The National tribune., 1883-02-08

was held in Boston on the Both ult, Mrs. H.
Florence Bowker, the President, in the chair.
There was 4 full attendance of delegates and a
large number ofinterested spectators all ladies.
The various reports were highly satisfactory
the total number of subordinate corps beng
twcnty-onC, and the gain in membership 22o
Since the corps were organized the sum OF Slu-
600 has been expended IN relief work. At lZ:3O
o'clock Communicated Chief Van DcrvOort and
the Department officers visited the convention
and were formally received. The President
cordially welcomed the Commandcr-ln-Chlet
and comrades in felicitous speech, and the Sec
rotary, Mrs. Sarah f. Fuller, gave brief re-
sumo OF the work of the corps during the past
four years. Brief speeches were also made by
the Chaplain Mrs. BOyingtOn, and the SENIOR
Vice Commander, Miss Mason. Communicating
Chief Paul Van DervoOrt was then introduced
as the first commander-in-chief of the Grand
Army who had ever occupied the platform OF
the Massachusetts Womans Relief Corps con
ventiOn. Commander Van Dervoort SAID that
when the Grand Army of the Republic ceased
to recognize the women Of the war, 1t ceased TO
recognize the principles of its organization. At
Andersonvillc, lying behind the dcad-line for
six months, the only face that looked upon him
with sympathy-cxcept those of the cOlOred peO-
ple-was that of white lady of Georgia. When
the prisoners had been exchanged and were In
the hospital in Gods country" as it was
called by the boys in blue, the first face they
q Il
the mothers and wives of soldiers had the
heaviest burdens to bear. The prOudest out
growth of the Grand Army OF the Republic he
thought, the wOmanS Auxiliary corps
Without the aid and sympathy of loyal women,
he believed the stars and bars would to-day be
floating all over the South. Their letters OF
love and fire encouraged the wounded i'll hos
pitfalls to resolve to live, and, living, to 90 again
to the front in the great cause. He wished
that the organization might be enlarged so that
all loyal and philanthropic women could march
| with the men of the Grand Army. Speeches
were also made by Junior Vice Communicating
| Chief Bangs, Adjutant-G General Brown, Quar-
| termaster GOodalc, Past Chaplain-l IN Chief
| Lowering and Colonel T. L. Bowkcr After the
| presentation to the Commander-in-Chicf OF an
| elegant bouquet of flowers that adorned tho
reading desk, the delegation of Department
officers withdrew.
"Adiutant," Springfield, Mass, writes us that
matters connected with the q. a. Ii. have been
! quite lively in that section in the past week,
and several interesting events are promised IN
! the near future. Thursday evening, the 26th
| ult T. X Wilcox Post, No. 16, Springfield (of
which our correspondent is a member attended
| the Soldiers Campfire" of Fitzpatrick Post,
| No. II, of HolyOkc. There were also present
| the Posts from ChiCopec, northampton, and
| Amherst. About 400 comrades attended and
! sat down to five long tables i'll the City Hall.
! The boys took very kindly to their rations and
| in short time afterwards pipes and tobacco
were produced and the really interesting part
! of the Campfire commenced. Speeches were
made songs sung, and stories told, and one and
all declared that X fitzpatrick Post had originated
and carried through a genuine old soldiers
| Campfire, and one hard to beat. The COM
radcs returned home on special trains at one
! o'clock, and on leaving gave the Holyoke COM
radcs the hearty cheers they so well deserved.
| Wednesday evening, the 3lSt ut:, Wilcox Post
| turned ont 100 comrades TO attend the banquet
| at Hartford, given by Nathaniel Lyon and
Il. o. Tyler Posts, of that city, TO the delegates
to the Department Convention, IN session at
that time The Post was invited,to attend as
the special guests of Lyon and Tyler Posts, and
received glorious welcome. The banquet was
firSt-claSS, and what demand there was for
those knapsacks, which were placed by the
plate of each COmradc, and contained the lndlS-
pcnsable cigar The affair in every way was
perfect success and comrades are very seldom
! permitted to listen to such an array OF speakers
as We're heard on the occasion. just think OF
| the list: Commander in Chief Van Derv0Ort,
Chaplain in-Chief Foster, Ex-Governor jewell
| Lieut. Governor Sumner, EX-Lieut.- Governor
! Buckley Comrade Beath (Our former Adiutant-
| General, besides representative speakers from
! the Departments of Connecticut and MaSSaChu-
sets, and also that large-fearted and patriotic
woman the world renowned Clara Barton,
who received perfect ovation from the COM
! radcs. in remembrance of her untiring devotion
to the sick and wounded soldiers in the war.
The comrades left Hartford about 2 o'clock,
arriving home at $, and all declaring that they
| had been favored in attending such an enter
| tainment.
Comrade Roland f. Bowen, member of G..
! A. Custer Post, No. 20, Milibury, Mass, died
on the 2lst ult., aud was buried on the 10Th
| with Post hOUOrS. He was member OF Co. Is,
| Fifteenth Massachusetts, and seven comrades of
that company attended the funeral, among
them being A. A. Simonds of Dayton, O., who
escaped from prison with him. The floral
emblenfs were very beautiful. COmrade Bowen
was a famous checker player, and his chess
library was, with one exception, the finest in
the country He died at the age of forty-siX,
of disease contracted i'll the army, and leaves a
wife and two children.
Comrade C. w. Putnam, Worcester, Mass,
writes that Post No. 10 of that place realized
| about 81 600 from its presentation of The Old
! Flag or the Battle Of Newbcrn," ut the City
Theatre, January 23-i-5-6-7th, and that the
interest of the performance was greatly height
ened by the cvolutiOns Of the City Guards,
fifty strong commanded by Capt Z. K. Shum-
way The Post now numbers 453 members,
about 100 having been added during the past
year During that period the relief committee
| expended $1,Gi222 Of which SSl9.85 was for
the relief of sick and needy members of the
| Post S}26. 40 for soldiers not members, and
1882 for widows and children of soldiers.
The fair at Mechanics Hall, December, 1882,
melted 3, 52419 DIR. Albert A. Wood is chair
man. Gen Josiah Pickett treasurer, and e. A.
Rice secretary of the relief committee. The
first two have served continuously for fourteen
years.
Comrade Newcemb Springfield, Mass, writes:
"The Union Campfire at IIOlyokc was a good
success About five hundred old boys sat down
to bountiful supper, and with the usual good
speaking and singing pleasant evening was
passed. But our Camp-res are far from being
perfect. In the first place they should not be
Stag parties. The ladies a great help.
and we should invite them to all our Camp
fires. Some men who were i'll the army seem
to think it duty to smoke until they are
black in the face, but | am not alone in claim
ing that we should smoke less and entertain
the ladies more. At Wcsttied Camp-fre-the
leading one Of the Experimentation supper was
prepared by the ladies and served by them,
and | venture to say 1T was more enjoyed by
the comrades present than any Campfire this
winter"
circular has been issued by Commander
Charles H. Baker, of General Lander Post, No.
5, Lynn, Mass VIM. l.. Baird, adiutant asking
information in the case of Comrade James NJ.
Sergeant, of that Post, who served in company
NJ, Second regiment California cavalry, Captain
George NJ. Price He was first troubled with
blindness at Fort Bridger in 1865, and grad
ually growing worse, has for the past six years
10. 4at, -, Go,