Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-07-12
The Soldiers Reunion.


ton, commencing last week Monday and lasting
till Wednesday, was the most successful one in
point of numbers, and perhaps in interest, ever
held in Vermont, The announce ment that Gen.
erals Grant and Hancock were to be present was
the drawing card, and 1t was unfortunate on all
accounts that they were unable to do 80. The
more unthinking and uncharitable of the veter-
ans, in their disappointment have expressed their
opinion that the generals never intended to come
and that 1t was put-up game on the part OF the
managers and the people of Burlington. This
we believe to be unjust. The same class OF
men made similar unjust and uncaled-for criti-
cisms Of Montpelier when the reunion was held
here, and they will do the same wherever it is
held
Much OF the space at Queen City park, where 1t
was held was covered with tents, OF which there
were about two hundred and fifty and were ar
ranged by counties. Monday was devoted chiefly
to receiving and quartering arrivals and when
night came there were nearly one thousand on
the ground "Spunky Lamoille" took the lead
in point Of numbers, having three hundred vet
Grams upon the ground under command of G. d..
Gates, and about a hundred more came next
morning They were accompanied by an excel
lent drum corps. All the counties Except Grand
Isle were well represented. Just before dark a
dress parade was held, and after this the camp
fires were lighted and the camp presented a truly
martial appearance. In front Of each group OF
tents was kinded fire OF logs, round which the
veterans gathered and fought over their battles
and made the air vocal with camp songs. The
tents shone white under the ruddy glare Of the
fires, and the groups Of soldiers, many OF them in
military attire, brought into strong relief, looked
picturesque enough to have satisfied even Oscar
Wilde. The veterans evidently enjoyed them
selves to their hearts content and to an outsider
the scene was striking and memorable. 1t was
far into the night when the last story was told
and the last song sung-and indeed we doubt IL
the rising sun did not dawn on the closing pas
sages There were many meetings, too, OF old
and long separated friends and many formings Of
ms at.kn. unA L.. Nd
rapidly and pleasantly
The next day brought perfect crush OF veter-
ans and visitors, and there were probably not less
than eight thousand upon the ground during the
everything that could be desired and the park and
Its surroundings were in gala trim. Everything
passed off pleasantly and satisfa ctorily, for which
Commander Henry and his efficient aids should
have due credit. Generals Grant and Hancock
telegraphed their regrets, the former stating that
it had been and still is his intention to pass
through Vermont this summer.
In the forenoon the different regiments held re-
unions and formed permanent organizations.
The First cavalry elected c. d. Gates president
and j. C. Squires secretary; the sharpshooters, C.
Peck president and II. s. Hodge secretary; the
Fourth H. Il. Taylor president and r. J. Coffey
secretary; the Sixth, X. Nj. Walker president and
c. L. Norton secretary; the Tenth, A. b. Yalen-
tine president, A. w. Fuller and DR.. L. j. Foster
vce-presdents and George L. Davis secretary.
The Vermont association of prisoners OF the
war was also formed the organization being com
pleted in the afternoon by the choice OF the fol-
lowing officers: President, Warren Gibbs OF
Burlington; vice-president, d. ]. Stafford Of Nor
risville; secretary-treasurer, Henry q. Wheeler
of Burlingtoni executive committee, Y. ID. Curry,
Gilbert Buckham, j. II. Stockwell. 1t was voted
to hold meeting of the association at Mont
pelier next fall at the time OF the meeting OF the
Officers Reunion Society large number of
names were enrolled on the list of the associa-
ton, and 1t starts out under very favorable aus
pieces
The parade and review before His Excellency
Governor Roswell Farnham and staff came off at
two o'clock, r, NJ. With the governor were Ad-
Theodore s. Peck of Burlington
Quartermaster-GeneralL L. G. Kingsley OF Rutland
Surgeon General l.. NJ. Bingham OF Burlington,
and Colonies II. f. Tutherly and HoraceJ. Brookes
OF Burlington, William r. Rowe OF North Troy,
M. X. Paine OF Windsor and DIN Scott OF Ben
nington. The review was a particularly pleasant
and interesting affair. The veterans turned out
in large numbers and executed the maReuvres
with facility surprising under the circum
stances; and the whole thing was watched with
much interest by the great assemblage Of specta-
tors For this as for all the exercises OF the day.
music was furnished by the Sherman Military
Band Of Burlington, whose playing won universal
praise. Following the review came the Grafton,
by Colonel Aldace f. Walker OF Rutland, who
was introduced by General Henry. Below we
give as liberal extracts from 1t as space will
admit.
