The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-06-04
OUR SOLDIER DEAD.


es but before the parade formed Old
Sol burned his way through the clouds
and dispelled the gloom, with the re.
suit of a perfect day.
The feature of the day was of course
the parade which however was not so
large or so prolonged as usual Gen.
j. H. Lucia acted as marshal. About
ten O'Clock in the morning he form
ed the parade at the junction of Main
and School streets George Pitkin as.
sisted as a mounted aid
The parade was made up in the fol-
lowing order: Gen. Lucia and aid
on horseback; Montpelier Military
band Company H Carpenters Union
High school; St. Michaels school
and Montpelier Seminary battalions
Brooks Post, @. a. X, carriages con
tanning the speaker Of the day, Mayor
Boutwell,, Gen. Stephen Thomas and
Rev. l.. X. Whitman in one, members
OF city council in the second and dis
abled veterans in the third.
The line of March was up School to
Loomls, back to Main and from thence
to the opera house where it disbanded.
AT THE OPERA HOUSE.
The public exercises were held at
the opera house after the parade On
the stage were seated Rev. L X Will
man, chaplain of the day, Mayor Bout
well and the board of aldermen, Gen.
Stephen Thomas, Gen. J H. Lucia,
L. NJ. Hutchinson, commander of
Brooks Post and other veterans
After music by the band, prayer by
the chaplain and selection by the
Cecilia Quartette, Gen J. II. Lucia
read Lincoln's Gettysburg address.
The memorial service of the Grand
Army was performed by Commander
Hutchinson, n. o. Peck and w. +.
Waterman
a Memorial poem was read by Rev.
l.. K. Whitman after which Kings
bury Foster of Derby Line was intro
duced by Commander Hutchinson as
the orator of the day Mr.. Fosters
address had the close attention of the
large audience and was very cor
daily received by the veterans. He
emphasized particularly the character
istics of good soldier, which are the
same as those that make good citizens
In opening he said
Veterans of the Civil War, Ladies
and Gentlemen: We are met today to
commemorate the deeds and sacrifices
of the Grand Army of this Republic.
By that we do not pay reverence or
homage to any particular post but
to that grander army of the whole
republic by whose valor and heroism
the integrity of this nation was pre-
served. To that army and the ele-
ments of its strength, to the men who
composed it and their character and
relation to the Republic, it is my pur-
n 10 nnll . L.
which you have honored me. to ask
your consideration on this occasion.
We cannot say that the theme is new.
For nearly forty years, ever since that
grand review in Washington, you have
listened once a year to a rehearsal of
your bravery. Nearly every phase of
those four years has been pictured
again and again to you. The side
lights of your camp fires have been
thrown upon them. Historians have
written of you on tablets of stone to
be preserved i'll the Libraries of the
nation. Painters have pictured and
sculptors have wrought in marble
and bronze your deeds; till he who
attempts TO add must stand aghast at
| the evidence of what has been done
and he who attempts to speak finds
| himself telling a twice told tale. But
| it is tale which will never become
hackneyed nor commonplace as long
as sentiments of gratitude and patriot
| ism find place in the hearts of the
American people.
Nearly two score years have pass.
ed since you stacked your muskets
for the last time, thirty-tive and more
| summers have carpeted with their
green the graves on yonder hillside.
A new and larger generation has come
| upon the stage of life, to whom the
war, its traditions and its memories
are only a story. And it is q peculiar
characteristic of a certain type of free
| bred, free thinking Americans TO allow
the play of their imagination. to so
| magnify the deeds of other times and
generations of other countries and
governments, that our own are lost
in the thought. The student of his
tory looks with awe and amazement
upon the rapid and wondrous changes
| in European affairs, and declares that
Cromwell and his battling against
kingly prerogative, that Napoleon,
who with his grand army shook the
four corners of Europe, would. far
| eclipse in their brilliancy any military
attempt of ours
MI roster tnen uWelt upon the de-
velopment of the peaceful citizen of
the north into efficient soldiers and
said in closing:
Il visited the flag room at the CAPT
| tol this morning, a room which has a
peculiar fascination and recalled an
| incident which happened several years
| ago. a party was sight seeing in
your city here, and were passing
through the room when one of them
remarked upon the frailty of the flags,
of their scars and rents, and added,
Il can't understand why the officials
of the State should seek those old
flags, | should think they would buy
beautiful and more expensive bunting
for the decoration of this room -
Yes, possibly more beautiful, but the
officials of the State could not get
more expensive flags Little did the
speaker realize, little do any of us
| realize, the cost, the expense of bring
ing those flags home, as the colors of
n United Country. You men whose
privilege 1t was to bear them, have
only to remember Petrie, Perham and
Cooper in that morning fight at Cedar
! Greek and the hand to hand death