The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-09-11
The Vermont Soldiers Home.

One of the veterans recently admit
ted to the Vermont soldiers horne
here is something OF a rhymster. One
of his first efforts after arriving at
the institution was the following;
Tourists will sail for Europe, visit
London, Paris, Rome,
But never think of visiting the YER
mont Soldiers Home.
1t is located at Bennington and not
far from the spot,
Famed as the place where Gen. STARK
for the Red-coats made it hot.
The buildings are commodious, are
tidy, clean and neat,
Equipped with bath and smoking
rooms and warmed by furnace
heat.
And surrounded by smooth velvet
lawns so wonderfully green,
That passers by will often stop to
gaze upon the scene.
At the west front, from a tall staff,
our flag waves in the breeze,
And a fountain sometimes sends it's
spray above the tall Elm trees.
And Just beyond, in a nice grove,
sometimes near close of day,
In a stand made for that purpose,
band will come and play.
And on pleasant Sabbath evenings
people gather on the lawn,
And speakers tell us of Home
where our mothers dear have gone.
In the back ground there's a Deer
Park and enclosed in it five Deer,
In nicely shaded quarters, are kept
from year to year
And Just beyond the Deer Park is the
biyouac OF the dead,
Where on famous thermal Camping
Ground their silent tents are
spread
And all around are level fields where
seeds are yearly sown,
And fodder for both man and beast
in good supply is grown.
The superintendent and his wife are
| we'll fitted for their place,
| And they fill it everyone allows)
with unassuming grace.
The nurses and attendants are af-
| fable and kind,
| And no inmate does much kicking or
has much fault to find.
| The cooking (for the most part) is
| done all well enough,
| Though the beef (for lack of boiling)
| is sometimes rather tough.
| And some think the creatures slaugh-
tered may not be very young,
(But then some folks would grumble
if sentenced to be hung)
But food goes on the tables in a
bountiful supply,
And whoever says it doesn't could
easily learn to lie.
The Inmates at the Home now, NUM-
Der nearly seventy-liye,
Some of them appear quite sprightly,
others only half alive .gs
Some are lame, and some are lazy
and some have faltering heart,
And soon for the Eternal camping
| ground on the double quick may
start
| Some complain of swollen feet, some
have a graveyard cough,
And one old grizzled veteran has lost
three fingers off.
Some are short and rather stockey
others are tall and spare,
And some on their old cocanuts have
scarcely any hair.
Some belonged in the second regi-
ment, some in the sixth and
seventh,
Some fought in the first cavalry,
some in the heavy eleventh
Some under Gen Butler served way
down in New Orleans,
Some with the fourth, the fifth and
| ninth munched bareback and stew
ed beans.
Some with Stannard fought at Gettys
burg and helped Meade win the
day,
And finally at Petersburg they ended
up the fray.
But ell fought for the Stars and
Stripes and without doubt fought
brave,
| why bnoulu tHey NOT cnJof sweet
peace in a land they helped to
save?
Not one OF them on this old Earth,
much longer will sojourn,
Taps for many have been sounded,
and soon twill be our turn.
| But at the final roll-call, whether far
| away or near,
May we all stand at Attention and
promptly answer Here
Written by an Inmate of the Home
July 2Sth, 1915.