The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-02-21
VERMONT VETERANS.
THE 2ad ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT OF
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
Large Gathering of Grand Army Boys Mt
BrattleborO'

Large Gathering of Grand Army Boys
Brattleboro'
The tweutv-secOnd annual EncamI
ment of the Department of Vermont, {
AR, which convened last week wa
the most notable assemblage of Gran
Army men which the State has ever Wi
messed since the inception OF the order
More than 400 veterans were in town
and when the roll of delegates was cal
led 1t the opening session of the encaml
ment this morning more than 2OO repres
entatives of so posts answered to thei
names. The sessions of the encamp
ment were held in Town Hall, which
had been gaily decorated with flags, ban
ners and patriotic devices for the occas
ion. We gave last week an advance
note of the statistics of the order, and |
synopsis of the reports, and do not re
peat here.
The Department Commander said o
the Women's Relief Corps The increas
ed membership and prosperity of thii
valuable auxiliary of the Grand Army
shows in what efficient hands the man
agement of its affairs has fallen, as wei
as the increased interest manifested in
its prosperity, both in the Grand Army
and in the community. The good woTR
this organization is doing for the desti
tute comrades and their fami les cannot
be overestimated." The Commander
adds; 1.-The Sons of Veterans, orRaniza-
ton comes none to soon for the work il
has to do, and it is gratifying to note
the increased interest in this order. THE
G..Il,n.,f nj panninnfnn 10 QnnE ron
of as an institution of which every Yer
mont soldier is justly proud -,
In the evening camp hire was held
in the Town Hall under the auspices of
the department officers. The great hall
was crowded to over flowing at an early
hour, hundreds of people being unable
to gain admission. Fully 1900 persons
were present at the camp fire. Seated
on the stage were several hundred rep
resentalive citizens and visiting Grand
Army delegates and the Womens Relief
Corps. Among those seated on the
platform were Gen. VIM. Warner of
Missouri, Commander-inC Chief; Major
George S. Evans of Massachusetts,, Gen.
John c. Llnehan, Past DepartmentCom
mander of New Hampshire; Gov. VIM.
p. Dillingham; of Waterbury, ex-Gov.
Frederick Holbrook of Brattleboro,' OK
Gov. Samuel E. Pingree OF Hartford ,ex-
Gov. Roswell Fsrnham of Bradford,
Judge Wheelock G. Veazay of Rutland,
Hon. Levi K. Fuller, Col. Julius j Estey,
Hon. H. D, Holton and Hon. B. D. Har-
ri, of Brattleboro' Gen. VIM. II. Gil
more OF Fairlee. Major A. B. Valentine
of Bennington, Gen. WIN. w. Henry OF
Burlington, Department Commander
TAYLOR and the officers of the Depart
ment of Vermont. and Messrs s. w.
Cummings, c. E. Graves, w. H, II
Slack and VIM. Schroeder, members Of
the Vermont staff of Commander in
Chief Warner. The camp fire was pre-
sided over by Col. Geo. w. Hooker, who
made felicitIous Introductory speech.
After music by the First Regiment
Military Band of Brattleboro', glef
club composed of dozen young ladies
appeared on the stage, bearing flags, and
sang Keller's american Hymn" Com
mander-in- Chief Warner was next in
troduced and made spirited and elo.
quent address. He spoke of the obi cts
and purposes Of the Grand Army, and
feelingly alluded to the memory OF
Grant. Sheridan, Logan and other Union
Generals, and eulogiz I'd the private SOL
diers who had died that the Union might
live. The next speaker was Gov. Dill
bingham, who spoke of the patriotism
and gallant service of the Vermont
troops in The war of the Union, and said
that no State seht out more heroic SOL
diers than Vermont. Governor Dilling-
ham, in conclusion, ii tingly alluded to
the services of the surviving veterans OF
al onA n,nnAaA Tho "a
Army for its noble principles and the
work of charity which it was doing.
Brief but stirring addresses were also
made by Gen. John G. Linehan of New
Hampshire, Major George s. Evans OF
Massachusetts,, ex-Gov. Samuel E. Pin
gree, ex-Gov. Roswell Farnham, Gen.
Stephen Thomas, bon. Levant MRead,
Col Levi X. Fuller, Rev. NJ. Parry and
other Vermonters. Patriotic songs were
sung by Prof. II. G. Markham during
the evening.
The officers elected are as.follows: De-
partment Commander, Col. A. s. Tracy
of Middlebury; Senior Vice Comman-
der, D. ]. Stafford of Morrisville; Junior
Vice Commander, &. w. Hutchins of
Bellows Falls; Chaplain Rev. D. R
Lowell of Rutland Council of Admins
tration, r. I. johnson of Concord,
George H. Blake of Barton, S. Q Far
rel Of Waterbury, c. II, Forbes OF Bran
don, j, w. Williams of Bennington;
delegates to National Encampment,
Redfield Proctor of Proctor, S. w. Cum
mings OF st. Adams, w. W. Sprague OF
st. Jobnsbury, w. II. Gilmore of Fair.
lee, Charles E. Jones of Bradford, E. w.
Jew EFT of Swanton. The vote for De
pertment Commander stood 1875 for
Tracy to 1G5 for Morgan.
Col. Amasa s. Tracy of Middlebury,
the new Department Commander, has
a long and honorable war record. He
served throughout the war, and was
twice wounded. He rose by successive
promotion for gallan ry on the field Of
battle to be Colonel of the Second Yer
mont Regiment, He is one of the Trus
tees OF the Vermont Soldiers Home, and
has been active in Grand Army circles
for many years. 1t has been the rule in
the Department of Vermont to hold
the annual encampment at the home of
the Department Commander, but this
wear the delegates at the Brattleboro'
Encampment took a new departure and
voted to hold the next encampment in
Rutland. The national delegates chosen
favor the election Of Col, w. G. Weary
of Rutland for Commander-in.C Chief in
1889.
The first annual meeting Of the Yer
mont Association Of ex Prisoners Of War
was held here this moi ming in the Town
Hall, over 80 surviving inmates Of the
rebel prisons being present. Major d.
j. Stafford of Morrisville. President of
i'm LODI In all
ing officers were elected for the ensuing
year: d. J. Stafford of Morrisvlle, Presi
dent; John S. Drenan of Hardwick, Sec
rotary and Treasurer: Rev. N. +. JENNIE
Of Glover, Chaplain; j. s. Thompson Of
Lyndon, Surgeon; q. z. Stone Of Palmer
and Perry Porter of Burke were elected
delegates to the National Association.
The association voted to present to the
State, TO be hung in the State House, a
framed copy Of ODay's famous picture
of Andersonville PRISON. Resolutions
were passed favoriDg the passage by
congress of the Prisoners Pension bill
and all of the Service Pension bill re-
commended by the National G. A. R
Among the rational officers in attend
ance at the meeting were Major Frank
+. Morgan of Philadelphia, Historian
H. g. II. Lewis of Bellows Falls, Vice
President. The membership Of the
State Association is at present 70. The
next meeting will be held during the
week Of the next g. A. r. Encampment,
Al the annual encampment at Brattle-
boro last week, the Women's Relief
Corps elected the following named off.
GERS: President, Lenora W, Howe
Brattleboro; senior vice president Mrs
Janet r. Blackmer, Manchester Depot
Junior vice president, Mrs. Martha S
Stearns, Bradford; treasurer, Mrs. L zzit
Retting, Brattleboro: chaplain s. Jane
Pease. Weston; delegates TO natiopa