Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-21

i DO Is beyond the comDrehensiono ofman. What the
n uld not do one ceuld easily tell upon his finger
inc Ethan Allen OF history and the Allen of trad
ton arc as unlike in stature and sndovments as Al
the natural man and the heroic statue that adorr
The portico Of our state capitol. BY tradition me
| become heroes heroes demi- gods and depi- god
I, hecoine the deit'es that control the movements {
the universe. But 1t is heroes and demi-god in az
iHn mat We wish to take as cur great exemplars
The traditions Of the heroes and deni- gods {
= me revolution and Of the struggle with New ior
!, lei, upon good soil and took root speedily, an
at the outburst OF the great rebellion their frui
mad ripened into that state pride and state love
that Responded so quickly to the call OF the Presi
uent ior the protection Of the whole country.
, hen was seen the unaccustOmed sight of pea Go
Igi and peace-lovng population, who had person
any never known war, and were not skilled il
Thn, rushlhS 70 the lore front Of the battle
Ihey knew not how TO march in time to mart a
music nor TO execute the movements Of the com
pany, but they knew that long ago the 6roei
Mountain Boy in the battle turned not his back t
ms zoe They knew not the manual Of arms taugh
at west Point, hut they knew that the Vermonte-
fought we'll at Bennington. They were unskileC
IN strategy or in The tactics Of the battle field, hu
tney knew that long sgO Allen and his Greer
Mountain Boys took Fort Ticouderoga in the nam,
o. that hitherto unheard Of alliance Of powers the
Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress
And knowing the'e things they felt the full
weight OF the responsibility upon them to sustain
the reputation OF the state, and did they not do II
si0rously
The raw youth from these hills untutored in the
ways of the city, unframed to the eleganchs o.
fashion and OF polished life, speaking the broad
speech OF the Yankee, so distatetul to the South
erner with his negro dialect and to the New Yorker
and the Pennsyl yly anian with the Dutch and Irish
accent vet nearer the true English standard than
either stood for the first time in the ranbs OF the
soldiers; awkward and every way uncouth in the
eyes ol The West Pointer, to be cursed and sworn
at by old Brooks as a soldier of cOrnstalk and
gum chewing regiment. Yet beneath his plain and
hOnely outside there faith in his home State
and what his ancestors had done that area dy made
MN hero In the rough and il only war ted the hard
/ q he hHaV of Af,r
TO shatter the shell that col Istraned him. aud per
init him to step iorh as that perfection OF effective
modern 5oldiery a private OF the Old Brigade. lie
went into the service dfident and distrustful Of
ms own powers, but hopeful and ~itn u most telf.
sacrificing spirit. lie performed his duty thorough
ly and well. learned to give rather than To marry
blows. gradually increased in pride and self rel-
ance somewhat in self cOnceitl. until he went out
OF the service with full faith that the Vermont
troops alone could have put down the rebellion ;
and since he has left the service he sometimes saws
and almost believes they did do it. But he has
come home to ou peace-loving, orderly citizen.
| He has learned to obey the laws and to prize the
comforts and quiet OF home, and is ready at all
times to stand by the country for which he has
| fought.
But he has not always come home. How many
warm hearts o! our dearest poured forth their
| precious blood upon the battle field The bones Of
| how many have moudered and crumhed in the
damp and beat OF a southern climate How many
yielded TO the torturts and prvatiOns of Bells Isle
| and Andersonvillei Every village and hamlet OF
our state for its beet and bravest sons And
right here the patron divinity of country ex-
tends the lHurel-leafed crown 10 that long process
sion o: brave men Whose names, commencing with
| Chambern and ending with Wright, are engraved
| beneath her feet
The marble and granite OF that beautiful structure
Will speak OF the gratitude o: this large hearted
tOsn TO her brave soldiers and their noble deeds
| long after we have crumbled to dust, and the ira
ditions Of these things will hover about this spot
when the marble and the granite shall be ioI-
| gotten
Then, my comradss, il the traditions Of the Revo-
ution and Of the struggle OF the occupants OF the
| New Hampshire Grants with their oPpressors, did
so much for GU and the country in the time Of her
need and helped both through The last great war
and enabled all Vermonters to reflect witn pride
upon what you and } our comrades living and dead
have done, IS II not our duty to preserve and per-
peuae. so lar as in lies, the story Of what Yer
mont men did as soldiers in tho war Of the Rebel
| liOni
one who took so small part in active service
and has so littl, to claim for himself may be ALLOW
cd TO say mOIe for bis comrades than modesty will
permit them to say for themselves and TO ella i'm
more at the hands OF posterity for them and for
| the preservation Of their memories and the recol-
| lection OF the glorious deeds by them performed
than any Officer who has hitherto spoken had felt
like asking. With this statement not apology, I
| speak for my comrades.
