The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-08-02
tenance, and his personal address is very win
THE WORK BEFORE HIM.

nlnS
THE WORK BEFORE HIM.
The duties and obligations of the new adj
minstration are of no ordinary character, in
view of the magnificent success of the retiring
leader. From General Paul Van Dervoort it
has received the key to success. It must be
used, if the work shall stand approved of the
eighteenth annual session. That key should
be labelled Personal leadership" and du-
plicate furnished to every Department and
Post il the Union. When General Van Der
WORT was called to take command of the Grand
Army of the Republic, with sagacity equalled
by Grant alone, when he assumed the leader
ship Of all the armies, he took his position in
the front line, and only the picket-guards have
ever seen his back from that time to this.
There has beer but one general command, and
that has been, Forward, and take the works"
To this raliying cry, 81 900 new recruits have
responded within the year. The work of the
new chief is clearly outlined in the words of
the retiring commander: 1--WE have one million
men, who wore the blue to recruit into our
Order, and this work must be speedily done or
the opportunity viii be forever lost" Com
mander-in- Chief Van DervOort more than
doubled the Order during the brief period of
his administration Nothing short of the same
increase will satisfy the expectations of the
veterans at the conclusion of the year just en-
tered upon. Patient, persistent, untiriug per-
sonal work is what is wanted, and for this
Paul Van DeryOort, through the whole history
of the Order, must serve as an illustrious ex-
emplar.
General Beath has selected the following as
his official staff:
Adjutant-G General, John NJ yanderslice, of
Philadelphia; Quartermaster General, John
Taylor, of Philadelphia; Inspector General G..
A. Santameyer of Carthage, Ohio; Judge-Ad-
vocate- General, VIM. Vandeveer, of Iowa
On Friday General Beath called meeting
of Department Commanders, and addressed
them as TO the policy he would pursue. The
meeting was held at the Iowa delegation head
quarters, in the Windsor, with closed doors.
The Commanders reported everything IN a
Furnishing condition.
THE VICE COMMANDERS CAREER
William Warner, of Missouri, who was unani-
mously elected Vice Commander upon his
nomination by Conradc A. W. Wills, of Nash
vile, first enlisted as a private in the Thirty
third Wisconsin. He afterwards served as
adiutant and captain of the same regiment and
subsequently, was assistant adjutant- general to
General A. j. Smith, and was mustered out at
the age of twenty-three, in August, 1865, as
major of the Forty-fourth Wisconsin. He was
invited by an autographic letter from Presi-
dent Lincoln to go to Washington and accept
the position of captain and assistant adjutant-
general in the Regular army. Refusing this,
career has been upward and onward ever since.
lie organized the first Grand Army of the Re
public Post in Kansas City in 1866, and subse-
| quently recognized the Department in 1882,
and was its first Department Commander; is
now serving out his second term. At Balti-
more he represented SOS members and thirteen
Posts. To-day he represents 103 Posts and
5000 members-a gain of 700 per cent. increase
ia membership, and ninety Posts. He is a
man who will add brains and efficiency TO the
/ Western and Southern Departments. For his
work 10000 members and 200 Posts are guar
auteed for Missouri in 1884, and Tennessee and
Georgia will add 100 more. After being mus
tered out he settled in Kansas City, was elected
city attorney and afterwards mayor of Kansas
City, and Is now United States attorney for
Missouri.
THE JUNIOR VICE COMMANDER.
Walter w. Holmes, of California, enlisted as
private In the Eighth New York State militia
April II, 1861, in which regiment he took part
in the first battle of Bull Run. On his return
home in September. 1851, he at once joined the
! fifth senatorial district regiment, New York
volunteers in which he recruited a company,
receiving the commission of lieutenant. The
regiment was afterwards made the One Hun
dred and Seventh New York volunteers, and
attached TO the Corcoran Irish Legion. The
command assisted in the siege OF Richmond
operating in the rear upon the Blaekwater. and
participating in the capture of Norfolk, Suffolk
and Washington, II. C. In 1863 the command
was made the Second brigade, Second division
Second Army Corps. under Hancock, and was
engaged in all the battles of the Army of the
Potomac until October, 1868, by which time he
| had been promoted TO captain. He then was
transferred to HancOck's veteran corps as
! lieutenant, where he remained until the close
Of the war He Joined the Grand Army of the
Republic IN 1861 and was one of the organizers
OF Barbara Frictehie Post, Of Brooklyn, n. Y.
In 1871 he went TO California, and was q char
ter member of George H. Thomas Post, No. ,,
which was organized in 1879 He was Post
Commander two years, during which time he
recruited 276 men by personal solicitation. He
has been 3 delegate to tho last three National
Eneampments and IS justly considered one OF
of the best workers IN the Order