Morning journal and courier., 1883-12-06
Sons of Veterans.

| The Pioneer Post fn Connectieut-Its l Rapid GrOvvth-The Laudable Objects
 and Aim of the Organization.
 l Nathan Hale camp No. 1, of New Haven,
 Conn Division Sons of Veterans, at regu-
 lar meeting held Tuesday evening. December
 4th, elected the following officers for the
 term of six months from January 1st, 1881: Captain Charles K Farnhan: first lieutenant, A. | H. Buckingham, jr.; second lieutenant W. H. Mum
 son; chaplain, E. F. Hill; surgeon, Frank R. Lang ] dale.
 The staff was appointed follows: Or
 9 Fsnk Fred farsBBG quertsa cor sergeant, W L. Buckingham; ordy. sergeant, E.
 pal musician, A. F. sawe corporaI of the guard, L. [. Scranton; corporals Fred U 9aineS, George A. picket guard, c. F. Jones.
 Nathan Hale camp was organized August 1 22d last and in the short period that has
 elapsed has grown rapidly and is already a fine and prosperous organization with fifty
 members. They meet on the first and third
 Tuesday evenings of each month in the hall
 of Henry c. Merwin post, corner of Church and Grown streets.
 circular issued to the different posts by
 William H. Pierpont, brevet colonel com
 manding division of Vermont, signed also by
 Theodore H. Macdonald, adjutant, sets forth
 the obisct and aim of the body, which is to
 maintain through these organizations of
 Sons of Veterans the object and aims of the
 G. A. R. posts: ''To keep green the memo ries of our fathers and their sacrifices for the
 maintenance of the Union. To aid the mem
 bers of the Grand Army of the Republic in
 the caring for their helpless and disabled vet
 erans; to extend aid and protection to their widows and orphans; to Zperpetuate the memory and history of the
 heroic dead, and the proper observ-
 ance of Memorial day. To aid and assist inculcate patriotism and love of our country not only among our own membership, but among all the people of our land and to spread and sustain the doctrine of equal
 rights, universal liberty and justice to all.'' Phe circular, says: ''The question has
 beautiful ceremonies of Memorial day when our last comrade is called to the presence of the Great Commander. That question is now answered. Your sons and lineal de-
 scendants will do It, for we are in training for the good york; we are welded together
 by paternsl ties and our unity will secure peace to our government from strife within and enemies abroad."- "Comrade Paul Van Dervoort, of Nebraska, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, states that the G. A. R. has nearly reached it's maximum strength and will soon, from natural causes, rapidly decline; that when the last comrade is laid to rest
 the G. A. R. will have passed away forever. and that nothing has been or
 will be done to perpetuRte it but it proposes to nourish and encourage the Sons of Vet
 erans' as a separate organization, and con- l cIudes by saying: We must educate our children in the same principles we fought for. We must make tbem understand those principles thoroughly, so that when we pay the last debt they may decorate our graves with the wreaths our memories deserve.'
 ''The National Encampment of the G. A. R held at Baltimore in June, 1882, passed resolutions authorizing departments and posts to aid in forming camps, and at present Comrades Wm. E.. w. Ross of Baltimore, senior vice commander in chief, L s.
 Bangs of Maine, junior vice commander in chief, Wm. J. MaskeH of Chicago, and
 A. V. Bohn of Colorado have temporarily given their labor, influence and experience in establishing the order in the several States, and are actively engaged and laboring hard to organize camps and perfect division organ izations in their jurisdiction, So as to turn over their grand divisions fully organized at the earliest possible date.
 tsThis State is included in the grand division commanded by General I. s. Bangs, of Wa
 terville, Maine, who will cheerfully answer any questions of comrades concerning the organization generally. In order that com
 rades of the G. A. R. may know more fully the objects and work of the order they are called upon to be sponsors for, the constitu. tion confers upon the commander of grand division or the commandeE-in-chief the right
 to constitute limited number of comrades honorary life members with bfeYet rank
 Upon the recommendation of the post com
 mander under whose auspices the camp is or eanized or of the camp itself comrades of the
 G. A. R. will be appointed to the honorary position of life member and assigned to
 camp and their duty will be to act as advis-
 CTS to the camp, to be present at the meet
 lngs and give the camp the benefit of their experience and the power of their influence.
 These comrades pay no dues nor have they
 the right to vote, they wear the insignia of
 the division or grand division to which they
 are attached, and through their connection
 with us we expect to profit by their vast ex- perience.p
 Eligibility to membership is defined as
 follows: ''The sons, not less than eighteen
 years of age, of deceased or honorably
 discharged soldiers, sailors or marines who
 served in the Union army or navy during
 the civil var of 1S61-1865 shall be eligible to
 membership in the first class: also, upon at- taining the prescribed age, the eldest lineal male descendants of deceased members of the first class, and if there are no descendants, male or female, then the male heirs of such deceased members in the collateral branches of their families in the order of genealogical srecaRaion according to the rules of desceut,P