Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-07-20
PUBLIC EXERCISES.
Address by President Benton and Poem
by Miss Peck

The public exercises of the day were
held at the College street Church the
interior of which was prettily decor
ated with battle flags and flags of the
Army of the Potomac and Military Or
der or the Medal of Honor, as we'll as
many American flags draped about the
pulpit and gallery. General Horatio
&C.. King, secretary Of the Army of the
Potomas, introduced the first two
speakers, Mayor a. S. Drew and Gov
ernor Charles w. Gates. President
Cowan making response to their ad =
dresses of welcome, after which Col
onel Cowan presided over the meeting.
Very much was added to the beauty
of the program by the buglo calls
sounded by George T. sherman. AS
the members of the society entered the
church he sounded reveille and when
they had taken their seats assembly
was sounded Taps brought the meet
ing to a close.
Inc musical program WAS also p
feature A special program of war
songs and southern airs was rendered
with fine effect by quartet. consist
ing or Miss Frances Tenney, soprano;
Mrs T w, Whitcomh. contralto; T. r.
waterman, tenor; and Park Brown.
bass Miss Dorothy Parker accom- =
panied at the organ.
Mayor Albert S. Drew, in Welcoming
the members Of the society to Burling-
ION spoke Of the pleasant memories re-
called when Burlington entertained the
same society in 1850 and later in 1895.
TINS being the third time the Society of
The Army of the Potomac has met in
Burlington. He also spoke of the part
which Vermont has played in the his
tory Of the wars past, speaking with
feeling of the 5000 men who left this
state at the call Of the civil strife, 300
of whom did not return.
In introducing Governor Charles W.
Gates, Colonel Cowan said that he would
rather he governor OF Vermont than
president of the United States. Governor
Gates spoke Of the pleasure 1t afforded
| ann to welcome the men of the Army
OF the Potomac to the State of Vermont
in the Queen City of the State. In hret
he said With the terrible conflict which
is raging across the sea and with the
war cloud lowering over our southern
border ready to break, the sentiments
which stirred this country l75 years ago
and again in the SOS are renewed The
spirit Of bravery, love Of honor. freedom
and truth. which We're eXemplihed with
the birth of our State has been passed
down to us. In 81 our Vermont brigade
had the honor OF turning the tide of
battle at Gettysburg and very recently.
when the call came for the troops of
the national guard, the members of this
ar1 In, tI.i,.
IL hours after the call was received
| and the Vermont troops were among
the very first to arrive at the berder
showing that this spirit which we SO
highly honor is still prevalent. Gov
ernor Gates closed by stating his APP
probation for the things which the
men of the society have accomplished
to the Governor. Colonel Cowan made
an appeal to him to take care of the
| Vermont boys, who are now on the
Mexican border. First he spoke OF the
way in which the State of Vermont
cared for her boys while they were a.
| the front in 81. Vermont is to-day, as
she did then, sending her boys to the
battle front unprepared. Give them a
year at the outside and they will be as
good men as those of the old first and
| second brigades. Vermont. as well as
the rest of the country has not been
| faithful in its trust in teaching chill
drcn in the schools what their coun-
try means to them, In closing. Col
onel Cowan appealed to the Governo.
to stand back of the boys of Vermont
PRESIDENT BENTON'S ADDRESS.
President Guy Potter Benton. the
orator of the day. was then intro
duced. General King presented him
| with the badge of the society and
made a statement of the fact that
President Benton was elected to hon