Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-02

now over forever let us remember that III
was all American valor. | have now no de-
sire except the best good for all our States
and all our people. Comrades of the blue
and the gray, ladies and gentlemen, wit
Messing this unity OF sentiment and believ-
ing in its sincerity, feel like saying with
good old Simon of old, now let thy ser
want depart in peace"
Gen. CIRCUITS Speech.
Col Grout of the 18th Vt. Vols, spoke as
follows:
Vermont has her campfire tonight, and
every Vermonter not excused by surgeons
certificate of disability, Is expected to do
his duty. ! am sorry that am not in full
fighting trim. am ashamed to be com
PEELED to own that | am not proving in
every way equal to this campaign in the
Shenandoah, especially the watermelon
side of it. had to fall out this morning
when you started on your march of seven
ty-five miles to Harrisonburg to witness
that contest between the blue and the gray,
now, as frequently twenty years ago, for
the possession of piece of artillery. Not
now, however, as then in bloody strife,
but in friendly rivalry in which both fired
at the same target and only to see whose
eye had the least grown dim. You know
the stomach is supposed to have great
deal to do with both our thought and feel
ing. Napoleon is said to have lost battle
one day from having partaken too freely
of shoulder of mutton stuffed with
raisins-hs favorite dish If too much is
sometimes bad so is too little. To-day |
have been living on iced tea, so you can
not expect anything very warm from me.
Vermont makes this campfire tonight
out of material from our own States, aided
by such fuel as we may be able to gather
from the eX-Confederate soldiers present
| am told that the rivalry between our
New England States in obtaining the as
sistance of these gentlemen for their par
ticuar nights has been great. But as in
every scrinmage with any Kind of fair
notice, Vermont is apt to get her share
We have captured Col. Riley Of the First
Virginia cavalry, Capt. Mutton of the
Stonewall brigade and Col. Jones of
Gen. Gordon's staff These gentlemen
have kindly consented to help Vermont
out tonight Twenty years ago, Vermont
would have thought here was material
for quite fire and l expect they Will
make us see stars tonight but now,
thank heaven, only the stars that repre-,
sent the States upon the old flag. Yer
mont is small State i'll area, but letting
Nermonters tell the story, and you compel
us to tell it this evening, she claims a fair
share of spunk and while her people claim
to be peaceable citizens, they have never
shirked responsibility in time of war. In
the war of the revolution Vermont was
not State, but a beleaguered and hunted
people, defending themselves as best they
could against the demands of three adj
joining States which claimed her terri
tory; but as the combat deepened she
struck hands with those States and the
rest of the original thirteen including old
Virginia, then in the midst of the struggle
for independence, and with them con
fronted the common enemy. Vermont,
conscious that she is few in numbers, but
realizing that well directed leadership of
Il few is often more fruitful of results
than the aimess work of many, has always
made it Il point in the discharge of her du
ties to the general government, both mill
tary and civil, if possible. to find and put
herself in the right place ut the right time
Ethan Allen did this when, with only a
handful of men, but as you remember
upon very high authority, he demanded
and received the surrender OF Ticonder
oga.
| The yeOmanry of Vermont put them
selves in the right place at the right time
when as Burgoyne reported to the home
government, in explanation of the dis
astrous results of the campaign. the
settlers on the New Hampshire Grant,
hung like gathering storm on his lef
flank as he marched from Montreal to tn,
Hudson. That storm burst ut Benning
ton and history tells the rest. 1t wa.
the first streak If light on that struggle il
which old Virginia was wading waist-deeI
in blood.
In the war of 1872, Vermont regimen
| found its way across the lake to Platts
burgh Just before the battle there. \
Vermont governor more nice than wise
ordered it home on the ground that it wa
the business of New York to defend her
self; but the officers of that regimen
sent the governor a polite note telling
him they should not go, but should sta!
and take a hand in the fight and the,
did and who will say they were not il
the right place at the right time. In tn,
late civil struggle how often Vernon
soldiers succeeded in striking telln!
blow in an opportune time, were per
haps better told by our comrades of tn
other New England States. But how cal
we expect them to brag for us when the,
have so much Dragging to do for them
selves Our eX-COnfederate friend
would be competent witnesses upon th
point, but how can we expect much hell
from them when they know they handed
us the hot end of the poker fully one hal
the time? You will perhaps pardon M
for reminding you how Vermont toun;
the right place at the right time at Get
tysburg when Vermont colonel aSket
leave of his commanding officer to chang
front forward on first company and tax
upon the flank that column of Virgins
braves under Pickett, who notwithstand
ing the staggering blows dealt i'll from
were moving forward solid as a Grecial
phalanX till the Green Mountain boy
poured volley into their flank whel
they fell into disorder and the battle o
Gettysburg was won. The place wher
this gallant and decisive movement wa
made has not yet been marked, but it can
not be that Vermont will long delay it
On this field of Winchester wher
our tents are now pitched, anOthe
Vermont colonel when the day was fa
spent thought the right time had come I
make a hayonet charge and clear the fiel'
in his front; and in the absence of order
did so on his own responsibility thu
helping to seal the victory of the day
Again at Cedar Creek when early in tn
morning sounded that frightful reveill
that started our boys not out of thei
boots, but out without their boots, AM
sent them back turning upon them IA
they went, their own artillery, you wer
having things all your own way till a
last this same Vermont colonel selecting
the right spot at the right time, halted hi
regiment, faced about, and there formed
line upon which the broken left wing o
the army rested until Sheridan arrives
AMI put the right wing in.order, and the
our army went swooping up the vale
after the Confederate columns. One O
the objects of this visit, and that neares
the heart of the NprmOnterS is 10 mari