The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-01
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
The Grand Army Encampment.

OF the organization. rrOm uuWu W
darkness and from twilight to midnight
the great gathering grew and waxed
greater and grander. The weather
was all that could be wished for. The
Grand Army turned out more men
than ever before attended national
encampment and this is true also of
the ex-Prisoners of War Association,
the Naval Veterans and the Women's
Auxiliary bodice. Just as the sweet
songs of victory foated up from the
triumphant hosts of Sherman, as they
marched to the sea so from the old
soldiers gathered in Buffalo welled up
mighty mingling of thankfulness, of
happiness and of Joy.
From early morn until late at night
Main street held continuous process
sion of posts. Scores of them brought
bands and few indeed had no music.
The throb of the drums, the shrill cries
of the flies, the storm of light from
arches and arcs, the crash and flare of
the bands, the echoes and re-echoes
of the music, the cheers of welcome,
the shouts of appreciation, the whole
colossal conglomeration of the chorus
of the carnival of the country's heroes
rose over the city and sped away that
the outside world might catch some
echo OF the exultation.
The local posts did noble work in
bringing the Old boys close together
and in breaking down all bars of back
wardness, shyness or reserve.
The features of the first day were the
arrival of President Mckinley accom-
panied by Secretary Alger and Govern
or Black of New York; the banquet to
the president that evening and the pa
rade of the naval veterans. During
the day there were upward of thirty
corps brigade, regimental and company
reunions. The naval veterans, ex-
prisoners of war, ladies of the Grand
Army, and the association of nurses
held their conventions and there were
many receptions given by and to the
ladies of the auxiliary associations. A
trip on the lake participated in by
1000 ladies was one of the pleasantest
of the many entertainments. That
evening there were a number of camp
fires for the men and receptions and
musicales of the ladies.
During the evening President Nc
Kinley visited several Of the camp fires
and reunions. He received a tremen-
dous ovation wherever he appeared
and in responding to calls for speeches
he said:
Ladies and Gentlemen The saddest
part Of the reunion of the old soldiers of
the army is that at every annual encamp.
ment we miss many familiar faces; our
comrades are diminishing with the passing
years; the circle is narrowing and every an
nual roll call discloses one and still another
not present, but accounted for. They
have gone from human sight; they have
passed from association with us here any
longer they have gone to join the great
majority of that army with which they were
SO long associated, and they sleep tonight
within those green tents whose curtains
never outward swing. Grant has gone,
Sherman and Sheridan and Thomas and
MACPHERSON and Logan and long list be-
side, rich in precious memories. And not
only have the great commanders gone but
the rank and file Of that splendid army
have joined their old commanders on the
other shore. They are gone who seem so
great; their glorious work is here and they
wear a purer crown than any man can
weave them. Speak no more OF their re-
nown, but in this vast cathedral leave them ;
God accept them; Christ receive them. 1t
is our duty, it is our business to perpetuate
their memories; it is our duty, it Is our
business to preserve and improve and
strengthen and glorify the magnificent in
stitutions for which they fought and for
which they gave their lives.
" 1 thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for
this moment that you have given to me to
pay my respects to that noble army OF vol
unteers, the sacrificial giants who threw
darkness asunder and thus insured our ma
tional existence" Great applause.)
Again, the same evening he spoke as FOL
lows; " Mr.. Toastmaster and Comrades
and my Fellow-citiZens:-I wish | might
framA wnrla a.
spouse to the more than gracious welcome
which you have accorded me here to night.
/ come with no set form of speech; / come
with no studied phrases to present TO you,
but come in the spirit Of comradeship great
applause) to talk with you as we have often
talked in the past, around the camp-hres in
war as well as to camp.fres OF peace
(applause)
To me, see by the programme, has been
assigned the toast The Country and Its
Defenders My Fellow citizens, blessed ID
that country whose defenders are patriots.
(Applause.) Blessed is that country whose
soldiers fight for it and are willing to give
the best they have, the best that any man
has, their own lives, to preserve it because
they love it. (Applause). Such an army
the United States has always commanded
in every crisis of her history. (Applause)
From the war of the revolution to the late
civil war the men followed that flag in bat
tie because they loved that flag and be-
neVeu IN what III represented. (Applau6e)
That was the stuff of which the volunteer
army of 81 was made. (Applause), Every
one of them not only fought but they
thought (Applause). And many of then
did their own thinking daughter and APP
plause) and did not always agree with thei
commanders daughter and applause). Tha
young soldier who in the late war, upon thu
battle line, ahead with the color guard
bearing the stars and stripes way in front o
the line, but the enemy still in front o
him; the general called out to the colo
bearer bring those colors back 10 tn
line,' and quicker than any bullet tina
young soldier answered back Bring til,
line up to the colors.' prolonged applause
1t was the voice of command; there was
man behind it and there was patriotism il
his heart. so near to grandeur is our dust
so near to God is man when duty whispers
. o, thou must the youth replied / can
and so more than two million brave mel
thus responded and made up an arm
grander than any army that ever shook tn
earth with its tread, (applause) and Oh
gagged in holier cause than ever engage
soldiers before (Applause).
What defenders my countrymen, hav
we now We have the remnant OF this old
magnificent, matchless army Of which
have been speaking, and then, as allies i
any future war; we have the brave men VIII
fought against us on southern battleheld'
Great applause). The army of Grant an
,f Tan I,ar Ian nj NiIa