Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-08-30
TnEY BANoUETArH 1LLs.

dresses by President ThOmass General
$. e. merwIn, General r. ID. SIoat,
Assessor Baldwin and OtheFs-A Sue
cegsful Meeting.
| A lively gathering of ladies helped the sur
viving veterans of the old Twenty-seYenth
regiment, Connecticut Volunteers, to capture
and hold Hills Homestead, Savin Rock, all
through the day yesterday and the hearts of
| the old soldiers beat fast for joy at once
| more seeing each other after the long lapse of
| time.
| A large tent of snowy canvas had been
| erected upon the green lawn before the
Homestead and under this were spread two
1 long tables loaded with the initial of the fine
1 banquet that was soon to be assaulted.
In the meantime, however, the veterans
comfortably sat chatting on the shady piaz.
| zas until the business meeting was called.
There were only two deaths reported for last
year. Letters of regret were read from J. a.
Cuburn Dolan, d., Colonel W. D. Sheldon,
Colorado Springs. Charles II. Wilcox, New
| York, and Ex-Governor Harrison, who is an
| honorary member and made the address at
| the dedication of the Gettysburg monument
| of the TWenty-seventh.
4 Officers for the coming year then elected
were: President, Charles Spreyer; vice presi-
dent, Allen D. Baldwin, secretary, Charles
| Baldwin; treasurer, Fred Cornwall: execu-
| tive committee, Company A, s. S. Thomp-
son; Company B., s. S. Cook, Branford;
| Company G, G. B. Brooks; Company D,
| Joseph johnson; Co. E, George T. Dade; Co.
| F, Henry II. Barnes; Co. g. Everett B. Clark;
| Co. q, R. R. Cowles; Co. I, W. w. Price;
| Co. K, Christian Weller.
| At half-past twelve the meeting adjourned,
1 and an hour and half WAS devoted to friend
l ly greeting and fraternal fellowship. At
1 o'clock the signal for dinner was given, and
| the veterans with their fair companions
showed themselves as the hsppiest kind of
| banquetters.
| When the repast had been amply tasted,
| Captain D. S. Thomas, the retiring president,
| arose and began the afternoon addresses.
l His speaking was listened to with great in
| terest, and was as follows:
| It is indeed gratifying to see such large
l gathering upon the occasion of our twentieth
| annual reunion. It is an evidence that you
| have not forgotten the days lang-syne, and
| that you would keep fresh and green the
/ friendships and acquaintance formed
| quarter of century ago. Perhaps the occa-
| sion is the more interesting to me, as had
doubts one year ago about ever seeing SO
| many together again. When you honored
me with second term as president of the
association had many misgivings for the
l future. feared that time might diminish
| your interest, and that recollections of the
I paSG n1gnG IaQ0 WIFI the pasS1Dg years. but
| comrades 1t Is cheering to know that you still
l believe in these annual gatherings, and that
| your love for our dear old regiment does not
lessen with the lapse Of time. Certainly if
| there be any one order or any one society that
4 we should encourage more than another it is
this regimental organization. We should see
l to it that each succeeding year
brings us together to compare notes,
1 to talk over the past, to see who of our num-
Der still survive the ravages of time and who
have passed on to the grand army above.
Most of rs assemble weekly in some Grand
| Army post and mingle freely with the COM
| rades from every department of the service.
But it is only at our own reunions that we
are brought face to face with the men of our
own regiment. It is only here that We meet
1 the men who upon that dark October night
| twenty-five years ago marched forth with US
| from Camp Terry and boarded the train for
New York. It is only here that we recognize
the companions who toiled with us through
| the tedious marches of Virginia, who stood
l shoulder to shoulder amid the carnage of bat
/ tie, who shared the same hard pine plank
| with us at Libby prison and who Just twenty
| five years ago last month marched up Chapel
| street on our return amid the ringing of bells
| and booming of guns. 1t is only at our re-
unions that our camp life comes wildly be-
| fore us. Upon these occasions of all the year
| our thoughts go back to other days and other
scenes. In fancy at least we can picture every
II
every battle we fought. We can picture
| each company street, the precise location of
| the coloneps quarters, the guard house and
| the hospital tent. In imagination we can
see the men rushing from their quarters at
| roll call, and we can watch the picket detail
| as it disappears behind the hill on its way to
| the picket posts on the Rappahannock
Family at first, but gradually brighten
ing as memory comes to our aid, these pic
lures of our camp life steadily come out
Fr1,, k1,a,, ,izkrT zEo
ors before us. It is true there is a shading
of sadness in the prospective, and many a
sombre hue darkens the background but
amid all of these gloomy surroundings there
stands ont to day bright and distinct many
strong glimpse of sunshine that cheered our
pathway. And, looking upon this brighter
side of our camp life, we can now recall
many pleasing incident long forgotten.
surrounded by 30 many familiar faces we
could very likely point out the man who has
| sometime borrowed our salt pork or gobbled
up our rations of beans Some of you no
| the identical individual who on the sly emp
/ tied out your commissary whiskey and filed
| up your canteen with water. am almost
certain l have met and shaken hands to-day
| with the man who upset my coffee at Fal-
| mouth, and know the company G man is
| here who stole my lobscouse at Chancellors-
| vile. We can almost hear the familiar cry
to 'fall In for hard tack, J" and it requires but
| a slight stretch of the Imagination to hear
| some one yell out 'Kneringer to change that
| blouse"
And I have shaken hands to-day with
more of my own Company E than I ever
| hoped to see together again. The retired
| clergymen and theological students of Com
pany e are here from home and abroad,
| from Wethersfeld to Sing Sing. But, conn
rades, Company lost heavily; and if we
| did become reduced and if our ranks did
become thinned, and If we did earn the title
| of 'The Forty Thieves" we earned it hon
| estly, for the terrible battles of Fredericks-
| burg and Charlottesville made sad havoc
| with Company E. At the first Fredericks.
burg battle Company E lost more men in
killed than any other company except Conn
pany D, which had the same number killed.
1t is such record as this that counts, and if
Company men were a little late in getting
| into Charlie Baldwin's prayer meetings Sun
| day mornings, they were always on time in
action.
And now, comrades, would be lacking in
1 duty did fail to urge upon all members of
the association who have not already done SO
to join some Grand Army post and become
identified with the order. There are in New
Haven alone three posts, all of which rank
high in the department. In their weekly
meetings they keep alive the spirit of patriot
/ ism and cement the bonds of friendship. The
Grand Army of the Republic aids the veteran
soldiers in many ways. Politics has no place
/ in it's councils and is never mentioned. In
deed, can imagine no greater breach of ati-
quette than for any member of the Grand
Army to attempt to introduce while in ses-
sion any matters relating to the political is
sues of the day. But we do seek to aid the
comrade in distress, to assist his widow and
| children, and finally to follow his remains to
their last resting place. It is one of the
principles of the Grand Army that no honor
ably discharged. soldier suffers for the necessa-
ries of life or sleep his last sleep in pauper's
grave. A beautiful plot in Evergreen is set
apart for the burial of our dead, and scarcely
week passes that does not discover a detail
of Grand Army men fling into the sacred
grounds bearing the body of a Union soldier.
With uncovered heads they surround the
grave, the beautiful ritual of the order is
spoken, flowers are strewn upon his coffin as
it is lowered from view, and with silent
prayer for their old companion in arms the
mourners file away to their homes, leaving
him alone with his glory and his God. 1t is
this care for the living and this respect for
the dead that wins the admiration of the
public wherever the Grand Army is known