The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-03-12
EDWARDS GIVEN
FINE OVATION IN BARRE,
PRESENTED LOVING CUP
Continued from first page.

flags and around the side were bands of
red, white and blue The smaller of the
halls also held shields of the United
States flags but there were mingled with
them the flags of Great Britain, France,
Belgium, Italy, Japan and Brazil.
In the smaller of the two rooms were
gathered the relatives of the Goth diyis-
ion, while the others were asked to re-
main in the large room, as it was Gen
eral Edwards special request that he be
permitted to have chance say word
or two with the relatives Of the boys
whom he commanded through some of
the fercest and bloodiest fighting of the
war A committee consisting of W. G.
Reynolds, Chief i. M. Tobin of the fire
department, Armando Comolli, H. L.
Campbell, O. G., Ayerill, T. H, Rogers,
j, F. Smith and w. G. johnson aided the
visitors in securing seats.
Gilbertson's orchestra was seated on
the platform but was not used during
the greater part of the reception to the
relatives of the Goth because of inter-
ference with easy intercourse between
General Edwards and the people who
were so anxious to tell their brief little
tales. So the orchestra suspended its
music for the time-being; and General
Edwards took his place at the junction
of the two rooms while the relatives of
the goth boys passed before him.
Relatives of the goth Men Presented.
Standing there firmly and erect, Cen
eral Edwards presented a commanding
appearance, and the personality of the
leader made itself dominant in the
throng at once. The great crowd in the
hall pushed forward with eager expecta-
ton as the relatives of the 10th boys
pressed the hand of the commander and
related in brief sentences the military
sketch of the boys they represented.
Each and every one of them proudly,
and yet modestly, told their stories,
many of them with tears in their eyes.
There were aged, trembling women
falteringly confding to the general the
tales of sons who had fought the good
fight for democracy, many OF which boys
never will return to home again. To
such as these the kindly hearted general
gently replied: "Ah, my good woman,
you have reason to be proud of your
SON." and the grief stricken mothers
turned away with fresh consciousness
that their boys had not died in vain.
"0ho! he belonged to the l03d," said
the general to another mother; that's
the suicide battalion. / wonder that he
got out of it alive" Then would come
along a relative of a boy in the l02d, and
the general would turn him or her over
to Captain Sheldon, who related briefly
some of the experiences of the l02d.
One fond mother drew from under her
arm, as she approached, a photograph of
soldier, which she proudly held up to
the generals gaze; and the dignified
commanding officer deliberately adjusted
his glasses and inspected the picture, all
the while passing comments to the bear
er of the picture.
Then along came little girl wearing
a khaki cap. She had been lodging
about in the crowd trying to get where
General Edwards could see her diminu-
tive SELF and at length she succeeded.
The general reached down in the crush
and grasped her hand and as the spark
ling eyes of the girl met those of the
general he leaned over and planted kiss
on her cheek, Immediately declaring that
a little girl who was wearing that kind
of cap ought to be rewarded So the
girl scurried off, about the happiest lit
tie miss in Barre at that moment. And
all the crowd smiled in approval.
And so it went from o'clock until
early evening, the bright incidents min
ged with the somber but with the cur
rent of good camaraderie running
through the whole reception. No one
could have failed to catch the note of
good fellowship. No one could have
doubted the sincere good wishes of Cen
eral Edwards to each and every one of
those relatives although the oft-repeated
scene to him must have become almost a
habit through the months since his re-
turn from the war front. Big and little,
old and young, smartly -dressed and those
in poorer raiment got the same hearty
handClasp and the same hopeful word
spoken with sincerity.
And then when General Edwards had
gained his expressed wish of seeing the
relatives of the boys of the 26th and
had talked with them, recalling some Of
the now memorable scenes of the great
encounter, naming the captains and the
majors of the various units in his d.
vision as the relatives named the units
and dismissing them with smile, those
who still remained and listened with
breathless interest were permitted to
pass along before the general and shake
hands with him.
1t was very close to lunch time when
the line was completed and the general
and his party went to Hotel Barre, where
luncheon was served