Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-31
THE SEVENTIES RErNION.

THE SEVENTIES Rel MON.
The Seventh Regiment Of Vermont Vounl.
teeis, whose second reunion was held in this
city Wednesday, had unique history. 1t had
the longest term of service Of all the regiments
sent by Vermont to the war for the Union.
While the other regiments were mustered
out of the United States service early in
the Summer of '65, the Seventh was retained
in the department of the South, on duty in
Texas, and was not mustered out till March
IA, 1866. Its term of service was four years
and thirty days and few regiments of
Volunteers of the Union army. had long er
period of service. The service of no other
Vermont regiment, with single
exception was so wholly separated
from that of the other Vermont
troops. Immediately after its muster
at Rutland, in February, 1862, it was at
tached to Gen. Buffers division, raised for
service in the far South, and sailed at once
for Ship Island, in the Gull Of Mexico. 1t
was joined there by the Eighth Vermont, but
the two regiments were soon separated, and
thenceforth served and fought at different
points on the Mississippi. The Seventh was
the only Vermont regiment that ever had the
painful experience of being maligned and
publicly censured by its division commander.
And though the charge was amply and Off.
cially proved to be false, and the SANDER was
in part Withdrawn by its promulgator, and the
Of Nh&
amply vindica,ed from reproach. the
remembrance of the wrong done &c
its fair fame will never pass from the remem.
bIances of the members of the regiment
They have found it hard 10 forgive, and they
will never forget. No other Vermont regi
ment had so terrible experience of suffering
from disease. There was q time when there
were not well men enough in the regiment t.
take care of the sick, and hardly enough tc
bury the dead. About four hundred men o.
the Seventh laid down their lives in thu
swamps of the Mississippi. Such expert
ences as these have naturally caused Yer,
strong feeling of comradeship end mutua
attachment among the survivors. None o.
the veterans of the war have better right L
meet and celebrate their service in the great
civil war than those of the Seventh Vermont
An especial interest 10 this regiment is felt il
this city, for the reason that many of III
officers and men were our own citizens. Col
ID. b. Peck, Surgeon IL. II, Lapgdon, Chap
lain W. G. Hopkins, Capt. r. ID. Stearns ant
Lieut.. w. L. Harris were Burlngtonians
while Lleuts. ii. b. Fish, c. w. Carpente
and A. X. Moore were residents of th
county. Its first reunion since the war wa
held at Rutland last year, and was 80 unex
pectedly successful that it was decided Il
hold second one this year, and this wa
held here Wednesday.
A veterans reunion is always an interest
ing gathering-interesting TO both particl
pants and outsiders. The old storiesare toll
and the old songs sung the comradeship o
the years that are gone is revived and renew
ed; old friends are brought together tn,
bright and the dark sides Of army life are viz
idly recalled old memories are renewed ant
the past lives again. And as to outsiders, i
that man is not 10 be envied whose patriot
ism is not quickened by a visit to the battle
fields where Freedom met and conquered
Slavery, surely that patriotism is dull indeed