The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-08-21
SONG AND STORY.

uor.o' henIy n.r "ster oi DerDy Line, me1Dr |
l.. M. Grout OF Stonehsm, Mass. =; 8 cretary |
aud treasurer, DR.. q. M. Ferrin OF Essex
junction; chaplain, Henry X. Paige OF |
North Troy; executive committee, Col. Fred |
y. Smith and Capt. l. M. Hutchinson OF |
Montpelier; Gen. W. III. G lmore OF Fairies;
obituary committee, Ex-Gov j. l.. Barstow
OF Shelburne, John Bisbee OF Newport b. |
f. Olcott Of Keene, N. Ii. G a. Stephen
hOmas Is the perpetual president of the |
association 80 long as 1t shall exist.
The report OF DR.. Ferrin, the secretary, !
showed that OF the 500 and more members
Oh the association, twenty-five have died |
during the past year AT the afternoon SEES
sion several comrades made brief remarks |
and hneeland Foster, son OF Capt. Henry
H. Foster, gave humorous recitation.
BANQUET AND CAMP FIRE.
AT 1880 in the evening the members pres-
cut were invited to the Relief Corps hall
where members OF Brooks Corps had pro-
vded an excellent banquet. Gen. Thomas
occupied the seat OF honor and an hour was
spent 10 doing justice to the good things
AT 8: 0 Col. Fred e. Smith. chairman Of
he executive committee, called the camp
hce to order. The intense heat that pre-
vailed did not prevent the large audience
from enJ Dying the programme that had
been p pared Col. Smith said it was not
time Tor oratory, but for story and remin.
iscence, and he wanted TO make il An old
fashioned camp fire such ss the boys once
held In southern camp Nothing ia so &C.
ceptabe to an old soldier as such gather
ing, when they can tell their experiences,
compare notes and see IL the stories told
have grown with the years.
DIR, q. M. Ferrin, the secretary. read let
'ers OF regret from several absent comrades
among them one from S. W. Shattuck en-
closing check for So, for expenses, one
from Joseph w Flel cher Of Jersey City and
one from Fred M. Gale of Chicago. a tele
gram from W. Fl. II. Holton of New York to
cen Thomas was also read as follows;
Cordial greetings to you and the old boys.
you"
Comrade sellick of Brettleboro was first
| called upon by Col. Smith. He said he
was not accustomed to making speeches,
hut he extended the greetings OF an old SOL
der and expressed his pleasure at being
| present.
Major l., M. Grout of stoneham, Mass,
said h had never made speech in his lie
and could not begin there. He told an
amusing story OF his first army ration
which was thoroughly appreciated by every
veteran present.
-Comrade Perry Parker, in response to
call from the chairman, said the bows of the
Eighth Verm )nt were fighters, not orators
! lie loved the comrades OF his company next
TO the members OF his own family. He was
more than glad to once again meet their
beloved commsnd'r (applsuse) who never
ordered the boys to "go" but always asked
them to "come.n
e. A, Mutt recited "Sheridan's Rice" and
Judge @. U. Lathrop of WILLIAMSBURG told
several catchy stories. He said that old
comrades cannot have too many such re
unions. In the past year twenty-five OF
3helr number have answered the last roll.
call aud the number of deaths In the year
to come will probably be even greater. II
will be only few years before the last man
OF the once famous Eighth Vermont regi.
ment will have gone to his reward.
Col. Smith then called upon Capt. L. w.
Shedd, postmaster at Montpelier. Col.
Shedd said he did not belong TO the Eighth
Vermont, and thought its members should
occupy the time. He said the soldiers OF
the civil war were all fighting for the same
cause, all battling for the same result, no
matter to what regiment they belonged
The veterans who are alive today have the
satisfaction of knowing that they did their
duty and together they saved the union
AS an old soldier he had a warm place In
his heart for every other comrsde. Col
Shit dd's remarks were greeted with great
applause.
At this point Gen. w. w. Grout O,
Derby entered the hall. He was cordially
greeted and escorted to seat in front, be.
side Gen. Thomas. In response to call,
we've heard from one Grout let's h ar
from another" Gen. Grout told Of standing
not long ago on one Of the battlefelds oil
the south where the Eighth Vermont stood
in the deadly gap, and he was then impress
ed with the fact that the Eighth Vermont
had good deal to do with putting down
the rebellion. Their Colonel made
lighters of every one of them. (yreat
spplause) and they came out heroes. 1t il
the iron spirit of leadership, poss ssed in
large degree by Colonel Stephen Thomas
that wins in war and brings SUCCESS. (Ap-
plause). Gen. Grout further eulo gized the
old veteran who sat beside him and closed
| by telling in q graphic way, the story OF the
Battle OF Bennington.
The speaker for whom every one present
had been eagerly wsiting-Geu. Stephen
Thomas-was next invited to address his
old command. AS he rose to his feet he
was greeted with repeated cheers
brought tears 20 his eyes. When bis voice
could be h card he said.
"Mr. President, Comrades of the Eighth
Vermont, ladies Of the Relief Corps.-I
always gives me pleasure to be among pa.
triots. 1t isn't the drst time, and, thank
mont will be the last place from which lib
erty will ever be driven. In looking al
what Vermont did in 1861, when the legis-
lature was called together by Governor
Fairbanks / am reminded, comrades that
| in those days you did much more than YOU
bargained to do when you went into the
field. You then had in view the putting
down OF the Rebellion but the echo OF your
work is heard all round the world. You
accomplished not only what you went into
the field for, bat in doing that you also put
down slavery and led the way to the CON
hct with Spain and the victory for Dewey's
guns in Manila Bay. Tremendous APP
plause)
"When Dewey wiped out the Spaniards,
that paved the way TO teaching the English
language in the Philippines, 80 that on the
other side OF the globe the echo of your
work Is heard tonight" cloud applause
Gen Thomas then referred somewhat at
length to the action Of the Vermont Leg!s-
lature in 1861 in appropripriating 81, 900, 600
for the slnews Of war, and providing for the
payment OF 81 per month in addtio TO the
Quilted States pay for the Vermont troops
In closing he said: "Vermont has done
great things in the past and she will do It
| again II she is threatened.
| Comrades OF the Eighth Vermont and OF
all regiments, am & sd to be with you to-.
night and expect TO meet you again.
| love you II for the work you have done
and believe you will always be ready to
defend the old Green Mountain State, the
land Of Ethan Allen"