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Reunions
The Reunions of Company "I"
As Reported in the Vermont Tribune newspaper
14 Nov., 1912: "Co. I" Second Vermont Holds an Enjoyable Reunion - Present: This old company of men who served in the Civil War met in reunion in G. A. R. Hall Friday, November 8. The meeting was a very interesting and pleasant one. Dinner was served in the banquet hall by the ladies of Co. "I" and was greatly enjoyed and thankfully received by all. After dinner President Albert A. May assumed that one of their number was unable to come to the hall and proposed a visit to him. And all fell in and went over to Pleasant Street and made a very pleasant call on Henry G. Hemenway. Returning to the hall, the business meeting was called to order a little past two o'clock when fourteen answered to their names and five reported by letter. Those present were Volney S. Fullam, the first captain of the company, Albert D. Beckwith, John Barrett, Elwin A. Headle, Daniel D. Hemenway, Henry G. Hemenway, Charles H. Ray of Ludlow, Peter S. Chase of Brattleboro, Henry W. Colby of Kellyville, NH, Webster D. Derby of Peterboro, NH; Eleazer A. Hall of Plymouth, Abel Ray of South Reading, Sullivan E. Reed of Merrick, Mass., and Albert A. May of Meriden, Conn. Those responding by letter were: Rev. D. Page Perkins of No. Springfield; Harvey B. Austin of Akron, Ohio; Geo. B. Burbank of White Plains, NY; Warren S. Leslie of Osawatomie, Kansas, and Jasper N. Clark of Scottsville, Michigan. the company lost five by death during the past year: Benj. A. Prentice, Lorenzo A. Dodge, Capt. Daniel S. White, Moses P. Hesselton, and Frederick A. Fish. -- After the routine business the following officers were re-elected: Pres: Albert A. May; vice pres: Peter S. Chase; sec: Albert D. Beckwith; treasurer: Charles H. Ray; executive committee, all members of Co. "I", residents of Ludlow. It as voted to hold the next reunion in Ludlow in September or October, 1913. While this gathering was a very pleasant and enjoyable affair, yet to those looking on it was a sad sight to see these old men meet and greet each other with hearts as light as when they left this village in 1861, but with dimmed eyes and tottering limbs, fighting the old battles over again with apparently as much zeal and enthusiasm as in '61 and '65. It is sad to realize that this noble body of men who offered themselves on the altar of their country and bared their breasts to the foe in 1861 to 1865 are now fast passing away, and in a very few years they will all have passed over and their memory only remain. Their deeds will go down in history but their forms will be lost to sight. Of those present at this reunion, Capt. Fullam was the oldest, being age 82, while Abel Ray was the youngest, being but 64. Albert A. May was the youngest man of the original company that went from this place in June, '61, being now 68 years old. These men have seen this country rise from a nation of little or no consequence to the most powerful and influential nation of the world, a nation whose flag is honored and respected by every nation on the face of the earth."
Ludlow, 26 June, 1913: "At the recent convention of the Department of Connecticut G.A.R. it again honored a former Ludlow boy, Albert A. May of Meriden, by making him not only Assistant Adjutant General, but Assistant Quartermaster General, as well. Capt. May was a member of Co. "I" Second Vermont Reg't."
Ludlow 6 Nov., 1913: "Company I Meets Again. A successful Reunion -- Twenty Present or Reporting out of a Possible Thirty-five. "The campaigns, the incidents, the experiences and the battles of the Civil War were all gone over again Friday, October 31st when Company "I", 2nd Vermont met in reunion in Grange hall. In speaking of Co. "I", we mean a remnant of that company of noble heroes who fought through the entire four years and more of that war. It is conceded by all who are familiar with its service that there never was a better company in the service. Others may have been as good, but none better. It was composed of the best young men of Ludlow and vicinity, and was every found ready and willing to perform any duty required of it no matter how hazardous. This company had during the war, 183 men; and today we know of thirty-five who are still living and twenty of that number were represented at the reunion. Those actually present were John Barrett, Albert D. Beckwith, Volney B. Fulham, Edwin A. Headle, Daniel D. Hemenway, Charles H. Ray of Ludlow; Henry W. Colby of Kellysville, NH; Webster D. Derby of Peterboro, NH; Eleazer A. Hall of Plymouth; Albert A. May of Meriden, Conn.; C. Wesley Priest of Belmont, Abel Ray of So. Reading. Letters of regret were received from Harvey K. Austin, Akron, Ohio; Peter S. Chase, Brattleboro; Jasper N. Clark, Scottsville, Mich.; Stephen Houghton, So. Londonderry, Warren S. Leslie, Osawatomie, Kan.; Perry G. Wells, St. Cloud, Fla; Amos E. Nichols, Reading; George B. Shaw & Willard Buxton, South Londonderry, Vt. The roll call brought out the sad fact that the Company had lost four members by death since the last reunion; namely Wallace D. King of Brandon; Edward E. Balch of Omaha, Neb., Rev. D. Page Perkins, of N. Springfield, and Henry G. Hemenway of Ludlow. At the business meeting, which came at two o'clock after a hearty dinner served by the ladies, it was voted to change the time of meeting from late in the fall to early summer; the next reunion to be held in Ludlow on the second Friday in June, the 13th, 1914. The following officers sere all re-elected for the ensuing year: Albert A. May of Meriden, Conn., president; Peters S. Chase of Brattleboro, vice president; Albert D. Beckwith of Ludlow, secretary; Charles H. ray of Ludlow, treasurer. Very interesting remarks were made by Volney S. Fulham who was the first Captain and organizer of the Company. Webster D. Derby, Charles H. ray and Albert A. May, who gave an account of his recent trip to the southland to attend the national convention in Chattanooga, Tenn., and others. It was sad and almost pathetic to see these old men clasp each other's hands, and call each other boys as they did fifty years ago and more. These men have honorable records as soldiers they have been successful and exemplary citizens and are now loved, honored and respected old men. The wish and prayer are that their lives may long be spared to enjoy the rich heritage, the great blessings, which comes to them and to us through their efforts and bravery and self sacrifice from 1861 to 1865. God bless them and keep them. May the richest of heaven's blessings rest upon every one. Company "I" did not put down the rebellion, but it did all it could and in company with the rest of the great army came home in 1865 proud victors, not to gloat over its foes, but to rejoice with them that peace was restored, the country united and the flag of our country maintained as the emblem of liberty and the flag of the free."