The National tribune., 1884-01-31
TIE ENCAMP MENTS.
Michigan's Splendid Showing---A
Stirring Campfire.


partner of Michigan convened at Harmonic
Hall, Detroit, on Wednesday morning, the 2}d
inst. The forenoon was consumed in calling
the roll, examining credentials, &c. In the
afternoon the annual reports of the Department
officers were presented. The following extract
from the address of Commander o. A. James
shows the growth of the Department during
the past year:
am sure n thrill of Joy and pride pervales the
heart Of every comrade that the Wolverine De-
partment has taken the position in the Grand Army
column 10 which it Is justly entitled When
remember that one year ago there were in this
Department 100 Posts, with a membership of a tn
and that to-day we have 220 Posts comprising n
membership of le529, we are 10 be congratulated
on such an unparalleled and unprecedented growth.
There has been organized in this Department dur
ing the year III new Posts one Teorgsinized and q
net gain of 6,GS7 members. Two Posts voluntarily
surrendered their charters. and three have failed
to make any reports to Headquarters during the
year, shown by the report OF the Assistant Adiu-
tant-Ceneral. recommend that their charters be
revoked.
The Commander recommends that the De-
partment be divided into districts and an
assistant mastering officer and assistant in
spectOr be assigned to each. The finances of
the Department are in excellent shape The
balance III the hands of the Assistant Quarter
master-Gencral is 3,153.30 against S1,1fi
year ago. The Commander suggests thas 81, 500
be invested IN interest bearing Government
the expenses OF the Department. ON the sub
ject of politics the Commander says in his
address:
The Grand Army of the Republic is not poIiti-
cal organization. Partisanship is strictly Forbidden
and wisely too II is founded upon three impor-
tant eples-Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty.
If the Grand Army is lasting it must be -parti-
san. The coming year Is to be one wherein pol1ti-
cal and partisan questions will be earnestly and
passionateiy discussed and every comFade should
guard we'll the portals of the Post and see
that politics are not allowed to enter therein. In
the ranks of the Grand Army are men of all par
ties. and any interference with partisan questions
By Posts, or the discussion of political matters in
the Post room, any attempt the part OF any
officer or coElrade to the Grand Army for po-
ltIeai purposes would be violation OF its pTinei
pies and should not be tolerated and such offender
severely dealt with. Let it be known TO the peo-
pie that we are not associated together for political
purposes. and by conduct show that we are not
an " insduous. dangerous and useless organize
ton, but that we are united in the triple bonds of
Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty.
The Commander in conclusion, returns his
thanks to Assistant Adjutant-General Tallman
and Assistant General Proctor
for their aid and cooperation.
After the reading of the reports the usual
committees were appointed, and Comrade Rush
j. Shank, OF Lansing, offered resolution that
the Department Commander and the Council
OF Administration be directed to use all honor
able means TO secure the establishment of
soldiers home in the State of Michigan An
amendment was offered by COmrade Il. f. Hill,
looking to securing Of Congressional aid. and
after a spirited debate the matter was referred
to the committee on resolutions. The chair
man of that committee, General A. I. 8IcReyn-
olds, then addressed the Encampment.
THE CAMPFIRE.
The grand Harmonic Hall meeting, We'd
nesday night. was an inspiring occasion. There
were fully 1900 in attendanee-the first floor
cafiI Of
Romeyn presided with soldierly dignity, and
his fine opening address was eheered to the
echo. Commander-in-Chief Robert 3. Beath,
Department Commander General o. A. James,
Governor Begole, of Michigan; Mayor GTum-
mond, OF Detroit, Past Department Commander
Pond General Trowbridge. Of Clusters old bri-
gade, and one of the speakers of the evening
occupied seats on the platform. Ladies of the
National Relief Corps. Including the national
senior yiee-president Kate B. Sherwood, were
calamity offered front seats, but insisted upon
the veterans holding their old places at the
front. The exercises of the evening were
varied from time TO time by the patriotic
choruses of the Detroit Harmonic Society,
headed by Professor Abel a director who ranks
with Gilmore and Thomas.
Governor Regole, distinguished for his pa
triotic work during the war in behalf of the
soldiers i'll the field, aud who had son killed
in the famous 23a Michigan,-General Spauld-
ing's regiment,-received warm reception,
and the welcome remarks of Mayor Grummond
were brief and welI-timed, to which Depart
ment Commander o. James, a gallant one-aTned
soldier, made ringing response By this time
the boys were just IN tune for Marching
Through Georgia" which the band was called
upon to repeat the swinging of hats and other
demonstrations showing the enthusiasm that
was bubbIing up.
Mrs McCann's recitation of 1.-THE Boys of
Michigan" proved a stirring number, aud she
was repeatedly interrupted with applause par
ticularly in the allusions to Custer, Sheridan,
Sherman aud Thomas. Tt will be found in
another column General TrOwbridge the old
cavalry hero of Clusters brigade, depicted many
heroic and pathetic scene of the old war days,
and ComFade Edmund ParsIoe, of Chaplin Post
Buffalo, brought down the house with his
humorous rendition of Jake Schneider's
Ride" parody on the famous Sheridan poem.
The extenporaneous address of the Com
mander-in-C Chief was an able and gratifying
exposition of the growth of the Grand Army of
the Republic. He said that he had predicted
at Denver that by another Encampment the
Order would number 80, 000, but that it had
closed up December 81 with 230, 600, and he
now thought that in the next six months would
witness an increase to 100000 if the present
interest continues He most warmly recon-
mended the National Relief Corps, and advised
every Post to form at once. He was gratified
that General Baxter had been named in the
poem. He knew the gruf old hero well, and
his hand was the last he elaSped when leaving
the Army of the Potomac to take command of
colored troops.
Past Commander c. Y. R. Pond gave an out
line of the ups and downs of the Order, and
noted the splendid outlook for 1881 Then
came dialect rendition of Barbara Frietchien
by Comrade Conover, of Post So GreenviiIe,
Mich, and the presentation of the drum-hcad
court-nlartial of the deserter afterwards par
doned by Abraham Lincoln, which proved a
most interesting feature of the evening.
The National Relief Corps and THE Ma
TIoNAL TRIBUNE had an ovation before the
evening was over, when q delegate arose and
called for Mrs. Sherwood TO come forward and
be introduced Upon doing so she said good
word for the Relief Corps, and recommended
organization in connection with every Post.
The comrades eyinced the greatest enthusiasm.
and Michigan may be counted upon to fall in
line rapidly.
THURSDAYS PROCEEDINGS.