Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-18
GRAND ARMY OF REPUBLIC.
NINETEENTH ANNUAL ENCAMP'
MEAT.
Brief History of the Organization
List OF Department Officers.
with Posts and Delegates.

The nineteenth annual encampment of
the Department OF California, which in
cludes in territorial area California, Nevada
and Arizona, will convene in this city to-
day, and continue during the remainder OF
the week. This will probably be the most
interesting and important encampment
ever held in the Department. Large lists OF
delegates arrived last evening, principally
from San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose
In the afternoon those from Merced and
Modesto arrived and formed the advance
guard. The hotels are already very lively
and upon arrival of trains this forenoon
the veteran forces to attend the encamp.
ment Will mostly have reached camp
There was very spirited canvass in pro.
gress last evening over candidates for De
partment Commander. Among the names
being put forward in this connection were
those of Governor Stoneman, Stuart NJ
Taylor, Colonel Smedberg and w. II. l.
Barnes, of San Francisco, and j. II. Bar
bour of Santa Clara.
The Department headquarters will be
established to-day at the Golden Eagle
Hotel, and the headquarters of the Wo.
mems Relief Corps, auxiliary to the Grand
Army, at the same place. The Council OF
Administration will meet at IL o'clock this
morning in the Odd Fellows Temple cor.
ner of Ninth and X streets. The regular
sessions of the Encampment and Woman's
Relief Corps will open at o'clock at that
building. In the evening meeting oi
Sumner Post will be held, to which all Wis.
iting comrades are invited. The headduar.
ters of the delegates from Santa Clara
county and of John A. Dix Post, San Jose
have been established at the Western
Hotel
The delegates while here will be invited
to visit the Capitol, and to examine the
beautiful room of the State Library, one Of
the most notably handsome on the cont
nent
The California Museum Association
having i'll charge the +. 3. Crocker Ar
Gallery, owned by the city of Sacramento
has by the Board of Directors, through
President Lubin, issued to each delegate o
the two bodies a card reading as follows:
Compliments of California Museum Associa
tion to G. A. K. and W. r. C. Admit on Friday
February 10, 1856, to Crocker Art Gallery anC
Sacramento School of Design, at Second and {
streets, from to 5.
1t has sent to the presiding officer o
each body letter of invitation, and de
claring Friday a free day for delegates anC
their escorts visiting the city, and, to ac
commodate all, the gallery will that da,
be opened at instead of 10 A. NJ.
SKETCH OF GRAND ARMY HISTORY.
The first Post of the Grand Army of th,
Republic, an Order which has attained
membership of 100000, dates back t
Decatur, ILL.,. and the spring of 1866 Soor
thereafter second Post was formed a
Springfield, and June 1st and I'd of tha
year the first Annual Encampment wa!
held at the latter place. The organizer anC
first Provisional President was DR.. B. F
| Stephenson, of Springfield, who served il
that capacity until November 20, 1866
when General S. A. Hurlburt, of Illinois
| was made the first Commander-in-C Chief
| and who was elected to second term
| General Hurlburt died some years since
| while serving as Minister to one of th,
South American countries
The next Commander was General Johr
| A. Logan, who also served two terms. anC
who was the first to direct general oh
servance OF Decoration or Memorial Day
whose customs are now so universal il
| their touching significance. AT that tim
| General n. p. Chapman, now a resident O
| Red Bluff, in this State, was Judge Advo
cate. 1t was an order designating the 30tl
| of May "for the purpose of strewing Will
| flowers and otherwise decorating the grave
| of comrades who died in defense OF thei
! country during the Rebellion, and who's
| bodies lie in almost every city, village an,
| hamlet churchyar6 in the land No form
of ceremony was prescribed, but Posts wer
| left to adopt such fitting services as the,
might choose. The order read as follows
| HEADQUARTERS GRAND ARMY OF REPUBLICl !
WASHINGTON %. C.), May G, 1865.
| General Order No. II We are organized
comrades, as our regulations tell u.s. for the pur
| pose, among other things, of preserving an(
! strengthening those kind and fraternal feeling
| which have bound together the soldiers, sailor
| and marines who united to suppress the lat
rebellion. What can aid more to assure this re
| suit than cherishing tenderly the memory o
| our heroic dead? Their soldier lives were tn
| reveille of freedom to a race in chains an,
| their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny il
arms. We should guard their graves Will
sacred vigilance. All that the consecrate,
wealth aud taste OF the nation can add to thei
| adorDment and security is but n fitting tribute
wanton foot tread rudely ON such hallowe,
| grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the com
| ing and going of reverent visitors and fond
mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice Q
neglect, no ravages of time testify 10 the pres
/ ent or to the coming generations that we hav
forgotten ,sas people, the cost of free and undi
I vldcd republic.
If other eyes grow duh. and other hand
! slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn
trust ours shall keep ii well as long as the ligh
and warmth of life Iemains to us
| Let us then, at the appointed time, gathe
| around their sacred remains and garland tn
| passionless mounds above them with the choic
| est flowers OF spring time let us raise aboy
them the dear flag they saved from dishonor
| let us in this solemn presence renew our pledge
! to aid and assist those whom they have LEI
| among US as sacred charge upon nation
gratitude, the soldiers and sailors widow ant
| orphan.
| JOHN A. LOGAN, Commander-in-C Chief
N p. CHiPMAN, Adjutant- General.
THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| The annual sessions of the National En-
| campment have been held, and comrade
| elected Commander-in- Chief. as follows
l. Indianapolis, November 20, 1855. a