St. Paul daily globe., 1888-09-12
AROUND THE CAMP FIRES.
Battle-Scarred Veterans Listen to
Words of Cheer From Old Com
manders.

" OEuS OI ShCCE II rum OANA OOA@N
manders.
The evening was devoted to camp fires
which continued late into the night.
A general reception to the Grand Army
of the Republic, presided over by De-
partment Commander O'Neil, was held
in the big tent, which was crowded to
its utmost capacity, from $4,000 to $1,000
being present. Gov. j. Foraker de-
livered the address of welcome. which
took hold of the audience and cheers
and clapping of hands punctuated his
remarks. The speech was of the kind
the governor is so accustomed to de-
liver, abOunding in patriotic Senti-
ments, stated in his peculiar manner.
After speaking at some length OF the
sacrifices and patriotism OF his COM
rades OF the late war, he spoke of the
surplus in the United States treasury
as result of the saving of the country,
and expressed his desire to use it up
in paying it to those who earned it dur
ing the war. He expressed his con-
tempt for those who had hired substi-
tuteS, and when the audience yelled
hit HIM AGAIN."
he said he was not hitting any one, but
as the representative of the people OF
Ohio he must talk plain, and whether
it hurt any one was not his business.
In conclusion he welcomed the states
guests because the people of Ohio
believed in the war and the Grand
Army, and the people don't care
for any one who don't believe in
the Grand Army. He told them to help
themselves to anything they wanted IN
the state, and no one would hold them
accountable Mayor Brock welcomed
the Grand Aarmy to the city, which he
said they had already taken. Gen.
w. T. Sherman was introduced, and
after a minute of most tumultuOus
applause, he started by calling them
comrades by the acre." After ex-
pressing his love for them he said they
had given their "Old Uncle" a supreme
place by their noble and sOldierly bear
ing during the day. He remarked:
"Of course we were right. | would not
question the fact by discussing the sub
ject which has been settled right by
THE GOD OF BATTLES"
After stating that he was the last of
the old commanders, but that he pro-
posed to stay with them as long as pos
sible, he thanked them and sat down.
Another storm of applause closed his
speech, COmmander-in Chief j. p. Rea
in his speech said that the welcome
given y Ohio to-day was never equaled
by any other welcome, and the
pageant Of the day was the
grandest of the century excepting only
the final grand review at the close OF
the war. He paid glowing tribute to
the veterans of Ohio and to the women
who suffered in silence while their chill
dren or husbands or lovers were
fighting and dying at the front.
He had attended encampmets for
years, but in Columbus he had
heard less grumbling than anywhere
else, and he had never seen more pe0-
pie together. He believed the Grand
Army had done more than any other
generation to bring about the time when
war shall be no more. They had given
the world this republic. He reminded
them that the Grand Army was fra
ternaI organization and told them to be
true to each other and their Organiza-
tion. Mr.. Henderson,, the drummer
boy of the Rappahanock,"" gave the long
roll on his drum, an excellent imitation
of battle, which stirred up the ''vets"
greatly. Gen. S. III. Hurst, of Ohio,
spoke next, welcoming 1.-The boys" who,
he said, were out as never before and
made him want to shout hallelujah. He
spoke at some length of the glorious
struggle and
GRAND kESULIS W AN.
Gov. Foraker read telegram from
Mrs. Grant expressing regret at her
inability to be present. Col. Fred
Grant was called out and thanked the
Grand Army for honoring his father so
much, and for welcoming him so kindly.
Chapain-in-Chief Anderson, of Con-
necticut, made witty speech
which kept the audience in
roar for some time. John A. Logan
Jr., was called out and thanked them
for remembering him as the son of his
illustriOuS father, and spoke in man
ner that pleased the audience immense
ly. During the evening music was fur
nished by the Canton, o., band and
a Columbus male chorus of 200
voices. Gen. Fairchild was intro
Wisconsin, and he said his adOped state
-equaled the best for loyalty and it is
to-day true to the same principles.
None fought for their own states, but
for the United States. They had fought
for every state; they fought for the
Southern states and got them. He de-
nounced as a lie the published state
ment that they had fought for the
North. saying again that they had
FOUGHT FOR THE NATION.
He ioined with others in speaking of
the immensity of this encampment.
Encampments are schools of patriotism,
and he loved them. He did not love
those who did not love the Grand Army,
which, he said, attended strictly to its
own business of caring for the
old soldiers. In Wisconsin, he
said, there is not to-day an old
soldier, nor the wife of an old soldier, in
any poor house. He closed by saying
the Grand Army was an organization
he loved, and he believed it would con-
tinue its work Notwithstanding the
criticism of any one. Gov. Thayer,
of Nebraska; Gen. Hovey, of
Indiana, and several others adj
dressed the veterans, who gave close
attention to all at a late hour. Besides,
the big tent fire is very enjoyable, al
though small camp fires were held at
the different camps. In many cases the
old veterans preferred to start small
fire, gather a company OF dozen
many experiences of their years of
campaigning. A big and enthusiastic
meeting was held at the east front of
the capital, presided over by Depart
ment Commander Washington Gardner,
of Michigan, and having for chief orator
Corporal Tanner, of New York. The
speaker is a great believer in pensions,
and longs for the early approach of the
time when no more veterans of the late
war can be
FOUND IN THE POOR HOUSE.
At Camp Hayden, Josiah Given, of
Iowa, was the speaker, but the COM
rades enjoyed themselves chiefly by re-
citing their experiences IN small groups.
Edgar Allen, of Virginia, presided at
one of the meetings held at South Neil
camp and spoke to large crowd, but
that camp was more devoted to small