The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-11-10
@attbmm 4 Journal.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1886.
The Army Reunions.

three o'clock. The meeting was called to
order by the president, General stephen
Thomas, and constitution and bylaws,
drawn by Governor Barstow, were read
and adopted The constitution makes Gen
eral Thomas perpetual president. further
organization was made as follows vice.
presidents, General j. l.. Barstow and
treasurer, DIR. G. NJ. Ferrin executive com
mittee Fred Il. Smith, w. H. Gilmore and
Wheaton Livingstone; chaplain, e. ID.
Moon; surgeon, DR.. H. III. Gillett. The as
sociation adopted Berdan's sharp-shooters
as members of its organization. A COM
mittee of three was appointed to petition
to accept the monuments erected at Win
chester and Cedar Creek last year by
Colonel Herbert Il. HILL and ask the legis-
lature to take measures to protect them.
The annual meeting of the First YER
mont Cavalry was held at the state house
November ID, when the following officers
were elected: President James Barrett;
vice-presidents, one from each company
from A to NJ inclusive, G. Gordon, W.
Conger, NJ. Henry, G. w. Cook, G. r.. Bag
ley, G. l.. Crosby, II. n. Leach, James Ev-
erson, f. S. Mead, E. G. Slocum, G. L.
Irwin, d. McKenty; for the staff II. X. Ide
secretary, III. o. Wheeler treasurer, w. H.
Greenleaf. Messrs Barrett, Greenleaf and
Wheeler were appointed committee to
consider the adoption of a society badge,
The Eighth and Cavalry banqueted together
at the Golden Fleece in the evening, the re-
Corps of Brooks Post. The veterans rem
dezvoused at the Pavilion in the early even
ing and marched to the banquet hall escort
ed by the Montpelier Military Band. Some
twenty large tables, conveniently placed
had been spread with an abundance of
good things, and at these the old soldiers
and many civilians and ladies were speedily
seated. A blessing was asked by Chaplain
j. f. Goodrich and an attack was made upon
the edibes. The assailants were just be-
ginning to get the victory, however, when
they were disconnected by the strains of
"Marching through Georgia." from the
band. They soon returned to the conflict
and of course came off victorious in the end.
Then General Thomas introduced Governor
Barstow, who read a paper, written more
especially for the Eighth Vermont, upon
"Nermont Soldiers in the Swamps of Louis
lana" Music by the band followed brief re-
marks were made by Major S. II. Woods
and Chaplain Goodrich of the Cavalry read
an entertaining paper.
Colonel Herbert f. Hills paper on the
campaign of Sheridan in the Shenandoah
valley, from which we make liberal ex-
racts, was then read by Captain Howard;
COLONEL HILLS PAPER.
This campaign was notable one No
campaign during the four years of bloody
war attracted more attention; none saw
fercer fighting or more decisive results.
Here in this wonderful valley the renowned
Stonewall Jackson had suddenly appeared
ing blow, then as suddenly disappeared.
Through this valley the veteran Lee had
swept in resistless fury with his mighty
host.
with tremendous speed bore his rider, Sher-
idan, down to his army, twenty miles away.
1t was on the eve of a great presidential
election. The giants of war, Grant and
Lee, had sent their best troops to contend
for this historic highway leading down to
Washington. Hence the eyes of the world
turned to the Shenandoah valley and this
campaign. The services of regiment should
not always be computed by its number of
engagements. The Second Vermont Bri-
gade at Gettysburg were then comparative
ly raw troops, but by striking at the right
moment they won lmperishable renown in
single encounter with Picketts braves.
The Eighth Regiment, or detachments of it,
was under fire on siXty-two occasions when
men were killed or wounded, and was one
OF the regiments that were entitled to the
name of veteran, but not to these facts so
much as to that which it was permitted to
accomplish in one or two great battles does
the paper deal with at this reunion. High
noon, September 49, 1865, found the demon
of war playing wild havoc with mems blood
and lives, as Sheridan and Early struggled
for mastery on the plains of Winchester.
With modest pride you remember that there
the regiment stood like a rock as the de-
feated and wounded men passed through to
the rear; how fragment of the gallant but
shattered Fourteenth New Hampshire, one
of the first to reach the enemy, was hurled
into our midst with their flags, and instantly
adopted as part of our own; how in the
face of the storm you advanced into the
open field, repulsed the enemy in your front
and held him at bay for over two long hours.
All this was WELL but the browning
triumph of the regiment came at three
o'clock. At that hour the Eighth Vermont
and Twelfth Connecticut were far in adj
vance of the rest of the corps, had heard the
guns of UptonS gallant men some distance
on our left, but in the disposition of troops
all were now withdrawn from our right and
immediate left. We We're absolutely alone,
and mentioned by the historian of the
Twenty-ninth Maine as a skirmish line, "
with the enemy maSSed in front
The crisis had come If this charge failed,
all was lost. But standing here was a man
borne for crisis-a noble soldier, free from
envy or jealousy, and whose massive brain
grasped the situation and he exclaimed,
"We'll help them" and instantly he hurled
the Eighth Vermont and Twelfth Connecti-
cut with tremendous force upon the enemy
in front, shivering their line to atoms and
sending them fleeing in disorder toward
Winchester. That man was General
Stephen Thomas. This deed of valor was a
mighty factor in deciding this great battle.
just here, the key to the battle, and alone
on the open plain with our flag (and that OF
the Fourteenth New Hampshire we had
adopted), Haunting defiance to the frowning
batteries and their plunging shot, We're I'M
tremendously introduced by the bloody
hand of war to as noble body of troopers as
ever fired carbine, flashed cleaning
sabre, or buckled on a spur-none other
than that proud command, the First regi
ment Vermont cavalry.
[Captan Howard then read.a letter writ
ten by Mrs. General Gordon of Georgia, who
was present at the battle of Winches
ter; and after speaking of the prowess OF
the confederate soldiers in that engage
ment he continued.