Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-17
Hamlin as a Soldier.
wartime "Reminiscences Of the Dead
Statesman.

Wartime "Reminiscences Of the Dead
Statesman.
A friend of the late Hon. Hannibal Ham
lin relates the following interesting reini-
niscences of Mr.. Hamlin's patriotic services
as a private in the army:
Glow happens it that Hannibal Hamlin
wears a Grand Army uniform and Grand
Army badge?' was doubtless the question
mentally asked by many a spectator as the
venerable ex-Nice President, in August
last, rode in an open barouche through the
streets of Boston in the great procession.
bowling right and left i'm response to the
plaudits of the crowd. The following par
agraph answers that question:
stop all pay and allowances at his re-
quest was what Capt. Clark of the adju-
tant generals Office in Maine read not long
ago on the roll of Company A, Maine state
guard, called to Fort McClary in Kittery
from July to September, 1864. Searching
the records he came upon this muster roll,
and the foregoing comment was written
under the head of Remarks against the
name of Private Hannibal Hamlin.
Mr. Hamlin was at that time Vice Pres
ident of the United States, and it is a fact
that this famous man, whom Maine has
long delighted to claim as her own, while
holding the next to the highest office in the
nations gift, actually enlisted as private
in the United States service at critical
stage of the war, and donning his "suit of
blue and shouldering his musket, held
himself subject to a call to the front or
wherever else the military powers that be
might orlain.
OF this record he was justly proud to the
day of his DEATH and also that it was his
province to represent the extreme right of
the Maine Grand Army line, he being the
oldest member of that organization in the
state. And even when he had become an
octOgenarian, he made it point to attend
the annual national encampment, held not
infrequently far away in some Western
state, and his presence was always sure to
awaken lively enthusiasm among the boys
in blue.
ApropoS of Mr.. IIamlin's experience as
a common soldier, an interesting incident
occurred when the party of Maine veterans
were on the way to Gettysburg last sum
mer In this party were Capt. Llewelyn
j. Morse and Private Hannibal Hamlin of
Bangor. The point of interest lies in the
fact that it was this same Capt. Morse who
commanded the two months company that
served at kittery, of which Mr. Hamlin
was member. Their chat, Astounding as
it did in wartime "reminiscences, was list
ened to with great interest by the others of
the party. From this conversation it was
learned that the Vice President drilled with
the boys just the same as if he had been an
humble person, unknown to fame; in short,
insisted on doing his whole duty like any
other private; but when he hal stood guard
three nights Capt. Morse decided to allow
IL L.. IA lall Ia
pany cook.
What success the Vice President had in
that capacity We cannot say, but inasmuch
as whatever his hand found to do, that he
did with his might" honestly. cOnscien-
tiously, too. it is safe to opne that the
boys gastrOnomic requirements were
looked after as well as the capacity of the
commissariat would admit.
Mr.. Hamlin, as is well known. was very
fond of playing pedro, and on the way to
Gettysburg these two old veterans held the
field against all corners in the noble game.
OF the veterans aboard on this trip
who had not met Mr.. Hamlin since 1861
was DIR. II. W. Sawtelle of the Marine
Hospital service and stationed at Portland
who reminded Mr.. Iamlin of the last time
he saw him. 1t was in 1861, and the Vice
President was going to Washington to be-
come the political partner, earnest friend
and co-worker of Abraham Lincoln. Dr.
Sawtelle was one of a company of Water
vile college students to meet him at the
train. Mr.. Hamlin made a speech to them
in the course of which he said:
a dark cloud hangs over the country
Young men of Waterville college, see to it
that this cloud passes away
Mr.. llamlin went on to Washington. and
DIR. Sawtele with many of the Watervlle
college students, enlisted in a Maine regi-
ment. The two met for the first time since
81 on that Gettysburg-boundt train.
But whether AT meetings of the Grand
Army veterans or at other public gather
ings. there was always an "elOquence in
the man and the OCCASION as from adown
the long vista of the past, a past marked
by some of the most eVentful scenes in our
country's history, there appeared the fig
ure of this grand old man, amid burst of
applause, his silvery head erect. his keen
eye flashing their olden fire, and anon the
clear ring of his clarion voice, as he graph
ically depicted those momeRtOus events OF
the long ago, 1.-The most of which he saw.
and part of which he was