The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1908-06-19
ORANGE COUNTY VETERANS
ASSOCIATION

OF officers. The day was perfecr
and nothing occurred to mar the
harmony Of the occasion. These
men of the Army of other days
renewed acquaintance long since
begun, and enjoyed telling over
again the experiences of those
eventful four years. Happiness ra-
dated from their faces and good
comradeship prevailed.
The morning session was the time
for the transaction of business and
the following officers were elected
to serve the Association:
Colonel, H. p. Cummings, Thet-
ford; Lieutenant Colonel, J. NJ.
Quimby, Thetford; Maj. W. W.
Bond, South Fairlee; Treasurer,
G. w. Knight, Post Mills.
Rev. w. S. Jenne, of Newbury,
and the Rev. Mr.. Fuller of West
Newbury, were present on the
stage and added their story of the
days Of 81 for the entertainment
OF their comrades, as well as for the
rest of the audience. L. J. Brown
had charge of the afternoons exer-
cises and everything moved along
in the appointed order.
The speaker of the day was Hon.
Porter H. Dale, Of Island Pond
who held the audience breathless
as he dwelt upon the battlefelds
of that titanic struggle and the
awful sacrifice which it entailed
upon that generation.
Mr.. Dale began by saying that it
had been necessary for him to come
from unexpected business
matters to meet the requirements of
the day, and yet that it was always
a pleasure to him to gather with the
company of the survivors of the
war. He spoke of the deep mean
ing of the day in commemoration
of the adoption of the national
flag, of the events connected with
that far off time, and of what the
emblem had meant to all the gem
erations of Americans since. With
the generation to which he, the
speaker, belonged it was impossible,
as much as they loved the flag, to
nave the appreciation Of it that the
soldiers did who had followed it into
he thick Of the fight where their
very hearts felt pierced by the
bullets that rent the cloth that
eemed the very personi6cation Of
I'll that makes up the soldiers
levOtion. The soldier does and
hould adore the standard under
which he goes forth to war, and
whenever we think of the stars and
trlpes we must realize that the
reation and preservation of that
lag is due to the soldiers who fol-
owed it-not to any one general
n statesman, but to the soldiers
n masse who fought for an alb
tract, heroic principle. None I'M
Ierstood this better than the great |
eader many of whose qualities
those of the greatest COM
handlers known to the world. When
General Grant looked upon the flag
lie knew full well that the honor Of |
is preservation belonged to the
ommon soldier and he was consid-
rate enough on various occasions
o give public utterance to this fact.
lime and again he said "The hum
lest soldier who carried a musket
) entitled to as much credit for
he results Of the war as those who
7ere in command. " Mr.. Dale then
eferred to Dr. Hale's tribute to the
ommon soldier, and to all who meet
fe's duties without expecting pub
C personal praise, quoting the
mes
What was his name2 ! do not
know his name.
only know he heard Gods voice
and came.
10 blaring trumpet sounded out
his fame;
lie lived, he died. | do not know
his name.
This is the spirit in which the
ublic receives you veterans on this
ay of special veneration for the {
az. If he was a soldier, that is {
nough. do not ask his name.
Never in the worlds history has 5
he absolute devotion of noble {
)uls TO the flag been more com {
Ietely demonstrated than by the !
)ldier in the Civil War. The life {
DRY of the brilliant young author, S
heodore Winthrop, expresses a i
brit that was universal with your |
)mrades, and when we refer to it C
e realize that it might have hap /
ened to any Of YOU if the god Of v
attles had so decreed. In res b
Onse to Linclon's proclamation he S
arched out in the ranks saving. [
| will enroll myself at once for h
lie nation, and for life. This was d
April, 1861. Very soon, in June
the same year, he was killed in S
lie battle Of Great Bethel, and his t
ldy was brought back on a gun h
Irriage wrapped in the folds of the g
cred emblem under which he fell /; e
nd many who knew Of him recalled "
5 own prophetic words. Ii
Let me not waste in skirmishes a
my power, b
petty struggles; rather in the v
hour il
deadly conflict may / noblv die, d
re,,- e.. l.f.1.. n 1 -.-s.-..-1 y L.