The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-11-07
Little Vermont.

1
The anniversary on October 21st OF
the mastering in of the 14th Vermont
regiment brings, most naturally, his
tory of the Civil war before the patri-
| otto mind The remnant now left OF
that regiment numbers only one hun
| dred men and ten of the veterans
! who suffered the hardships and priva |
tions with them. died during the past
yea,
| The following statements have !
been culled from historical records:
mo colors of Vermont troops were
ever taken in action"
| Vermont sent to the war one man
to every ten of its population
| Vermont was credited with more
than $4,000 enlistments."
"Out of total enrolment OF $4,000
men liable to military duty, Vermont
stood credited with $4,000 volun-
| teers
The troops of no other state took
more colors in battle in proportion to
their total numbers than the troops
Of Vermont"
Vermont had larger per cent of
her men killed in battle than any
other northern state and gave to the
cause of the Union a larger per cent
of lives lost from all causes than any
other state"
"A Vermont regiment was the first
to throw the sacred soil of Virginia
Vermont troops made the first as
sault upon confederate fortitica-
ton"
"Vermonters fought in nearly every
battle waged by the Army of the
Potomac"
"At the close of the war Vermont
stood credited with $500 men over
her quotas under all calls.
"yermont's war debt was the first
paid off in full by any state
1t would seem indeed that war his
tory is never to be completed, and
while we revere the memories of the
gallant Vermonters among the Boys
in Blue" who so gloriously helped TO
establish the Union of the States, we
respect the plucky patriotism of Yer
monters of today, who are making
whatever they can count toward the
working out of international prob
lens still unsolved, which must re.
suit in Universal liberty.
1t has been some times said in de-
rision. that Vermont is good State
to migrate from" but from many
years residence in this State of my
adoption. during which | have rub
bed elbows with all sorts and condi-
tons. have learned how out OF rea-
son is such an adage and I feel i'm
PEELED to express my admiration for
the true Vermonters whose present
deeds are linking together the past
and future
In a recent widely read land widely
criticized) magazine article, we
find something to resent even as the
Press of our beloved State has done.
1t has been said that We may always
find the qualities for which we are
looking. Vermonters as we know
them, are a proud, Independent, self
reliant people, patriotic, liberty-lov
ing and Of as high standard of intelli-
gence and virtue as any State, and
we are proud of our descent from the
pioneers. however abrupt" With
the influx in more recent years, of the
wealthy "yacationists," who have
found the State a pleasant one In
which TO soiourn. we still bless our
everyday friends to whose homes. UNI
like those of the mighty" we may
go unlimited II we wish, and whose
kindly intentions are plain as a pike
staff--and who are gracious unto the
stranger also
II was not men of high prominence
in affairs who wrought, in the Sixties,
TO save our land from the great con-
spiracy against Liberty, but the
heroes from our mountain land.
whose earnest purpose made strong
their VOWS to breast the storms of
battle to the finish, Yet deeds of
blood are not the only brave ones to
be told and today, in their homes,
are undaunted women, Vermonters in
the truest sense, who are winning
laurels through sorrows never told,
while their lives thrill to sacrifices
they make daily, planning yet nobler
ones with persistent hope
Even as the pioneers of little Yer
mont came and suffered and con-
quered we find men of the present
ready to venture any daring tasks,
with whatever suffering or danger
may be involved, that great evil
may be forever crushed.
Vermonters are no longer individ-
ualized by hayseed and whiskers---
neighborhood feuds are no more in
evidence than elscwhere--"vacation
lists" come and go--the seli-respeotinB
farmer laughs in his sleeve at their