The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-06-24
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES
OF Wartime in Connection with Middle
bury College.

bury College.
Some interesting war time history in
connection with Middlebury college was
given by former President Ezra Brainerd
at the alumni day exercises of that insti-
tuition on Tuesday, last.
In speaking of college life during the
Civil war, he said: "The wave of patriot
ism that swept over the northern states,
when our flag was first fired on at Fort
Sumpter was onderful-difficult of com
prehension by those who did not actually
witness it. And nowhere was it more in
tense than among the students of Mid
dlebury college. The spirit OF adventure
hardly at all entered into it. To serve
through the heat of southern summer
as a common soldier was known to be
perilous. But our national life was as
sailed by those who wished to extend the
crime of human slavery. 1t was a Sc
rious thing to enlist; but the voice Of
duty called, and the earnest soul OF the
young Vermonter responded, L will GO
"The first to obey was Henry w. Ben
nett of our class. For two terms he and
| sat side by side in the class room
where we were arranged alphabetically.
| He was faithful student, somewhat
slow and quiet, but reliable. How star
tied his classmates were when they
learned that he had decided to respond
to the call of President Lincoln for 75,-
600 volunteers for three months. Some
fried to dissuade him: he said but little
in reply, hardly more than this, i think
ought to go
Before his departure the class gave
him a supper at the Addison house, to
which we invited Tutor Kellogg. We
intended it to be an occasion of good
cheer, an enthusiastic send-off. filled with
hope for successful mission and a
happy return. But in spite OF all our
plans and efforts, a serious mood per-
vaded the gathering, sadness which we
could hardly explain. When few weeks
later-on the Goth of June-we got the
news Of his death at Fortress Monroe,
we thought we could interpret our sad
ness at parting as premonition that it
was to be forever.
"As we laid his body to rest in the
quiet cemetery on Foote street, we felt
the full significance of the words of Hor-
ace, whose odes we were then reading,
'Dulce ct decorum est pro patria mori.'
In the hearts of many that day Ben.
nett's death was no sad tragedy, but m
act of noble self-sacrifiee. More than
one of the class instead of being warned
against going to the front, felt inspired
to follow Benefits example. Within
two months three more of our class en-
listed, Higley, Edgerton and Thomas. A
year later eight more enlisted-Clark,
Hemenway Hitchcock, Lewis, Mead.
Dwight Smith, WILDER, Williamson. At
the close of junior year Gates entered
the army and Wood the navy. In all,
Ia OF our class served in the Civil war
just half OF the total enrolment
But other classes had men ready to
serve their country, though none fur.
nished so large a per cent as the class
of "a, doubtless in part because the war
was in progress during nearly the whole
of our college course From the class
that entered in 1861 six enlisted, only
on of whom returned for graduation
From the class that entered in 1862 Rev.
+. j. Ranslow recently deceased, served
for a year in the navy, and at the close
Of the war was permitted to re-enter
his class and to graduate in 1866. From
the class of 1868, Immediately preceding
ours, IL enlisted out of total enroll
ment OF 80. To these we should add the
name of Richard S. Tuthill who enlist
ed right after graduation, and became
a brilliant officer under Generals Sher-
man and Thomas. From the class of so
three left college for the war and never
graduated, and eight others enlisted soon
after graduation, two of whom were
killed in battle at Petersburg, Va.,-l
Lieutenant Converse in July 1854 and |
Lieutenant Colonel Eaton month later. |
THE circumstances attending the en-.
listment of Colonel Aldace +. Walker |
are memorable. He was the valedic- |
torian of his class. A few DAYS before |
graduation he joined the 18th Vermont |
regiment which was being organized at |
Shoreham. The regiment made a choice |
of officers on the forenoon of commence
ment day, and Walker was elected first |
lieutenant of Company B. There was
but scanty time afterward for him to
borrow uniform and ride to Middle
bury for graduation. The exercises pro-
ceeded till his name was reached at the
close of the program, but he had not
appeared.
Another piece of music was called
for, which was long drawn out Anxiety
was visible on the faces of all from the
president to the girls in the gallery.
Walker appeared at the en-
trance of the audience room. The mu-
sic abruptly ended; Walkers name was
by President Labaree; and in
blue uniform, with glittering epaulettes,
Lieutenant Walker marched with stately
strides to the stage. The applause that
broke forth in the dignifed old church
was intense and prolonged. The speaker
was frequently interrupted, and many
were only half heard. He soon
gave up the attempt to follow his poorly
committed manuscript. But he spoke
with enthusiasm; his presence was i'm.
Dressiye; it was the voice of the newly
IGNORED soldiers Fastening to the var;
md doubtless the applause would have
been as fervid had he spoken in an un-
known tongue