The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-11-27
REUNION MAKERS
Survivors of the War Legislature Come
Together and Recall Old Times.
They Agree to Continue the Pleasant Meetings
from Year TO Year-Mr. English's Talk
About Men of General Assemblies.
THEIR BUSINESS MEETING.
Survivors of the Legislature of 1861 Organize
Their Society.

diana General Assembly of 1861 was held at
the Grand Hotel yesterday, opening with a
business session in parlor No. Z. The regu-
lar and special sessIons of the legislature
OF that year the special session being
called the war sessionl were perhaps the
most important meetings of the lawmakers
of Indiana. being called together in the
hour of the Nations need. and forming an
historic body. OF the fifty members of the
Senate. the 100 members of the House, and
the officers. d~oor-keepers, clerks, messen-
gers and pages of the two houses. number
ing nearly fifty more. 200 persons in all,
about thirty gathered in the hotel parlor.
NJ. L. Bundy, of New Castle, on the part of
the members of the House, was chosen
chairman. John r. Cravens, of Madison,
acting in like capacity for the
survivors of the Senate. William
II. Drapier. of Indianapolis. and Francis
p. Griffith were chosen secretaries. and the
r0ll-caii of 1861 was called to learn how
many Were yet living. William III. En-
giIsh was present and. though not a mem
Der OF either body. gave valuable informa-
The following members of the Senate
answered TO their names: Berry, of
Jefferson; Ferguson. of Clark; Landers, of
Morgan; Millett, OF Henry; Shoemaker, of
Perry. Stone. of Randolph; Tarking-
ton. of Monroe: White. OF. Mont
s sS0m1sT SENATE OF there the officers S 9 a n9s,s employees y. q Of
DRAPER. of South Benz and Francis p.
Griffith, of Lagrange, secretaries; Judge J.
T.. Suit. then clerk of the finance commit
above named. Franklin Landers, John G..
Shoemaker, w. G.. Harrington, w. HI.
DRAPER. and Charles Dennis are now all
residents of Indianapolis.
The fol1Dvrv V,abc-. - A. Co--xo
were living, when last heard from: De Witt
&. Anthony, of Floyd. at New Albany; ia
son y. Coniey. of Greene and Owen, in Mis-
souri,. II. +. De Hart, of Cass, Howard and
Ripley. IN the West; James O'Dell, of Car
roll and Clinton, at Delphi; Benjamin l..
Robinson, of switzerland and Ohio. in Ken
lucky: David Studebaker, of Adams, Jay
and Wells, at Decatur, and David Turner,
of Lake. Porter and Jasper.
The ~roil-call of the House showed the
following present: Bundy, of Henry;
Cooprider; OF Clay; Hall; of Grant; Ha.
Marion; Norman. of Randolph; Raglan. of
Putnam;- St~otsenberg, of Floyd; Under
wood, 0fJay, and Warrum, of Hancock. Jas.
II. Willard, of Bedford, and Eugene Bundy.
House, were also present, both having
served since In the capacity of lawmakers.
Maj; Irwin Robbins. of this city. who was
a clerk for a House committee at the
regular session of 1861, from Decatur
county. also answered to his name. Frank
Bird. of this city, was a House
messenger. Only fifteen of the fifty MEM
living. while of the House membership,
which was composed of younger men, fifty
one are known to survive, only ten of
whom were present yesterday. The list of
House members surviving. in addition to
those already given. are: Brett, Burgess,
Cameron, Cason. Collins, Combs, Dashiel.
Dobbins, Erwin, Ferguson, Fleming. For
dyce, Forby. Gore, Gresham, Harvey,
ton. Lods,. Mclean, Moody. Moss. MUTT,
Nebeker. Newman. Orr. Packard, Polk,
Prov. Roberts, sherman, Smith, Trier.
Veatch. Wilson, Woodhill. Woods.
q. c. Moody, who represented Jasper and
Pulaski COMMITTEES. Is now Senator from South
Dakota. The following telegram was read
from Judge W.Q. Gresham, from Chicago:
to meet and greet the survivors of the Leg
~islature of 1861, for all of whom / entertain
feelings of esteem and friendship" Col.
W.R. Holloway. whose relations, as private
secretary of Governor Morton, were very
close with this Legislature, was also pres
emit and noted that a letter had been re-
ceived from Gen. James A. Ekin, now at
Louisville. who was quartermaster here
during the war, regretting that he could
rot be here to see the faces of those who
had taken part in those stirring times.
Letters were read from T. II.
Cobb Vincep Mesr who was a Sem
anvil IL
VIM. L. nj. Mclean, formerly of Terre
Haute, now of Washington, ID. c.; Hugh
Erwin. who represented Lawrence county,
but is now a resident of Keelyille. Chero,
the fact that Richard Cleveland. a brother
of ex-President Cleveland. was orderly SER
sgeant of Company A, Twenty-fourth lndi-
ana. of which company, ne. Mr.. Erwin.
was captain. Letters were also received
from. r. NJ. Nebeker. COvington; Arson
Hurd. now at Fnidlay, o.; James S. Collins.
Columbia City; James +. Fraiey, who was
q representative from Fountain county,
and now writes from Fairbury. ILL.,; N. l..
Roberts. of Aurora; NJ. G. Sherman. of La
Porte. James n. Tyner.. of Washington
sessions of that year, wrote, express
ing his regret at being unable
to be present. Thomas NJ. Browne.
now Congressman from the Sixth district.
was Secretary at the other senate session.
The D~oor-keeper otithe Senate. the veneer
able DR.. 5. G.. Thompson, of Wabash, is
still living, and it was recalled that ex-
Congressman James L. Johnston was a door
keeper of the House of Representatives..
Letters were also read from Cutler s. Dob
bins. of Shoals. and John Il. Dashiell.
After the reading of letters, Major Bun
DIV addressed the meeting. He reviewed
the peculiar and trying conditions under
which the General Assembly met, and then
said:
The General Assembly of 1861 showed its pa
tr1OtlSm not only by voting money to aid the
general government in raising and cquipping
armies, but by the large number of its members
who volunteered and went into the army them
selves. and there is no doubt their example had
a good influence on their eOnstituents. 1t tended
greatly TO encourage en,istments in the army,
without which the preservation of the Union
would have been impossible. Hence IL was that
Indiana troops became conspicuous for their
gallantry in every battlefield during the war,
and the eyes OF the whole country were upon
them. 1t IL not alone for its patriotism that this
body deserves TO be mentioned and commended.
1t will be remembered that il was this body
which made the wonderful advance and
allowed parties in civil actions TO testify in their
own cases. Before this change no party could
give evidence unless called upon By his opp0-
sure no one desires To return To the ~cast-iron
rules or evidence OF the common law, which ex-
cludeG the persons who alone knew all about the
ease from telling what they knew. 1t was "A rule
to exclude light when IL was most needed by the
Judge who tried the ease.
And while on this subject l will allude To an
other matter connected herewith. Ii was III
this Legislature that the first effort was ever
made TO change the law OF evidence borrowed
from the slave States. which excluded from ties
tifying against a white man any one having one.
eighth or more African blood. The measure did
not pass, though II had in the House very earn.
est supporters. The great civil war. however
did the work very soon thereafter. and now we
are surprised that any such absc:d laws everhad
an existence In the statutes. The fears of is
opponents have proved TO be groundless since
the law has been reduced 10 practice.