The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-08-21
The Decoration of Chivalry.

One of the principal features of the
centennial for the odd Fellows, aside
from their participation in the grand pa
rade. was the comforting of the Decora-
tion of Chivalry at five o'clock on We'd
nesday afternoon. This occurred on the
grounds of the Soldiers Home, and
would have been witnessed by thousands
had the fact generally been known. This
is a decoration of honor conferred only
upon those who by some meritorious SER
vice in the Order, or by reason OF age
and official rank are entitled to some
special mark of distinction. 1t If only
conferred upon those who produce letters
patent from the commander-in-chief, the
commanders of divisions and depart
ments. or certificates of election from
cantons and lodges of the Degree of Re-
bekah. A full ceremonial requires the
presence of four cantons, a number OF
assistants, maids of honor, the command
Grand staff. Owing to the limited time
on this occasion the field movements
were omitted. The officer comforting
the Decoration of Chivalry upon the la
dies named below and also upon the Off
GERS of the division the Grand DecOra
ton of Chivalry, was Lieut.. -Gen.John G.
Underwood. commandments in per-
son. The lady assistants were Misses
Tena Swift, first Frances E. Stillson,
second; Ella Daley third and Bertha
Griswold, fourth, with little Bessie Sibley
as Maid of Honor, who affixed the dec
orations. Col. VIM. H. Ralph Of the
Second Massachusetts, Regiment, acted
as adiutant general of the army; Lieut.
Col, w. D. Wilson as aide-de-camp, and
Lieut.. Col. H. w. Hall as chaplain-gen-
eral. The military floor work was en-
acted by the Underwood Hussars of Bos-
ton (who won so much ecldt as escort to
the ommander-in-chief during the pro-
cession), Lieut.. Col Chas. NJ. Campbell
commanding. The two hanking cantons
were composed of chevaliers selected
from the several cantons comprising the
First Regiment of Vermont, Col. N. NJ.
Puffer commanding. They were assisted
by the large and handsomely uniformed
staff, together with the various banner
cts, standard bearers, trumpeters, heralds,
guards and sentinels, with attendant col
ors and magnificent banners, constituting
military pageant which is seldom seen
in a fraternity ceremonial. Sherman's
Military Band of Burlington made COM
plete the martial tableau on the pictur-
esque field of the ''cloth and gold'' in the
beautiful valley of the Walloomsac,
under the shadow of the Green Noun
tains. with the Battle Monument they
had lust assisted in defeating standing
as a sentinel to the west of the line
The following ladies were decorated /:
AIrs.N. NJ. Puffer. wife of the colonel com
manding the department of Vermont :;
Mrs. II. /. Stillson, wife Of the colonel
of Gen. Underwood's staff corps Mrs
]. W. Goodell. wife of the grand master
of Vermont: Mrs. J. H. Ayres, noble
grand of Miriam Degree of Rebekah
Lodge, No Of Bennington, the lodge
which originated the beautified work Of
the order Mesdames Geo. H. HARDWOOD,
S. E. Morris and H. w. Hall, ladies
prominent in the order IN this state. The
chevaliers receiving the Grand Decora-
ton of Chivalry were Col. Nm. Pufer,
Lieut. Colonies, L. G. Grant, and Grand
Master Goodell Capt. Timpson of Brat
tleboro, Sergeant Ayres of Bennington,
and Chevalier Cove of Swanton. The
details of the ceremony are too long to