The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-08-26
Centennial Notes.

SENATOR MORRILL, wore pair of very
light trousers, and was as young and happy
as a boy.
GENERAL ALGER returned to New York
after the celebration, and in conversation
with Tribune reporter he said that it was
the grandest affair of the kind that he had
ever witnessed, chiefly on account of the
beauty of the surrounding country and the
decorations of the buildings in town.
AMONG the visitors from New Hampshire
was James NJ. Rowell of Manchester,
eighty-four years of age, who is said to be
the only man now living who has seen
General Stark Mr.. Rowell was at the
generals funeral and fired "a Shot over his
grave. Augustus ii. Stark and Miss Eliza
Stark of Manchester, direct descendants of
the general, also were present.
Miss GAMBLE, great-granddaughter of
General Stark, brought an interesting relic
to the celebration. This was the field of the
flag which Stark used in the fight and which
he took home with him. 1t is piece of blue
silk, much faded and cracked, bearing thir-
teen white stars painted on it. The rest of
the flag has almost all disappeared, but
some fragments remain which seem to indi-
cate that the body of the flag was of green
silk. The flag has been kept in the family
continuously since the battle.
OF Colonel Seth Warner, Thompson, in
his Civil History of Vermont, says: "NeXt
to Allen, Seth Warner seems to have acted
the most conspicuous part among the set
tiers. He, like Allen, was firm and reso-
lutte, fully determined that the decisions of
New York against the settlers should never
be carried into execution. But while Allen
| was daring and sometimes rash and impru-
dent, Warner was always cool, calm and
comparatively cautious. After Warner was
prescribed as rioter, as related in pre-
ceding section, an officer from New Nork at
tempted to apprehend him. He, consider
| ing it an affair of open hostility defended
| himself against the officer and, in turn, at
| tackled, wounded and disarmed him; but,
| with the spirit and generosity of "a soldier,
he spared his life"
AMONG the prominent men present, in
| addition to those who had parts in the eX-
| ercises, were Senators Edmunds and Nor
| rll, Justice Blatchford of the United States
| supreme court Russell Harrison, Lieu
| tenant-governor Halle of Massachusetts,
| Speaker Barrett of the legislature of that
state, Acknowledgement Peck, Colonel b. b.
| Smalley, Major A. Is. Valentine Congress-
man w. w, Grout, Acknowledgment Dal-
| ton of Massachusetts, Hon. John King,
| president of the Erie railroad, eX-Governor
Barstow, Ex-Governor Pngree, General AL
ford of the regular army, General j. b.
Carr of Albany, n. Y, Ex-Governor Green
of New Jersey, Private Secretary Halford
Commander Woodward of the navy, Con-
gresham IL. II. Powers, Acknowledgement
| Aying of New Hampshire, Ex-Governor
| Farnham, Colonel A. Il. Walker, General
| William Wells and Ex-Governor Ormsbee.
THE dedication of the monument suggests
! a statement as 10 the inception of the enter
| prise as "A matter of historic interest. While
| an effort was made in 1853 TO erect a mOnu-
ment to the memory of the heroes Of the
| battle of Bennington the idea Of the pres
| ent structure first took definite shape in
1875, at "A meeting of the reunion society of
| Vermont officers On that occasion the
second toast at the banquet suggested a
centennial jubilation at Bennington in
1877" and the speeches which followed,
led by the late j. Halsey Cushman, pledged
the society TO aid both celebration and
monument. The monument just dedicated
was the outgrowth of the centennial cele-
| bration which followed, August l6, 1877
This fact of history is not mentioned to de-
| prive any person of credit due, though some
of the statements going the rounds of the
| press call to mind the incident OF the seven
cities which repudiated the struggling poet
as failure, but when success was assured
each claimed the honor of being his birth
place