Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-17

1864. He became manager of the Music hall in New Haven, Conn.,, and is now proprietor of the Grand Opera House in that city. In 1881 he joined Henry o. Merwin post No. 52, G. A. R., of which he has served as post commander. Like Comrade Frost, of Vermont, he still enjoys state of single blessedness, notwithstanding the fact that persons of the male persuasion are greatly in the minority in New England.
 William Edgar Simonsd, delegate at large, was born at Collinsville, Conn, November A, 1842. He was educated at the Collins vile High school, the State Normal school and Yale Law school. At the age of twenty years he enlisted August IS, 1862), as pri- vate in Company A, Twenty fifth Connecti- cut infantry. During the war he was pro noted to the rank of sergeant major and afterward received a heutenant's com mission and was attached to Company I. He was wounded in the leg at Port Hud
 son, La., June IA, 1863, or thereabouts, and was mustered out of service in August, 1863.
 After leaving the army he returned home and engaged in the practice of law. He was lecturer on patent law at Yale Law school, and is at present practicing his profession as patent lawyer at Hartford, Conn. In 1885 he was Speaker of the House of Representa- tives. He married October IT, 1867, and
 has now living one boy aged nine years, two having died. MT. Simonds joined N. Lyon
 post, G. A. R., at Hartford in May, 1867,
 and has twice been commander of the post. He is delegate at large to the G. A. R. en- campment in this city.
 Leonard A. Dickinson, past department commander, was born at New Haven, Conn, November, 1926, and after receiving con- mon school education became a fire insurance clerk. Entering the service as captain of Company E, Twelfth regiment Connecticut
 Volunteers, October 21, 1861, he was pro- noted to major-of the same regiment in Oc
 tober, 1864, but it had become so reduced in numbers that it could not be allowed the three field officers. He served as acting as- sistant adjutant general of the Sec ond brig ade, First division, Nineteenth army corps, from July to November 21, 1864, when he was mustered out at Winchester, Va. Since then he has been principally lyoccupied In fire in surance, and is now engaged in that business at Hartford, Conn. Meanwhile he served as quartermaster general of the State in 1869, 1871 and 1872 and was postmaster at Hart ford during the four years ending June 1, 1885. In 1869 he joined Nathaniel Lyon post No. 3, Grand Army of the Republic. He has also been a member of Stedman post No. 22 and Drake post No. and is now mem- Der of Robert O: Tyler post No. 56, all in the department of Connecticut. He has been commander of Stedman post, assistant quar- termaster general two terms and department commander in 1872 and 1873.
 John B. Dennis, senior vice commander, was born of old Puritan and patriotic stock at Norwich, Conn, in 1885. His ancestors on both sides have taken honorable part in the different wars fought on the soil of the United States since King Philips war in 1875. After an academic education he be- came a metal worker and hardware man. On April 15, 1861, he was the first to record his name in the Sixth Massachusetts volunteers and was with it when attacked in the streets of Baltimore four days later. He was one of six brothers who enlisted within few days. Having been mustered out of the three months service on Boston Common, August 3, he raised a company and on the 26th of the same month was mustered as captain in the Seventh Connecticut regiment It was sent on General Sherman's South Carolina expedition and was the first to land on the soil of that State. After following the fortunes of his regiment through all it's desperate battles with only slight wounds he was captured June 2, 1864, as one of 600 confined at Charleston, $. O., under the fire of the Union batteries at Morris Island. Af- ter repeated attempts he escaped from the Columbia prison and reached the gunboat Nipsic November IS, 1864. He was promoted to major and paymaster January 15, 1865, and this was followed by the following promotions: Brevet lieutenant colonel. colo nel, brigadier general for gallant and merito- rious services. Having been mustered out tered special service in the bureau of ref ugees, freedmen and abandoned lands in South Carolina, where he was employed un- til July 8, 1868. After living in Charleston, s. o., till January, 1869, he removed to Co., lumbia, and was four years a member of the South Carolina legislature, and also four years paymaster general of South Carolina and superintendent of the South Carolina penitentiary. In April, 1878, he removed to Yankton, Dakota, where he was in the quartermaster's department for year, since which time he has been deputy collector of internal revenue. He is also brigadier-genera commanding the National Guard of Dakota General Dennis is mar ried, and has two daughters and a son mar ried, and two sons and daughter single. Comrade Dennis joined Phil. Kearney post No. Y at Yankton in December, 1883, was elected 8 member of the national council of administration in 1884, and is now serving 8 second term senior vice department eom- mander.