Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-03
UNION VETERANS UNION.
The Newly Elected Officers Of the De.
partment of the Potomac.

BRIEF SKETCHES OF THEIR MILITARY CAREER
ALL SAW SEVERE SERVICE AT The FRONT DURING
The wAR-IHE CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF THE
COMMUNICATIONS 1T HAS DROWN.
At the recent Department Encampment of
the Union Veterans Union, Department Of the
Potomac held at Grand Army Hall, the ad-
dress Of the retiring department. commander,
John WEIGH. showed how successful had been
the work of the order during the past year, and
the measure Of success which had crowned the
efforts to obtain employment for veterans and
to relieve the necessities of the suffering. The
following department officers were elected for
the ensuing year: Thos. S. Hopkins, depart
: ment commander; A. F. Mcmillan, first deputy;
L. W. Clifford, second deputy; DR.. VIM. II. H.
Warmsn. assistant surgeon general; Frank NJ.
WEIGH, assistant chaplain general
THE NEW COMMANDER.
The newly elected department commander,
Thos. S. Hopkins, is a well-known lawyer of
this city. He was born in Mt. Vernon, Me-,
April %, 1s45 and entered the sixteenth Maine
volunteers at the age Of seventeen He was at
the front with his regiment until the fall of
1863, when he was transferred to the veteran
reserve corps, where he served out his term.
ne graduated from the columbian COuege Law
School in the class Of 1869, and has practiced
law In this city ever since.
FIRST DEPUTY M'MILLAN.
First Deputy Commander Capt A. F. Nc
MILAN enlisted as a private in company G.. first
Ohio volunteer infantry (three months). April
l6. 1861. After being discharged he again en-
tered the service early in August, 1862, as an
enlisted man, and en- the 10Th of that month
was made first lieutenant OF company d, one
hundred and seventeenth Ohio volunteer in
fantry, subsequently changed to the first Ohio
heavy artillery. In May, 1861, he pro-
noted 70 captain. company +, first Us. c. ar
hllery (heayy), and served with that regiment
until April. 1865, when he was compelled to re-
sign because of physical disability. His
active service was in kentucky, West Virginia,
Tennessee and North Carolina. He was on de-
tached service as adjutant of the post of Cow
Ington, n.y., as provost marshal at Newport.
n.y.. adjutant of the post and commandant of
the post at Knoxville, Tenn.
He is president of the Union Soldiers ALI
ance for the ensuing year, to which position he
was unanimously elected. He was appointed
position IN the Office of the first auditor of the
treasury twenty-four years ago and has gone
through various grades from first-class clerk to
that OF deputy first auditor, to which office he
was appointed by President Harrison
SECOND DEPUTY CLIFFORD.
Capt. L. W. Clifford, second deputy COM
" H.,
1884 He enlisted in the old Bucktail
regiment, Pennsylvania reserve corps, June
q, 1861, as a private and was subsequently
elected second lieutenant and captain of COM
pary c. This company was one of four
selected by Col Thos. l. Kane for detached
duty under command Of Gen. Kane. After
participating in the battles of Drainsville,
Hunters Mills. &C., the command was am
pushed by Stonewall Jackson in June 1862 A
QpsDprate fOht epsuad which
was hit four times. In the battle OF Cross Keys
which occurred soon after, he received q
serious injury from. which he has never recov-
cred He has been employed for some years
IN the ONCE OF the solicitor Of the treasury.
SURGEON wARMAN.
DR.. VIM. ii. III. Warman, assistant surgeon
general, was born in New Jersey September 10,
ls4O. He graduated from the State Normal
School and Trenton Business College and was
engaged in teaching at the time he enlisted, in
the fall Of 1862. He was at the front with
Burnside at Fredericksburg, Va, December.
1862; with Hooker at Charlottesville April
and Nav. 1863: with Grant before Petersburg
during the summer of 1864 and with Shermanrs
army in its march through North Carolina in
the spring Of 1865. When he returned from
the army he resumed and followed the profess
sion of teaching until 1876, when be was ap-
pointed TO q clerkship in the pension bureau,
where he is still employed. For a time he was
chief of the mail division and is now a princi-
pal examiner In the medical division. Soon
after he came to Washington he began tho
study Of medicine, graduating in the spring of
loS0.
CHAPLAIN WEIGH.
Ma. Frank VI. WEIGH, assistant chaplain gen.
eral, was born in Philadelphia ard is forty
eight years of age. At an early age he removed
to Connecticut, where he has since resided
At the commencement of the war he was with
the first Connecticut infantry (three months)
and at the first battle Of Bull Run was taken
prisoner and held in Richmond ten months.
He enlisted in the ffty-fourth Massachusetts,
infantry and after two years service in the
ranks was promoted from orderly sergeant to
second and then to first lieutenant and was
mustered ont as first lieutenant with the regi-
ment at the close of the war. He was wounded
In the assault on Fort Wagner, SC, 18th July,
1868. He commanded, with the rank of major,
the NTH battalion, Connecticut National Guard,
from 1850 to Nav Of the present year. He is
now employed under the doorkeeper Of the
House OF Representatives.
GROWTH OF The ORGANIZATION.
Commands of the Union Veterans Union are
now in existence in nearly every state in the
Union. but the departments of Pennsylvania
and Ohio are the strongest 1t has become
powerful organization and is daily growing in
strength and favor.
i've commands, three of which have been added
during the past year, viz, ''Sedgwick" SHAW"
and Custer" At one time there existed an
impression that il was a rival of the Grand
Army. but that impression has been removed and
the two organizations now move hand in hand.
and the utmost cordially exists between them
The ends which both seek to attain are prac-
tcally the same, and there is bu: little differ
ence in the rules which govern them except as
to eligibility. An honorable discharge from
the United States service and good character
will admit to the Grand Army, even though the
applicant saw but a few days service. But the
service of an applicant for admission to the
Union Veterans Union Is carefully scrutnized
and he is obliged to prove that he has seen lat
least six months continuous service (unless
discharged on account OF wounds) in the army
navy or marine corps OF the United States be-
tween April ~, 1861, and April 80, 1865 and an
honorable discharge therefrOm. Part OF said
service must have been at the front"
STRONG TIES OF MEMBERSHIP.
The ties which bind these veterans together
are strong. They stood side by side upon many
q hard-fought field. Together they marched
and together they suffered from hunger and
thirst, from heat and cold. They gave the
best years OF their life to the holy cause II is
not strange then that they should in these later
years OF life give expression to fraternal feel
inSs by formally uniting in an organization
Ike this. seeking thereby not only the pleasure
ana pront arising from social intercourse, but
the Perpetuatlon OF the principles for which
they fought. For loyalty is one of their car
alnai principles-not only loyalty to country,