The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1879-05-30

contributed in profusion. both by the o.
soldiers and citizens, the day being recol
nized by all classes, sects and parties |
one of true patriotic observance.
The procession was formed at $50
NJ, marching through Main and Sout
Main streets in the following order;
ORDER OF PROCESSION.
Brattleboro Cornet Band.
Chief Marshal Maj I. Wales, with his Aides. j
M. Currier, L. r. Reed and Julius Whitney.
Estey Guard, arms reversed.
Revs. Burchard, Miller and Martin. with choir {
male voices.
sedgwick Post. G. A.. r.; under the command
Comrade n s. Noyes.
| Old Soldiers and Sailors
Oasis Encampment and Wantastiquet Lodge,
10. of OF.
| Boys Drum Corps.
Detachment of the Fuller Battery under
| command of Lieut.. Briggs.
Grammar School Battalion, two companies, Capts
Tucker and Hastings, commanded by
Maj. Charlie Stevens
The firing of minute guns by thu
Fuller Battery. while the procession wa
on its way to the cemetery added mucl
to the solemnity of the occasion.
Arrived at the cemetery the compan,
We're formed in front of the speakers
stand, close column by division. There
the exercises consisted first of dirge by
the band, finely rendered; feeling prayer
by Rev. Fl. Burchard; and song, the
Soldiers Requiem" by choir of male
voices, Messrs. Taylor, Taft, Markham
and Stevens.
Rev. G. E. Martins address which
followed, was both scholarly and
eloquent. At the outset he laid
down, as fully as the time would
allow the philosophical and political
causes of the civil war. He said that
the trouble really dated back to Aug. 10,
1919, when Dutch vessel unloaded a
cargo of slaves at the James river, 10
months from the landing of the pill
grims, and full century after slavery had
been abrogated in England. The May
flower and this Dutch trader landed up
on American soil the two principles
inevitably to clash-the one of constitu-
tional liberty and personal equality, and
the other of an inordinate and destruc-
tive desire for irresponsible state govern
ment. The principles of Plymouth
rock extended southwark and those of
slavery northward until the meeting in
lines of battle. The speech was nearly
free from partisan bias and when allu-
sion was made to the present negro exo-
dus, it was only in illustration of the hope
and growth of the principle of freedom.
He paid eloquent homage to the services
Of Brattleboro soldiers in the field, and
quoted fIom history to show the sturdy
patriotism of the town. Its military
'ecord, he said, dated back 30 years be-
ore its charter was granted by the royal
Governor of New Hampshire. There
re recorded the names of II soldiers
rom Brattleboro who served in the Rev.
lutionary army some ofwhom were with
Washington. through that dark twinter
f the patriot cause at Valley Forge. |
,rattleboro also contributed its quota to |
he war of 1912, and a number of its |
rave sons were with Decatur at the cap
IRE of the Macedonian, and over 800 |
'rattleboro boys, or nearly 10 per cent of
ne towns population, fought in the civil
rar.The speaker closed with few earnest
nd beautiful words to the people, to
eep green the memory of the heroic
1ns of the town by devotion to the
rand principles for which they fought.
After the Grafton and another
,ng, Decoration Hymn by the
hoir. the SQUAD was broken the Odd
elbows proceeding to decorate the
raves of their fallen members, the
stew Guard and Fuller Battery paying
like tribute to the deceased from their
,nks, while one detachment of the G..
5. r. decorated the graves of the hospi-
Il soldiers. and second detachment,
nder command of L. 2. Reed, of the
4, -. 90, n.nprtaI hu thn ho, |
roceeded to the Catholic cemetery to
onor the graves of the comrades buried
lere.
The exercises were all admirably
anned and conducted, rejecting very
upon the generalship of Mar
lal Wales, himself one of the most GAL
mt soldiers that Vermont sent to the
ar.
The Grammar school battalion Was
med with lances, like those used by
70 Boston school battalion, and which
ere present from Col. L. X. Fuller.
In the evening the veterans adjourned
G. A. r. hall for their customary
amp fire." so wildly recalling, with its
nd of jollity, stories, songs and remin-
,ences of the dead and alive, the real {
enes, happy and sad, of the soldiers
e. Comrades Pettee and Chase-the
lase who was so much chased by rebel
llets, as Comrade Currier put wittily
lied up many of the camp and battle +
Id incidents, while Chase related an af-
ting hospital story of poor soldier
lom he saw writing home to his wife I
d children while he knJw that he was t
ing. Selleck made very eloquent
eech; Comrades Tucker and Piper read
me appropriate poems, and Taylor,
axham, Taft and Stevens, with Miss
Idle Currier, enlivened the occasion fl
tn songs. Revs. ID. E. Miller, G. E.
artln, II. Burchard and Col. L. K Full y
who were present, we're called upon,
d gave expression to their deep re- fl
ect for the soldiers as the saviours of
nation. Refreshments in the wav of
rd tack, coffee, sandwiches, ETC., were IL
ovlded and partaken of with soldier a
e zest, even by the ladies', and "home
IrIots," who were present in goodly
mber tt