The National tribune., 1889-02-28
ARMY OF WEST VIRGINIA.
The Speech of Gen. Henderson at their LAST
Meeting.


National Encampment of the G. b., at Column
bus, o., in September last, Gen. Charles F.
Manderson, u. S. Senator from Nebraska, who
was seated in the rear of the hall, was called
to the platform by the President of the Society,
ex-President Gen. r. B. Hayes, and delivered
the following interesting and witty address:
Mr.. PRESIDENT, COMRADES, AND FRIENDS: You
see before you the unprepared victim of as base
deception as was ever practced on man. Laugh
ter.
was neither specially invited or expected here
to might; but when | heard a short time ago. at
the house of my comrade, Major Goodspeed, that
my old-time friend. who sits by the side of your
PRESIDENT. was to speak, and remembered that
hau not heard his voice for nearly quarter OF
century, l sneaked quietly in the back way. and
took seat much retired, that might not be seen,
but hear again my comrade of the Army of the
Cumberland, Gen. William Gibson, of Ohio AS
he came by my seat after entering few moments
since, unguardedly and unexpectedly, prompted
so to do by the sight of his face again so near me-
grasped his hand and expressed my pleasure at
again meeting him. said, II have come to hear
you speak" He said, g You will not be disap
pointed, for am going forward TO speak at onceh
He went forward, but it is evident from this call
on me, instgated by him, that his only speech has
been TO your President, and that was in the way of
suggestion that be pulled from my hiding place
and be compelled to try to entertain him, instead
: tertained by him. daughter.
aim, and of his tricks and pranks of old
be useet to play many the boys when we
so.ciered together in the Army of the Cumberland,
but d g one of the smallest that he has ever
Leus er.l l had not met him for long time,
nid .ile sorry to see that ne has not improved.
Al' lad to notice that, not knowing him well,
sou seem to think great deal of him. lCheers
tltrioute your good opinion of him to that appre-
ciotive love and comrRdeship that one soldier feels
or another, aud that increases with the passing
yeaTs among those who belong to our great organ
ization, the Grand Army of the Republic. APP
plause.l am pleased to see that he retains warm
place in the hearts of his fellowcitizens of Ohio
He has won it by great and gallant service many
a field.
am not in good physical condition to make you
a speech. l had not been feeling very well for
several days, and had, like many of you, a long,
tedious railroad ride to get here. This morning,
feeling it my duty to join in the great parade,
sought to find my comrades of the Western State
from which / now hail. After long walk and
much inquiry, found that Nebraska was part of
the 18th division, and was to form on Jefferson
avenue. When arrived at that gathering point
was warmly greeted by my NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
They showed their love for me and keen appreca-
ton OF my coming by presenting to me horse,
that might ride and present a noble and notable
hgure In the procession. Laughter. This equine
specimen was a most wonderful creation-a verit-
able Rosinante! If his picture taken, it would
be necessary to write under it, This is horse;
he was so "fearfully and wonderfully made"
lLaughterj He was good frame which to
erect horse, and his vertebrae was certainly the
sharpest ofany that have ever seen or with which
1have come in bodily contact. Laughter. waited,
wearly waited, for the procession TO for four
or five dismal hours; l then tenderly rode in the
parade over the entire route. At last that march,
the terrors of which were hardly exceeded during
that ever since the back of that horse has been
sore that have been hardly able to move or speak.
lCheers and laughter.
