The Evening critic., 1884-04-12
LANSBURGH & BRO.
GRAND ARMY CAMPFIRE.
Speeches by Senator Logan, Presi'
dent Arthur. General Grant and

dent Arthur. General Grant and
Others.
A,special campfire OF the Department Of tho
Potomac OF the Grand Army OF tho Republic
was held at Masonic Temple, In this city,
last night, in commemoration OF the opera
lions against vicksburg. General Joseph r.
Hawley presided. Among the guests present
were General Grant, President Arthur, Secre-
tary Lincoln, Generals Logan, Van Vliet,
Raum, Doubleday, Dudley and Hazen, Repro
sentative Mckinley, Judge Lawrence and
others.
General Grant, walking with the aid OF a
crutch, entered the hall at tho head OF the In
vited guests. He was greeted with the Wild
est applause, the assemblage rising and send
ing forth cheer after cheer, and continuing the
ovation until the General had taken his place
on the platform.
Comrade Alexander, the department com.
mander, opened the exercises with brief
speech, and then introduced tho presiding Of
ncer, General Hawley, who spoke briefly.
General Hawley introduced General Logan,
and as he began TO speak President Arthur and
Secretary Lincoln entered the hall. The as
semblage arose and cheered them loudly un-
I'll they reached the platform. The presiding
oflcer called for three cheers for the President,
which were given, and for three cheers for the
son OF Abraham Lincoln, which wore also
given with a Will.
General Logan described the operations
about Vicksburg, taking occasion to mako sew
eral uncomplimentary illusions to Fitz-John
Porter In the course OF his remarks. Some OF
these illusions drew out applause from some
of the persons present, especially one In which,
speaking OF the forward movement of certain
troops In the operations about Vicksburg. he
said with emphasis, eve knew there was q
battle going on and wanted to get there" q
statement which was greeted with cheer, a
voice crying out, "There was no Porter there"
After Senator Logans speech General Grant
was called for, and on coming forward was
greeted with three times three cheers. He 9aid
he was thankful for the welcome accorded
him, and had been greatly pleased by the In.
teresting story of the campaign given by Con-
eral Logan. He felt called upon, however, to
give some further details OF an Incident men
Issued to him (GranO by General Halleck to
retire from before yicksburg. The orders he
had received from Washington were to turn
that river and cooperate with Banks In his
operations at Port Hudson until that
place should be reduced, the two armies
and ad lake Vicksbur s This order, 't is
sued by General Halleck, had the
sanction of the President and tho Secretary Of
War, but when the officer who carried It de-
livered It he said to him that General Halleck
had spoken n little too late. After he got to
Vietbburg Lincoln had written him an auto.
f'man, in which ho said that when he (Gran1
crossed the Mississippi River below Vicks-
burg he thought he should have gone down
the river, but that he then saw that he (Lin-
colin was wrong and Grant was right, and he
wished to ofrer him an apology. General
Grant added: 1--WE have had men TO occupy tho
position that he did who probably made more
mistakes than he, but never admitted them."
The crowd called loudly for speech from
the President, who finally said that he had
como to the meeting simply to listen to the
story of the grand campaign which culmi-
mated In the capture OF Vicksburg from the
lips OF those who took part In 1t. Tho Union,
he said, would honor them and their memory
forever. He was glad TO be present to express
10 them, not only as Chief Magistrate OF the
country they had saved, but as an individual,
the gratitude Of the country.