This is part of a series on Lafayette’s visit to New England – June 13 to June 29 1825.
As Lafayette journeyed to Royalton there was a concourse of citizens from in procession under the direction of Oel Billings. There were several assistants with two small lads one of whom was six year old Dudley Chase Denison later one of the most prominent attorneys in Royalton. About two miles from the village the escort was met by the Turnbridge cavalry company commanded by Captain Eaton. The arrived at Royalton about 2:00 PM to a national salute fired by a band of revolutionary patriots.
The procession moved to the front of Colonel Smith’s hotel which would later be the Cascadnac House.
Jacob Collamer addressed Lafayette,
General Lafayette – In behalf of the citizens of Royalton and its vicinity I am requested to express their extreme joy at beholding you among us. We bid you welcome to the green hills and happy villages of Vermont.
We know no way of rendering this welcome more acceptable to our nation’s guest than by assuring you that every little town and village, however remote and obscure in the mountains which environ it, is happy the care and protection of the government.
In the full enjoyment, in common with our splendid cities, of all those privileges and blessings which flow from the liberality of our republican institutions, and surrounded with the light and intelligence which attend those institutions we cannot be insensible whence those blessing flow, of the debt of gratitude which they imply. These are the happy results of your early labors and those of your compatriots, Hence the thrill of pleasure which, at your condescending visit, vibrates with electric rapidity and sympathetic orison to the most obscure and remote recesses and extremities of our nation.
Humbly, then, Sir, but with sincere hearts would we wish to add, to the gratulations of our cities, our rustic salutations of welcome, and thus express a nation’s gratitude to its early benefactor.
We bless the day on which we are permitted to behold you, for your name and services we have long been accustomed to associate and identify with those of the Father of our country.:
About twenty Revolutionary soldiers were introduced. Each soldier after shaking hands with Lafayette stepped back a few paces and discharged his musket in salute. . It is said that Paul Clark whose musket failed to fire never recovered from his mortification.
Mrs. Harriet Collamer Johnson, Collamer’s your daughter later wrote:
“Of all the pictures that hang on memory’s walls none is more vivid to me today than the scene of Lafayette’s visit to my native village. I stood holding my mother’s hand, in the front door of my old homestead, and saw a carriage drawn by six white horses with a venerable gentleman bowing right and left to the crowd.”
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
For information on the bicentennial of Lafayette’s tour check out Lafayette200.org