Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-08
THE ENCAmpmENr OPENED.
The Veterans Meet at Waterbury and Listen to the Annual RepOrts-A Good Showing.

The Veterans Meet at Waterbury and
 Listen to the Annual Reports-A Good
 Showing.
 WATERBURY, Feb. 7.-The representatives
 to the twenty-frst annual encampment of
 the Connecticut department, G. A. R., to the
 number of about four hundred have been
 focking into the city all day. At 1:45 the
 encampment opened at Odd Fellows hall.
 Commander Taintor in his speech said the
 year had been quiet one, but the growth
 had been steady. Energy has been directed
 towards strengthening the old posts rather than toward forming new; all the old posts
 are retained and one new added, Nathan
 Hale No. 2S, South Coventry. From 5,904
 the membership has increased to 6,482.
 Against $761. 68 in the treasury at the last
 encampment and s176 O3 in supplies there is
 now $1 ,349. 52 and $196.04 in supplies, yet
 there has been no false economy. Post funds
 remain about the same but the relief funds
 show net gain of $14, 199. .S5, there being on
 hand $52, ,722.8 89 as against $38. 523.04 year
 ago. 'fIn the report of the inspector general
 to the National encampment our department
 was mentioned in hattering terms, and As
 sistant Inspector General Fox and Inspector
 Kiefer were spoken of in terms of high com-
 mendation. To those of us who have the
 pleasure of a personal acquaintance such commendation is unnecessary, but it is pleasant to know that merit is appreciated and acknowledged abroad. :" The work of cataloguing the soldiers under Comrades Fox, Horne and Simonds is pro- gressing well and an extra $25, 900 has been appropriated. Particular attention is called to that part of General Whites letter refer ring to tho record of Connecticut men who served in regiments from other States In fo ha onf ha ''It is noticeable that newspaper attacks up- on our order, which up to that time had been many and bitter, have since ceased. May we not safely infer that it was because that en- I eampment showed that the Grand Army of | the Republic is large and strong and brave enough to attend to it's own proper business 1 in dignifed way and to disregard the open l or covert attacks of those who would be glad to SOW dissensions in our ranks"
 Assistant Adj-Gen. Thacher's report gave the total gain 6,924; loss by death, 76; hon. | orable discharge, IS; transfer, 115; suspen-
 sion, 236; dishonorable discharge, 2; total, 442. In Q. M. Gen. Morgan's report he men. ! tioned that $436.75 had been contributed for the Grant monument fund.
 l No special efforts have been made in the direction of new posts, but rather to the in crease and qualification of those already or ganized. The commander says that Connec- ticut is the first State to attempt the prepara- | tion of 8 complete and accurate record of it's volunteers in the late war, with free access ! to the revised records of the War department at Washington. The result will be 8 volume giving the most complete record possible for | each individual soldier, with dates of all pro- ! motions from original muster-in to final dis I charge. la it's preparation each of the six | hundred original mueter-rolls in the adju- l tant-general's office in Hartford have been ! carefully examined, together with far greater number of enlistment papers, detach- | ment, and individual muster-out certificates, | and only where the information thus obtained | has been incomplete or contradictory has a l call been made on the War department. At Fitch's Home for Soldiers better disci- ! pline prevails and better feeling exists | among the benefciaries. The members of ! the committee availed themselves of the ops portunity to privately interview the inmates, 1 and in no instance was any complaint pre- \ sented, but universal approval of the man. | agement was given. It is evident that both \ for the State and the veteran the present | superintendent, D. B. W. Munsop, is the | right man in the right place.
 ! The legislature at its last session sppropri- ated the sum of $9,000 for the purchase of adjoining land and the erection thereon of ! suitable buildings. Under this appropriation | a very considerable tract has been acquired, | on which are to be erected buildings, includ- | ing one for hospital, for which latter there was specially appropriated the surplus which ! should remain QneXpenQ6Q on the thlrtlebn
 day of June, 1887, from the appropriation made for the support and care of indigent \ soldiers in hospitals of this State for the year ' ending that date. Such surplus amounted to | $8, ,O00.
 On January 1st there were 165 benefciar- ies, exhausting the capacity of the main building; other buildings recently secured will accommodate twenty or twenty five more; \ the erection of the hospital building above | mentioned, to accommodate about fifty, is contemplated during the present year, and | the Mansard of the main building is not yet furnished for occupancy. It is estimated that by next summer not far from 225 bene6ciar- ies can be accommodated.
 The Woman's Relief corps in this depart ment has had a prosperous year, twelve new corps being organized, and gratifying gain of 577 made in the membership. They have not only worked in harmony with the Grand Army of the Republic as an auxiliary organ ization, but have been of great assistance to the posts.
 The Sons of Veterans also report a prosper ous year, having gained six camps and about two hundred members. These sens of ours, standing now where many of us stood at the time of the WAT, in all the flush of their young manhood. with their life work before them, may well be encouraged by us in the work they have undertaken.
 The statistics for the year appear in the resort of Assistant Adjutant General John H. Thacher, the record being: