Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-29
THE GRAND ARMY.

Tine annual Encampment-The DO.
fRgs in Bridgeport Kesterday-An
Interesting Occasion-Large Atten-
dance.
Bridgeport was alive with g. A. R. men
yesterday, the occasion being the holding of
the annual encampment in that city. Dele
gates from all parts of theState were present.
The session which began yesterday concludes
to-day. The hotels are filled to OVERLOOKING
and many members find quarters with friends
Over three hundred delegates had arrived by
noon. Admiral Foote post of New Haven
was represented by George M. White, Simeon
j: Fox Lewis B. Brown, William H. Stowe,
A. D. Baldwin, G. B. Foster, William H.
Bouton, George N. Moses, James N. Coe, A.
G. Austin, ]. S. Cannon, G. B. Dyer, N. I.
Strickland, E. E. Tisdale, E. Wines, G.
Buckingham, w w. Price, John Plumb
Henry G. Merwin post of this city was rep
| resented by Robert McNulty, John Redmond,
| j. J. Brennan and W. A. WEIGH.
From the Merriam post of Meriden were
E. o. Puffer, A F. Hall, A. L. Bartlett,
| Fred. Carter, A. H. Fairchild, c. L. Little,
c. B. Wadsworth, Theodore Gilbert w. H.
| Giles and A. J. Doolittle.
| The Arthur H. Dutton post of Wallingford
| sent William N. Mix, G. A. Harrison,
Michael Simonds.
| From the Mansfield post of Middletown
came George D. Chapman, w. H. Palmer,
| jr., j. D. Pelton, F. B. Comstock, Edwin
| Stroud and F. L. Pidge.
| The council of administration held a short
| session at Elias Howe, jr., post rooms. The
| encampment session opened at 2 o'clock at
| the same place.
The annual address of Department Com
mander VIM. Berry, of Hartford, was then
| delivered. In reviewing the years work
| Commander Berry stated that the order has
| never before been SO great in numbers in the
State, so efficient in work, have the OBJ
| jects of the organization been SO well under
| stood os at present Fidelity to and earnest
ness for the advancement of the order has
been the only object desired. Ten new posts
| have been added to the roster and one more
representative gained for the State in the ma
tional encampment. Two more posts were
promised the commander, but the hard times
prevented the tulfllment of the agreement
The aim has been for twelve new posts and
5000 members. The membership would
l have been realized but for the unusual sus-
pension llSu, WHICH, ~ - preSuiuetl, Inc uaru
| times had something TO do with.
Three applications for posts have been re-
| jected.
Three months were lost to the order in po-
| litical strife.
All members having had their record
changed at Washington for any are
| requested to communicate such change to the
adjutant generals Office of this State, so that
| the record will be the same in Connecticut
| that it is in Washington. This is very i'm
portant and should be promptly attended to.
Under the head of recommendations Com
mander Berry, among other things, submit
ted the following:
First-That the bond of the assistant
quartermaster general be increased to 81 900.
Second-That this encampment restrict
any post, or committee of any post, in this
department from extending invitations to
posts to participate in parades without the
consent of the department commander.
The friendly visitation, or bean bakes, or
Memorial day exercises, camp fires should
not be restricted, but those occasions when
invitations issued to posts and the staff
of the commander by post committees for
the purposes of parade without either the
knowledge or consent of these headquarters
ought to be and should be discontinued
This year fifty comrades of this depart
ment have Joined the main body of the army
| It seemed that the death rate was very large
when it was reported to me- so l have taken
the trouble to look up the expectation of our
lives as soldiers and as special class of citi-
Zens.
There is a prevailing opinion that the re-
manning soldiers of the late war are, as a
class shorter lived than other citizens, by
reason of hardships endured, but such is not
the fact. The diseased and shattered have
already been laid away; and the wounded,
although lost to many avenues of industry,
this years rate seems to indicate are, as
class, holding their own. Our average mem
bership for the year is 4, 402 and a fraction:
our deaths so, OF less than II = per 1, 900.
| If we take 1868, the middle year of the
war, as the average time of enlistment, and
| assume % years to be the average age of re-
cruits, their advanced average age at present
would be 46, the death rate for which would
be- according to the mortality table recog-
nized as the legal standard, "a per ZOO.
The department forty years from to-day will
| have members enough still left to hold the
| camp fires and sing the old songs.
With words of praise and affection for his
staff and few words personally regarding
| his work the address ended.
THE ASSISTANT ADJUTANT GENERALS REPORT.
The report of the assistant adjutant gene
raj, Henry E. Taintor of Hartford, shows
that OH December 81, 1888, there were in
good standing As posts and 1909 members;
on December 81, 1884, 50 posts and 4796
members, net gain for the twelve months
of II posts and 1877 members.
The excitement Of a heated presidential
canvass and the advent of ''hard tines are
sufficient reasons for no larger gain. To
the latter cause is attributable the failure to
organize at least one other new post, for
which preparations had been partly made.
Another element is found in the heavy list of
suspensions, due presumably to the same
cause. The matter of suspensions is one
which deserves the closer attention of post
officers. Undoubtedly many good comrades
are lost in this manner who might be retained
by little judicious care and work.
1t is noticeable fact that the gain by
ganization and the muster-in during 1884 is
identical with that of 1888; showing that the
decrease in net gain is the result not of fail
IRE to bring in new members, but a failure
to retain those already joined.
During the three years that eX-Alderman
Taintor has held the office of assistant adju-
tant general there has been net increase of
twenty mine posts and 2, 563 members. the
present membership of the department being
4, 1896
The report of Quartermaster General Viii
liam III. Pierpont, of New Haven, shows that
of 1904 46 on hand at its commencement
were SO, 794. SO; expenditures So, BAL 10, leav-
ing balance of S470.67.
The quartermasters' reports for the fourth
quarter of 1884 show an expenditure of over
81, 300 for relief, and this, before the winter
has fairly set in, shows US what may be rea-
sonably expected for the balance of the sea-
son.
According to the report of Inspector Geo.
w. Keller, of Bridgeport, the relief fund in |
the posts throughout the State shows amount |
on hand $27 095. 81 (being gain of 81, 1874 II |
in one year, which is larger than ever before |
in the history of the department, and shows /
that great efforts have been made by the |
posts toward having fund from which the |
true and needy comrade and the widow and |
orphan can be helped; and the amount shown |
as expended demonstrates that glorious |
work is being done in that direction. The |
sum disbursed for charitable purposes is 49,
755 80, most of which was from the relief |
funds, some from the post funds, and some |
cases where sums were contri buted from the |
pockets of individual comrades
Chief MASTERING Officer I. E. Hawley of |
Forestville, in his report advocates very
earnestly public installation services. From
II