Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-08-06
THE GRAND ARMY ENCAMPMENr
rwenty-hfth Annual Encampment at
Detroit the Largest Ever Held,

DETROIT, Mich, Aug. 4.-The ma
tional encampment OF the grand army
OF the republic, which began its ses-
: sions here YESTERDAY is known as the
"silver encampmentn because II is the
twenty-fifth since the organization OF
the order. The attendance Is estima-
ted to be the largest OF any previous
encampmcnt.
There is a strong rivalry between
Washington, ID. G., and Lincoln, Neb +,
for the next encampment. The friends
Of the former argue that the eEcamp-
ment should 90 east ia 1892, so that
Il can be held at Chicago in 1893, dur
ing the worlds fair, while the friends
of Lincoln claim that large number OF
the members in the west are too poor to
go as lar as Washington while they
could manage to get TO Lincoln.
DETROIT, August 4--This day will
be loug remembered by the grizzled
veterans OF the Grand Army OF the Re-
public.
As the opening day OF the twenty
! iifth annual encampment IL marks a
quarter Of century in the growth OF
the organization and every soldier real
ICES that II must also mark the apex in
the prosperity OF that great order
which year by year has enveloped in It's
fraternal fold every state Of the great
| Union.
The inexorable logic of life sounds Q
warning TO every veteran that In time
the surviving comrade OF the surviving
post must be mustered out" by death
and the G. A. II. be known no more,
save to the memory Of the grateful ma
tion it defended and preserved. II
has therefore been the desire OF all the
leaders OF the organization that the
twenty-hfth encampment should be the
most successful Ia the history OF the q.
A. II. and the parade the most maguiii-
cent the order has ever known.
The multitudes assembled in De-
| troit to-day are larger than the City OF
/ the Straits has ever greeted before, and
in the magnilicence Of pageantrY and
the beauty OF decoration to-day'e parade
is without precedent In the years that
have gone.
In measured tread. TO martial music.
the procession started from Woodward
and Adams avenues with Commander
in-chief Veazey and his staff in the lead,
rntil the reviewing stand was reached.
The stand from which the commander
in-chief and his glittering staff reviewed
the parade was situated on Campus
Martinus, on the east side OF Wood
ward avenue.
On Illinois, the home OF Lincoln,
Grant and Logan, was conferred the
honor OF the right OF march. But il
was not because OF these illustrious
names that the prairie state was so hon
ored, but because OF one whose services to
the veterans OF the state and nation
dates since the war-Dr. B. f. Steph-
enson, the old founder Of the q. A. X.
DIR. Stephenson was born in Wayne
county, ILL.,, 1922 and died In Menard
county August 30, 1871, aged 40 years.
His remains lie in the soldiers lot in
Rose Hill cemetery at Petersburg, Ill. |
He organized the G. A. T. in 1866, and
few months later J. N. Coltrin and
Joseph Pryor Joined with ten others in
forming the first post, which was in
stituted at Deca ur April g. 1865, Under |
charter granted by DIR. Stephenson. |
conspicuous little group in the Illinois /
delegation. and their appearance was
the signal for tribute Of cheers.
Department Commander Horace 5. |
Clark led the command and 5000 rep |
resentatives OF the Sucker state were in
the line.
As each division passed beneath the |
triumphal arches, little girls, deeked in
the national colors. showered the vet
Grams with bouquets.
! The enthusiasm which greeted the |
Second w isconsin division, 700 strong |
was unbounded. In the front rank
and borne high in the air and on top Of
a flagstaff was perched 'Old Abe the |
stuffed eagle which became a part o
Wisconsin's history a quarter Of n cen
tury ago Cheer after cheer arose
from the multitude, but the tribute was
to the war bird and alone to the brave
boys OF the Badger state.
The PennsY lvania division came next
800 strong, marching in good order &c
sprigntly music furnished by the post
bands. Department Commander Boyei
rode at their head, with Adjutani
Towne and Quartermaster General
Leyering, followed by the aids Pitts
burg posts led the delegation.
The Ohio delegation was vast army
OF itself. No less than 1900 veterans
tramped to the music Of the bands.
Beside Department Commander War
ner marched General 5. Ii. Hurst,
Ohio's candidate for commander-in.
chief. A conspicuous figure was Gen.
eral Manning f. Force, who enlisted as
major in the Twentieth regiment.
was made full brigadier general
year before the close OF the war. Col
onel A. l.. Congea Colonel A. =. Dowl.
ing aud General r. b. Brown were
among the past department command
ers in line.
New York, $500 strong came next,
and was the recipient Of an enthusiastic
greeting. They were headed by Depart.
ment Commander O. II. Freeman. Ad.
iutaut General w. w. Bennett and
General A, r. Penfield.
William Van Keuren, an octogenarian,
a veteran OF the Mexican and civil wars,
was dressed in a suit made OF the patri.
otic red, white and blue.
Then came a score of battle flags
scanned, shot through, in shreds and
tatters, proudly carried aloft by the
bearers. They made very interesting
display, coming as they did from all
the regiments in Western New York
and comprising colors that waved on
every important field during the war
The Connecticut division came next
and following Connecticut was Massa
chusetts, $500 strong.
Inelr grand display anC SOldlerly ap
pearance caused the greatest enthusi.
asm as soon as they hove in sight
headed by Department Commander a.
A. Smith, Adiutant General II. o.
Moore and Senior Vice Commander J.
X. Churchill.
Following these came the smaller di-
visions, governors OF states and other
almost in unlimited numbers
When the head of the column had
passed the grand stand Commander ,
Veazey relinquished command TO Vice
Weissert and took his ]
place upon the reviewing stand. Here
he was surrounded by a distinguished
At his right the former
we're ex-President Hayes and represent
atives Of the present administration,
Proctor and Secretary Foster. ,
On his left was Governor Winows. ex-
Governor Alger, Mrs. Anna Eiter. {
bridge OF Washington, better known as
Gentle Annie" who accompanied the
Fifth Michigan through the war and I
was shot twice; Mrs. Clara Barton OF ]
Red Cross fame. Ex-Governor Blair ol