Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-25
6rand Army Of the Republic.

On Tuesday afterpoo, ~ ,.s, ,.oo,, ,h. ,biv.
teenth annual encampment Of the Denartment Of
Vermont, Grand Army Of the Republic assem-
bled Mt Post Roberts hall in Rutland n, ,hree
o'clock. About ff,y members from sioh,oen
posts were present The Meeting was called In
order by Department Commander I II Gambling
and officers reports being in order. that Of the
commander was first presented. The report
showed that some defunct posts had beep resur
rected during the past year and some new ones
organized. The history of the Organization was
briefly outlined from Its origin in Illinois in 1866
when the first post was established by Colonel b
y. Stephenson at Dakota, It's speedy assumption
Of a national character. and its rapjd spread
throughout all the loyal states. In 1868. there
being sufficient number of posts in this state.
permanent organization OF the Department Of
Vermont was effected at Montpelier October 23d,
and General George p. Foster was elected com
mander. Under the persistent efforts OF Colonel
T. s. Peck, assistant adiutant general, the de-
partment emerged from a seedy, IL not A ragged
condition, and to him is largely due the credit of
reviving and saving the department To the order
After reviewing the various encampments OF the
society down to the present. the report concludes
that the department has arrived at the time when
the highest attainable point in its existence NAV
be reached. The day of preiudice. Of alleged
political Significance Is passed and a little work
judiciously performed will extend the lines NO A.
to include all orr soldier citizens.
The committee on unmarked graves. Of which
Governor Proctor is chairman reported that under
the act Of congress authorizing the erection Of
headstones to be paid for by the national govern
ment, they mailed circulars to the selectmen OF
each town In the state, urging them to send in
list OF such graves before the 10Th of June, 1879
Further currency was also given to this circular
by the newspapers OF the state, yet, Of the two
hundred and forty-one towns in the state, reports
have been received from only one hundred and
twenty-five, and only nnety-thtee Of these report
any unmarked graves. The aggregate number Of
graves reported is two hundred and twenty-seyen
The committee feel that they have done all ir
their power to have the last restipgpace of Their
dead comrades properly marked As nearly one.
half the towns in the state sent mo- reports what
ever, many OF them the most populous in the
state, the committee are led to the belief that tn,
-eectmen OF those towns are very careless and un
patriotic in neglectDg to do their simple duty IL
this matter. ave have the Acknowledgement OF
the receipt of our report from Quartermastel-
general Meigs, and the assurance from him thai
the headstones will be erected early the coming
summer"
At the campfire, in the evening Comrade War
rem Gibbs Of Burlington gave detailed statement
of the movements which preceded the battle OF
Middletown, In 1862, at which he was taken pri.
oner The fight was between party under Gen
era Shields and Stonewall Jacksons army, re.
sultng In the capture OF large number of fel erH
troops. His subsequent suffering, penned up witt
over two thousand prisoners at Lynchburg, thei
removal to Belle Ise, and final exchange, wer
graphically detailed with many happy hits an
illusions nterspersed. His "reminiscences CAV
point to the subsequent quotation by Rev. j. X
Richardson of the indignant remark OF Uni
versalist brother on seeing file Of starved Unio
prisoners from Andersonville pass by: 81 dom
know but what, after all, we shall have to have
hell IA military necessity"