Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-01
FIRST VERMONT CAVALRY.
ANNUAL REUNION AND BANQUET IN
THIS CITY.
Officers Elected For tho Ensuing Year
Speeches by President Sawyer, Gov.
Grout, Congressman Powers and
Others-Papor by Gen. Greenleaf.

The survivors of the First Regiment,
Vermont Cavalry held their 2Gth annual
reunion liz G. a. X. hall in this city last
evening. The reports of the secretary
and treasurer were read. The clattCr report
shOwod Il cash balance of $2ij.12 ON hand
The regiment is the only military organi-
zation in Vermont that has money in its
treasury The roll of the society was
called, showing GO members present. A
committee was named by the chair to
present list Of officers for the ensuing
year. While tho committee was out ii
was decided not to have IA special ear to
accommodate those who wished to at
tend Camp Olympia Thursday morning.
The committee on nominations reported
the following list. who were elected:
Prcsidcnt-C. j. Bell of IIardwlck.
Sccretary-S. II. Wood of st. Abans.
Trcasurer-W. l.. Grecnlcaf of Burling-
ton.
Nicc-prcsidcnts. one from each company
Go. 4, ID. McDiXon; Co. B. George W.
Austin; Co. G, c. u. Carpenter; Co. d,
Henry a. Moore; co. f.. NJ. j. E'nncy;
Co. f., G. Bingham; co. G.. II. y. Leach /;
Co. H. G. II. Churchill; Co. I. Daniel c.
waller; Co. Is, Jonas Rice co. L. George
l.. Mcbride; Co. Nj, George NJ. Harrington.
The first officers were instructed to Sc
lcct the next place of meeting and author
lied to appoint the executive committee
The business meeting adjourned to the
banquet at the Van Ness House. and after
cigars were lighted, President L. B. Saw
yer. who presided. introduced Gen. W. L.
Greenleaf, who read "A highly interesting
paper on "Wilsons Raid" Gen. Green
leaf referred to Incidents Of the raid from
june % to %. 1861. with remarkable famil-
iarity and at the close of his remarks he
was loudly applauded.
Col. Sawyer followed Gen. Grccnleaf by
giving a brief history of the regiment
under the first colonels. lie said that the
A. n1,t Il.
was commanded by a Vermont officer
The first Colonels were regular army of
fcors and 1t was not until they were sue
Cccdcd by Vermont volunteers that per-
feet harmony came. He related many
amusing war incidents and introduced
Gov. Josiah Grout
Gov. Grout told how he came to enlist
in 1851. He attended a meeting held in
school house in st. Johnsbury The meet
ing was addressed by Erastus Fairbanks,
who said every young man in the audience
had duty to perform. The governor said
he tried to enlist in several towns but was
always too late. lie ilnally enlisted at
Parton, whore he met Col. Sawyer, who
was the recruiting officer The governor
was appointed second lieutenant. He paid
high tribute to The men of the first Yer
mont regiment and said that no State fur
n!shed Il better body of men than they
were.
Congressman II. II. Powers. who was
an invited guest, was introduced and he
said In pdrt No body Of soldiers ever
made a prouder record than did the Ver-
mont soldiers. The First Vermont cav
airy did its duty and no cavalry regiment
of the go of the Union army ever dis
tingushcd itself us you did. ! re-
member the organization of Company
] at Hyde Park | recollcct the
Incidents related by Gov. Grout about his
securing the position Of second lieutenant
In referring to war the speaker said: NO
nation is justified in going to war unless
some great question is at stake. The war
Of 1861 was not for the sole purpose of
abolition 1t was for the purpose of pre-
serving the Union of the States The pur-
pose Of the present war was to put a
stop to the inhuman warfare in Cuba. In
cidentally we have captured Manila and
Cuba will have what was intended for
her, free government The present war
has wiped out the sectional feeling that
North and the South. l firmly believe
that the people Of the South are just rs
loyal to the stars and stripes as you are.
When you see soldiers of the South and
soldiers of the North fighting side by sldo
you will never hear more of the Mason
and Dixon line. ] think the present war
Is worth what it has cost, if nothing more
than TO bring about this one thing. Aside
from the apparent reasons that are be-
fore us | will tell you, my friends. that
this country will see n marvellous growth
during the early part of the 20th century.
Not by territorial expansion but by com
mcrcal growth. We want these stopping