The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-06-18

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| the Vermont soldier. | had forgotten
| for the time that the friendships
! formed amid the desolating scenes of
| cruel war ripenod into true comrade-
| ship by the privation and hardships
! of eXhausting marches, the scant and
meagre camp fare, the dangers Of the
| bloody field the beds of suffering
| from sickness and wounds in such
! hospitals as we might chance to find,
| could not be obliterated by the mere
| passage of time. should have known
| that the same manly spirit which had
| prompted you to share your last hard
| tack with your comrade when rations
| were short TO relieve him of gun or
| knapsack on the fatiguing march,
and at its end to take his place on the
| detail for picket or skirmish, TO for
| get for the nonce that you were great,
| strong, rough men, and with hand
| as gent lie as a mothers soothe the fe-
vered brow of the dying comrade, and
| eagerly bend low to catch his last
| feebly muttered words to transmit to
| his loved ones at home, to encourage
always by word and act the uncertain
and the vacillating one, survived the
| years, and still inspires the comrades
and ever will. And so | have found
| it a. pheasant duty, responding to your
call to command a body of such noble,
generous, high minded, helpful, pat
riotic, true men.
The report of Assistant Adjutant
! General Edward Baker, of this city,
| shows that the total loss from death
| and by other causes for the year was
344 and that the number of members
in good standing Dec 81, 1901 was
34G6. In concluding his report which
was mainly of a statistical nature he
said;
81 wish to extend to you my thanks
| for the honor you have conferred upon
me in calling me to serve you in the
Office of Assistant Adjutant and AS
sistant Quartermaster General. ! ac-
cepted the position realizing that it
meant work and close attention to the
duties involved And in this have
not been disappointed but your per
| sonal oversight and assistance, and the
courteous manner in which / have
been treated at all times has made it
a labor of love For all the members
of your staff with whom have been
brought in business relations, l shall
always hold the kindest remembrance,
and to you and to my comrades one
and all, | can only say that / have en-
deavored to be faithful in the per
Torrance of my duties, and for the
interest of our noble order If in this
| have at any time failed, it has been
the fault of the head and not of the
heart. -
Medical director l.. NJ Bingham, NJ
D., of Burlington, and Department
Chaplain G. r. S. Pierce of Vergennes
gave particularly complete reports,
which received the approval of the en-
campment
Gen. Lucia also referred to the
membership of the G.. A. r., in this
State in the following words "A
little more than forty-one years have
elapsed since the beginning of the
events which gathered us into a grand
army for the preservation of the Union,
and nearly thirty seven years since,
that work done, we returned to our
homes and became the Grand Army
of the Republic. We hardly realize
this, and reluctant though we may be-
we are beginning to grow old. The
element of time has bearing on our
| membership. Our ranks are thin
ming. We had in good standing, De-
cember 81, 1900, posts no. members
1851; December 81, 1901, posts 1906
| members 3, 1866; showing losses, posts
oss for the period is 106. This loss
is inevitable; it is idle to contend
against the laws of nature or the laws
of God. Some of our losses, however,
may be averted. " He also referred to
the work of the Women's Relief Corps
and the interest manifested in the
Sons of Veterans organization. He
referred to the observance of Memorial
day and to the matter of pensions the
latter subject being given quite a bit
of space in his report.
Reports were made by William H
Ward, Senior vice commander of st.
Johnsbury and George Murray, Junior
vice commander, now located at Mont
real.
Department inspector. John L. Nose
ley of Mortified; Judge advocate j
j. Monahan of Underhill and chief
mastering officer John r. Wilson of
Worcester made reports favorable to
the organization. The attendance of
visiting veterans this morning was
about 300. They were met at the Pa.
vilion and escorted to the opera house
by the following escort: Chief Rea-
gan, Capital Drum corps, High School
battalion, Brooks Post, No 10.
The balloting for officers began so
late that it is impossible to give but
partial list of those elected as fol.
lows r. E. Hathorn, Ludlow, de-
partment commander Geo. w. Flagg,
Braintree Senior vice commander;
Vansternberg, Burlington, junior vice
commander.
18TH VERMONT.
The annual meeting and election of
officers of the 18th Vermont Regiment
Reunion Society was held Wednesday
in G. A. r. hall.
About 100 members were present
and after the reports of the officers
were read and adopted, the following
officers were elected President, S.
W. Benjamin, Montpelier; vice presi.
dent George N. Wright, Colchester
secretary, J. H. Lyon, Colchester
treasurer, Col. H. W. Allen, Burling.
ton; executive committee Capt, G.
q. Blake, Swanton, Gen. @. L. Marsh,
Enosburgh Falls, Capt. s. f. Brown,
Swanton X. O.. Sturtevant, Swanton.
WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS.
The annual g . L.,