COLONEL WALKERS GRAFTON.
Comrades We have assembled here, to-day. for socia
reunion II Is reunion OF veteran s9des spa o. Vermont
This is not our INST assembling. We have met before
We first mustered beyond the Potomac River Perhaps not
any S one day or at nse BsSs we hSys
Joined the ranks q one army he army Of IN
Ssy Eat ss was
In the blood q the eongc The dag for which we fought
flag Of the free to-day.
your presenee' not improper 2 suggest that there
once rebellion and civil war which suppressed II have
.peaf o. The late Tor lie union have sl, Al LINES
o iy Ros % SfRSS
sword But here and now we know, and do not blush
S Sar sS anS % oDa IN line
Tor soldiers subject to the sngeney Of military
camp the fatigue and e.haps0n Of the march the peril
brothers die. Many Of US have passed weary hours
lays and months In the cheeress hCsptal lave suffered
wo than death OF southern pIson-pens. We did ali
me CI OSs long gloomy Ssd %s hSSs we a
blind mans holiday. 1t serious and
severity The dual triumph in what believed to
be the right We knew the existence of the war fact
We make apology 10 patriots of the pillow share, who
ne 70 I al wSs sss %e oS 10 saS
hey much OF rebellion and It's battles. We say
blood dowsi God bless you. and God speed you an"
comprised ali her abeboded citizens il no wonder that
o twenty yes Re entire boS u Youth
enrolled as servants OF our country They poured FORM
he shop from the lumber camp and the college and all
urged By the demands Of duty willing Offering 2 H
veterans of to-day were the volunteers of 1862 The Yer
was IN ee Ss state se IN The Op peon OF Is yoa the
choicest and best within u boundsries that present
he Wilderness at Gettysburg at Big Bethel and at Sailors
eeh The @ and h he'll aft IN mt Q, M war sent
Cs the territory the the OF
little state waved side by side with the stars and stripes
and no Vermont regiment ever lost to the enemy s bat
The total ensments from Vermont were over thirty thou
and Our population was about three hundred thousand
at INST does not sem large Rr4ponon Bal
half Ave-tenihs, were women ThTee-en tbs more were
children aged men The toal number OF men OF military
were inca paetaed from military duty By NJ health OF dsa-
by honorable inability to respond OF many
sinds so that practically nearly every one Of our able
DE Union The total ensnsnis cfedtsd to our state BY
he DUE from Vermont in ,bs of sue
among the northern states by 1878 OF this mum
Fl mandy or OF wss and
broken down, no one can tell
Here the speaker gave the number of engage
nents In which Vermont regiments and batteries
took part.
Is any wonder comrades that we love to meet from
lime to time and revive the Of those stirring days
As memory flows back to those terrible years. we begin to
eale how trivial and commonplace are the successes OF
Quay NOW throughout bututfs
and cheerful faces meet us everywhere Then constant
md a,pe[yadlng anxiety and gloom nled the land En-
mouth. Strangers stopped every farm house for
'ita and conjecture Defeats only stimulant 10
lewed putting forth OF the nAona energy victories
he theme OF deyout thanksgiving And thus through the
.ienatons Of The many fears while dear ones At home
watched and tfebled, the soldiers the front struggled
and loed until our hopes At last became triumphant DER
put fears and were realized In full fTuitlon,
Colonel Walker, after aludlng to the fact that
a " Prisoners Association" was to be formed,
and graphically narrating the story OF the Ander-
sonvlle death trap, told the story Of the battle OF
Cedar Creek and the incident which Reads we'll
known poem has made familiar, and continued
Thus comrades, we have briefly recalled TO minds
he answer 10 our question who the soldiers Of Yer
mont. They the body Of the state the substantial
any OF our Green Mountain republic Al II was twenty
years ago.
one Anal question remains Who the Vermont vet
afana OF to-day
My comrades they are those soldiers OF the war whom
Heath has not yet summoned OF the 10000 and
who represented state In the army the Union,
sixth remained forever far from home OF those who by
nd favor Of Proyuenoe permitted TO return another
large proportion brought with chem shattered constitutions
and MANNED bodies and one-half at least have already