The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-28

Interesting "reminiscences of the
Commander of the Boston Cadets.
How Lieutenant Lamb Obtained
Washington's Golden Spurs.

The notices of the death of Colonel Amory
on the Goth inst. in Boston, calls to mind the
circumstances OF casual inter view with
him 80 years ago.
In one OF the three years while General
Banks was governor of Massachusetts, the
last vi which was 1861, the anniversary Of
the embarkation of the Pilgrims at Delft
haven was celebrated at Plymouth on the
first of August. l happened to be in Boston
and Intended to attend the celebration, but
was detained by business In the morning
until after the advertised time for the spec
ial train to leave and supposed that l could
not 60 as intended. On stepping from a
store into Congress street | noticed a long
wagon filled with prepared flowers, going
towards the Old Colony depot 1t occurred
to me that these flowers were for the Plv
mouth celebration and that there was vet n
chance for me. In reply 70 my question, the
man in charge of the wagon said that the
train would not leave until the flowers were
on board, and that l might get up beside
him ana he would have me at the station in
time accepted his offer and found the
cars filled to overlooking and no chance to
get on AS L walked to the rear Colonel
Amory, who was in charge of the military
section Of the train, which contained the
governor and guests, saw from window my
perplexity, and kindly said, ''come in here"
knew him as / had seen him an hour be-
| fore, drilling his battalion in front of the
State house while waiting for the governor
and council. / gladly accepted his offer. l
Il IL, .,l 4l,o IA
of which Colonel Armory was the comman-
der. This Is an independent corps and
takes orders from the governor only 1t is
composed of representatives OF the blue
blood of old Boston. L was the only one in
| citizens dres. In the car.
Noticing my embarrassment Colonel
Amory took seat at my side and opened a
conversation in his genial manner.
he asked me If had ever been to Ply
mouth, when said it was to be my first
visit He then went on in an affable man
ner to describe his own first visit to that his
toric town. The papers say he was pre-
pared for college in the schools of Boston,
but his own account differs from that. Col
onel Armory said that when he was about IA
years old he was sent by his father to ia
nous academy at Sandwich, Cape Cod, to
prepare for college. The situation was SO
unlike Boston, where had always lived, that
ne became desperately homesick, and in a
lew days started on foot and walked the en-
tire distance of over 30 miles to Boston, ar
irving at II o'clock at night. lie found his
father in his library, who, on seeing him
said: Tom, what are you here for?' The
boy made the best plea in his power, but the
father did not soften. He told him to call
the coachman. When he appeared he said
go to the Cape Cod stage Office and look you
for Sandwich, and you boy, be sure to have
your breakfast in season to go-good night"
and Col. Amory said, this was all the com
the sands of the Cape"
The engine Of our train got out of order
causing many delays. During one of these
he called boy to him who had come into
the car, and introduced him to me as Master
Lamb OF Boston, whose mother he said was
boarding at the Samoset House at Plymouth,
and he was going to join her; further the
Colonel said that the boys grandfather was
member Of the Cadets during the Revolu-
ton, and was with the army in Rhode Island.
messenger to be selected to take despatch
to Boston. Mr.. Lamb was appointed by the
office in command. When the carrier was
mo unted. Washington noticed that he had no
spurs, and reminded him of it. Lieut. Lamb
replied that he had none. The General
hastily nnbuckled his own and gave them to
the messenger. Col. Amory said to me that
They now hang in our armory."
| AT the great collection of Revolutionary
relics in June 1875, at No. Sc Beacon street,
l noticed on the catalogue, mo. 315 gold
| spurs, presented by Gen. Washington to
| Lieut.. Thomas Lamb, loaned by Thomas
| Camb.' | looked them up with much in
| terest.
| An other incident remembered of this rail-
road trip, was that the next car to those of
the Cadets, was occupied by the New York
| Light Guard, in their white coats and
shake which were the original of the well
remembered uniform of the Portland Light
Infantry.
This spontaneous polteness to stranger
though trivial, showed the character of the
man more truly than wouldan official act