Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-07
QThe yrtt Aress,
OLD SOLDIERS.
Grand Reunion of the Veterans of
Windsor County.
Addresses by Governor Barstow,
Lieut.. Gov. Pingree and
Gen. w. W. Grout.
Three thousand People In Attendance
NM surcr.sInI In lhcrInE.

Three thousand People In Attendance.
-. Most successful .athcrlng.
lslccia Dispatch to the Free Press AMI Times
WlSDsoR, Vt, Sept. 4-rhe third reunion
dent In Windsor county was held AT Hartford
this afternoon. A large and spacious pavilion
hal been erected for The occasion, capable OF
seating over three thousand people, aud this
was literally packed with attentive listeners.
The veterans were present in goJdly mum
bers, il being estimated that two hundred and
fifty were in attendance on the meeting. The
president of the day, DR.. 5. j. Allen, called
business meeting before the more public
exercises, when Capt. NJ. j. Sargent was
elected secretary, and Capt Sargent, A. ii.
Laulband j. w. Waldo were elected executive
committee. The next reunion Will he a.
South Rnyalton. Al 0o'cock the procession
was formed and headed by the band, march
Ell through the stress to the tent where a
most cordial address of welcome was given by
Lieutenant Governor l'ingItc, who said: mo
tO.u could give yOu "A heurtier greeting Than
the mOde,t town Of Hartford She is as ready
to give you hospitality as she was to send her
Sons t. give their lives 10 the nation when
treason ha thrown off her guse and threaten
ed the pertctuty Of our free institutions. Oar
cluutry found her Ully SAFETY in Ist such
men as she welc lmcs here to-day. The luud
that Webster and Line )ln said in most thrill
Ing and telling words could never he dlssev-
cred, but was enc inseparable--thc rocks and
Tills, hills ard valleys, men, women and Gull
dren, welcome you aud cherish your deeds of
valor"
Prayer was Offered by Rev. Mr.. Mack,
chaplain of the Third Vermont, after which
the exercises were intcrsp,rsed with music
by quartet and by the baud. Governor
Blrslow then spoke and fcelingly alluded to
to the necessity for such occasions. the
perls through which we passed have bound
us together by strong ties. Our bayuncts
dipped in blood have T, corded the seli-sacri-
flee which we practiced in those bloody
times. But. the soldiers OF Vermont
testify that no Safe was ever more
Just or honorable with her men
and as one OF Vermonts ciliz us | am
happy to give you my testimony that you
did your duty in filling our quota more than
than fun, and that it was not with the dregs
of clctv, but the cream. the TACT that n
million soldiers returned so peacefully aud
quietly is unexampled in history.
Governor Barstow's speech was received
with great applause.
Col. w. G. Ilolbrook of New York, of the
Seventh Vermont, in telling speech.
spoke OF the heroic deeds Of the regiment, of
lis Infamous treatment by Ben Butler, and
of Its glorious vindication.
The principal address of the lay was that
delivered by Gen. William w. Grout OF the
old Fifteenth Vermont, VINO spoke subslan-
tally as follows:
Gen. CIRCUITS Address.
You are met t. day IA citizens of one of
the grga' counties of our little State for the
purprs. of renewing the friendship of the
late civil war, which must ever stand as one
the great passages in American history.
Til, is the ii Il County velerans' organiza-
ton in the Safe, aud Windsor county has
the right To lead since it furnished more men
to put Gown the rebellion than any other
county in the state. l. furnished 4, $40 -
Rutland, 8 S,2, and Chitcndcn, 3, 1853.
There was good reason for this TO be S en-
for Windsor then I'D in lopulili m with
81, 1893, while Rutland had hut 1886,
AMI Chltienden, IS, III; now Rutland has
4l,S29; Windsor, 3D. 1876, and Chitcuden,
3a,1 Veteran soldiers are now III re
numerous in Windsor county than in any
9TH, IN the State, AMI they have II right To
get tog' tlar and have little time Ul their
own, in Which they must be allowed to
retraCc the "reminiscences of their army
life, recall the incidents of the march and
bivounc and tel how they lost or won the
battle.
In the presence of old soldiers it was no
time Tor many words. The veterans once
flied the whole North with the fame of lh,ir
achievements MOI by what they said, but
by what they did; not in words, but in
dc, DIS, Their words were then written with
Their hayorcts, and with bayonet and sabre
they gave shape to the destiny Of this
couhtiy Fresh in their memory are those
who we're once with them in the march and
in battle. True men do not forget those
with whom they stood in Iime of peril, and
no one can ask the veterans to give up their
meetings like this; no one can ask that men
who tented together on the hard ground
stood Al the same line, followed the same
flag, aud charg ii together when death was in
every cp; no one can ask that they throw
aside these tics OF life ana death; no one can
ask that they dishOnOr themselves by blot
ting out tie memories Of gorisus cause
In every meeting # old soldiers the mind
involunarily goes back TO the past, to the
stirring scenes of 81, and again we hear the
buglc's shrill mole, again we see great armies
meet i'll deadly conflict, and when the din of
battle has ceased again we hear the low
groans of the wounded and the dying and
throughout the land. AS this subject is
opered what flood OF recolcctions come
rushing in, and how heroic Seem the meas
ures of that time that time when patriotism
and courage and tenacity were the qualities
relied upon; that terrible time when million
of men and more were in arms that terrible
time when wars wild blast" was heard not
only in the tornado OF battle, but was heard,
or rather felt, in the home and by the fire.
Iii.
upon which Centered silent anxious
thoughts sometimes lively hopes - but
while after some bloody passage at the front
was tendery set away never again to be
filled
II, as we are told upon high authority,
'Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the
sadnt IS OF the countcnance the heart is made
BETTER then this solemn time in our his.
tory was not without great moral and
spirI losson-the lesson which suffering
always brings. This was indeed terrible
ordeal Tut at the same time proud one /;
one in which many old men and every
woman ard child were as much enlisted us
were the boys in blue who stood so reso-
lutely by the old flag on the slippery slopes
of the battlefield. common purpose
animated all breasts and common SYM
patty filed all hearts. In every hamlet the
mothers and sisters and daughters,
and those too who carried in their
heart of hearts The image of some
brave fellow in uniform, met and prepared
lint and handages for the wounds, aud Jelly
and other appetizing delicacies for the sick,
even the patriotic childhood OF tina. time re.
calling now 10 mature years the pnrt il took
10 gathering fruit for the jelly and how it
took care of the wounded after the mimic
battle. 1t was indeed terrible time; one
in which man, woman and child were filled
alike with patti tlsm and did their very best
One in which all chung to the flag though the
'sacr flee that followed was inmeusc Great
indie, d was the number Of the ''unrciurning
brave four hundred thousand in all, aud
fuur lnnlI cd Innusnnl Lnmrs slriIkI.n uiiI,