| 1t Is a duty we owe to our dead comrades in tho
| field that their memories perish not, and that
| they lie not in their graves unremembered. IL
| is a duty We owe to our country and State that
| all the high motives and holy aspirations which
prompted those brave men in Their solemn sacrifice
Of life and hope for their couhtry good, pass not
away from the memories OF men. Ii is not only due
| that what men have done should be remembered.
but the daring the herosm Of the sons OF Vermont,
| the sacrifices and sympathy OF her daughters,
should be held in mind as perennial fountain from
which future generations may uraw inspirations of
patriotism in ages yet to come.
Let us tell, then often and again, without pride
or boasting all that the Green Mountain Boys did
| from Big Bethel to Appomattox Court House. and
trust that those who come after US will draw renew
ed love of country from the traditions that shall
How down from these recita.s through the years OF
| the future.
Written history cannot always do this. No book
could contain all that done by our soldiers,
| collectively and individually. And be the story
ever so well written, il does not reach all the peo-
! pie and especially the children whose hearts are
most moved and moulded by those things.
1: is each veterans individual story Of camp aud
field, of the march, Il Q battle and wounds, told in
| his own words among his own friends that builds
up that iaitn in the past and patriotism for the fu
ture, that is warmer and stronger and deeper than
any principle nstllled by books or acquired in ma
/ ture years.
| The influence of Ine man devoted to single pur
| pose is incalculable.
| To- day. in my own village. there have been com
mitted to the grave the remains OF sreat and good
man, not unknown TO many Of YOU. For eighty-six
| years has Doctor Mcheen cast his influence among
his fellow men, and always on the de OF right
The very presence in our village Of this estmable
lerson, this patriarch has always been a support
and comfort to the friends Of order and purity
When, in April, ls6l, the hrst egiment was called
into the field, he delivered most patriotic aid en-
couTaging discourse TO the Bradford Guards as they
were about TO leave TO lOin that regiment. lie IS
| gone yet his influence will live long after him.
SO may many veteran seldieT OF the rebellion
exert strong influence upon the patriotism Of his
country men so long As he lives, and leave memory
that shall not iIde for many years after his death.
| Thee narratives from every soldier in his home,
Ia his children, 90 to make up that great stock OF
| traditlonary lore which mOulds and shapes the
purposes and achievements Of the state in future
years.
Have YOU never watched with u father's interest.
the kipdling eye and glowing cheek OF your boy as
he sltS BY your side or upon your knee and listens
10 the story Of how Your comrades met the foe or
scaled the rsmparts brising with cannon or To the
sad tale OF the suilerings OF the wounded and the
| dying. Does he not drink in at every breath the
very soul OF his country "a love. Where will you
lind SO lively and vivid appreciation Of the dis
| JUNCTION between friend and Zoe in his mind ,
Where so deep hatred OF trsschery, treason and
rebellion as in his heart Every tune YOU tell him
oi these thing, you are LAY ins the foundation
broad and deep, Tor that true patriotism and State
pride that the citizen Of Republic must have. to
| make II strong.
| In these days of easy communication aui rapid
travel We inclined to let cur love for our State
sro" cool and our pride in her. lose its strength
| and depth This ought not to be.
