St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-11
lDDITIONAL ST. PAUL NEWS.
CIVIL WAR MEETING.
An Interesting Paper by Capt. Ed
ward SimOnt0M.

An Interesting Paper by Capt. Ed
ward SimOnt0n.
Unity church, on upper Wabasha street,
has connected with it a society which is in
tended to be literary musical and dramatic
in its general character and scope. This
organization holds interesting meetings at
frequent intervals during the year in the
basement of the church, which is called the
Unity club room. Some of these meetings
are literary, others literary and musical,
others dramatic, and still another that is
known as ''the Civil war meeting" Dur
ing the year three of the last named have
been set down on the printed program of
the year, viz, for Nov. 10. Jan. 10 and
March 80. On these occasions some per-
son reads paper or relates something con-
nected with the Civil war, and the re-
mainder of the evening is expected to be
filed UP with songs of patriotic character
and instrumental music.
Last evening was the first civilwar meet
ing for this year, and it was largely at
tended and exceedingly interesting. The
only paper last evening was prepared and
read by Capt Edward SimOnton, who gave
it as narrative of his earliest recollections
of army life in the civil war, as seen and
experienced by one of the rank and file of
the army of the Potomac. 1t was, he said, ON
the Sth day of September, 1869, that his
regiment reached Washington. He then
describes the receiving of arms, the en-
campment on Arlington, the march into
Mary land and so along all through his eX-
perience in the army. The paper was in
terspersed with humorous descriptions of
the thousand and one incidents of army
life, the long marches, the sleep on the
ground. the crossing of rivers, the
effect of the inspiring strains of ''John
Browns Body" as sung On the march
by the whole army. He also described the
march through Frederic City, where Bar
bara Frietchie exhibited the old flag, and
the whole progress to Antietam. In this
paper he had no opportunity to describe the
whole battle and therefore limited himself
to description of his regiment and the
brigade or corps to which the regiment was
attached. He also gave very pleasant and
interesting description of President Lin
coins visit to the army at that time and ex-
pressed the opinion that if Mcclellan
HAD THROWN THE FIFTEEN THOUSAND
men under Porter upon Gen. Lees army
late in the war Lee would have been over
thrown then and there. The paper was a
very lUliS Ollc. Liz vi IL Was
filled up with brief descriptions of subse-
quent engagements, life in the prison pens.
picket duty, marching and counter-march-
ing and the general life Of soldier. 1t
was an exceedingly interesting one and the
story was told simply and without any at
tempt at fine writing.
At the conclusion of the read
ing Miss Ella Richards gave
medley of patriotic songs on the piano
with great spirit, and several similar num-
bers were rendered by Miss Beals. after
which Mr.. Charles Trowbridge sang with
fine effect the BATTLE Prayer" Rev. Clay
MacCauley also sung Marching Through
Georgia" and johnnie Comes Marching
Home" and was joined by the audience in
the chorus. John Browns Body" was
also sung. Rev. Clay MacCauley also gave
some "reminiscences Of his army life. He
was at the battle of Antietam and passed
over the same ground that Capt. Simonton
passed over, though neither of these gentle
men knew anything of the other until re-
Gently. E. V. Smalley gave few incidents
of his army life, after which Rev. Clay
MacCauley announced that the next civil
war meeting would be held January 10,
1886, ON which occasion E. V. Smalley, who
was in the Union army, and Capt George
Fl. Motfet, who was in the Southern army,
will give some of their remembranceS Of
army life. The meeting was closed by
singing America"