Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-06-01

YOU and your associates, and through you
the town, upon the success that has attend
ed the undertaking. True, there have been
dsappointnents and more or less bitter
ness on the subject of location, but all
this, be it lite or much, is but grain of
sand upon the sea shore or drop OF water
| in the broad ocean, compared with the
sentiment that prompted It's erection ana
the deeds of loyalty and herolsm 1t records
and perpetuates. | refer to the subject OF
difference among our good people rs TO
! location, more to improve the opportunity
of the occasion to breathe the hope that
! this difference will now be forever put be
| hind us, than for any other purpose. And,
! sir, let me here and now thank the build
erS, of this beautiful structure for their
success in transforming this expression
| less granite into such n thing of beauty
/ and perfe ction and making 1t to speak To
every beholder words of love and loyalty,
| and the gratitude of this community. If
! there are any defects in design, nscrp
! tions or in the monument itself, from
! base to statue, my somewhat iueXperi-
enced eye has failed to detect them, and
! this is cause for common congratulation.
! | receive this monument in behalf of all
our people, in behalf of the dead as we'll as
! the living, in behalf of generations rs yet
unborn, yea, in fact, in behalf of loyal
! people everywhere | speak not to this
community alone. 1t expresses sentl-
ment not compassed by town, county or
!
village, and is to stand for all time as an in
| structor, a teacher of loyalty and devotion,
of love of country And we have no lear
! that the lesson will be unheeded, or that
| the instruction will fail to take root and
| bear loyal fruit wherever the nations flag
shall need the support of her sons"
Addressing Gen. l.. a. Grant, Gov.
/ Ormsbee added:
Honored Sr-Honored 20 years and
more ago by being enrolled among the
| trusted defenders of nations honor {;
honored by brave deeds and acts of valor
upon the most holly contested and bloody
/ battle fields of the late war; honOred by
being permitted to command that host OF
veterans, that never to be forgotten band
| of comrades, the old Vermont brigade {;
brigade that was known throughout both
armies as being rs nearly invlnclble to an
opposing force as it is given to human
hands and hearts to be an organization
known and justly renowned throughout
the army for deeds of valOr and acts of
heroic achievement, second to that OF
none other making up that army for the
Union of half Il million thus hOnOred and
having so performed your duty as to merit
imperishable laures and the well earned
recognition of State and nation, how fit
ting that to you should fall the further
duty of being with us to-day and by ap-
prOpriate words dediCating tins monument
of patriotism and gratitude to our soldier
under your direct command as their loved
and trusted leader. How fitting, sir, that
you who led our brave boys in the Wilder
ness, at the "bloody angle" at Spottsyl-
vania, and there witness, d their sublime
herOlSm and saw so many of their young
, lives sacrificed in defence of the flag,
should be here to-day to share with us in
this act OF remembrance and gratitude.
And now, sir, not for myself alone, not
for our comrades and our fellow citizens
oil
our commonwealth, which for the mo
ment | will assume to represent in the
necessary absence of his eXcellency, Gov
Pingree, extend to you our most earnest
sincere thanks for coming to us from youl
far distant Western home, to JON with Us
in paying devotion at this shrine of pa
triotism
AS Gen. Grant stepped forward he was
received with long applause, and with
three cheers and tiger.
GEN. GRANTS ADDRESS.
In his address after recounting some OF
the res ats and lessons of the war, Gen
. Grant proceeded as follows:
The people of Brandon have honoreG
themselves by honoring their citizen sol
diers When the shot fired on Sumter reverb
Grated through the North, men spraug t.
arms. There had been little or no prepar
dtlOl LOT WAT III NtGIlOnl. / he Dltl llllllllh
laws had been repealed or had fallen into
disuse, and the statutes then existing did
not require large military force or much
efficiency of drill. Although mutterings
and threats of war had been heard fol
months yet the people did not believe
, those threats would be carried out-and
the war found them without preparation
for the emergency. There did, however
exist in the State several militia compa
} MES, organized under the laws of the
State; but their existence was due more t
the martial spirit Of the age and the enter
prise of the officers and men, than to the
requirements of the law or expectation OF
needed service.
These militia companies proved of great
: value. They became recruiting centre,
and voluntary organizations for the ser
. vice, and enabled the governor to RESPOND
| promptly to the presidents call. One o.
these companies was Il Brandon company
called the Allen Greys and it becomes Co
e Il of the First regiment. This regimen
rendezvoused at Rutland, May 3D. anC
j was mustered in May 0, 1861. While tn,
t First regiment was i'll the fed other call
T. for troops were made, and the Second anC
J. Third regiments were organized and sen
- to the front When the First regimen
j. was mustered out the Fourth and Fiftt
r regiments were about being raised. Thos
2 regiments We're largely Differed by the re
. turning veterans from the First AM
?, nearly or quite every organization whlcl
n left the State for the war therea ter, had
. goodly number from the First, many o
l. them commissioned officers. These mel
:, all did efficient service and were of grea
d value to the new organizations and to tn
State.
Late IN the summer of 1862 there wa
another call for uniformed militia. In tn
meantime Brandon had raised and sent T.
- The field several new companies, notabl
Co. ii, Fifth regiment, Co. b, Seyentl
regiment, and the Second battery beside
d many men who had enlisted in other OF
ganizations. In September, 1862, out O
h 232 men liable to military duty Brando
= had furnished besides Co. q, of the Firs
u regiment and the militia, l64 men, tina
/ being 30 more than its quota. Notwitt
! standing the fact that Brandon had sen
l. so many men to the field, and notwitt
standing the fact that the men of Co. 6
3. First regiment, were so generally foun
: IN the other organizations of the State
e the Allen Greys of Brandon responde
VI promptly to the call, entered the servic
"A of the nited States and became Co G. q