| Gatherings like this the annual Summer rn
campment of veterans in the held. reginental re-
unions, the campfire stories OF the Grand Army all
in to aid in the Transmission Uf what Is best.
few durable monuments may be erected, but
4 not all towns are like this. We cannot hope to
have the deeds Of cur soldiery recorded in simple
yet durable characters, like the Assyrian cuneiiOrm
! inscriptions burned into the lasting tiles 10 be ds-
ciphered in the hoary centuries yet to come Mon
archS record their conquests in that manner, but
| Republics too soon forget the sacrifices Oi their
| sons.
Let u all unite in painting for posterity bic
! tur oi what Vermont troops did in the rebellion.
/ Let the broad canvas contain all OF your suffer
ngs and heroism upon the Peninsula, Teeking nth
| the poisonous vspors of the swamps Of the Chcka-
homioy from Willamsburghto to Malvern I'M. Put
In that first attempt at warfare at Big Bethel; ana
! leave not out the plains OF Bull Kun anu
| Manassas and what you suffered there falnt
then the gate in the mountains at Harptrs
Err ami hrts ItUEr *
and gloomy with trtachery. Fut in bloody Antietam,
with its corLhelds adcDwith th harvest ot the dead.
The blood shed on st Marye'' Height at freder-
ickshurgh will color your picture with such Grim
son tint as will cast its horrible CLEAN lar down the
| vista OF time.
: Tone down these glsring aspects with the suffer
! ings and grpans upon every battle field Put them
all in. and this Will cast such sOmbre hue over the
canvas that men will shudder as they look upon 1t
| and declare Il false. Picture that barren sand
| bank In the Mexican Guli, Ship Island and that
mighty leet steaming I the mouths OF the Father
! OF Waters, hammering ut Forts Jackson and ST.
Philip and breaking IN upon the Crescent City And
| while there, paint the Red River and King Cotton
taking tour under the escort Of Uncle Sam.
| On the river bank plant Port Hudson, thun-
| dered at for forty days or more. Sprinkle your
great composition all over with the seventy two
cavalry fights OF our splendid regiments of horse
men. Light up your picture with the lurid hres
| Of the two hundred cannon OF Gettyshurgh. Put in
one brilliant flash 10 mark where tho raw troops OF
the srcond brigade turned the tide OF that great
day. Lot the victory that drove Leo back to the
eoniedo'acy lgnt up your glpmy picture some
what. and paint then the joy OF the whoe country
| if joy and gladness are pigments On your artists
pencil.
Put in one bright spot at FunkstCwn WHORE tho
sktrmish line OF the Old Brigade drove back throo
! rebellnes ol battle in succession.
Spread over the whole the storm and snow, rain
| and hail, mud and discomfort of four Virginia Win
ters, and the burning heat and dust of us many SUN
mcrs. Aud then dip our brush in blood and smoke
! and tire and carnage and make one broad sweep OF
! death and he'll from the WILDERNESS. Trough Spots
ylvanla and Gold HarbOr. down To Pctcrsburgh-
! scatter a few of our best mems homes along the
| Weldon Railroad. Put in tolls and MARQUES, "a
tisues and sweat and grOans and wounds. Death
Turks in every shadow. Then tip your pencil " ith
gail and wormwoOd, and depicturs that old tobacco
ware house, Libby Prison, and Belle Isle, falsely
| named, and Salisbury and Audersonville-paint mt
filth and wrstchrdness the On,prinS Of calculating
cruelty. paint gangrene ami foul sores hollow ey cd
hunger ami starvation tears dI led up at the oun-
| tain death gasp and uttor despair. Paint only
hall the Truth or rustoTity will declare II lie
But when you come To the Shenandoah Valley
prepare your palette with cOlnTs as brilliant tho
| noon day sun Bring out IN bold relei Charleston
and Winchester, Opequan, Fishers liill and Cedar
! Creek. Let your canvass be alive with the fleeing
| toe HcaPup the captured guns and camp equip