St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-06-02
CAMP FIRE.

A ROUSING MEETING AT TOWN HALL.
Chamberlin Post of the Grand Army
held Il camp fire in the evening at the
town hall. The room was crowded al
most to sutfOcation. The veteran sol
diers to the number of p or 30, sat up
on the platform. Capt. Blodgett, as
master of ceremonies, introduced as
the first speaker young man who he
had no doubt was sorry he was not
born in st. JOhnsbury and he was
still more sure that he was sorry he
war; but for this he was not to blame -
| Wendell p. Stafford responded i'll a
carefully prepared address, which was
well given and attentively received.
Capt. Blodgett then introduced "a
man among us well known, who more
than 20 years ago was known as a raj
der; and nearly half of whose regiment
were captured by MOsby at one time
and another, and who came near being
|
tain E. T. Sandford." Mr.. SandfOrd
then gave a very interesting personal
"Reminiscences included in the time when
he was captain in Col. Bakers regi-
ment of detective raiders, as they
might be called. Their experience in
raiding on the enemy, burning bridges,
tearing up railroads, destroying tele-
graph communication, skirmishing,
wounded on the battlefield, and the
narrow escape from capture, were all
told in an interesting manner, which
held the closest attention.
The next speaker was Charles E.
Putney, who was introduced without
any title. His address was of most
thrilling interest, giving in his quiet
impressive way, his personal eXpe-
rience from the time when as stu
dent he enlisted, the transportation to
Washington, the camp of il few weeks
at Arlington, the picket duty, the
march to that dreadful field of Freder-
icksburgh, the terrible suspense of ly-
ing all day within hearing of the shouts
of the charging battaliOns, expecting
every moment to he ordered to the
front, then just at night the order com
ing to charge, the rush over the battle
field among the dead and dying, the
appeals of the wounded to he taken of
the field, to which they were Obliged
to turn deaf ear, the onslaught, the
repulse, the retreat the entire night
and the next day which was Sunday
spent in removing the wounded from
the field and burying the dead, the
sufferings of the wounded not only
from their wounds but from the cold
the final retreat-all these and much
more were told with such vividness by
IA participant as to make the history Of
the Rebellion a new thing to most pres
ent. In closing Mr.. Putney said a few
words on such an important matter
and in such a kindly, gentle way, that
we wish every young man and young
woman, and every boy and girl in the
land could have heard them. He won
dered why there were not more young
people in the procession to-day. II
must be they did not realize how lately
the country had gone through IA fear.
full struggle, and that they were to reaI
the first fruits of the terrible sacrifice
that men now fast passing away had
made for them. For this enlarged
prosperity the Young men and women
of to-day should show a just apprecia-
ton, and he hoped that in coming
years the procession on Decoration day
would be largely made up of young
people.
John Mcdonald was then introduced
as fit representative of the light ar
tillery. He gave a brief address, full
of happy turns and Irish wit, which
kept the audience in an exceedingly
happy frame of mind, and the APP
plause was frequent and tumultuOus.
| The last speaker was Col. A. b.
Jewett, who commanded the Tenth Vt.
regiment, and who paid a tribute OF
honor and respect to Capt. f. b. Frost,
who was a beloved officer in his com
mand. The Colonel also gave an ac-
count of an interview, at which he was
present, between Generals Sedgwick