This seems to be a good. natured audience, and
your good humor has spread itself to our eomrade,
who usually sits silently at such gatherings as
these; mean your old commander aud my friend,
Gen. George Crook-the man of action rather than
words. lCheers He looks so happy tonight that
will venture q story familiar to him, because
1t will serve 10 explain the that prompt to
such gatherings as these. Those of you who
marched with Cen Crook, or Gen. Gibson,
others of the great leaders Of the war, find diff
Guilty in understanding why meet and enjoy
these great assemblages of the survivors OF the
You caH take IN and appreciate the spirit of COM
radeship that flows from dangers shared and saeri-
fees made in the great cause Those who did not
serve in the find il difficult to understand these
meetings. and the feeling that prompts to the
formation of Orders akin to the Grand Army;
old soldier finds any such difficulty, and L have
heard one few years ago explain it III funny
fashion to Gen. Crook. long time ago, but
many years after the war; he was on duty at
Omaha, where live. There was Reunion of the
Army of the Tennessee to be held at Des M0ines,
Iowa Our comrades of that great army invited
those Oh Us who followed the flag elsewhere to join
with them in their festivities 4 number of us who
lived at Omaha, and most prominent among ali,
your old commander of the Army of West Virginia,
left Nebraska TO attend the Reunion. Our train
was greatly delayed, excursion trains are apt to
be, and being about seven hours late, 1t after
midnight before we arrived at Des Moines. Tired,
sleepy and cross, we were q sorry-looking set as
We got out of the train at the station Here to
anazement-Rnd afterwards, it proved, to our
mittee. This committee had been waiting
coming for seven long hours. Iowa not then
Prohibition state, and this suggestion IS perhaps
enough explanation Of the condition of the gen.
tienen appointed to receive US. iLaughter.l The
Chairman, who was also to be the orator OF the
occasion, IriShman who had been an Ell
cient Surgeon during the war; lac was yet able to
stand on his legs and the frequent potations taken
during the evening only added to the rich brogue
that hung ON his tongue. At some time during
his army career he had served with Crook. lie
was deeply affected by the sight of his old COM
mander, and wept tears of maudin joy. The oc-
casion was too much for him, and he forgot the
words of his carefully prepared Grafton; threw his
around the neck of the General, declaring his
undying love for him, and said that he would
sooner :" see him than all the rest of the world
At last, feeling 1t incumbent upon him that he
should make some sort of speech of reception, he
seemed to remember part of 1t, He asked.Yhat
had brought US together and replied that It was
the spirit of comradeship. He then attempted to
explain what he meant by it. and tried to quote
from his faVorite poet, Tom Moore. lie wound up
his speech amidst confusion confounded "
with the following wonderful poetical quotation:
SEE to you, General, sez |. in the wurds OF the
immortal poet" Ye may break-ye may shat
ter!-the vase if ye willi-but the scent of the
roses - rapate, General: "Ye may break-ye
may ,shatter tine vase II ye will' out the smell
- yes the smell of the damned machinery will
hang around it yet!' Cheers and laughter.] The
staggering legs of the drunken quotation carry the
idea We appreciate its truth. 1t is because we
have marched and biyouacked together; have felt
the touch of elbow TO elbow; have drank from
the same canteen; fought and bled on the same
OF the same danger; mourned over the same de-
feats and reoiced the same victories that we
organize these great military Orders. 1t is because
of common devotion to that glorious flag, and all
that it represents, that enjoy these meetings
Cheers and applause.
My comrades of the Society of the Army of West
Virginia, while have much in common there
links of special association that bind us to-
gcther, for never served in your army, but we all
served under the same flag, and early in the war /
followed it on that part of the sacred soil of Vir-
gina-the mother of Presidents, who seems to have
| lost the power of maternity in late years-whieh
now constitutes the State of West Virginia. And
here let briefly refer to an historical fact but
little known that will be of special interest to YOU
In the beginning of the it was considered
! important that The mountain part of northwest
Virginia particularly that portion along the Balti-
more IL Ohio Railroad all of which was adjacent to
! Pennsylvania aud Ohio, should be held by the
Union troops. The rebels saw its Importance and
occupied it. One of the best men that ever fved
then occupied the Executive chair in this Capitol
/ mean Gov. Dennison, of Ohio. Cheers. In the
adjoining State (lndiana) that great war Gov
ernor and true patriot, Oliver p Morton. ICheers
| These great leaders, equal to the emergency did
the troops of one sovereign State might invade an
other, but offered the militia organizations of their
-reat States to Abraham Lincoln, the President OF
t= United States. 1t was the militia of Ohio and
il ma that conquered and held western Virginia
piause They We're never mustered as United
/ states troops until they We're mustered out
when, in recognition of their great services the
country adopted them. II was as a Major General
OF Ohio militia that Gen. Mcclellan won the fame
that called him to supreme command in the East
1t was Brigadier- General of Ohio militia that
Can Nxritt