The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-12-04
THE GRAND ARMY.
The Commander in : Chiefs Tour
Through New England.
HEADQUARTERS BULLETIN

The Ca,na-Fircs Brightly Burning at All Point,
Away Down East.
Commander in Chief Kountz returned from
his New England tour in time 10 spend Thanks
giving with his family, deeply impressed with
the fraternal comradcship and generous hospi-
tally Of the Grand Army OF the Puritan hills
He is warmly enthusiastic over the cordial re-
ceptior everywhere rendered him. and proudly
reports the growth of interest and membership
in each Department visited. Leaving Toledo
Friday, Nov. II, with Judge Acknowledgements
Austin. of his staff, lie proceeded to Boston d.
rect, where the party was met at the depot
Saturday evening by Department Commander
Billings, and escorted to loung's Hotel where
they were the recipients OF
BosroNs pRouDEsT WELCOME
during their entire stay. 4 complete program
had been arranged, which was carried out with
the true military precision for which Com
mander Billings is distinguished, Assistant
Adiutant-G General Monroe ably scconding every
effort. Sunday was quietly and pleasantly
spent, including drive TO various points OF
interest Monday morning was given to visit
ing the Soldiers Home at Cheisea-Past De-
partment Commanders Patch and Evans join
ing the party-aud the afternoon 10 visit. by
invitation, TO the Headquarters of the Loyal
Legion and TO the State House, where Gov.
Robinson extended a cordial welcome to the
was
GRAND BANQUET At YoUNGs,
at which 200 leading Grand Army men, repre-
sentatives of 20 Posts, were present There
were comrades who had held high positions III
the Order received from the comrades as re-
ward OF merit, and others who had earned de-
served promotion by honest work in the Post
rocm.. Many of the Posts were represented by
their Commanders, others by comrades dele
hove gr1t
in this Department was that earnest and active
comrade, Past Commander in-Chief George $
Merrill who has in the past attended 10 Ma
tional Encampments; Past Department Com
nlander J. G. i. Adams, the hero OF a hundred
Camp-fres, always welcome guest to soldier
gathering; Past Department Commander Crca-
Seq, the tirelcss worker in Grand Army circles
and the ll-dog of the treasury of the Sol
diers Home i'm Chelsea; Past Department Com
mander George S. Evans. always active and in
terested in the Order and special champion OF
the Wonsans Relief Corps; Commander Bill
lings, the soldier pedagog. who is doing royal
work for the Order during the year OF his OIL
cial authority; Assistant AdjutaIt-General Al
fred c. Monroe, the artist, soldier, and true COM
Tade, who is the eyes and ears OF the Depart
ment; Senior Vice-Commander Hersey, the
Western Massachusetts, Grand Army advocate;
Junior Eice-Commander Tobin, the eloquent
sailor WHO can touch the feeling with patbOS,
aud warm the cookies of the heart" with gen.
uine Hibernian wit; the patient worker, De-
partment Inspector Cushing; the faithful COM
rade, Bonney; the guardian Of the finances,
Col. Thomas q. Barker; the sturdy soldier,
Mai John McDonough; the genial Secretary of
State Comrade Henry B. Pierce, OF the Ma
tional Council of Administration; the faithful
ex-custodians of departmental revenues. Past
Assistant QuarteTmaSter Generals, Comrades
Fellows and Goodale, and many others well
known, who met in fail fraternity of spirit
to do honor to the leader they had chosen to
follow.
A RECEPTION
preceded the banquet, st which Past Com
mander-in-C hief Geo S. Merrill was present as
a distinguished guest. Ii his address of wei
come 10 the COMMANDMENT Chief, Commander
Billings said when he found that the Com
mander-in- Chief was about spending some time
East he felt that it would be ar appropriate
thing to meet him with gathering as repre-
sentative as the one convened. Their thoughts
ran back 10 1867, when the National Enc2mp-
ment of the Grand Army was organized. Up
TO 1879 Massachusetts retained the lead numeri-
cally in the Union, and to-day the Department
numbers ahout II, eco. There were those pres
ent who knew time when the Grand Army
In Massachusetts seemed TO be going down, but
there were brave men at the helm and they
were resolved that it should be maintained.
They had the pleasure of welcoming to the
Commonwealth the Commander-n-Ch Chief. They
could assure him that 10 Department had such
an answering loyalty to the National Com
mander. and they hoped to roll up 1900 addi-
tonal men as tribute to his administration.
The Commander-in-Ch Chief, in reply, expressed
his pleasure over the cordial greeting extended
him as the official representative Of the Grand
Army, and said the loyalty of the
GRAND ARMY OF MASSACHUSETTS
was surpassed by no State in the Union. and
that such welcome from the veterans of the
old Commonwealth was particularly grateful
and would be precious memory TO carry with
him to his Buckeye home Maj. Henry B.
Pierce, for period of years Secretary of the
Commonwealth, followed, and in few enter
tanning remarks commented upon the fraternal
and bipartisan character of the Grand Army,
giving instances of the diversity of opinions
which had characterized the Posts to prove the
impossibility of using the GAR. i'll politics.
Comrade Austin, Judge Advocate General, fol-
lowed in brief historic review of all that
Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachu-
sets had done to advance the cause of liberty
and human rights. In the work of the Grand
Army Massachusetts had stood as
MODEL TO THE NATION,
and the National Department had gained in
struction from the words and example of the
Order in that State. In regard TO the reference
which had been made 10 poiltlcS, he believed
that the Grand Army is political organization
in the highest sense. The Grand Army will
teach the youth Of the land that no individual
shall raise his hand to blot out one star or erase
one stripe from the flag of the country. The
man who fought to save this country has the
right to express and act up to his political
opinions. He believed that the easy places
and the offices of this country should be given
TO the veteran soldiers whenever they are
capable Of filling them.
Past Commander-n- Chief Merrill welcomed
the Commander, in which he alluded to the
grand work the Germans of Ohio had done in
the work of saving the Union. and went on to
sketch the career of Commander Kountz from
its inception at Missionary Ridge, and to re-
count the services which the latter had done
for the Grand Army OF the Republic. After
the Grand Army had gone down in the mael-
strom of partsanship, not of politics, and when
the comrades of Ohio were driven to pick up
again the banner of Fraternity, Charity and
Loyalty" il was the fighting drummer boy of
Missionary Ridge that they took and made
their Commander. During the term in which
lie held Office as Commander in Ohio, Com
mander Kountz contributed to the swelling of
the membership from 1900 TO 1900. The
grand work had been going on from that time,
aud, IN the speakers opinion, the proudest act
the Grand Army ever did was the selection of
Commander Kountz as its chief.
Senior Vice Commander Jersey, Past De-
partner. Commander John G. B. Adams Geo.
ID. Stiles. Post 5, Past Department Commander
George S. Evans, Commander Bradley, Post 2,
Junior Vice Commander Tobin, Commander
Ga1pero pacsI 1adi ooI