Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-06-30

a telegram from Lieut. Spaulding mt
White River Junction to The Phoenix
received at s O'Clock, bullctined
the expected arrival of the train here
at $50. 1t contained also the informa-
ton that no one would be allowed to
leave the train. Immediately upon re-
ccipt of this message every effort was
made to have the platforms reserved
near the tracks for immediate rcla-
tives of the members of Company I.
Major Ashley before reaching Brat
tleboro gave permission for the mem
bers of Company / to leave the cars
to say their last goodbycs. In some
manner this became known just before
the train pulled in. Lieut.. Spaulding S
kilograms had said that Company |
was the first company on the train.
Some other source of information had
caused the spread of the report that
the company was on the sixth car.
The resultant confusion which follow
ed the arrival of the train with the
sight of the Company I boys in the
first cars may be imagined.
Those who had no personal friends
or immediate relatives among the
company were nearest to the cars car
rying the local boys. Those who had
banked on the sixth car rumor started
rush to reach those who were near
and dear to them.
When it was seen that the members
of the company were to be allowed to
detrain the rush increased. Those
who gladly would have made way for
relatives were unable to do so, with the
result that while some few of the sol
der boys were lucky enough to get in
quick touch with those who were of
their own kin, in the confusion which
prevailed some of them had only an
instant to say farewell after the bugle
had sounded and the train was about
to leave.
1t was heart rending scene. Men
and women had no hesitancy in appeal
ing to soldier engaged in saying
farewell to ask for the whereabouts
of those they sought. 1t was a question
not easy to answer, but every one thus
appealed to tried to help out some less
fortunate Ncomrade.
Not only did mothers and fathers,
sisters and sweethearts, wish to say
goodby, but for every soldier boy there
was at least one box of good things
to eat. Where folks gave up early in
the brief interval allowed for goodbys
the hope of finding their loved ones
they intrusted to any man in uni
form the boxes intended for personal
use and distribution. 1t is safe to say
that no one of these miscarricd. No
one of the others on that long train
but knew how the boys from Brattle-
boro felt.
After the train left Bellows Falls it
was possible to learn its makeup. Up
on receipt of the information the prob
lem of transporting the two express
IIuchS luuucu WIFI SlllS loI lHc coHi-
pany presented itself. The trucks
We're well to the north end of the east
platform and had to be moved through
a dense throng nearly to the water
plug well south of the station. Col.
j. Gray Estey, former commander of
the regiment, and President Horton ID.
Walker of the board of trade, the lat
ter of whom had been engaged since 3
o clock in transporting the various of
ferings to the station and keeping a
guard over them, broke the way. The
crowd willingly parted as rapidly and
as widely as possible and the trucks
were finally landed where it was pos
sible to load their contents on the bag
gage car during the brief stay.
The first section with the freight
and baggage equipment was made up
of first class rolling stock of the Cen
trail Vermont. Boys from the st
,Johnsbury company were in charge
of the horses and guarding the train
While the train stood at the station
one of them remarked that they had
smoked their last cigarettes and in q
minute packages of cigarettes began tc
shower into the ear They had enough
to "hold them" few minutes whei
the train pulled out.
The second section containing Com
panies M, /, L and X, which led the
men to call it the "milk" train, ar
rived at 1920 CLOCK amid scenes al
ready described. A. surprisingly large
number of people waited or returned
to see the arrival of the third section
at 1.30 o'clock. This consisted OF
Companies T. of Bellows Falls, OF
Mortified, G of Winooski and III o,