The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-05-27
BENNETT evJNe HONoREO
Man Who Led ST. Adams Raid Heads
the Confederate Veterans
After creating and bestowing


Gen. c. Irvine Walker, retiring com
mander in chief. the United Confeder-
ate Veterans in their final session
elected Gen. Bennett II. Young of
Louisville, Ky, commander for the
next year Aside from the election
the annual parade and review of the
fast thinning ranks Of the confeder-
acy was the feature of the day. Fully
1000 of the old soldiers were in line
i General Young was born in Jessa-
mine county, Kentucky, in 1S4S, and
when only IS years old left college to
become a Confederate trooper AS
a lieutenant he led band of Confed-
crates across the border from Canada
TO st. Adams, VT, where they raided
several banks and succeeded in max
ing their escape back to Canada.
General Young is prominent in the
Southern Presbyterian church. He
is quiet and modest, but he has four
boasts which he sometimes makes.
These are:
Il never swore an oath"
81 never told lie
Il never drank whiskey."
81 never touched a card"
1t was Colonel Young over whom a
controversy ragged three years ago
at the time of the Champlain tercen-
tenary that the Confederate veteran
led the raid from Canada against the
city of st. Adams, Vt. Colonel Young
was invited as the speaker of the day
at st. Adams by Governor Prouty of
Vermont, and the citizens committee.
The Rutland post of the G. A. r. re-
membering Young's Civil War activ-
tiles, vehemently protested, and pass
ed resolutions expressing the disap-
proval of the Civil war veterans OF
the action of Governor Prouty and
Mayor Warren r. Austin, of ST AL
bans in inviting the leader of band
of guerillas, robbers. and murderers"
to the state as guest of honor.
Bennett Young when youth of Ia
years led the Confederate detachment
which made the famous raid October
49, 1864, This raid was part of
system of incursions from Canada
planned by Jacob Thompson, c. C.
Clay Jr., Beverly Tucker and others.
Almost at the same hour that Sheri-
dams army, including company OF
st. Adams soldiers, was pressing the
Confederates at Cedar Creek, Va,
about o'clock in the afternoon, par
ties of from three to five persons each
their numbers in the aggregate being
variously estimated from 20 to so
men, took forcible possession of the
business part of st. Adams, VT
These raiders were armed with navy
revolvers concealed under loose coats
and carried travelling bags or haver-
sacks
A simultaneous attack was made on
| the three banks. In the First Nation
al Bank, Albert Sowles. the cashier,
was confronted by stranger with a
revolver who threatened to kill him
| if he offered resistance. Two COM
panions aided the robber, one guard
ing the door. the other going behind
the counter and filling his pockets
with bank bills, bonds, treasury notes
and other securities. Then he threw
more bills and notes over the coun-
ter to his associates.
While helping themselves to the
money. the raiders informed Mr., Sow
les that they represented the Confed-
crate government. and threatened TO
burn the village If resistance were
offered They secured $4,000 from
this bank and placed the cashier un-
der guard in the bank. William II
Blaisdell attempted to overpower one
of the raiders, but was placed under
guard by four men, one being q
nephew of Senator Crittenden Of Ken
lucky.
AT the ST. Adams Bank Cyrus N
Bishop. cashier, and Martin A. Sey
mour were present and were COMPEL
ed to take the oath of allegiance tC
the Confederacy Samuel Brock, q
customer who came in. was made a
prisoner and his money was taken
This bank was robbed of s73,522.
At the Franklin county bank. NJ
w Beardsley, cashier, and Jackson
Clark we're present. These men were
locked in the bank vault with the
cheerful assurance that the bank was
to be burned The robbers secured
$4,000 here. Horses were seized
from the local livery stables and from
persons in the streets. By this time
individuals began to fire on the raid
ers. By strange coincidence the
only person killed was +. j. Morrison
said TO be the only Southern sympa
thizer in town.
The raiders fed toward Canada
keeping up running fire as they rode
out of town. money falling from the
bags they carried all along the
| streets.