Adjutant, Albeit D. Tenney, st. Albans. |
Quartermaster, " iiliIm smith, Burling-
ton.
Commissary, Sanford E. Weston, Burling-
ton.
Surgeon. Josiah p Crfmpton. Winooski. |
Assistant Surgeon, Charles p. Thayer,
Burlington.
Assistant Surgeon, Leroy NJ. Bingham.
Burlington.
Chaplain, Daniel c. Roberts, Brandon.
The nOn-commissioned staff are as FOL |
lows:
Henry NJ. Stanton, Sergeant Major Ed.
E. Greenleaf. Quartermaster Sergeant; j. 5.
Spaulding. Commissary Sergeant; George |
Mead, Hospital Steward; Geo. Z. Hastings, |
Drum Major; Ii. C. Simmons, Chief
Musician.
THE ENCAMrMFNT
was fully described in previous issue of
this paper. The grounds are finely laid out.
THE COMPANIES.
described in the order OF rank of the cap
tains, are as follows:
Company F. New England Guards"
Northield-Carlos ID. Williams. Captain;
E. Ii. Howes, First Lieutenant; John L.
Mosley, Second Lieutenant; tiitytwo men.
This company is probably named as it is, to
show their Yankee origin, should they ever
be called into service where they might be
unknown. We are assured these stalwart
sons of Vermont would like to show Sitting
Bull specimen of Yankee fighting. The
company was organized in 1868, and in
1851 entered the First Regiment Iof Yer
mont troops with Captain W. ii. Boynt0n
as commander. They afterwards served
second term of enlistment in the Twelfth,
under Captain ID. Thomas The company
was reorganized in Is6S and mustered into
service in the First Regiment, N. q. ). ",
upon its formation.
Company d, Ransom Guards. st. Adams
Captain, John W. Newton; First Lieu
tenant, +. Stewart Stranahan Second
Lieutenant, Seymour ii. Wood. The old
Ransom Guards of 1856 and those of 1877
both have a record to be proud Of. Num-
bering the representative men of their day.
Thos. f. House was the original captain,
Geo. j. Stannard, the First Lieutenant;
and A. D. Brainerd, Second Lieutenant.
Many of their number served with destina-
tion through the Rebellion. In 1872 the
Guards reorgsniZed. Thev attended the
Centennial at Philadelphia last year and in
the grand military procession, on July 4th,
received marked commendation.
Company |, Estey Guard. Brattleboro-
Captain. julius j. Estsy First Lieutenant,
F. X. Barrows; Second Lieutenant, E. A.
Puffer. This company is one OF the finest in
the regiment they shared with the Ran
som Guard the honOrs at Philadelphia, and
are credit to the beautiful town of Brat
tlebOro.
Company A. Rutland Light Guard"
Rutland Charles L. Knsman, Captain +.
NJ. Edgertoa. First Lieutenant; George Y.
Day, Second Lieutenant; ilty-one men.
The old company of this name was organ
lied in 1855. with General H. ii. Baxter as
Captain. When he was promoted the Cap
ley. and entered the old First Vermont s.
", in 1861, under his command. The pres
ent company was named in June, 1874, and
is composed of Rutand's best citizens. sew
eral of whom know what it Is to be a Union
soldier by experience.
Go. b, Barlow Grays." of st. Albans.-
This fine company Is named alter Hon.
Bradley Barlow, and was the first to organ
re under tho legislative bill OF 1872. Their
uniform was, until this muster, in the style
of the old Ransom Guard OF 1856 but
new dress throughout corresponding to that
adopted by the rest of the regiment has just
been procured. They arc Oihcered as iOl
lows : Captain. j. Newton Culver; First
Lieutenant, NJ. q. Glider; Second Lieuter-
ant, L. w. Borde.
Company {, Warner Guards, Bran
don-Ira NJ Hatch, Captain: Edward H.
Webster, lrst-Lieutenant l.. j. Cayhcc.
Second Lieutenant. This company was or
ganized as part of tho old Third Regiment
August 18th, 1872. and first captain was &.
W. Carr, of Brandon, well known in con
nectiOn with the old Fourth Vermont.
Company X, Park Guard Bennington.
Nelson q. Wilcox, Captain James A.
N. Williams, First Lieutenant; W. II.
Bradford. Second Lieutenant. This com
paDy, although but newly organized at the
last muster, displayed noticeable proficiency
in drill. They are a gentlcmanly lot OF
soldiers and will do honor to Bennington
and the Centennial.
COmpany f. "GrCcn Maintain Rows ="