St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-05-31


| assumption that the observance of Me-
mortal days is remote antiquity,
claiming it as peculiarly and distinc-
lively American. All nations have
paid obituary and posthumous honors
to their military chieftains, but to the
Grand Army of the republic and to the
American people belongs the credit of
honOring the memory, preserving the
names and reciting the deeds of the
common soldier. This sympathy with
and honor to the private soldier is the
predominant sentiment expressed in
all the national cemeteries, and graph
ic word pictures of some of the more
notable of these monuments were given.
The private soldier was still further
considered. AS most remarkable il
lustratiOn of the intelligence of the
rank and file of Union soldiers, their
quick appreciation of points of advan-
tage, and their readiness to take ad-
vantage of them in the absence of or
ders, was cited the famous storming of
Missionary Ridge. The charge was or
dered as a diversion to relieve the
pressure upon Hooker and Sherman,
and not with any design or expectation
of carrying the seemingly impregnable
| intrenchments on the crest, but the in
| trenchments at the base of the noun
tain, those half way up and finally
those on the crest were carried in
quick succession by the heroic men
without waiting for further orders or
stopping to reform. OF special intel
est in view of Gen. Sheridan's present
| sickness was the account given of the
Generals remark to the soldiers, utter
| ed with mock severity, as he shook his
tie
"You rascals How dare you fight
without orders You were ordered to
| take the intrenchments at the base of
the ridge, and here, you rascals, you
have gone on and taken the crest"
What can grateful nation, saved
from destruction by their valor, what
can admiring humanity do for such
soldiers He who seeks to know the
true monument of the Union soldier
will find it in the great and mighty na-
ton forever dedicated to freedom.
Col. Thompson paid an equally glow
ing tribute to the fortitude, constancy,
courage and loyalty of the private SOL
diers in the ranks of the regular army.
Then followed in rapid review brief
sketch of the events Immediately pre-
ceding the outbreak of the war the
election of 1860; the seeding of the
Southern states the firing on Sumter;
the springing to arms of the patriotic
sons of the North the call for IS 900 /;
the hastily organized army "the hor-
rors of the conflict days ;" and the final
result and glad homecoming. But
the grandest triumph of the Union ar
my, was the immediate and quiet re-
turn of the victorious soldiers to peace
ful life, and their disappearance by alb
sorption into the great body of Ameri-
can citizenship. The whole world was
amazed at the uprising of the Ameri-
can armies their amaZement changed
to admiration as the war went on, and
another amazement awaited them when
the final victory was won and the inn
mense armies returned to peaceful in
dustry.
The records show that there were
mustered into the service 2,77S, ,304
men, and the death in the service OF
359, ,526. OF this stupenduous number,
in proportion to her population, Yer
mont stands at the head of the list
She furnished to the Union army 80,
2S9 enlistments, more than one-tentl
of her population, and over 1,50C
in excess of her quota or of all calls
made upon her by the government
OF these, 1924 were killed in battle, a
larger percentage than that of any
state. This astonishing number OF
killed in battles itself tells the story ol
the valor of Vermont troops. The
total loss of all the Vermont troops
from all causes was over 5000, more
than one third of her entire enlistment
Many who returned brought with then
the seeds of disease incurred in the
service, which soon bore the fruit o.
death.
In closing, Col. Thompson paid al
eloquent tribute to the memory of Gen
Stannard, "the noblest Roman of then
ALL" who was pronounced by Senator
Blair of New Hampshire, in a repOr
made to the senate in 1886, zone of the
most able and brilliant military officer;
which our country has Produced
Special reference was made to Stan
nad's audaciously brilliant movement
upon Pickett's flank at the time the
head of his attacking column, Is, 900
strong, struck the Union forces in the
last desperate attempt to carry the
position at Gettysburg. This move
ment made by Stannard with 18th, I4tl
and 10th Vermont regiments, defeated
the attack and saved the day at Get
tysburg. Says Maj. Gen. Doubleday
who was then in command of the frs
corps, "Civilization and progress owes
3 debt that can never be repaid tt
, Stannard and his men at Gettysburg
3 Last Nights Camp Fire.
| Music hall was we'll filled last even
= ing at the public camp fire which clos
!, ed the exercises of Memorial day. w
/, w. Sprague presided, enlivening tn
g hours with some very good stories
Foster G.. Stevens, the first speaker
gave an exceedingly interesting ac
!. count of his capture and subsequen
!, experiences in Andersonville and Lit
? by prisons; Col. John R. ThOmpsO
# followed with an account of the cap
8 tnre of General Stoughton John No
g Donald came next with spirite
N .,ooob for tho foreio0 eIement and II