The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-15
HIS COMRADES VISIT HIM
Veterans Returning to Their Homes Pay
Their Respects to Gen. Harrison.
Men from the West and Northwest Show En-
thusiastic Allegiance to the Man and the
Cause-0ther Incidents of the Day.

General Harrison yesterday devoted the day
almost entirely to the reception of his old G. A.
r. comrades, who were returning to their homes
from the Epcampment at Columbus. The first
to arrive st. Louis post, under the COM
mand Of Colonel Murphy. OF these there were
nearly a hundred. Shortly after dinner other
delegations began to arrive, and the scenes
around the New Denison tended to inspire one
with the belief that the Grand Army boys are
still alive to the interests of their country Like
the State ticket, it almost exclusively
soldier affair. Grouped in little bands all
around the corridors were veterans who had
stopped on their way to greet the man they
were inclined to term their next President.
Naturally enough, their conversation drifted
into the relating OF incidents during the war,
and the recalling OF old familiar scenes. To an
outsider it seemed that any personal prejudices
that ever may have existed were laid aside in
their eagerness to meet their comrade nominee.
In the forenoon the Ransom Post of St. Louis,
which was organized by General Sherman.
called at General Harrison's residence. Up
wards of hundred veterans were present, but
the call was entirely informal. Colonel Murphy,
of St Louis, very briefly introduced his COM
rades General Harris n responded:
Comrades esteem 1t pleasures to be able
to associate with you oy the use OF that form OF
address. i know of no human organization that
can give better reason for its existence than
the Grand Army of the Republic. Cries OF
Good 1t needs no argument TO Justify 1t; IL
stands unasssiable; and admits OF no criticism
from any quarter Its members have rendered
that service to their country IN war, and they
maintain now. in peace. that honorable. coura-
geous citizenship that entities them to every pa
triots respect. l thank you for this visit. and
will be glad il you will now allow me to welcome
you to my home
At the conclusion of this brief speech the vet
Grams were received by the General and his
wife.
In the afternoon still larger delegations from
Columbus arrived, representing Minnesots,
Wisconsin. Illinois, Missouri and Indiana Gov.
j. N. Rusk, Of Madison Wis, q past depart
ment commander, headed delegation from his
State mum bering between forty aud fifty veter-
ans exclusive of ladies. He was accompanied
by his staff. all Of whom suffered some physical
loss In the war. Prominent among these were
Capt 4. g. Fimme, Secretary of State, who
lost an arm at Chickamauga; Col. b. 3. Harshaw,
arm at Spo,tsyIvanis; C. E. Es.abrook, .Attor-
ney General; Phil Cheek, jr., insurance
Commissioner, wounded at Antietam; Capt ".
W. Jones, clerk State Department, one OF
whose arms was lost at Antietam; Col. IL L.
Fischer, State Treasury agent, who had leg
shattered at Stone River; Maj. j. X. Curran.
assistant quartermaster- general. who lost q leg
at Sailors Creek; Maj. f. l.. Phillips, assistant
adjutant-general, who had an arm cut of at
Spottsylvania; Maj Z. a. Conse, clerk adjutant-
general, who came away from Fredericksburg
with but one leg ID. 3. Seminars, clerk adju-
tant-general, who has but one sleeve he having
carried away from Atlanta the stub of an arm;
Capt H. W. Lovejoy, messenger Executive De-
~ AL
Mark Smith, messenger State Department who
lost leg In the Wilderness; Peter Delmar,
messenger quartermasterg general, who left one
at Atlanta; w. 81. Mcfarland. messenger ad-
jutantgeneral, who walks with but
one leg and crutches be having been wounded
at Charlottesville; Eugene Bowen and Geo. w.
Baker, OF Capitol police, each Of whom lost an
arm, the former being wounded at Cold Harbos,
the latter at Petersburg. From Chicago and
Rockford, Ill, there were over three hundred
veterans, in addition a large number Of ladies.
These were headed by Col. James A. Sexton,
present department commander of the State.
and his staff. consisting of Maj. j. w. Burst,
Col Pierceson, and Capt. II. L. Patrick.
At . o'clock more than four hundred veterans,
with their wives and daughters, assembled IN
front Of ths New Denison, preparatory TO the
march TO General Harrison's residence. Gov.
Rusk and his staff preceded the main body OF
TO the General aud his wife. AT
the head of the procession was the
National Drum Corps of Minneapolis, which
was given SO much prominence at the Columbus
encampment. Arriving NJ General Hsrrison's
house aud being drawn of 20 side, the dele
cations formed in front of the door, Governor
Rusk and staff occupying the front position. On
the walk proper stood seventy-fye women in
couble-file These were representatives Of the
Woman's Relief Corps from Illinois. On either
side OF heir column were the veterans with
their wives and daughters. On
the appearance of General Harrison
at his doorway, three cheers and q tiger were
Justify given. He needed no introduction, as
they were his comrades. For a very short time
the crowd stood looking at him after the excite
ment had subsidized. Governor Rusk then said:
Comrades, 1 consider It both honor and
pleasure in introducing to you the Presidents Of
the United States tor the next eight wears Gen
Benjamin Harrison
Three more cheers were given. after which
General Harrison responded as follows:
Governor Rusk, Comrades of the Grand
Army and LADIES' did not suppose that tho
Constitution OF our country would be subjected
10 SO serious fracture by the executive of one
Of our great States. Laughter Pour years
is the constitutional term of President
Laughter. l am glad to sec you l return
your friendly greetings most heartily. Your
association is 8 inost worthy one. AS / said to
some comrades who visited me this morning it
has the best reason for its existence OF any hu-
man organization that / know of. IApplause
at Columbus was 80 largely attended, and was in
all its circumstances SO magnificent a success
| The national encampment of the q. A X. is an
honor to any CITY. The proudest may well ar
ray itself In its best attire to welcome the Union
veterans or the late war. In these magnif-
cent gatherings, so impressivein numbers, and
| much more impressive in the associations
| they revive, there Is a great teaching force II
| 1t is worth while to build monuments TO heroism
| and patriotic sacrifice, that may stand as dumb
yet eloquent instructors OF the generation that
is to come, SO it is worth while that these sur
vivors of the war assemble in their national en-
| equipments, and march once more, unarmed,
| through the streets Of our cities, whose peace
| and prosperity they have secured. IApplause.
| Every man and every woman should do them
honor. We have q body OF citzen-soldiers in
| structed in tactics and strategy and accustomed
| to the perils of war that make this Nation very
strong and very formidable. l well remember
that even In the second year OF the instruct
ors In tactics were rare In our own camp. They
| are very numerous now. Laughter. Yet,
| while this Nation was never SO strong In great
| instructed trained body of veteran soldiers, /
| think it was never more strongly smitten with
| the love of peace. The man that would rather
| fight than eat has not survived the last war.
| Laughter He was LAID away in an early
| grave enrolled in the list OF deserters. But
he would be mistaken who supposed that all the
| harGships of the warts cruel, hard memories
| would be enough to brighten these veterans from
the front if the flag was again assailed
or the national security or dignity imperiled.
| Applause and cries of You are right. I
| The war was also an educator in political econ
| omy. These veterans, who saw how the POVERTY
| of the South in the development of her manu-
| featuring interests paralyZed the skill of her