Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-02


 within the present year the isolated camps have f rmed grand camp to give a semi national character to the order The repre- sentation of southerners at Gettysburg will be brought about by appeals made at large, the effort of local committees organized for the purpose, and the aid of the few veteran camps in existence in some of the large cities. In the state of Virginia the camps of Confederate veterans have formed depart ment, with Gen. John R. Cooke, of Rich mond, as grand commander. Gen. Cooke belongs to prominent Virginia fami y, and is cousin of the late John Esten Cooke, dis tinguished as soldier and an author. A sister of Gen. Cooke was the wife of Gen. J. E. Stuart, the southern cavalry leader Gen. F. St. George Cooke, a cavalry leader in the Army of the Potomac in 1862, was the father of John R. Cooke and the father-in- law of Stuart, who often confronted him
 with his men in Virginia.
 The favorite camping grounds of the Union veterans on anniversary week will be Culpts hill East Cemetery hill, the Round Tops and the region adjoining. All of this ground is now in the same state as when the battle was 1 fought The land is now owned and cared l for by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial association.
 The Society of the Army of the Potomac, having ill charge this unusual gathering, was organized in 1869. Its officers are president and one vice president for each corps d'armee and the general staff, treasurer and secre- taries. The officers fot 1888 are: President Maj. Gen. John c. Robinson. Vice Presidents First corps, Gen. Lucius Fairchild; Second, 2 Corp. E. A. Dubey; Third, Col. A. J. Clarke;
 Fourth, Gen. Thomas Wilson; Fifth, Mai. J.
 H. Stiner; Sixth, Gen. F. E, Pinto; Ninth.
 Sergt. J. S. Roster; Eleventh, Col Henry
 Root; Twelfth, Gen. J. c. Rogers; E gh,-
 eenth, Maj. E. c. Ford; Nineteenth, Gen A. W. Greedy; headquarter staff, Gen. S. Van ! Vliet; Cavalry corps, Buger H. T. Bartett
 Artillery corps, Col. J. A. Tompkins; Signal
 corps, Maj. B. R. Wood. Treasurer-Col S.
 Truesdell Secretaries-Col H. c. King and ! Gen. George E. Sharpe The membership of 1 this society is composed of soldiers of all | grades who served in the war east of the i Allegheny mountains The meetings are
 held annually, and usually last three days,
 and at the same time the several corps
 societies have an annual reunion. The society
 is an open association, and any soldier who l is eligible may become q member on sub ! scribing to the constitution. The membership l is now about 2,50O
 During Sunday morning the Seventy
 sixth, One Hundred and Forty-seventh, | Ninety-seventh, Fifty-fourth and One Hun
 dred and Nineteenth New York regiments; | the One Hundred and Fifty-first Pennsyl-
 vania and First New Jersey cavalry monu-
 ments were dedicated by veterans of the
 various commands. Religious services were
 held in the morning at the National cemetery
 rostrum, Chaplain Savers delivered the
 sermon. In the evening dress parade, in the
 presence of 10000 people, followed by a
 sacred concert by the Frankfort band Reynolds grove throng of humanity | for an hour before the Memorial exercises of
 the First Army corps were called to order
 During the gathering of the audience Gen.
 Longstreet was escorted to the stand, and
 hundreds of veterans of the blue shook hands
 with him. The overcrowded stand gave way
 without moments notice, and suddenly 500
 occupants fell down several feet without any
 one being hurt.
 Promptly at 3 D. m., Gen. E. P. Halstead,
 president of the First Army Corps association,
 opened the exercises and introduced Bishop 1 Newman, of Washington, who delivered a
 fervid invocation.
 Governor Beaver was enthusiastically re-
 ceived, especially by the veterans.
 Gen. John c. Robinson, orator of the occa-
 sion, thanked Governor Beaver for his
 cordial welcome extended the First Army
 corps veterans, and complimented the Key
 stone state on her constant and substantial
 testimonials of appreciation of the soldiers.
 He considered this great day for the First Army corps to meet, after quarter of 0
 century, on the field made historic by their valor, and asserted with emphasis that not half has been told of the deeds of this com mand in this, of the most important of engagements during the entire battle. Governor E. J. Ormsbee, present governor
 of Vermont, said he did not come here as a governor, but as one who had taken part
 in the battle, having held command in Stannard's brigade of Vermont troops , Gen l. A Grant. in this hattle colopel of l the Fourth Vermont regiment of Stannard's brigade, considered Pickett's charge the grandest ever made in the world.
 l < Jul ge W. G. Veasey, late colonel of the Sixteenth Vermont regiment of the same bri- gade, paid the First corps the compliment by
 saying that not only the glory of opening the battle belonged to them, but also the closing, as his brigade, which fired the last shots, was ] temporarily attached to the First corps z The Confederate general, James Longstreet, was next introduced, and was received with hearty cheers. He said he was not on the field ill time to witness the engagement be- l tween the First corps and the troops of the t south. He was glad to be present and par - ticipate in these exercises, for he saw in them $ the development of 8 sympathy such as was born in the hearts of all who know how to F appreciate that feeling, and thought none @ knew better how to manifest these feelings 6 than the troops of the First corps After e speaking of the advantages of the Federal s position he said that here the southern army a met its fate, but not for want of valor, forti- . tude or faith
 $ The band played 'Dixie" before Long T streets speech and Yankee Doodle," after
 which Gen. Fairchild was introduced, and f started out with the sentence: "Twenty five q years have made it possible to sandwich a 6 Confederate and Yankee between Dixie | and Yankee Doodle.'" He did not know a Il better object lesson for the young
 y Professor Williams, of Providence, R. l. S Professor J. E. Stone, historian of the First d corps, and several others spoke briefly. a Later in the afternoon the Ninth New York National Guard regiment escorted the vet e erans of the Eighty7third regiment to their z monument, tho procession making an impos ing spectacle. The monument is tho finest