The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-07-04
ARMY OF 7HB POTOMAC.
The Annual Reunion Of the So.
.sI. g.5g ciety at Portland, Ne.
GENERAL SHERMAN'S' SPEECH,
ltc Talks In Ills lIappicst Vein to tho
Old BoySand Receives an Ovation.
'4 Distinguished Veterans Pres.
.u0..b ent.-sicn0rablc Occasion.

PORTLAND, Me-, July 3.-Ono thou
sand members Of the Society OF the Arm,
OF the Potomac are here attending th,
annual reunion. The weather, though
threatening, has not yet iuterierred, and
the prospects are generally favorable fol
a successful reunion. The forenoon Is
being devoted to meetings Of tho differ.
ent corps and social gatherings. ~
The veterans met in the City Hall this
afternoon. Among tho prominent oil.
GERS who occupied seats on the floor and
on the stage General Sherman, General
F. A. Walker, Hon. uoratio King, Gen.
eral Fitz John Porter, General Selden
Connor, General Coils, Colonel Horace
9. King, General Hodges, Generals
LIS. Dickinson, Locke, Clarkson, Beale
aud Goddard; also officers OF the war
vessels In the harbor. A..
General ]. NJ. Brown. escorted Gener-
al Sherman to the stage, and three
cheers were given for him. While the
band was playing Hon. Hannibal Ham.
lin came on the platform, and the whole
society rose and gave him three cheers.
:, After the Grafton by General Walker
was finished the chairman introduced
General Sherman, who received a pro-
longed ovation and spoke as follows:
"oLD TEcUMsEu's" SPEECH.
Comrades Of the Army Of the Potomac
and ladies and gentlemen Of Portland:
It is not the food we eat that gives
health and strength, but that which we
digest. 1t is so with the mind. 1t is
not the books We read, or the newspa.
pers either, or even the speeches we
hear that enlarge our understanding,
but those We comprehend and dignity.
Now, my friends, have had a good deal
Of experience in my life, and have
learned since l have been upon this
stage that the grand review in Washing.
ton terminated when the Army of the
Potomac passed, 1t reminds me OF a
story General Taylor is said to have told
to an applicant for Office in Washington,
who urged. his claim from having been
at Buena Vista. General Taylor said he
had heard many things having occurred
there that although he thought he was
there himself, he had come to the con-
clusion that he was not there at all.
Now, I have so many fresh memories OF
that grand review that think I was
there, and 1 think that review occupied
three days. The first day the Army OF
the Potomac had the floor and I was
upon the stage at that time, as am
now, taking notes Of the positions, that
I might improve by them; for, if you
remember, the armies Of the west did
not have fair reputation for order,
drill and discipline. You got your news
OF us through rebel sources [great ap-
plause], and We chased them
for 1900 miles into your very
camps, They had not very good
opinion OF our Western armies, and we
found that even the authorities at Wash
ington had not very good opinions Of our
Western. armies. They thought we
were rather liable to disorder. Now, l
assure you, my friends OF the army OF
the Potomac, we were better drilled
army than you were. know it. be.
cause I was there commanding. Laugh.
ter and applause. tg.6l,. :,