government in our hands;-that we, the armies of the Potomac, the James, and the Tennessee, were the country and the government, and that we, thank God! were yet complete and, in the full pride of our power, able to control the situation. I rode back in profound dejection, thinking of Snyder and my fateful interview with the president so quickly stricken.

On Saturday, the 15th, I had written to my friends in the North: "The war is over and we all feel as though we might be mustered out any moment. I, myself, feel my occupation gone; do not expect to see an armed rebel or again hear a hostile shot fired. Lee's army is crowding in here, but we feel no more of their presence than as though they were the Rutland Light Guard, and now it is all that is left of that once grand and glorious Army of Northern Virginia. What a terrible fate has, like a lightning stroke fallen upon it.”

Shortly after this I took the brigade across the James to the Broad Rock race course, three miles south of Manchester, where we went into tents again.

From here it began to be scattered. On the 20th of May I wrote: "The 25th army corps, Weitzel, sailed last evening for Texas, 25,000 strong. We are breaking up and floating apart and loose, like a weakened raft. I have but three of my regiments with me. The 19th Wisconsin is at Fredericksburg, the 81st New York at Williamsburg, and the 98th New York at Danville; but the brigade is not destroyed and they report to me. I feel very strangely toward this approaching short and charming month of June, that is to cap and make complete my three years of war experience. Every day that passes and brings me nearer to a peace footing and citizenship teaches me how strongly, more strongly than I ever dreamed, I have become wedded to this stirring, heroic life; and yet it has become painfully monotonous, and when, day before yesterday upon the arrival of Gov. Pierrepoint, a salute was fired, and the roar of the first gun broke the oppressive and stifling silence of the past two months, regiment after regiment sprang to its feet and gave cheer after cheer of gratified relief. Those who argue that henceforth Fourths of July will be dull and stupid are wrong. The guns of the Fourth will stir the blood of thousands of men who are pining for the excitement of their war days, and will thrill through them like

wine to a faint and thirsty man, or the blast of a bugle to a war horse."

On the 9th of June I wrote: "To-morrow we have our good-by corps review, after which the gallant 24th army corps will pass into history. It will be a sad sight for all. I shall stay with my brigade until the last. My days and nights under southern skies, under trees, under canvass, under ground in trenches, on southern verandas, are rapidly drawing to a close, and as I leave mine, night after night, I heave many a sigh as I think that one more has gone, never to return."

Within a few days the 9th Vermont regiment, which had won distinction in general orders as the finest of the 18 regiments of Devens's division, left for Vermont to hang its banners in the capitol at Montpelier, lay aside its rifles, and sink away into our mountain valleys, to disappear from the sight of man forever, leaving but a dream of its glorious past. Life seemed collapsed in the dull routine of a country business, like the explosion of a shell in the air, leaving but little smoke and few fragments behind to tell of the glorious days that had been.

Ample applause followed the more telling passages of the address, which held the absorbed interest of the audience, and General Ripley was heartily cheered as he took his seat.

On motion of Col. A. S. Tracy, a vote of thanks was tendered to General Ripley, with the request for a copy of his address for publication.

Following the exercises at the State House, the members returned to the Pavilion, where the annual banquet was held. A number of ladies were in attendance and the dining hall was well filled. Ex-Lieut.-Governor Z. M. Mansur of Newport The toasts and responses were as fol

acted as toastmaster.

lows:

"The President of the United States," Senator Redfield Proctor; "Vermont," Governor C. J. Bell; "The State Senate,' Lieut.-Gov. C. H. Stearns; "The Vermont Delegation in Congress," Senator W. P. Dillingham; "The House of Representa

tives," Representative Justus Dartt of Springfield; "The Army and Navy," Maj. H. W. Hovey, U. S. A., of Northfield; "The American Volunteer," Gen. F. G. Butterfield of Derby; "Memories of Our Service," Ex-Gov. S. E. Pingree of Hart-ford; "The Daughters of Vermont," Hon. Josiah Grout of Derby; "Vermonters at the Hub," Capt. Albert Clarke of Bos

ton.

THE FORTY-SECOND REUNION.

BURLINGTON, SEPTEMBER 8, 1905.

The forty-second annual meeting of the Society was called to order by its president, General Edward H. Ripley, at 3 p. m., September 8, 1905, in the Armory of Company M, V. N. G., on Main Street. About fifty members assembled for the business meeting. The minutes of the 41st annual meeting were read by the secretary, Lieut. J. H. Lucia. The report of the treasurer, Lieutenant Lucia, showed receipts during the year of $110.55 and expenditures of $130.95, leaving a deficit of $20.45. A collection to raise the deficit reimbursed the treasury with $30.

A nominating committee was constituted as follows:

First regiment, Lieut.-Col. W. Y. W. Ripley of Rutland; second regiment, Lieut. Charles W. Leach of Essex Junction; third, Captain Horace French of West Lebanon, N. H.; fourth, Lieut. J. B. Needham of Rutland; sixth, Lieut. Matthew Hussey of Rutland; seventh, Capt. William Cronan of Rutland; eighth, Capt. L. M. Hutchinson of Montpelier; ninth, Lieut. E. W. Jewett of Burlington; tenth, Major I. H. Evans of Austin, Tex.; eleventh, Capt. J. E. Eldredge of Randolph; twelfth, Capt. W. C. Landon of Rutland; thirteenth, Lieut. C. L. Marsh of Enosburgh Falls; fourteenth, Lieut. H. G. Sheldon of Rutland; sixteenth, Lieut. Hugh Henry of Concord, N. H.; seventeenth, Lieut. J. H. Lucia of Montpelier; sharpshooters, Sergeant Cassius Peck of Burlington; cavalry, Capt. T. S. Peck of Burlington; colored troops, Lieut.-Col. E. Henry Powell.

The committee reported the following list of officers who were duly elected:

OFFICERS FOR 1905-6.

President, Lieut. Albert Clarke of Boston.

First Vice-President, Capt. George W. Burleson of St. Albans.

Second Vice-President, Sergeant H. E. Taylor of Brat

tleboro.

Secretary and Treasurer, Lieut. J. H. Lucia of Mont

pelier.

Executive Committee, Lieut.-Col. A. C. Brown, chairman, Capt. L. M. Hutchinson and Lieut. L. W. Shedd, all of Montpelier.

Lieutenant Benedict from the committee appointed with reference to the proposed publication of a second volume of the Proceedings of the Society, reported that pledges of $25 each towards the expense of publication had been received from Redfield Proctor, U. A. Woodbury, L. G. Kingsley, G. G. Benedict, Z. M. Mansur, F. G. and F. D. Butterfield, W. Y. W. Ripley, E. H. Ripley, Josiah Grout, Albert Clarke, and Kittredge Haskins; of $10 from E. J. Ormsbee, and of $5 each from J. D. Hanrahan, A. B. Thompson, P. O. M. Edson, and E. L. Foster; and that although very few subscriptions for the volume had been received, it was expected that enough would be received to warrant the publication of the second volume, before another annual meeting. On motion the committee (G. G. Benedict, J. H. Lucia, and L. G. Kingsley) was continued for the ensuing year.

The chair appointed Capt. T. S. Peck as marshal for the evening, and the society took a recess until evening.