Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-02
RArIFIoAr1oN MEETING.
Election OF Mr.. Woodman as Depart,
ment Commander Ratified.

meht COMMANDER katfhed.
About so members of the Grand Army
OF the Republic, representatives Of
Smyth, du Pont, Sumner, Grant and
Sheridan posts, marched to the resi-
dence Of Colonel A. j. Woodman, No.
1905 Pennsylvania avenue, on Saturday
evening, and held there a sort of camp
fire, at which the action of the council
OF administration Of the Department of
Delaware in electing Colonel Woodman
department commander was ratified
After the gathering had been received
and seated Colonel Woodman spoke as
follows.
Comrades: 1t is said that Yankee has
TO preface his remarks by telling story
that you may understand what be is talk
ing about
Now this is my story: They say that
when Adam awoke from his deep sleep
and saw woman in all her lovliness stand
ing beside, him he said: .Eve. am real
glad you have come" Now | say I am
real glad you have come We will now
have camp fire.
Comrades, let us turn back the wheels Of
time for thirty years. We were then
young. and active, preparing for what
proved to be terrible war, but after four
long years of bloody strife the voice of
mercy succeeded 70 the clarion of battle,
and called the nation from enmity to love.
Then Johnnie came marching home
again" where he was welcomed BY father,
mother, wife, children, sister or some
other, 'fellar's' sister, and the laurel
wreath was placed upon his loyal brow
and all said, II am glad you have come"
Yes, comrades, more than a quarter Of
q. century ago you laid aside your 'soger"
clothes and put on the garb Of peace,
The farmer returned to his. field, the
mechanic to his shop, the student to his
books, the accountant to his desk and the
chaplain TO his pulpit and war became a
matter of history. Comrades, your pres
ence hero tonight to ratify the action of
your council of administration does my
heart good. / feel that | have been hon
ored as never was a comrade before, and
how? | will tell you. / was mustered
into du Pont Post, No. 2, in 1885, private,
and was installed department commander
June 18th, 1891, by one and the same off
Ger, colnrade who carries one of the
grandest decorations that ever adorned the
BOYS in blue, ian empty sleeve" That
comrade is General p. b. Ayars, than
whom no drawer soldier ever stood on the
battle field. And now in conclusion let
me say that in passing down the hill of
time. how pleasant will be recollection of
this hour. In the language of Tom Moore;
Long long, may my heart with such
Like, vase in which roses have once been
distilled;
You may break, You may ruin the vase, if
But the scent of the roses will cling to it
still.
Following his address there were
speeches by Past Department Com
manders Ayars and Lewis, Assistant
Acknowledgment Stradley, Department
Inspector Craig, Chaplain Mccoy,
Coionels Hyatt and Cathcart, Past Post
Commanders Bogia, Solomon, Murray
and Riley, Comrades Agnew and
Jeferis and others. After a season of
general conversation refreshments were
served Reference having been made to
the courage Of the women who remained
at home during the war taking care Of
the children. Colonel Woodman intro.
duced his wife as one Of those brave
ones. About 90 minutes before depart
ing the visitors were invited ont upon
the piazza and the lawn to enjoy a
beautiful pyrotechnic display in front of
their hosts residence.
The evenings entertainment was de-
lightful and showed that the best of
AtNAiAA5 INV CAlGlS Ill tlt
OF Delaware. Letters from down-State
posts declare that the election of Colonel
Woodman as department commander
will harmonic all differences and that
the veterans rejoice that the recent
trouble has been amicably settied. All
who attended the ratification meeting
promised Colonel Woodman their SUP.
port during his administration and the
general feeling was that this will be one
OF the most prosperous years in the
history of the Department of Delaware.
In speaking of the visit 10 Colonel
Woodman the Star Sunday said:
Z = The Star hoped to give a more
complete and satisfactory report of the
gathering, but our g. A. r. friends are
informed that it is entirely due to the
gratultous, not to say brutal, discourtesy
of Mr.. Woodman to Star reporter that
we are unable TO do so.
The following is Colonel Woodman's
reply to the Stars comment: 1.-THE
above appeared in the Sunday Morning
Star OF June 2Sth. | will say that the
comrades left my house about 1915 p.
m. immediately retired and did not
know OF the reporters visit until Sun
day morning. About midnight Mr.. Wal
ker was awakened by the violent ring
ing Of the door bell. Fearing that some
thing serious had happened he ran down
stairs without dressing and inquired the
cause, being informed that a reporter Of
the Star wished to get report of the
meeting. He told him that was asleep
and did not think it advisable TO awaken
me. My wife told Mr.. Walker that l
was not to be disturbed at that hour.
Had l been awake would have cheer.
fully gotten up and given the reporter
all the information he wanted, even if I
had had TO have encroached upon the