The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-09-07
THIRD VT.
REGIMENT
HOLD REUNION
Twenty-Five Veterans Pre-
sent with Two Ninety
Years Young

Third Vermont regiment attended
the Seth annual reunion in Grand
Army Hall Tuesday together with
Is veterans Of other regiments as
their special guests, the ladies of
the Chambellin Relief Corps and
several ST. Johnsburv people. The
familiar face of the surgeon OF
the regiment, Dr.. Henry c. Newell,
was missing, but he telephoned hi
warmest regards and several of
the veterans called on him during
the afternoon. OF the two whose
deaths had occurred during ere
year one, Charles II. Woodbury.,
had long been a regular attend
ant at these annual gatherings and
was the secretary of the organiza-
ton at the time of his death.
Capt. Horace French of West
Lebanon, presided as president of
the association and his optimism
and CHEEKY philosophy took away
whatever sadness there might have
been as the veterans realized the
years were fast passing. Another
member who is always present
and most cordially welcomed was
Col. Samuel E. Pingrec of + vt
ford, now in his 90th year, but lull
of energy and whose "reminiscences
of the days of '61 are always vel
come. James K. Symes of Bar
net was the oldest veteran pres
ent being a few months older than
Col. Pingree and still going strong.
An excellent dinner was served
by the Chamberlin Relief Corps.
The dinner was in charge of Mrs.
Mabel Page, chairman of the exc
cutive committee, and she was as
sisted in the kitchen by Mrs.
Waite, Miss Stevens, Mrs. Myers
and Mrs. Balch. Mrs. Maud Rus
sell had charge of the dining room,
her assistants there BEING Mrs.
Smith, Mrs. Trainor and Nj !.
Hardy. The dinner was prefaced
by prayer by Rev. w A. Cate
after which all the veterans joined
III IilG LOIu = LAY tI.
At the brief business session
these officers were elected: Pres
ident, Capt. Horace French. vice
pres, H. C. Stevens of Stannard;
sec. and treas, Lyndon Arnold;
executive CON-, Charles Gee, John
w. Page, of Lyndon; Isaac S.
Moore of McIndoes. The nccro-
logy of the year included Charles
II. Woodbury. of Co. C and Thom-
as Carhn Of Company f.
In his splendid address OF well
come President French dcminded
the veterans that this was the 60th
anniversary of the day when 8Si
young men were recruited at
Camp Baxter at the st. Johnsbury
fair ground and asked all to rise
who were with the regiment when
it was organized. Nine veterans
stood on their feet, Comrades
French Pingrec, Corlin Dana,
Arnold, Moore, Stevens, Felch and
Dubois. Capt. French reminded
the boys in blue that while the av-
erage life of a man is about 80
years all the veterans present had
lived twice that span of years an
that the best is yet TO come. He
spoke of how the town was all
ablaze when they came here to
enlist in 1861 and how cordially
they were greeted by the citizen
ce O. Iob,,rkut-- IIo ,.niJ ~,
same cordial welcome had becr
given them at the occasion of cv-
cry reunion.
Col. Pingree was received with
hearty applause when he rose to
speak and was presented as the
father of the organization. He be
gan by saying that the shots on
Fort Sumter, like those at the
battle of Lexington, were heard
around the world, especially by
every young man in the Urited
States who hastened to enlist. He
said the Vermontcrs were 30 ar
xious to enlist that they volur-
tecrcd and later had to revise al !
their papers to conform to gov !
ernmcnt regulations. He said tha,
zoo men in the regiment lost their |
lives by wounds in battle. Col. |
Pingrec then gave brilliant re-
sLmc of the characteristics of the |
generals of the war. He said Gcn.
NJ "Clcllan was a scientific warrior
but too careful of his men ana
hampcrcd BY a military party in
Washington in his movement.
Gen. Burnside was great failure
IS an army commander, and even
he daring and dashing Gen.
Hooker seemed to be a failure.
Cen. Meade, the tried and able old
soldier, had seen much service be
fore the Civil War, but the Wash
ngton authorities realized that
hey must have supreme COM
nander and when Gen. U. S. Grant
was given full control with his
,tratcgy and technical knowledge /
If warfare the tide was turned.
Col. Pingree referred to the pleas
ire of coming to St. Johnsbury
i, here the regiment organized ana
now Gov. Erastus Fairbanks and