The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-07-03
50 MEN FROM
BENN|NGT0N|N
COMPANY |
First Vermont Infantry Now
Rapidly Filling
MANY FAIL TO PASS
Several Companies Still Short of Men
Boys Drilling Eight Hours
Every Day.

Fort Ethan Allen July 2.-The First
Vermont regiment is filling up to some
extent, but still needs several hundred
men to bring it up to war strength of
20OO men. During the past few days
many recruits have arrived here, but
only about half of them pass the ply
sical examination tests.
Company | remains the only COM
pany with filled ranks and there ap-
pears to be a vacancy today even in
this company as one man is to go
home because of having depndent rela-
tives and another is reported injured
in an auto accident so that he may not
be able to return
Company /, however, has reserve
of recruits for Capt. Gibson has been
recruiting in Bennington and Windham
counties and got more men than there
were places for in Company and they
have been added to Companies X and
l. which are in the same battalion
Company |, however, retains first claim
on these men and they can be called
back if necessary.
Company C of Barre is said to have
enough recruits to fill the company un-
less too many ofthem fall down on the
physical examination. This company
had only handful of men when the
regiment was called out and in fact
existed only in name, but since Barre
adopted it the citizens of Barre have
rallied to Its support and it has had
more help apparently from civilians at
home than any other company. Barre
men with automobiles have been scour-
ing Washington, Orange andsLamoille
counties and have even been into Ad.
olson and Windsor AS result Com
pany c is now next to Company in
membership if its recruits get by.
Company A of Rutland and Company
II of Montpelier still need more men
though up to within few days they
were ahead Of Company G.
The companies, which are the low
est in membership are Companies l.
of Springfield, L of Bellows Falls, & OF
Winooski. f of Northfield and D OF st.
Johnsbury. The only official figures
dNdlldUlC dlt Il NN1N OAA ShHN.
them have gained since then.
A good deal depends on whether the
recruits can get by the surgeons and
do not remember at the last minute
that they have wife and children
somewhere. In some parties OF re-
cruits less than hal remain.
The privates of the regiment know
little what to expect. They hear vague
rumors of going south and of going to
France, but know not when. They
doubt if anybody knoHssb YET The
camp is o great plae e sfoIsnlmorS tabout
all sorts of military tmatters,uspne day
1t was reported that thedEenth cavalry
had been sunk on the way bt0oErance
and the next 1t was said that the war
was to end in August iAeOii
The regulars of the 18th and y 18th
cavalry are near neighbors ofithe Yer
mont boys. The. regulars gridieule the
militia for lack of discipline and vari-
Gus weaknesses, but less. and less as
they get acquainted. 0ag-naor
AS matter of fact two-thirds of the
cavalrymen are recruits and are here
to be drilled into shape for service just
like the militia boys. All of them are
getting drilled to the extent of eight
or ten hours per day with few extra
spells thrown in for good measure.
Company ! is we'll fed and well
cared for The feeding depends on
the company cook and the manage
ment of the mess and Company / Us as
well off in this respect as any company
in the regiment.
There are 29 in Company | who en-.
listed from Bennington, but this in.
cludes one or more from neighboring
towns. Those credited on the COM
pany roll to Bennington are as follows:
Privates-William II. Beecher, Ar
| thur Bleau, Edward o. Brown. Napol-
con ]. Boutain, William A. Carroll,
| Francis j. Cavanaugh, Raymond s.
Church, Peter Devnow, Elmer M, Dwy'
er, Hawley w. Elwell, Corwin G. Ell
well, Edward f. Flynn, Erwin w. Gates
Alfred Greenwood, Arthur j. Guiden'
Frank NJ. Hervey, Harry Il. Hopkinson,
Edmund p. Howe. William lepson
Paul H. Jewett. August C,'Kelson. Gid
con W. LaCroiX. Wilfrid +. Langlols'
John II. McClune, Leonard Miles, Buel
d. Miller, Flyod H. Morse, Albert H.
Noyes, George j. Oesterle, Harry G.
Remington, Edward Schultz, Charles
+. Silver, Frank Kh Slame, Eli N
Squire John T. Toomey, Oscar A, We
berg, John d. Welch Ernest w. White,
Louise NJ Goodbeau.