Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-10-30
THREE ARE LEFT.
Governors and the Problems Which
They Grappled.

Ex-Gov. Holbrook Writes on the War
They orappIed.
tFrom the st. Paul Dispatch of oct. %.
Many of the people of this state sup
posed that the late Gov. Ramsey was the
last survivor of the war governors of the
Northern States, who responded so nobly
to the calls of President Lincoln for
troops in the Civil War of 1S61-65. In
quries showed, however, that three 9TH
ers of these governors are still living.
From one of them, the venerable Gov.
Frederick Hobrook. of Brattleboro, VT,
now 30 years old, Judge Crosby of Hast
ings Mimi, who is native of Vermont,
has recently received a letter, which he
has loaned to the Minnesota Historical
society Its vigorous style and lively
"reminiscences of the events of forty
years ago will interest the readers OF the
Dispatch. which has permission to pub
fish it. as follows:
II heartily thank you for graciously
sending me the paper containing the me-
mortal address of Gen. Baker in honor of
the late Gov Ramsey, | have read it
with much interest, and find it strictly
true and merited regarding the subject
thereof. Gov. Ramsey was a complete
type of a patriotic staunch and sturdy,
and, withal, talented, American citizen,
and the holder of a very important official
position during the great struggle of our
late Civil War.
" SO far as l know, there are but three
of the loyal governors now surviving
Governors Lewis, of Wisconsin, Sprague,
of Rhode Island, and myself
" Leaving myself out of the count. what
a staunch, sturdy, and patriotic lot of
men We're the governors of the loyal
states during the Civil War. Their
labors. by day and night, their anxieties
"a
out laws general orders, or presidents to
guide them, but largely dependent upon
their own individual judgment in impor
tant actions Of great moment, and on the
spur of the moment-these conditions
were a heavy drain, both mental and ply
steal, upon them. Indeed so heavy a
drain were they upon individual vitality
that the ma jority of them did not long
survive after the war closed.
Mr.. Lincoln depended largely upon the
opinions and suggestions of these war
governors. for he said they reflected the
views and wishes of the plain people :"
of the loyal states, he was pleased to
style them, and whose views and wishes
he so desired to carry out.
" l suppose a letter of mine to the Pres
| ident, after the battle of Antietam Ia sort
| of drawn game), urging the immediate
/ call for five hundred thousand three
years volunteers, was the origin of the
calls soon afterward for 300, 900 three
year men and 300 900 nine months men.
After receiving my letter and when
preparations were being formulated for
| issuing calls, the President received a
doleful. discouraged letter from his init
| mate friend. Gov. Yates. of Illinois, bit
| terly regretting the lack of important re-
| suits to the Union arms in conflict with
| the rebel forces. President Lincoln, in
| his characteristic way, at once answered,
| by telegraph, his friend Yates, in these
laconic words Wait little, Dick, and
| see the salvation of the Lord Very
| soon afterward Gov. Yates received his
call for his states quota under these
| calls.
AS a whole what a noble set of men
| We're the veterans of our Union armies,
| How much they gave to country! And
| how many of them have filled and are
| still filling, important positions of public
| trust and how many others are among
our respected private ctiZens ! love tc
meet them with hearty handshaking and
cordial greetings. All honor and bless
| ngs for these noble veterans. Well may
they appropriate to themselves the words
of the poet:
o Beautiful, my Country Ours ono,
more.
What words divine of lover or of poet
Could tell our love and make thee know
it,
Among the nations bright beyond com.
| pare?
What were our lives without thee?
| What all our lives to save thee?
| We reck not what we gave thee;
We will not dare to doubt thee;
But ask whatever else, and we will dare.
Pardon this too long letter; and re
main, very respectfully yours,
FREDERICK HOLBROOK''
| QS13- 10000 years..