New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-07-30
G. A. R. EN |!

Grand Army of the Republic last week,
at Minneapolis, was the largest and
grandest gathering of veterans that has
been held since the close of the war.
The city was most beautifully decorat-
ed, and from every housetop along the
route of Wednesdays march foated
token of welcome. A number of large,
some fine arches spanned the principal
streets, while large flags were hung
across the streets by the hundreds.
Scamp Beath'' was pitched on THE fair
grounds, some 600 tents having been
erected in regular military order.
These and the exposition buildings
were occupied by Grand Army boys
from every State and territory in the
Union.
The procession on "Wednesday was
the largest ever seen in the northwest.
The organizations participating in the
procession were the regular troops from
Fort Smelling, the two regiments of
the Minnesota National Gaurd, several
independent companies and about 81
900 veterans, and the procession was .
full hour and q half in passing a given
point. Fully twice as many veterans
as were in the procession stood on the
sidewalks along the route of march,
and the number of strangers in the city
on the day Of the parade is estimated at
100000. Gems. Logan, Beath, Terry.
Negly and stats, and Gov. Hubbard
and staff reviewed the procession. Gen.
Sherman was in line at the head of the
Missouri column.
Gen. Beath, the retiring commander
in-chicf, said this was the fifteenth an
nual encampment he had attended
without break, beginning at Wash
ineton-in-187O, when Gen. Logan was
commander in chief. He had taken an
active part in all, and the encampment
had met with grand receptions in sew
eral places, especially at New Haven,
Providence, Albany and Denver, all
being large public demonstrations; but
that at Minneapolis exceeded its pre-
deeeasors in the display Of decorations,
large attendance, particularly ut the
fair grounds on Wednesday evening,
and in the generous, open handed hos
VITALITY of the citizens generally. The
Minneapolis encampment surpassed
any in which he had participated, and
in this statement he believed that he
simply gave voice to the general I'M
preston Of the delegates to the en-
campment and the veterans attending
the, reunion.
On Wednesday evening the Flam-
beau Club Of Topeka, Kansas, gave the
finest pyrotechnical display ever seen
ia the northwest, and the exhibition
was witnessed by Is, 600 people.
At the business meeting on Friday
John S. Kountz, of Ohio, the '.Drum-
mer Boy of Mission Ridge was elect
ed Commander in-chief, and Capt. =.
P. Rea, of Minneapolis, Senior Vice
Commander. 1t was voted to hold the
next encampment at Portland, Maine.
Corporal James Tanner Of Brooklyn,
N. Y, chairman Of the committee on
pensions, and representing majority,
submitted report showing the pro-
posed legislation affecting the pensions
to soldiers and sailors, and the efforts
of the committee to secure q revision Of
of the existing laws. Many OF the re-
lief measures introduced were pro-
nounced unreasonable, impolitic and
unwarranted, especially those emitting
soldiers to warrants to the public lands
without settlement, or granting high
pensions to those who had not been in
iured in the service. It favored liberal
pensions to widows and minor children
still dependent and to honorably
discharged soldiers, injured or incapa-
~citated by disease since the expiration
of their term of service. The majority
report was adopted, which is another
proof that the soldiers ask nothing ex-
cept what IS rightly their due.