Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-08
VERMONT'S NATIONAL GUARD.
A Member of Co. NJ Makes an Interest
ing statement.
D the Editor Of The Free Press:

To the Editor Of The Free Press:
VIII you, now that the fad for abusing
the National Guard Is at its height, kindly
permit one who has taken an active.
though humble part in the affairs of the
expensive" institution, to speak through
your columns, few words in it's defence?
/ speak only of facts which have come to
my knowledge right here at home, in con-
nection with Co. NJ.
In the first place, what did the State ex-
pect of its guardsmen, and what encour-
, agement did 1t give them? Did 1t expect
/ them to become as effective as regulars?
! When the custom was adopted of encamp-
Ing regulars with the State troops. the
guardsmen of their own accord, strove to
follow their methods as closely as posi-
BILE. and to this end, the members of Co.
nj provided themselves, at their own ex-
pense. with campaign hats, forage-caps,
cartridge belts, legglns and blue shirts
and later, thinking that more practical
methods would be of benefit to themselves
and the State, purchased from the COM
pany fund, a complete field cooking out
fit. Other companies to my knowledge,
did the same. In short the men of the
guard neglected no opportunity and spared
no expense to fiji themselves for active
service, while such equipment as the State
did furnish was little better than worth
less. Many OF the uniforms were old and
worn out and a regular army man who
examined the rifles with which Co. NJ won
the Workmanship trophy last year, de-
clared that there were hardly dozen SER
viceable guns in the company.
About onc-half of the tents used by the
regiment at musters were condemned as
worthless by board of survey at Chick
amauga, and the men learned. after using
the State blankets at one muster, to carry
bed quilts with them to the next.
No member of Co. NJ ever received a dol
lar for his services as "A guardsman. All
money received from the State together
with 81 per year dues was devoted to pay
ing the necessary expenses of the com
pany which the State did not allow, and
when the guardsmen responded To invita-
lions to escort the governor and staff at
Washington and New York they did so
largely at their own expense and without
thought of asking the state or any one
else TO reimburse them. 1t may be of in
terest to the people of Vermont TO recall
the fact that on these occasions, when
there was opportunity for comparison,
the Green Mountain boys were pronounc-
ed by experts, to be second to none, in
drill, discipline and soldierly conduct and
this excellent showing was due in no
small degree. to the interest and efforts
of Gen. T. S. Peck. 1t has been asserted
that when the stress came, the guard
proved itself an abject and dismal failure
In every respect" This, is not even
founded on facts" The truth is that the
regiment. as such, was never called upon
FOR reasons best known to the war de-
partment and the National Guard regi-
ment which was turned down, was super
Tor in every respect to the volunteer regi-
ment which went to the front. Every man
enlisted in the guard with the understand
ing that he was subject to the call of both
the National and State governments. Tho
enlistment blanks were so worded, and he
agreed to this under oath. When It be-
came apparent that war was at hand Il
meeting of Co. NJ was called on short no
tice. Forty-hve of the 90 members were
present, and all agreed that they would
willingly go wherever they were needed,
in or out of the country. Then followed
three weeks of anxious waiting for orders
which never came, Instead, we were ask
ed to give up our organization and volun-
teer as individuals. This, very few of
the men refused to do-hence all these
slurs.
/ AS to the physical examination, every
one who Is at all posted. knows that It
was ridiculous farce, a weapon of the
Powers that be" aimed at the National
Guard, and loaded to kill. Men in this city
who had been rejected by the examining
surgeon of the guard for physical disabil-
ties. were accepted and went to the front
with the volunteers.
/ Nearly all of the guardsmen who failed
beef test which required man to
weigh a certain amount in proportion to
his height. Under this provision, guards
men were rejected for falling four or five
pounds short of the standard and / can
point out volunteers who were accepted In
spite of deficiency of 20 pounds or more.
One man was rejected from Co. NJ on ac-
count OF poor teeth and his place filled by
recruit with no teeth at all. The Of
hcers of the army did not want the Ma
tional Guard and 1t was accordingly de-
stroyed.
There is no doubt that the President
could legally have ordered out the Ma
tional Guard to fight this war or that IT
would have been sufficient for all needs,
but the army objected and 1t was not
done. If the people of Vermont no longer
want us, perhaps we can, with becoming
resignation. forego the pleasure of serving
the State at personal expense of $50 or
so per year, but it does seem us though
they might stop kicking us for having en-
joyed that rare privilege in the past.
/ Respectfully,
GUARDSMAN.
Burlington, Dec 1, 1898.