Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-08-27
The Soldiers Reunion.


ORGANIZATION OF THE vErERANs-rHE BUSINESS
MEETING AND ELECTION OF orffcERs-THE
aRsyD REvIEw-coLoNEL JoycE's ELOQUENT
ADDREss-sPEEcnRs ny EMINENT COMMAND
ERs-THE CAMP FIRE, ETC, ETC.
The biennial reunion OF the Vermont veterans,
which was held here last week amply demon
strated the fact that an Institution OF such char
acter cannot be pleasantly nor profitably sand
WICKED between the different heats Of horse
trot This lesson was fully learned. Another
lesson, and one which we trust will be needed in
the future, Is that too much care cannot be taken
in the many matters Of detail which 20 to render
the visit Of our soldiery pleasant and make them
feel thoroughly at home and welcome.
In these two particulars we fear the reunion Of
this year was to great extent a failure. The
rain OF Tuesday postponed the races of the Pros
pect Park Association, which had been thoroughly
advertised before the time had been fixed for the
reunion and the result was n confusion of the
two affairs as unfortunate as II was aggravating.
There was also an apparent though by no means
real, want OF a cordial and enthusiastic welcome
on the part Of citizens, which costs but litte
but which IL more thoroughly appreciated by the
veterans than almost anything else which could
possibly be done.
That these things were so, there is no use
in denying We never knew II to occur here
before, and the experience of the past week
will, we are sure, teach our people and the local
officers OF the reunion society lesson they will
remember for many day.
The veterans who came here-some twelve hun
dred strong--were as fine set OF men as one
would see anywhere. Their conduct was, as n
rule, decorous and self-respectiul. They are, to
be sure, older men than when they fought our
battles for u.s. and preserved our country; and,
although their heads are whitening yearly and
their Numbers growing fewer and fewer, the
old spirit of patriotism still anmates them OF
yore, and they may be relied upon for many a
year To come Ms bulwark Of defense for our
country and her institutions.
ORGANIZATION.
| Very little was or could be done on Wednesday
except to settle down in camp and prepare for the
exercises Of Thursday. In the forenoon the reg.
| iments represented we're organized "a follows
Second regiment-C Colonel, Richard Smith; lieu.
tenant-colonel, G. W. Bridgmau; major, George
Doty; quartermaster, II. r. Hayward; adm
tant, d. C. Durham. Third regiment colonel
James p. Davis; lieutenant-colonel, c. How
ard Carter; major, Carlton Fitch; adjutant, +
S. Read; surgeon r. Aston; quartermaster, c
JONES' sergetnt-major l.. Strong Fourth regi
ment-colone, C. II. Newton lieutenant-colone
G. o. Leonard major, Frank Allen; quarter
master, II, IL Chaffee Eighth regment-colonel
Stephen Thomas; major, L. NJ. Grout; adjutant
j. L. Barstow. Seventy-eight members present
| Ninth regment-under command OF Major-gen
era Stannard, their first colonel. Thirty mem
bers present. Twelfth regiment-colonel, r
farnham; Northumberland, l. G. Kingsley
quartermaster, G. II Bigelow; sergeant-major G
l. Hagar. Thirteenth regiment-colonel, o. C
Wilder; lieutenant colonel r. J. Clifford; major
| NJ. f. French; adjutant, NJ. G. Wilson; surgeon
George Nichols. Fifteenth regiment colonel
Redfeld Proctor; leutenant-c olonel, George II
Blake; major, IL. c. Gilbert; adjutsnt, S. X
Berry. Seventeenth reglment-colouel, L. L
Knapp Northumberland, Charles D. Brainerd
major, d. L. Watts; adjutant, B. W Hilton
quartermaster, b. J. Derby. First Vernon
Cavalry-colonel, c. d. Gates; leutenant-colo
ne William Cove; first major, Eli Holden
second major, G. W. Savory; third major, S
Kneeland; adjutant, S. c. vorce; quartermaster
| 5. +. Wocott,
| BUSINESS MEETING.
The business meeting, for the purpose of cleo
ton OF officers and fixing upon place for tn
next reunion, was held at headquarters, Genera
Wells presiding On motion Of Albert Clarke
St. Adams was unanimously chosen as the mex
place Of reunion To be held in 1881 The follow
ing officers were elected Commander, Genera
| W. W. Henry; vice-commanders, Sergeant c. I
Hogan and Lieutenant-Colonel d G. Stafford; ex
ecutive committee Captain Y. S. Stranahan
Lieutenant d. X. Gibson, Captain Albert Clarke
Lieutenant Herbert Brainerd, and Sergeant Wal
rem Gibbs
| GRAND REVIEW.
Then followed the grand review and inspe,
ton before Governor Proctor and staff, led b
the Second regiment and the others following in nj
merical order They were then massed in iron
of the grand stand and Colonel c. II. Joyce al
dressed his former comrades and over thre
thousand people for about an hour. Below W
give his address, slightly abridged
COLONEL JoyCE's ADDRESS.
Colonel Joyce. after expressing his warme,
thanks for the privilege and honor of addressin
the veteran soldiers of Vermont, and at the war;
and hearty reception he had had at the hands
his old comrades, whom he WAS glad beyon
measure to meet again face to face, said:
I" am not one of those gushing sentimentalis
who would obliterate from memory, and bur
with the past every lesson and recollection Of ii
war. | am not In favor OF tearing from your Ia
tered and war-worn banners the names of IL
battles your devotion and heroism have mad
glorious and immortal. On the contrary, wou
forever cherish and keep fresh in the mind Il
costly sacrifices of that terrific struggle and IL
is5uas and undyiuU prinainlas (,
which you fought. The names upon those sha
tered ensigns were written in the best blood
Vermont, and instead OF erasing a word or oil
securing letter, would bring them out in bold,
relief, and, holding them up to the gaze Of ii
whole world, would pour upon them such foo
Of light that they could be seen and read by ever
American citizen even to the remotest generation
This | would do, not for the unholy purpose
stirring up angry feelings. sectional anmositie
or partisan prejudices but for the noble an
patriotic purpose Of keeping fresh in the minds
the people Of this country the broad distinctio
between loyalty and treason, between the patri'
and the rebel, between national supremacy,
set forth in the Constitution, and state SOL
ereignty, as defined and put in practice by a ce
tain class Of our fellow-citizens- between Il
brave men who fought for the flag and laid dow
their lives for the Union, and those who fougl
for four years to humlllate the one and destro
: the other. would do this also as a decaratio
of principles by which we are To be guided in oil
political intercourse with the living and as
wholesome admonition and warning to those WI
shall come after us.
This, then is one Of the reasons why am
| favor Of these reunions, because they keep a
thaaa In eta and .la. +.