Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-09-20
VETERANS OF THE GREAT War
Columbus Crowded with Them,
GREATEST GATHERING SINCE THE WAR

al encampment of the Grand Army
of the Republic arrived and immense
crowds poured into Columbus on every
train. Quarters had been provided for
something like 10000 more than had
announced their purpose of attending.
The veterans were in four camps, the
main ones being known as Camp Neil,
and was located east of the Union De
pot. Commander Neil and staff in COM
mand. Camp Dennison, in charge of
Commander Jetfreys, located in North
west Columbus. Camp HAYDEN, where
quarters were also provided for ladies,
on East Broad street, and the big tent
camp, where the Army of West Virginia
held forth, was also on East Broad
street.
During the afternoon of the first day,
Miss Nellie Sheridan. of Somerset, Ohio,
who is a niece of the late General Phil
Sheridan. presented to the Sheridan
Battalion, of Perry county, in a neat
speech from the grand reviewing stand,
a beautiful little silk flag which had
been made especially for them by the
aged mother of gallant Little Phil
On several of the railroads tickets to
Columbus were taken off sale, as it was
impossible to provide transportation for
the multitudes deSirOus of visiting the
encampment. The first estimate of
226,000 was raised to over 100000, and
nearly that number We're in the city.
Up to midnight Monday there was al
most a continuous procession of arriving
delegations up High street, and at that
late hour the streets were thickly pack
ed. When Columbus undertook to pro
vide comfortable quarters for the G. \.
r. men of the country she did not in
clude "their sisters and their cousins and
| their aunts," for thousands of the sol
dierS are accompanied by their families.
The great event of the Encampment
took place on Tuesday. Early in the
morning people began to secure seats on
the numerous reviewing stands, and
| long before the First Division was sight
ed. every window was filled with specta-
tors. The roofs of buildings were crowd
ed; curb standing room was at premi-
um, and every tree and telegraph pole
was inhabited by the small boy.
The parade was announced to move at
10 o'clock, but it was much later, on ac-
count of the vast number not getting in
line on time. The veterans We're hearth
ly cheered as they marched to their po-
sitiOns in the line, and the spectacle, as
the procession got under way, was one
never to be forgotten.
The National Encampment proper
began Thursday morning, the recep-
tions, camp fires, and the parade of the
preceding day being preliminary to the
actual work of the Encampment.
The Grand Army of the Republic, the
Women's Relief Corps, the Ladies of the
G. A. r., the Army of West Virginia,
Sheridan's Division, and other divisions, |
brigades and other regimental associa-
tiOns met in various parts of the city, |
but the encampments were strictly Sc
cret, none but members being admitted. |
In the course of his annual address, |
Commander-in-C Chief Rea says: "On |
March 3lSt, 1887, the total membership |
of our Order in good standing was 320,-
936; on March 81, 1888. it was 354,216: |
making a net gain of comrades in good |
standing, during, the year embraced |
within those dates, of 322S0: an excess
Of 1851 over the net gain of the previ-
Ous year. 1t is but due to my distin-
guished predecessor to say that more
than half the net gain of the last official
year was made during the first half of
the year, which was concluded within
his term of Office. The reports for the
quarter ending June so show a gain by
muster of 1862, and a total member
ship in good standing of 36l, 1862, with
loss from delinquent reports of 6,G63, all
of whom, it may be assumed. are in good
standing in their respective posts.
Omitting the loss from delinquent re-
ports, the net gain during the last quar-
ter was 14.l09. The reports show that
on June 80, there was 395.245 comrades
borne on the rolls, to which may safely
be added a sufficient number of transfer
cards will swell the grand total to 400,-
000."
After speaking at some length of the
future of the order, denOuncing the use
of the Grand Army badge for political
effect, he endorsed the legislation pro-
posed by the last Encampment, which
failed to pass in Congress, and expressed
his desire for further action in the same
line. During the year 4,433 comrades
died, being an increase of |, ,227 over the
previous year, and death rate of over
II day.
Commander Rea continues: During
the past year the reports show that there
was expended in charity the sum of
This, of course, does not
include the many thousands of dollars
which have been given by members pri-
vately in aid of less fortunate comrades"
He speaks touchingly of the death of
General Phil Sheridan, and calls especial
attention to the Woman's Relief Corps,
and Sons of Veterans and Army and
Navy Survivors Division, and of the re-
gard future generations will have for
them and their work.
The other national officers also sub
mitted their reports at the morning seS
sion of the encampment.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was chosen as
the place for holding the next Encamp-
hOHt' Nollol'iSl''OlO p'tolIiSoo was Ulollo-
acted, but it was of routine character
During the late afternoon the Grand .
Army band of Canton, Ohio, male
chorus of 800 voices and the Centennial
childrens' chorus of 1,500 voices gave :,
grand concert at the East front of the =
Capitol, which was enjoyed by an audi f
ence of more than $4,000 people. In e
he evening camp fires were kept bright r
y burning all over town, and the old i
vets joining with their comrades in re- e
Ealing old times.
PROF. RICHARD a. PEOCTOR, the As n
,ronomer, died at the Willard Park Hos i
)ital, in New York, on Wednesday of II
net Uaaly from vnIJOU fpvnr He ar