The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-24

Mr. Montgomery said:
Mr. Chairman and Friends:
STANDING in this presence on this
notable occasion, my first duty IS TO ex-
press thanks and appreciation for the
honor and privilege of joining with you
in celebrating Old Home day. In all the
years of the separation from the scenes
and friends of early life my thoughts
have often reverted to Dear Old IoWn-
shend. Recollections rush into the nina
all the burial places of memory give up
their dead; the present becomes the past
and / again become a boy.
One of the accepted privileges OF the /
old is to reminisce, therefore you VIII
please pardon me running reference TO
my past not in the spirit of concert put
to bring before you the salient facts OF
nv life. Celebration of Old Home day |
commends itself to all, lest we forget the
fundamental facts which have shaped our
character and destiny.
'.Some of us recall the time when men
parted the garments of the country ana
cast lots over the vesture of the govern
nent. Still vivid in our minds Is the
picture of that magnificent host OF young
men from the North with swords
wreathed in the beauty of the lilies as
they went forth to save the Union. Yer
mont of her bravest and best freely gave.
Friends, my purpose is simply to por-
tray my connection with the Green
Mountain Boys in that tremendous con-
fict. :,
The opening thunders of the Civil
war were heard while | stood a little
slave boy on the banks of the Mississippi
river 4 short distance from my home
the Sth Vermont regiment was encamped
at Algiers, opposite New Orleans. Al
most daily saw soldiers go through their
maneuvers, saw the glittering guns and
bayonetS, the flashing swords, heard the
ha
of the band.
"Boy-like / was charmed with the
spectacle and an irresistible impulse
seized me to be with the soldiers. | ran
away from home. That was my first
connection with the regiment They did
not call me a mascOt-the word was not
then current-but as a matter of fact
was. Two splendid officers were espe-
cially kind to me: 1t. S. E. Howard of
Jamaica and Capt. III. f. Dutton of Lud-
low. With the regiment l made the cam
paign in Louisiana, and eventually
reached Port Hudson, where for III days
the gallant Sth engaged in the siege of
that impregnable stronghold.
The investment of this Gibraltar of
the cOnfederacy was costly in the death
of many men of the regiment | have
CHASTITY picture of the dead as they were
being buried in narrow, shallow trenches.
At last Fort Hudson fell, and we were at
once ordered to the Shenandoah valley,
Virginia for service under Gen. Phil
Sheridan, the brilliant cavalry officer.
Here occurred the battle of Winchester,
Va, and Col DuttOn while leading the
regiment into the battle had his arm
shattered and was borne to the rear with
hundreds of others whose bleeding forms
have never faded from my eyes.
Col. Dutton was sent to Townshend
and | accompanied him. Through many
weary months of suffering he was nursed
by his devoted wife and Mrs. Cathan, and
under their Skillful and loving care he
passed the danger point.
Il was accepted as a member of the
Cathan household and accorded the kind
est consideration and treatment by all.
The God-fearing men and women of the
town extended TO me a warm and hearty
welcome; the young peOple-the boys
and girls-made me a companion and /
forgot that | had dark face.
Over the graves of the noble fathers
and mothers of that time, the grasses of
many years have been waving. If ! for
get them let my right hand forget her
cunning, let my tongue cleave to the roof
of my youth if | remember them not
4 will ever cherish and hold them in
enduring and honOring memory. All that
l am, all that i have achieved in life l
| owe to the good people of Townshend,
and it is with sense of profound graft
! tude that | here and now declare the
| debt. In this presence on Old Home day
may | ask you to accept this humble
| tribute from one cast by the red tide of
| war into your midst. one who has tried
| to maintain in his life and work the sa-
| cred traditions and ideals of Vermont
THE people of New England brought
/ God into the country and have grand'y
| Kept him there during all the years of the
| marvellous developments which have
made our country great, grand and glo-
riOus
| Living during the impressionable pc
Rod OF my career among the Christian
| people OF the town, / early chose tina {
| good part to which / have chung through
all the yicissitudes of life; and as man
| whose sands of life are running low, who
has given thought to life and it's prob
| lens, | make bold to say to the young
people before me that religion is a good
| thing to live by, and a great cloud of
| witnesses through all the ages have de-
| clared it better thing to die by.
| CurSorily, briefly, brokenly. / have
| rehearsed the outstanding events which
| linked my life with the people of Town
shend. i cannot express the emotions of
gratitude that spring up in my heart
when i recall what | was and what |
am, / cannot forget the men whose vaIor
snatched me from bondage, who rest
Under the sod and the dew.
Waiting the Judgment Day.
/ 4 cannot forget the noble fathers and
mothers of the long ago; and | will cher
ISL In grateful and lasting memory the
good will and the high honor you have
this day shown to me-"
Rev. r. Ii. Bosworth gave brief re-
marks in a humorous vein and original
verses were read by V. w Boyden. the
underlying thoughts of which were that
though hundreds attended the celebration
/ vet our minds could picture the TONS az
thousands who have peepled the town
during past years and whose spirit is
with us today
Miss Alice Dale gave three solos, The
Plne Tree, by Mary Turner Salter
looming, by Del Reigo, and Mammy's
song, by Porter. Mrs Walter Plumb
was accompanies.
The tickets for the comedy. Deacon
Dubbs, presented in the town hall in the
evening, We're sold ont LONG hefnr. ,,inht-