Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-08-25
Editorial Correspondence.
Houqh's Neck. Mass. dug. q

| of rest and relaxation are DoJn USE
full and agreeable. The occasion OF
the assembling of the O.. A. r. vete-
rams at Boston offered opportunity for
brief vacation, and the editor and
family took in something of the great
encampment and spent few days IN
the manufacturing cities, and, ,later,at
a pleasant cottage down beside the
sea.
This letter will deal with many
things that are very well known and
commonplace to those who visited
the encampment, land to such as dwell
in Boston and vicinity but to others
who rarely visit the cities, and know
little of the busy world, where thous-
ands and thousands are born in cities
and their suburbs, grow to manhood,
toll, spend the years of life and pass
from the world, it may have something
of interest. For them chiefly these
lines are written.
The Encampment was national,
and those who visited it felt that
while, perhaps, only one out of sixty
five of the people of this broad coun-
try was present, the number was
vastly larger than they had ever be-
fore seen. For several days from
every state and territory veterans
and others were being hurled on
by swiftly flying trains to the Club"
city. When on the Tuesday of the
parade the outlying cities and coun-
try had added hundreds of thousands
more, something of the numbers and
crush can be imagined. The parade
was set to commence at 10 80 a. NJ,
and from o'clock till noon and lat
er, the veterans, Sons of Veterans and
bands without number were march
ing to their positions in the line of
march to Boston Common and to the
wide and beautiful streets in the re-
Gently built Back Bay district to enter
the line as it formed. A large share
of the men were in new uniforms and
many of the posts and divisions had
something of badges, special uniforms
and regalia that were most novel and
beautiful. A large number of mounted
men who constituted the staffs of the
departments, etc. hundreds of bands,
carriages bearing comrades who could
not march, war eagles borne on stats,
horses and mules captured in Dixie,
and other objects of interest helped
to swell the marching columns. The
men marched in lines composed of
twelve men each. and were separated
some few feet apart to facilitate
: marching. The line Of march was
said to have been five miles in length.
embracing some of the most noted
streets and localities in the city. Fol
some reason the column was delayed
: on the start and began to move about
noon; from that time till nearly sun
f set, with a short delay occasioned by
f a fire on the line of march, the col
= umn moved on. Those who formed
: the marching ranks of veterans were
: nearly all between the ages of forty.
D five and sixty years. They bore OIL
3 their faces the marks of southern
: climate and the hardships begotter
f of army service. Some of them, ;
+ few, were hobbling along on crutche'
Y with one limb. A large number bor'
: the honored empty sleeve, and many
b were lame from gunshot wounds
d Those who were young men whel
k they enlisted have aged to whit,
hairs; the boys of 1861 have nov
grown into middle manhood ; the NOR
aged and those who are broken dow
in health were not seen In the parade
e Hence only part of the survivors O
@ the war could be seen, even in thi
! large gathering. The rapidity Of th
! march of time was shown when lon
l. ranks of young men, Sons of Vetel
Is ans, followed in the procession, march
n ing in perfect alignment and wit
It elastic tread. They have been born
# or have grown from children, sine
h the civil war, and would be as read
Te to answer to their country's call 6
If were their honored fathers years ag'
is The people who gathered alon
at the line of march were countless. a
ne far as the eye could see, on evel
OF street, in every window, away up {
ne the top of buildings, on telegral
Iis poles, in seats erected wherever MI
r. and women could find place, th'
as were seen. There was clapping
re hands and cheering along the who
er line. No one who marched in t
a procession that day will ever forg
he the scene. The smiling faces, t
n. hearty cheering, the generous W.
So come, the patriotic emotions will n
tn be excelled. We have not time
th mention the character, the beauty al
er the immensity of the decorations
is the city. The scene in this directlC
nd was simply wonderful. The occ
sion was one of great pleasure to
en- who gathered there. Vermont b
IS. reason to be proud, not only OF t
no. men she sent there to help swell t
of length of the ne-perhaps thr
lie thousand-but from the fact that
in of her best men, Col. Veazey, W
he honored as commander of the gre
in organization of the @. A. r. of
rs. Republic. Besides this she had
,nt distinguished citizen, Col. Redfit
er- Proctor, Secretary of War, amo
l. Il