Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-08-04
ARMY TIMES RECALLED.
A Red Letter Day in the Veterans
Calendar.


Campfire.
There have been great many reunions
OF old soldiers within the last twenty-five
years all of them pleasant and successful
IN their way, but it was left for the fertile
brain OF Comrade G. p. ellison of West
Chesterfield to devise one on a plan of his
own, and to carry it out in way to make
the event red-letter day in the memory
OF some hundreds of the veterans and their
friends who attended. Mr. ellison was a
member of Co. F, 14th New Hampshire
volunteers, which was composed mainly
OF men from the Cheshire county towns of
chesterfield, Winchester and Richmond.
Two years ago the first reunion of the sur
ylvlng members was held with Comrade
Z. ii. Holbrook of Swanzey, n. II. The
arrangement was for reunion to be held
this year with Mr.. ellison at West Chester
field, and last spring, while lying in bed
with broken leg, he thought out a scheme
for company gathering to be held in the
afternoon, with genuine campfire in the
evening-not stereotyped affair, held in
some hall, with civilian notables to speak
to set program, but a real outdoor gath
ering, in the old army style, with camp
fires burning, army fare, and the old sol
diers themselves to do the talking, tell the
stories, make the fun, and keep things
moving"
Last Saturday was the day set for the
event, and the program was carried out to
the letter. The morning weather was not
assuring, but clear skies came as the day
wore on, the afternoon was fine and the
evening perfect, with full moon mount
ing the heavens as the proceedings drew to
close. The afternoon invitations was to
Company members, with their wives,
daughters and invited guests, and in the
evening to all old soldiers from the country
round. Long before noon the guests began
| TO arrive and when, at one o'clock, dinner
was served, 20 of the old company members
were present, and there were a hun
dred and fifty to partake of the generous
feast. The Brattleboro High school drum
! corps was on hand for service, and the
company marched to its music from Mr.
Gisons house down to the mess tent
where the dinner was served. An hour
was occupied in discussing the bill of fare,
and then the host called the company to-
gether, announcing that the roll would be
called and every old company member was
expected to respond. They all did re-
spond, and some of them in way which
surprised their friends, and probably them
selves, with their accomplishments as after
dinner speech-makers. Following this F. L.
Tolman of Greenfield, the old commander
of the regiment and of the brigade,
Capt. +. II. Buffum, now a minister with
a charge in Pennsylvania, Gen. H. b. Titus
and Mr.. ellison spoke more at length, in
main recalling army experiences.
The speaking over, adjournment was
taken to platform, or pavilion, erected
near by, where varied program was car
ried out. Mrs. Hubbard of Brattleboro
sang several selections, Miss Bancroft of
| Worcester proved her merit as a whisting
soloist, the drum corps put in some of their
liveliest taps, while Ed Norrington, "a versa
tile colored lad from Claremont, filled in all
the spare moments with banjo playing, jig
dancing, etc. Last of all came dance in
which the veterans and the young people
joined, Adjutant Wright of Winchester
with his violin, Comrade Coombs of Dunn
merston at the organ, and the darkey, as
banjoist, furnishing music. The old boys
would doubtless say that number not to
be left out of the story was the lively jig
danced by Mrs. Corey, " years old, whose
pace and "steps'' few of the girls of today
could follow
When evening came, judging from the
collection of tally-hos, double and single
carriages, and all sorts of conveyances, all
|
must have led to West Chesterfield, and
doubtless 800 or 600 people, perhaps more,
were assembled. At seven o'clock, just
before the evening program was formally
opened, in answer to the wish of many of
the Grand Army men assembled, Mr.. Gil
son called for all the veterans to fall into
line, in a column of tours, for a march in
the old army way. One hundred and fifty
responded, Company F falling in on the
right, and the other veterans on the left,
with Adjutant Wright to form the line,
and he turning the command over in due
time to Major Tolman. With the drum
corps in the lead the veterans then "touch-
ed elbows" in a march up the road and
back to the camp-ground, just as they did
in sole Virginny' thirty years ago.
1t was picturesque sight when, just be-
fore eight o'clock, as the darkness began
to gather, two big bonfires were lighted,
the flames leaping high, lighting up all the
country round, and revealing the prepare
tions made for the evenings entertainment.
First on the program Mr.. Sewall Morse
gave, from the platform, all the old famil-
lar army bugle calls, from the lively reveille
of the early morning to the plaintive, long
drawn notes of TAPS" which have been
sounded over so many a veterans grave.
AS a sue lie Olu ARMY
was sung to an appropriate (?) melody, and
then came the supper call and all hands
fell in for the baked beans, brown bread
and coffee. Just here occurred surprise
for the host of the evening in the appear
ance of detachment of w. II. Green
wood post of Putney, accompanied by the
Putney brass band, whose music thereaf-
ter enlivened the exercises.
The beans were cooked, in true army
style, in hole in the ground, and it was a
novel sight to many when the trench was
opened and the big iron pOtfuls were lifted
out steaming hot and done to perfection.
The service was also in army style, with
, tin plates and cups, and the guests gather
ed in squads and knots to eat the grub
and declare it all success.
The army supper took up the better
part of an hour, and then came the even
ing's platform program. Mr.. ellison first
introduced Maj. Tolman, describing the
characteristics of his army service in a
spirited way. The major bowed his &C.
acknowledgement, but did not trust himself
to speak. Capt. F. II. Buffum, who was
= next introduced, caught the spirit of the
occasion, and in an eloquent speech i'm
} pressed on his hearers the meaning of these
. reunions and the significance of the GranC
r Army symbols; told them how much the