The National tribune., 1882-12-21
TIE GRAND ARMY,
An Important Interview With Com
mander-in-Chief VanDerVOOrt.

glad TO know that he Is IN excellent nealth anu
spirits, despite the fact that since ms election
he has undergone the fatigue of 21O37 miles OF
railroad travel in the course of his visits to the
various Departments.
He talked freely to the editor of The TRIB-
line concerning the condition and prospects of
the Order, and what he had TO say was OF such
general interest that, with his consent, we re-
produce herewith, for the benefit Of our com
rades of the Grand Army and our eS-sodlers
generally, the substance of the conversation.
In reply to a question as TO his movements
since his adjournment of the National Encamp-
ment at Baltimore, Commander-in-ChlefN VAN
DervOOrt said:
immediately after the close of the Balti-
moro Encampment | availed myself of the OPP
portunity to visit the Department of the Poto-
macand afterwards the Department of Virginia.
] then returned direct TO Omaha, Nebraska, and
opened the National Headquarters of the Grand
Army there Having made my appointments
and all the necessary arrangements for the con-
duct of the business of the office, | next paid
avsit TO the Department of Colorado. On my
return. in the month of August, L came East
again. and inspected all the New England De-
partments, with the exception of Massachusetts.
At the close of this visit | retraced my steps
again. in order to keep my engagement III the
West. Among the Reunions in which / partlcl-
pated were those at Grand Island, Neb., Topeka,
Kan, and Des Moines, Iowa. At their close /
TO be on Grand Army Day, and Immediately
afterwards returned to headquarters, in order
10 fill engagements in Nebraska and Iowa In
October the Bi-Centennial celebration occurred
at Philadelphia, and i came East once more, so
as TO be in that city on Grand Army Day. This
was but a flying visit however, and returned
almost Immediately TO headquarters. Thence
/ started out last month to make the tour of
the Departments of Ohio and Indiana, in each
Of which filled eight appointments. Ny last
trip included a-visit to Kansas City, st. Louis
Athens, O., Parkersburg and Clarksburg, w.
Va, whence / came direct TO this city"
THE WINTER AND SPRING CAMPAIGN.
"Have you formed any plans for the remain
der of your term?" asked the editor of The
TRIBUNE.
"Yes," replied the General "I have mapped
out my campaign pretty fully. / go TO Balti-
more tonight December 1Sth), and shall be
in Wilmington tomorrow, returning thence
on Wednesday to become guest of Lincoln
Post of this city, and on Thursday morning
shall start West again to spend Christmas with
my family at Omaha. Early in January | ex
pect 10 make the tour Of the Departments Cf
Wisconsin and Minnesota, in each of which /
have six appointments, and on the 18th of that
month | have promised TO be present at the
Encampment OF the Department of Mich
igan at Grand Rapids. AT its close intend to
visit several places in Illinois, and shall then 90
direct to Troy, \. Y, where the Encamp-
ment Of that Department will be held on the
oath prox. The Encampment of the Depart
ment of New jersey will be held on the 26th
proX., and | have promised TO attend that also.
At its close ! shall run down to Boston TO attend
the annual Encampment of the Department of
Massachusetts,, and shall then return to head
quarters. The month of February ! shall, in
all probability, devote to the Departments of
Nebraska and Iowa, aud some time i'll April /
n.
Post of the Grand Army has been maintained
for some years under very adverse circum-
stance Ii has asked and deserves the COM
plimtnt Of a personal visit. In May il is my
int ntion II start for the Pacific coast, where /
shall visit the Departments of California and
Oregon and the provisional Department Of
Washington Territory, returning in time to
complete my report for the year and make the
necessary arrangements for the meeting of the
National Encampment at Denver next sum-
mer"
4" Has any day been fixed for the National
Encampment?"
"a No public announcement has yet been made
of the date, but if you choose you say to your
readers that the National Encampment will be
held at Denver, on the Sth 9th, and 10th Of
August that time having been selected with
view to accommodating those of our comrades
who are also Knights Templar and wish to
stop there on their way to their triennial con-
clave at San Francisco"
HOW THE GRAND ARMY Is GROWING.
snow, General" said the editor of THE
TRIBUNE, good many predictions have been
made as 10 the number of recruits that would
be mustered into the Grand Army during YOUR
administration. You, yourself, / believe, ex-
pressed the hope that $4,000 would be added to
its membership during your term of service,
and The TRIBUNE, as you may, perhaps have
noticed, has suggested that the number might
just as well be made 100000. Now, what do
the official figures show?"
We'll" General Van Dervoort replied, "my
term, you know, dates back to the 31st Of
March, and the official returns for the first
quarter show an increase of 1900 members.
The returns for the second quarter-which is
the period during which members are dropped
from the rolls for non-payment Of dues and
other causes, and Is therefore, the least favor
able of the year-have not vet been cOnsoli-
dated but twelve Departments show a gain of
5000 members, and the total, / think, will not
fall below 10000. During the present quarter,
ending the 31st of this month, the gains
have been very large indeed, two Departments
alone showing All increase of 5000, and think
it is perfectly safe to say that up to date there
has been an increase Of fully $4,000 members in
the strength Of the Grand Army"
I" 1t is quite possible, then, that the increase
will reach total of 100000 before the close of
your terrn2"
Yes, it looks so now, especially as my term
will extend until the meeting Of the next Ma
tional Encampment, in August, and my report
will cover the entire period from March 81,
1882, to June 80, 1888"
THE NEED OF INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.
should be perfectly sure of it, indeed, if
our comrades all were alive to the importance
of making individual efforts to obtain new re-
cruits and establish new Posts. This is the
one great fact which / wish to impress upon
the members of the Grand Army-the value
and need Of individual effort. | think special
recognition should be extended to comrades
who make unusual exertions in this direction,
and have taken occasion to personally thank
such as have made any notable effort to build
up the membership of the Grand Army The
trouble is, as a rule, that everybody waits for
everybody else, and what is everybody's bus-
ness, you know, is nobody's business. Commits
sioner Dudley's estimate Of the number of ex-
soldiers still living in this country shows that
only one-tenth are, as yet enrolled in the
Grand Army. 1t is evident therefore, that
there is great deal of work yet to be done.
The field Is white TO the harvest, but the
laborers are few. If every comrade would go
resolutely to work by himself to see what he
could do in the way Of obtaining recruits or
founding new Posts, there is no reason in the
world why the Grand Army should not muster
three hundred Thousand new members next
year. hope THE TRIBUNE will keep this fact
ual effort that we must look for the growth of
the Grand Army in the future"
KIND WORDS FOR THE TRIBUNE.
You have noticed, perhaps, General, that |
THE TRIBUNE has been doing a little some-