Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-19
WAR GOVERNORS OF VERMONT.
FL frederick Holbrook's Services to His
Country in its Dark Days.

exclusively 10 Illc glory anu uOnOT VI IN
GOV. John Gregory Smith and which were
obviously part of the effort which is be
ing made to put him into the senate. or
course the great things claimed by the
MESSENGER for Gov. Smith may he true,
for his administration Us governor of Yer
mont formed the most creditaDle chapter
of his life but the article is unjust mas
much as it assumes him to be utC war gov
ernor of Vermont, title which justly be-
longs to Frederick llolbrook OF Bratt e.
boro. The great work of raising, organic
ing and sending out troops involving a
vast amount of labor and care was done
largely under Gov. HolbrOok and partly
under mis- predecessor, between the years
1861 and 1853, so that everything was in
working order before Gov. smiths advent
to power. The seventeenth regiment was
the only one put into the field by Gov.
Smith, those from one to six having been
organized under Gov. Fairbanks and those
from seven to sixteen under Gov IIol-
brook. The ninth regiment was the first
in the country to he sent to the front in
response to President Lincon's call for
100000 men in 1862. Vermont was always
the first to respond and always kept
ahead of her quota during the war. When
her patriotism and fidelity are considered,
it perhaps but natural that President LIN
coin should have regarded her authorities
with especial esteem. The Messenger says
that both he and Secretary Stanton
but there is no reason to suppose that the
previous administrations had any less in
tluence with the United States authorities
or was any less highly esteemed.
Indeed President Lincoln publicly and
formally thanked Gov. HOlbrOOk for
the energy and promptitude he had
shown in organizing. equipping and
forwarding troops to the front. The
Republican, and Union convention of
Vermont when it passed resolutions
thanking Gov. IIolbroOk for his services,
only voiced the general sentiment of the
country, that Frederick HolbrOok stood at
the front among the war governors of the
Union lie filled that position when it
was full of difficulties, when there We're
no precedents to follow. when the best
minds of the country were filled with per
he Government in nrosecutinp civil war.
and when every step required construct
~, tiIIin p,,,,od j., +o
nndertnkin1 Of estnhlishinT LnSnitais here
for the sick and disabled Vermont soldiers,
that they might tie brought home to re
celNe me peneHt Oh lheir hatlEe ar lhG
SonelliIIleihU na'l no Tonlloelice IN IT, anu
Gu ,n,"I We oiueL Moui'' nav ~ ne
,ia tI l t ?Gt "''
Ela' ~ sehu 70 us, no, ON! the rrllohI-
erS pu, n,nl{ from outSIle tie oia,e.
, lc a. vi I'ei ~ nIH
.it7u .!io ~ -. " - '','o' ,'t.H -,
-" m ~ a. 70
IN va lcuI li'' - W. .plO tP.loll Vi VIZ
IoN ",l,. iJ - m,Itic'' ~ I!Ioie ciTUIO
~ ~ ',,iu "iih lii",. III illo
"l,' o. iI oV,tN li 90 ~
,u7 20 ny ~, n wv, -. IL IL
'.' .iV E I No vi H,tI 10 nv" Wy
a. Sio.t,iu ny %tItt ~ @ Gnu
ei.el W"Iu9 az ~; NipHio "li't many ~
were tIlus saNtu Mhlci mus Gtner wise
pt tt ioH' ~ "ii d. .olis
Us 'iE ""i' ~ VI noii' oIi''ivi WV
W. T., oi .'i,, o,'ivu i1i
% nav toi t,'e 81 Pe9iIlo'i ="
WY p1S. InllUn =. guy ptnel VI thc pa
o,ioSit leau guy y VI tlte 10y vi VneIr JUS
oieulu' ny ~ /. - nv. u1liiS ~ W.eh we
claiin tnaI uoV' 1olorook Is Pre-. ehlnehllH
eil.it Is u, 10 lhe name ol 'he war uoVer'
Aoi vi ei'''oii''
coyern,r Smith and Saor,.. S.,u.
''"''"'
lfrom the ~. Adams Messenger
Following Governor Andrew of Mass
achusetts. it is perfectlv safe to saw that
+ho ,,o,,orrors of No Ctato ,to,, ,,i..t. ~,
WV 80 Vi ~ '''''1 o'oo.' hlS iel III
the ESTIMATION OF President Lincoln and
his cabinet than did the governors of Yer
mont, and to none did Mr.. Lincoln 90
more readily for counsel, and upon none
did he lean with greater confidence. But
in his article we desire to speak more
particularly of the relations existing be
tween Governor Smith and Mr.. Lincoln
and his cabinet. as the matters of which
we shall write came under our personal
knowledge at the time.
The rules affecting the service became
altered from year to year as the war pro-
crossed, and the necessities demanded,
and to Governor Smith is given the credit
of obtaining one of the most appreciable
changes and at the same time most diff
cult. Up to the fall of 1868. no paroled
prisoners had been turoughed no matter
what influences might have been invoked
in their behalf On one occasion one of
this unfortunate class went directly to
Secretary of War Stanton in company
with Senator Foot of this State, to obtain
leave of absence to reach home, and being
endorsed by other men of prominence
but could obtain no favors.
Both President Lincoln and Secretary
Stanton became strongly attached to Gov
ernor Smith, and with them the Governor
had great influence, In the fall of 1868,
there were large numbers of parOled pris
oners in camp at Annapolis, Md, from
Vermont regiments, who having exhaust