The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-01-20

tertalned though after the event there
were, as usual in such cases, plenty
of men who had more than suspected
it from the first.
The raid developed by the raiders
appearing simultaneously at the livery
stables, at the banks, and on the
streets to guard the approaches to
the banks. The affair was so carefully
planned that every man appeared at
his appointed place at the appointed
time. Not too early, by which sus
picion might have been aroused, and
not too late, which might have inter-
fered with the program The banks
were entered, the cashiers were called
out at the point of the pistol and did
as they were told, opening the doors
o fthe vaults and giving the raiders
access to the contents One cashier
came near losing his life, being shut
up in the vault and being almost suf-
located before he was released
The raiders went through the vaults
and took everything they could easily
and safely carry away, but took none
of the securities, which might have
been difficult to dispose of They Sc
cured several thousand dollars.
At an appointed time, which was
just about sufficient to allow them to
make a thorough search of the vaults
the horses were brought around from
the livery stables. All were bridled
and as many were saddled as saddles
could be found for. The men mount
ed, without any evidence of excite
ment or haste and rode north, all of
them leaving the town together
The whole thing was accomplished
so quietly and quickly that the town
knew nothing of what was happen
ing 1t was all over in twenty min
utes from the appearance of the men
at the banks, and as the streets were
guarded no one in the place could
grasp the scheme as a whole. 1t was
not until the men had left town and
the people had a chance to talk it
over and compare notes that the full
purport of the raid was known.
AS the raiders rode out of town to-
ward the north they shot one man who
had refused to obey the orders of the
pickets stationed on the streets AS
soon as the town quoted down from
the first excitement a posse of farm
ers and citizens followed in pursuit
of the raiders, receiving accessions to
their ranks as they rode along, but
the raiders crossed the line into
Canada just as evening was falling.
One of the raiders was arrested
and brought to St. Adams for trial in
the spring following the raid. He
was defended by Dana r. Bailey, af-
terward prominent in Baldwin, Wis,
and after a long trial was acquitted.
In January following the raid the
Secretary of War authorized the for
nation of a regiment of frontier cav
l
airy. While intended primarily for
frontier defence the men were reg
ularly enlisted, for three years or till
the end of the war. New York fur
nished seven companies, Massachu-
sets three and Vermont two. Josiah
Grout enlisted in one OF the compa-
MES formed in this State. The regi-
ment was organized at Burlington and
was stationed at st. Adams. Bar
racks were constructed on Judge
Hoyt's land and near his residence
and two companies of the veteran re-
serve Qnfantry) were stationed with
the cavalry
The regiment was not a Vermont
organization, as many now suppose.
1t was regularly organized as the
Thirty-sixth New York cavalry, aho
all the officers above the line were
commissioned by the Governor Of
! New York. Josiah Grout was major
Of the regiment and after shor'
y time was placed in command OF TN