The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-08-20
Soldiers &uooet.
Vermont at Boston.

anu GoBNSlAllO tlO NNbNlRhpN VI |
will be interested in the Grand Army |
encampment here this week. 1t was
probably the largest and most enthusi- |
astic gathering of any kind ever held |
in Boston, and the delightfully."- cool
weather has had much to do with the
complete success of the encampment.
Then, again, the local arrangements
were the very BEST 1t has been a
week that no one who has been here
will ever forget. Music, flags and
streamers, men in blue at every turn,
badges and souvenirs on sale at street
corners and on the Common, few
side-shows of living and dead curiosi-
ties in tents on the battle-ground, a
city full of spectators, hand-shakings
and cheers-this is the history of the
week in brief. 1t would take columns
to tell half the interesting things that
happened, so l venture to speak of
little else than what concerns Vermont
veterans. But that will involve almost
the whole record of the week, for the
story of Vermont comes pretty near
being the story of the encampment.
Every Verm )nter should be proud of
the part which the state took in this
encampment. To say nothing of Colonel
Veazey's election to the first office in
the organization, Vermont took the
most prominent part in the festivities
of the week.
Take a look at the fremont house.
Here, on the second floor, opposite the
dining-room, are the states headquar-
tiers. The room is filed with Vermont
officers and men at all hours of the day
and evening when the reunions are not
in progress. Not an officer of any dis
tinction but has dropped in here to see
the boys and renew old times. What
list of officers here from Vermont
Colonel Veazey, Colonel Albert Clarke,
General L. A. Grant, Colonel Wood
bury, General Gilmore, Colonel
Hooker, General Henry, Colonel Bene-
dict, Colonel J. H. Lucia, Colonel F.
E. Smith, Major Powell, Colonel J. H.
Walbridge, General 7. S. Peck, Adju
tant j. c. Stearns, Colonel F. G. But
terrified, Major B. r. Jenne of Hudson,
N. Y, Colonel Charles H. Forbes and
others. Then there are Secretary
Proctor and Governor Dillingham;, and
seen everywhere are the familiar face
and form of General Stephen Thomas,
still hale and strong, and wearing his
eighty-odd years as lightly as many
man wears half that number. General
Thomas was warmly greeted by hun
dreds of old soldiers.
The first event of the week was
the reunion of the cold Vermont
Brigade" at the corner of the Com
mon, near the state-house, on Monday
evening. There were some six hun
dred members of the Brigade present,
with about the same number of men
from other regiments, who came in
early to join in the interesting reunion.
The spectators must have numbered
toward ten thousand. AS General l..
A. Grant stepped on the platform,
General Peck called for cheers for the
old commander, which were given with
an earnestness that showed the love
and respect in which the general is
held by his men. Then the men caught
sight of the old Brigade flag, which
Colonel Forbes had brought with him.
1t was carried by the old color sergeant,
James r. McGibbon of Goshen. What
shout went up! You could have
heard it at the waterfront. Colonel
Clarke, president of the Boston Asso-
citation, now made a short speech, well
coming the veterans to the city, and
closing by introducing Mayor Hart.
The mayor also spoke cordial words of
welcome. General Grant followed, and
then General A. p. Howe of Cam
bridge, General Thomas, Ex-Governor
Selden Conner of Maine, Hon. L. D.
Richards of Fremont, Neb., now can
didate for the governorship of the
state, Professor Alonzo Williams OF
Providence, R. l., and Colonel Veazey
spoke.
Tuesday was the great day of tie
week. The weather was perfect for g
huge parade. A little rain at one time
threatened some discomfort, but moi
the slightest annoyance was caused
by it. The procession included in the
vicinity of 10000 men, and five or six
thousand veterans at least did no
march. 1t took the line nearly sever
hours to pass given points, and there
were forty-three states represented
most remarkable fact. The reviewing
stand at Copley square was of course
the center of interest. Here the presi
dent, vice-president, members of the
cahinat oovarnOrs etc stood or 90