The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-06-04
vERMoNT'S GLORY REToLD.
Ex-Mayor Z. L. Smith of Barre Writes
from California.

Editor, Times: The annual picnic or
reunion Of Vermonters was held May
IA at Sycamore grove, Los Angeles,
Cal The day was fine, the maple sug-
ar from Vermont very nice and the
dinner passed off to the satisfaction
Of all. Then came the afternoon ex-
ercises, an address by +. NJ. Andreani,
who told us something of what Italy
did in the World war. He was born
in Italy, lived in Barre, Vt, was edu-
Gated at the University of Vermont
and is now lawyer living at Los An
geles.
One ex-service man made a fervent
appeal for signers to petition 70 send
to Congress to urge them to do justice
to the returned soldiers of the World
war. A letter from Vice President
Coolidge, who was born in Vermont,
and letter of regret from Governor
Stephens of California were read. Out
side of this, / do not think it amount
ed to much, being largely an appeal
to vote yes on certain amendment
to the city charter and to elect at least
three members on the school board at
an election TO be held in the city of
Los Angeles June 7. To my mind it
was no place to bring up such a local
matter.
Vermont got small praise that day.
They could have told us something
about the early history of Vermont, of
the trials of the early settlers, of the
hard work done by Ethan Allen, bis
brosner, Ira, and Seth Warner to kesp
the state independent and from falling
into the control of the British; how il
became the l4th state, the first one
to Join the original Is states, which
made she United States Of America;
something Of the strong men who had
been sent to Congress and of those
who had gone out from Vermont to
help build up and make other states;
how Ethan Allen with his Green Noun
tain Bows took from the British Fort
Tieonderoga in the name of the great
Jehovah and the Continental Con
gress;" how Seth Warner, with his
Vermonters, Joined General Stark with
his men from New Hampshire and de
feated Col Baum and his Hessians at
the battle of Bennington, making the
surrender of General Burgoyvne posi-
bic a few weeks later at Saratoga and
saltwater, with his whole army; how
the Vermonters in the war of 1872 cut
from the forests of Vermont on Lake
Champlain timber, made ships which
were manned largely by men from
Vermont, and how, under Commodore
McDonough, they destroyed the Brit
ish feet. and that the men from YER
mont focked TO Plattsburg in such
numbers that the British commander
retreated with his army of $4,000 men,
going back to Canada, from whence he
came, without making q general en-
gsgement.
The record of Vermont troops has
always been good. In the Civil war,
at the battle Of Salem Heights, next
day after the sixth corps under Gen.
Sedgwick had charged and captured
Fredericksburg Heights and had ad-
vsnced four miles to Salem Church,
Gen. Lee brought down the largest half
Of his army to capture or drive into
the river the sixth corps. Early's di-
vision made the charge. coming on with
men massed in brigades. II has been
said that some Of our officers, seeing
the overwhelming force Of the rebels,
said il would be better to surrender
10 save loss Of life. and that General
Howe. division commander, said, let
the Vermonters have a hack at them"
Our line was thin, long gaps between
the different regiments, for 1000 men
had a line two miles long to hold.
On they came. but nowhere could
they break through our line. One bri-
gade came up through a piece Of woods
into the field. where the 9th Vermont
regiment laid fat on the ground be-
hind a little nee, coming up TO with
in % feet, when the front line halted.
Others, coming up in their rear, Joined
them, - that they stood three OF four
men deep At the command. ~For-
ward" given BY our colonel, We
Jumped up snd fred right in their
faoss, gave that ven and charged bayo-
net on them. The line broke. some