The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-03
&c Tenting on the Old Camp Ground.v


GENERAL STEPHEN THOMAS REGARDING
THE REUNION AND TRIP.
One OF the best OF the old war songs which
the rebellion brought out, and which the lapse
OF time seems but to render more touching to
the heart and its matchless music more ipspir-
ing to the ear Is that which begins with the
words, Were tenting tonight on the old
camp ground" And now, after all these
years, to pitch their tents on the self-same spot
where was fought the battle of Winchester on
the 18th OF September, 1864, seems to give an
added meaning to the words of the old song
and bring back to mind with greater force the
memories OF that time when 1t was first sung
on the southern battle fields. This Is what has
recently been the experience of some two hun
dred OF New England veterans on the historic
fields OF old Virginia. Such an occasion Is
worthy Of record. A pilgrimage to such a
Mecca is milestone along the pathway of
those boys In blue" who journeyed thither-
we believe 1t will prove memorable day to the
boys in gray who welcomed them there.
To the members Of the old Fourteenth New
Hampshire Regiment belongs the credit OF
the Inauguration Of such a reunion, and, we
understand particular credit is due to Lieu
tenant Buffum, formerly Of that regiment
and now an attache Of the Boston Herald, for
designing the trip and for much of its ultimate
success. The Fourteenth formed an association
during the past year for th6 purpose of this
visit, and included in its invitation the surviy-
ing members Of theSixth, Eighth and Nineteenth
corps, all of whom we're present at Winchester
nineteen years ago. Committees were chosen
from each of said corps, an excursion was
planned and a special train chartered at Wash
ington for the journey SOUTH Two hundred
and twenty five veterans, with their wives and
friends, arrived at Harpers Ferry Monday
evening, September 18th, and at noon the next
day were in the city of Winchester. Here they
were received by the city authorities, and by
committee Of ex-confederates, with the great
est enthusiasm and the most generous hospl-
taity. The visitors were escorted to the court
house, where an address Of welcome was de-
lived by the mayor, to which Colonel Carroll d.
Wright of Boston, in command of the Four
teenth New Hampshire Regiment during the
war, responded in an eloquent speech. The
ice was thus readily broken, and the party sat
down to a bountiful banquet provided by the
citizens OF the city. The visiting command
then repaired to the camp situated some two
miles from town where an interesting pro-
gramme of exercises was carried out On
Wednesday, the 10Th, the veterans marched
to the national cemetery where sleep some
four thousand OF those who wore the blue
separated by a narrow lane from the burial
place of the confederate soldiers. large
crowd OF people were present to witness the
solemn and impressive ceremonies which we're
held at the foot of the New Hampshire monu-
ment erected by that state at this place. The
browning feature of the day was the tribute
paid by the northern veterans to the hundred
unknown confederate dead that lie buried here
Prayer was offered by Chaplain Whittemore of
the Tenth Massachusetts, who is an ex-congress-
man from the state of South Carolina, to which
a responsive Amen" came from the lips of
every listener, after which an address was de.
livered by Colonel Wright, and the procession
returned to camp. Here some fifty tents had
been pitched by the visitors and during the
evening a host Of Winchester citizens rode
down to acknowledge the handsome tribute
paid to their dead during the afternoon, and to
be present at the exercises of the evening
Speeches were delivered, songs were sung and
display of fireworks served to make the oc-
casion brilliant in the extreme. Exercises no less
interesting were held each evening at the camp
during the two remaining days Of the veterans
stay, and the memories that cluster around
Camp Emory named in honor of the venera-
BILE commander the Nineteenth corps who was
present-wil linger for years in the minds not
only OF the visiting soldiers but also of the Dc
pie of Winchester who partook OF its hospital
ity. Every day except Friday, which day was
spent at the battle-fields of Cedar Creek and
Fishers Hill, was spent by those in camp in
rehearsing the events of nineteen years ago
and in visiting the historic scenes in and about
the city OF Winchester. Saturday morning
tents were struck, and after a hearty :" God
speed y from the citizens and a farewell meet
ing at the court house hall, the visiting party
left for the North
General Stephen Thomas, the honored COM
charge of the arrangements for the excursion
on the part of the Vermont veterans, and
headed party of some twenty-five from this
state. In an interview with him q few DAYS
since, the general spoke with the greatest en-
thusiasm Of the success and pleasure of the
expedition His intimate knowledge and per-
sonal experience of that campaign in the Shen-
andoah valley serve to make his "reminiscences
OF its battles of the greatest possible interest
He entered into the spirit Of this reunion-of
again tenting on the old camp. ground-with
the same zeal and fervor which characterized
his whole career in the army and gave him
not only his well-won title but the love and re-
spect Of all his men. The general took upon
himself the task, on his trip, of tracing out
and fixing the positions OF the different army
corps at the battles of Winchester, Cedar Creek
and Fishers Hill. At Winchester the field had
been very materially changed as to its land
scape. Forests had been cut away, fields
plowed up, and fences erected which had al
tered the features of the country in a marked
degree, and it was only after considerable la
Dor that satisfactory picture of the battlefield
could be reproduced to the minds eye. At
Cedar Creek and also at Fishers Hill no diff
Guilty was met in fixing the relative positions
OF the troops. A striking fact was brought to
the notice of all who went over these grounds
with General Thomas, In that the distances
from point to point were so much greater than
they seemed in the memories of those who
travelled them nineteen years ago. The battle
of Cedar Creek was fought just month, to a
day, after that at Winchester, and the Generals
recollection of that battle seems as vivid as If
it occurred but yesterday. The storehouse &C.
cupied by General Sheridan as his headquarters
WAS found still standing, and occupied by a
Scotchman named Smiley. A woman was
found living there who well remembered the
battle and, as she told General Thomas twas
nightly skeered," and took up a refuge in the
cellar to escape the bullets which were too pro-
miscuously plenty for safety. AS was said by
one OF the confederates of this battle {" We
whipped you in the forenoon and you whipped
us in the afternoon" The Union men were
fortunate in being able to Laugh best" as
their luck came at the close of the day, in to-
tai rout of the enemy.
The visitors spent the last day at the city of
Harrisonburg. Here they we're NO with a
complete ovation-the citizens seeming to vie
with those at Winchester in the warmth and
heartiness of their greeting. Thousands of
people turned out to welcome them, headed by
committees, bands of music, with carriages
for the ladies OF the party, and the town was
decorated with flags and bunting from top to
toe. A bountilul dinner was provided at the
Revere house, while many of the citizens well
coined members OF the party to their private
houses General Thomas accepted the invi-
tation of Mr. Sullivan, the postmaster of the
town, TO drive with him, and found that his
father, loyal man through the war, was
given the first commission as a southern man
after the war was over. President Grant
wished to do something for him as reward
for the loyalty and the old man modestly
thought he "might perhaps be postmaster"