St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-13
WERTHEIMER.
IN SECRET SOCIETY.

u. Il. R.-OUu FELLOWS ana Other
Societies.
At the session of the twenty-fourth
national encampment of the G. A. r.,
held at Boston Aug. Is and IA, 1890, the
following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That the commander-in-
chief-elect be requested to take such
action as will lead to proper celebra-
ton of the quarto-centennial of the Or
ganiZation of the Grand Army of the
Republic, the first post having been
organized at Decatur, ILL.,, April 6, 1866"
The cOmmander-in-chief issued a gen
eral order to all posts to meet on that
evening, and in accordance with the
above order Acker Post No. 81 held an
open camp fire to celebrate this, the
tWenty-fifth anniversary. 1t was also
ordered by the cOmmander-in-chief that
at $50 p. III. the following circular let
ter should be read in all the posts Of the
United States:
Headquarters Grand Army of the
Republic, Rutland, Vt, March 4, 1871
Circular Letter No. 3-COmradeS: As
sembled, as we are at this moment, IN
one simultaneous post meeting 10 CON-
memOrate the founding of this. our be-
loved order, twenty-five years ago, there
are few salient points of our history
which | deem it fitting to call to your
remembrance at this time.
DR.. b. +. Stephenson, iSurgeon of the
Fourteenth Illinois infantry, and Chap
lain w. j. Rutledge, of the same regi
ment, talked, as they marched under
Sherman in Mississippi in 1864, of the
capacity for good in an organization of
veterans, and agreed, if spared, to work
out some plan to that end. In March,
1866, they, with others, met at Spring
field, ILL.,, and on the 9th day of
April, 1866, the first post was Or
gained at Decatur, ILL.,; Comrade
Stephenson mastering in the members
and granting them a charter, an exact
fac-simile of which L send you herewith.
The first department encampment. was
held at Springfield, Ill.,. July II, '66, and
the first national encampment at In
dianapol!s, Ind, Nov. 90 of the same
year. COmrade S. \. Hurlbut was the
first elected cOmmander-in-chief, Com
rade Stephenson having Professionally
acted as such heretofore, and having
called together the first national en-
campment. The violence of political
strife at that time involved
the new order more or less
and substantially destroyed its vitality,
especially III the section of the country
where it had its origin, some of the de-
partmentS being left with nothing more
than mere nominal existence, with
scarcely a post in active operation.
This was the situation at the time of
the second national encampment. held
at Philadelphia Jan. Is, 1868, and con-
tinued till after the death OF its founder,
Aug. 80, 1871. His dream of an order
grandly carrying out his noble concep-
ton seemed only dream, never to be
realized.
At this point that peerless volunteer
soldier, Logan, took command, succeed
ed in turn by Burnside, Devens and
Hartranft. The nine years OF service
as commandments rendered by
these faithful and devoted comrades,
now all mustered out forever, and the
work of the able staff officers of their
administrations, laid deep and broad
the foundations now so widely built
upon; and could Comrade Stephenson
have lived till now to share with us the
fruits of his years of toll, dependency
and disappointment. he would hardly
recognize this our grant order, which,
when he died, was apparently so near
its end. Wisely guided and care
fully fostered, it has gathered
strength each year, and to-day occupies
position of character, beneticence and
influence second to no organization of
our time. The same conservative course
can keep 1t growing a few years more,
despite our increasing death rate; but
those comrades who celebrate the semi
centennial anniversary twenty-five
years hence will be few in number. 1t
is therefore for us who now turn with
thankfulneSS TO the founder and to the
preServers of our order to so conduct its
affairs, to so guard it from diSSensiOn.
o,,I 70 r. fol
principles, that its influence will
be felt long after the organiza-
ton has ceased to eXcist. In this
each comrade has his share. each post
its measure of effort, each department
its burden, to be loyalty accepted, per-
formed and borne, with deep sense of
the privilege as well as obligation that
is ours. Forward then, my comrades,
into the next quarter century, with the
one purpose animating us all, to still
farther extend our lines and to light our
camp fires yet more widely, not alone
for our sakes, but as an inspiration to
the new generation. ShiDmate, under
the union jack; soldier, of whatever
rank or arm: marines, gallant as any;
all pressing on in this the work of our
declining days, elbow to elbow, stirrup
to stirrup, yardarm to yard-arm, heart
to heart, all one in the Grand Army of
the Republic.
Your comrade in F., G. and L..
w. G.. VEASEX,
Commander in-Chief.
Official: j. d. GoDDING,
Adjutant General.
After the reading of the circular re-
marks were made by Comrade H. A.
Castle, giving the history in brief of
each national encampment, with the list
of officers, also of each Minnesota de-
partment encampment. together with a
partial history of Acker post from its
organization. COmrade Castle was fol-
lowed with interesting remarks APP
propriate to the occasion by the follow
ing comrades: Department Commander
G. D. Parker, Department Junior Com
mander John Day Smith, Comrade A.
r. McGill. Comrade j. II. Drake, Com
rade Albert Scheffer, Comrade E. Y.
Smalley.
The programme was interspersed
with excellent music by the North Star
COrnet band, of st. Anthony hill. The
ladies of Acker Woman's Relief corps
served refreshments consisting of hard
tack and coffee. The occasion was one
long to be remembered by those pres
ent.
Twin City Lodge 179, l. o. o. F., have
tickets out for their second grand ball