The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-02-23
4. N. v.
Reunion Of the louisiana Branch
Of the Army Of Northeru
Virginia.
a Delightful Event.

| a Delightful Event.
Those who have passed through dangers
together feel bound together by tie stronger
than that Of ordinary friendship. The shat.
ing of . common risk, the Drawing of q like
hazard of life, draws men in closer relation
ship than the ordinary contact in civil life
Those who have stormed the "deadly
breach together can never after forget one
another, and the act creates kind of brother
hood more lasting than social relationship.
Some time ago . large numbey of those
who in old 81 volunteered to sacrifice the
comforts of home and the con,panionship of
friends to serve their State in the late. civil
contest, concluded to form an association as
q branch of that formed before in Virginia
under the title of the "Association of the
Army Of Northern Virginia"
The idea met with responsive echo on all
sides, and the membership rapidly increasing,
the Louisiana Branch soon became one Of the
institutions of our city.
The following officers were elected, the old
comrades-in-arms rallied as they did before,
and the span Of years was closed, and Louisi.
anas own once more moved togethes in .
common purpose.
President, E. D. Willett; First Vice Presi-
dent, A. Brady; Second Vice President, W.
NJ. Owen; Third Vice President, w. H. Man.
ming; Fourth Vice President, Francis T. Mich
OILS; Fifth Vice President Jules Lisso; Treas
urer, Henry Kopman; Recording Secretary.
John H. Murray; Corresponding Secretary,
John Fitzpatrick.
The reunion held last evening was for the
purpose of drawing closer those ties of COM
paderie and to cement that brotherhood of
arms. The organization formed for the ben
eft Of the MANNED and crippled Of Louisiana
soldiers, has already done much good, and
their energies give promise of more.
| Their efforts in the cause of benevo1ence
and good fellowship have been fraught with
the most signal success, and their labors have
been, although but initiatory, the source Of
much graduation.
About quarter past six last evening over
two hundred members of the Louisiana
Branch of the Army of Northern Virginia met
at the arsenal of the Washington Artillery, on
Perdido street, and headed by the band of the
Sd U. S. Regulars, kindly sent by Capt.
Brooks, q. S. A., marched around TO the Odd
Fellows Hall to partake OF their first associa-
ton dinner.
Long tables groaning beneath weight Of
the choicest viands, exquisitely prepared by
that maestro, Astred6. awaited their coming,
and after blessing had been asked by the
Rev. Father Hubert. all hands fell to work
with an appetite somewhat whetted by the
tramp of the day. Instead of sponge-staff
and bayonet, knife and fork were kept. busy
for some time, until there was a general call
for "cease firing" when President Willett
addressed the gentlemen as follows:
Comrades Of the Louisiana Division of the Army
|. OF Northern Virginia
Celebrating to-day our first annual reunion,
it has been my hope and solicitude to have
been able to secure the services of some one
of our old comrades, who. endowed with high
oratorical gifts, would make it his pleasant
duty to lay before you in words full of burn.
ing eloquencs, theme worthy of your atten-
ton and appropriate to the occasion. But
failed, by reason Of circumstances over which
human will and solicituds have no control as
President of your Association, though unac.
customed to speech making and unendowed
by nature to weave into the wool OF argument
the cunning web of words, it devolves upon
me to extend to you, ON this occasion, . few
words OF greeting.
The objec: of our association, comrades, az
you we'll know-and in truth there is no other
oh in soffn in, 40 10 he
constitution adopted by you for your guild
snce, is for the purpose "of preserving
record Of all from Louisians who participated
as officers and soldiers in the Army of North
ern Virginia, in the late war between the
United States and the Confederate States; of
collecting and preserving the materials from
which truthful history OF Lousiana's share in
that struggle may hereafter be prepared, and to
cherish the ties of friendship and fulfil the
army who may be in need Of help and assist
ance.
We come here then, not banded eogethes
in ''battle's magniicently stern array" nor
with the ''grim visaged front of war" IS was
once our wont in those trying days Of yore, to
do battle against the nation or to fight 1or OF
perpetuats any principle repugnant 10 your
dutits ss good citizens of this great nation;
but to perpetuate the Secord of deeds in
which We participated, to which we a4e living
witnesses; to collect the material from which
the future historian may digest . truthful tale |
for all future reference Of what Louisianians
did in that mighty struggle; to cherish sim
cere friendship amongst ourselves. and TO
practice loving charity toward the unfortu-
nate and the needy survivors OF that nobl,
band.
And looking around me, brothers, friends,
comrades, what "reminiscences crowd upon
me! What facts for the historians pen pre-.
sent themselves to memory! behold the
familiar faces of the few survivors of that no.
bic band of Louisianians who stood shout.
Ter RI uhoul1or ofaodfasf "a faithful 6ohtinO