St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-01-26
Lafayette in Vermont.
AN INTERESTING STORY OF HIS VISIT
To THIS STATE.

William c. Prime in the New York
Journal of Commerce tells the follow
ing interesting story of an incident in
Lafayette's trip through this state !:
They tell in Bradford New Hampshire |
Il story about Lafayette which is worth
preserving. Before his 1924 visit to
America, there was in Bradford an old
soldier of the Revolutionary war, Cor
pOral Blood, who as times grew mod
ern and his early life further away,
was given, as old soldiers are, to tell
ing stories of his campaigns and the
incredulous and faithless (whO are Il
universal nuisance around tellers of
good old stories) were given to doubt
ing the cOrpOraPs veracity. So that,
while in village bar-rOOm and on the
front step of the village store, it was IA
common occurrence for knot of peO-
pie to surround the old soldier and lead
out his "reminiscences, it was equally
common to express not only to one
another but to him the wretched un-
belief of the prOfane modern genera
tion. Corporal Blood was especially
devoted to the memory of Lafayette,
and not only told stories of the illus
triOus Frenchman, but often when
sorely beset by disbelievers affirmed
with emphasis that he knew Lafayette
and Lafayette knew him, and if any
one would go to France and question
the general there would be found am
pie veriticatiOn of his stories. But this
appeal to an apparently inaccessible
supporter served only to increase the
prevalent skepticism, and the old man
gradually became an object of ridicule
in the town.
When Lafayette visited America il
1924, his route of travel brought hin
to Concord in New Hampshire, whence
he was to cross the country to Burling-
ton, in Vermont, and Bradford was
astOnished and excited by notice that
the guest of America with his attend
ing suite, would pass a night at the
hotel, the same house occupied by Mr.
Gillis. Great preparations were made
and from all the country around tho
patriotic people poured into the vii
lage, and in the evening were received
by Lafayette in the large ballroom o
the hotel. For in the north country
every inn of importance had a ball
room, which in the winter time wal
used by sleighing parties and BALL
are an established New England cOun
try custom from old (pOst- Puritan
times.
The room which might hold tw,
hundred people standing, was densel,
packed, and a crowd who had passe,
in and out were around the house an'
in the halls, and among them the ole
soldier, silent and altogether neglected
One may imagine the solitary man
looking into the crowd in the light
seeing the glitter of uniforms and hear
ing the babel of voices hOnOring tn
stranger whom he had hOnOred in yer,
much darker places. And now it oc
Cured to some of the turbulent peOpl
to have little fun out of the old sol
dier. "Here's the corporal who say
he knows Lafayette let's take him il
to the general" and they pressed il
with him through the crowd an,
pushed him in at the door of the larg
room, and the people inside, thinkin
it new arrival of Importance, parte
little, opening a lane to where Lafay
ette stood with Il group of officer:
Two or three led the gray-haired vet
eran, shrinking at first, but suddenl
Strengthening up his tall form and said
General, here's an old man who say
+ he knows you" Whether Lafayett
f heard or understood the words of tn
rude presentation is not known, bu
I he fixed his eyes an instant on til
soldier, stepped forward with bot
hands Outstretched and exclaimed
at is Corporal Blood" Then the oil
soldier broke down, and the gener;
comforted him with kindly words an
' the American and French party gatl
cred around the two, and then an
there Lafayette told the same stOI
that Corporal Blood has told so ofte
to incredulOus people, how in one
the most trying times of those mem,
rable times of soul and body tria
when food was very scarce and office
. and men were starving, the orde
, sternly forbade taking any provision
from the inhabitants without paymen
and all supplies for love or money We
exhausted. The general had acciden
ally overheard a soldier saying
knew where there was a COW conceale
and but for the orders he could get
The general sent for the soldier, wi
was Corporal Blood, and questions
him, and as the case was one of starv
ton gave him orders to seize the co
and money to pay for it. The reli'
small as it was, when the cOrpoI
Is brought in the beef, was so sensit
J that the general thanked him and oft