The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-02-25
The Bennington Celebration,

Meetings were held at Bennington on last
week Thursday TO make arrangements for
the celebration on August 10 OF the Tooth
anniversary of the admittance of Vermont
into the Union, on which occasion the bat
tie monument will be dedicated. A special
meeting of the Battle Monument Associa-
ton was first held with about thirty members
present. A resolution introduced by Major
A. b. Valentine, providing for the transfer
of the monument to the state and appoint
ing Hon George w. Harmon agent to make
the transfer, was unanimously adopted.
After this meeting conference between
the committee appointed by the legislature
on the celebration and other Interested Citi-
zens was held. The committee consists
of Governor Page, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Fletcher, Speaker Mann, Secretary.of-State
Brownell, and State-Treasurer Field, and
among the others present were Hon Hugh
Henry, Quartermaster-general Gilmore,
Colonel M. $ Colburn, II. W. Spalford,
Colonel Il. ID. Bennett, Colonel l.. +. Alb.
bolt, Major II. j. Coffey, III. l.. Stillson, /.
T., Gibson, George w. Harmon, G. NJ. West,
Milo g. Hulng, Judge John V. Carney, W.
e. Hawks, John T. ShurtleH, G, II. Darling,
l.. w. Hall, G. II. Mason, e. l.. Bates, l..
p. Norton, Thomas Wright, Professor Perry
Of Williams College, j. X. Batchelder and
A. l.. Graves The party was first taken to
the monument and the Soldiers Home
also was inspected. Then the meeting was
held at the board of trade rooms. Major
Valentine made a number of important sug-
gestions in regard to the celebration, and
his plan will probably be the basis of the
arrangements. He said there was some
prospect of the railroad spur to the monu-
ment being built. He also stated that
the bill asking for an appropriation of $780,
GOO from the United States government to
build an iron stairway within the monu-
ment had been introduced in congress and
was making fair progress. He suggested
that the state should have entire charge of
the celebration. He would have a military
officer of the state in command of the whole
affair, and the governor should introduce
the president of the day. He thought New
chusetts a like number, and that Connecti-
cut would be represented. AS for
New York, it would probably send as
many as all the other states together
The Grand Army, Sons of Veterans,
Sons of the Revolution, Masons and
Odd Fellows would be well repre-
sented. The president and other ma
tional officials will be present and will prob
ably be we'll escorted. "The occasion can
hardly fail to be the largest and finest dis
| play of military and semi-military organiza-
! tons ever together in New England, with
the possible exception of similar gatherings
at Boston," A committee consisting of
Messrs Valentine, Abbott Scott, Shurt-
left, Bennett and Dewey was appointed by
the meeting to act with the state committee.
| Inc governor Expressed une OPINION UndU
BOT more than 800 guests should be invited.
1t was proposed that the procession form at
about nine o'clock in the morning and that
it proceed to the monument, where the dedi-
catory exercises will be held. These exer-
| cses will probably consist of an grafton, a
poem and other features. A big receiving
stand will be erected near the monument
where the procession will be reviewed by
President Harrison, his cabinet, governors
of the states and other guests. The ban
quet will take place in an immense tent
erected for that purpose near the monu'
ment grounds. The decorations will be
under the management of the townspeople
The meeting continued nearly all day.
Another will be held soon at Rutland, al
which many of the details will be arranged
In connection with this meeting it is inter.
esting to notice that the committee on ma
tiona affairs of the New Hampshire legis
lature has reported a resolution favorinl
the acceptance of the invitation to the Ben
nington exercises.