The Portland daily press., 1891-04-07
published in the daIly paners Of tho oi1u a

garments, visiting the sick, distributing |
money, ana aiding the Post in any way that
may be deemed best"
From that time the cooperation of Bos- |
worth Relief Corps with the work of |
the. post has been steadily and faithfully |
maintained. As evidence of the aid furnish |
ed the books Of the relief show an expendi-
ture in cash Of $6,243 .3S, not including many |
articles of clothing and other gifts, of which |
no account has been kept.
Neither should it be forgotten that in aid |
OF the Soldiers and Sailors, Monument Asso- |
citation the ladies of the relief raised at their |
fair held in City Hall in March, 1889, the net |
sum Of $11, $50, making up the full amount |
required to complete the monument for Mon |
ument Square.
The present membership of Bosworth Re- |
lief Corps Is 255. This year marks the oath |
in the history of the post, nearly a quarter
of century. The comrades of its early days,
then In their prime, have grown gray In its
service. Nevertheless they hold on with I'M
the past year their new quarters. Bosworth
Post building on Free street, has been built
and furnished throughout with all the needed
appliances to make 1t first class home for
the veterans at cost of about $4,000.
Today Bosworth Post is the sole owner Of
its splendid building. with no creditors to
modest or make afraid 1t has been lsecur ed
BY the combined efforts OF the comrades and
the cooperation OF the relief corps, occupy
ing the second floor for their quarters, which
are handsomely fitted up.
In the inevitable future the membership of
Bosworth Post. like all its kindred organiza-
tions, must decline. Its roll Of honor now
blvouac on the:dead. In twenty-five years
but a small remnant will survive. 1t has no
recruiting ground save among those who
honorably served In the army or navy during
the War Of the Rebellion. Its goodly herr
pass to other hands. On whom can it be
more fittingly bestowed than upon the noble
army of Sons Of Veterans, soon to fill the
places Of the illustrious sires whose deeds we
commemorate today?
We have with us tonight Shepley Camp.
| No. A, organized January 80, 1885, Starti ng
with 10 members eight years ago, it now
numbers Sc and Is steadily enlisting new re-
cruits. The Ladies' Aid, connected with the
sary. Worthy sons and daughters of the
old stock, let us bid them Godspeed in the
great principles of our order. Inspired with
the same devotion to country as ourselves,
we need not hesitate to bequeath to them the
unchallenged over all our wide domain.
Finally. my comrades, putting on our ar
NOR anew. grit with the broad belt of frater-
nifty, the helmet Of charity on our heads, and
tasty hold to these great principles, fratern-
ity, charity, loyalty, the trinity of our order,
until summoned by the Supreme Command
| or. we join the Grand Army of the Republic
above.
HISTORY OF THATCHER POST.
Adjutant Scribner was the historian for
Thatcher Post. An abstract of his address
follows:
This Post was organized on May oath, 1884,
with 26 charterlmembers, by authority of a
special order from Benjamin Williams, De-
partment Commander. Major William II.
Green of Bosworth Post was charged With
the duty of mastering the post, and he was
assisted by 0therkmembers of that post in
the performance of the duty.
1t Is matter OF tradition In the post, al
| though there is, of course, no record of the
| fact, that the name of the Post was first sug-
gested by Past Department Commander
| Richard K. Galley. 1t was named for Rear
| Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher, who did
| good service during the rebellion in the West
Gulf Squadron, and who in March and April
1866. co-operated with General Candy in the
| reduction Of the city of Mobile, which city
| finally surrendered to his command. Later,
| Admiral Thatcher did good work along the
| Texas coast, and finally, soon after the close
of the war, was retired andIldied few years
| ago, full OF yearssandi hOn0rs, at his home
in Massachusetts,.
The first post commander was Edward B.
Sargent, who has been succeeded in the or
der named by Edward j. Morrell, John ID.
Scribner, Lyman W. Hanson, Augustus II.
PRINCE, and the present Commander. Wins
low Lawt0n.
OF the charter members, two, Sewall L.
Abbott and Moses Hunt, have died, and by
change in their homes and similar causes
others have ceased from active work In the
post, buttover twenty OF the charter members
are now working and interested members.
When the matter Of new post in this city
was first discussed, there were, of course,
different opinions in regard to the propriety
OF such new organization with our elder
sister, Bosworth Post, in active work ;
men high in the State and National
offices and in the confidence Of the order
appeared to be that in the long and honora-
! BILE work of our comrades of Bosworth Post
they had accumulated so large fund and SO
much valuable property that it was but fair
than in new post. 1t was found, or, upon
careful estimate by men best fitted to Judge,
believed, that within the territory which
should furnish comrades for the Grand Ar
membership in the Grand Army of the Re-
public, and that Of these not more than one
third were members of the order at that
time. This seemed field for new post,
and the end has fully justified that conclu-
| sion.
One hundred and twenty-six members in
| good standing, are now borne upon the rolls
| OF the post, with at least 80 who, originally
mustered into the post, have, upon removal
from the city. taken transfer cards, and be-
1
Like many other similar societies, the first
| two years of the posts existence brought
some trouble and difficulty; we were, in
| sense, strangers to each other, and strangers
| to the work of the order ana the ways and
means of raising revenue. 1t became neces-
sary on one occasion for individual members
| from their private means to tide over finan
clal trouble, during that period, but since
that time the history of the post has been of
success and freedom from debt, and the
acquisition of permanent fund for special
emergencies.
The post has no special relief, or charity
fund, and no fixed sick benefits; all the
funds of the Post are available for RELIEF, land
sick comrades. and all those who have
claim upon our charity are aided as the case
appears to require, upon report of the relief
committee, authorized by a vote of the post.
Much aid has been given by the old method
charity Of our members. and our surgeon,
| William 81. True, M. D., now in his fifth
term Of service In that Office, has rendered
professional aid 10 many cases free of cost.
which II charged at usual rates, would
amount to hundreds Of dollars. AS adjutant,
in which Office have had some years ex-
perience, have yet to see the first bill rem
dered by him for professional services
Reckoning the aid given In money, In food,
| lodging, transportation, medical attendance.
watchers for sick beds, and other ways, the
post may be upon fair estimate said to
furnish aid to the extent of at least $500 per
year. or $4,000, nearly, during its existence,
In the year 1886. for the first time, the
number of graves to be decorated exceeded
the number Of Grand Army men TO decorate
them,. and this year on the 30th of May,
probably nearly 800 soldiers graves will be
decorated by the two posts acting in full and
fraternal concert, as we always have done,
1t Is the boast of our post that no member
was ever dropped for the reason that he was
unable to pay his yearly dues; of course,
some lose interest, and allow themselves to
be dropped, but these cases are very few, and
with our muster-in fee at "a and So per
year dues, no old soldier need fear that he
| will be dropped If he does not meet his quar-
terly payments.
The post attended the National Encamp.
| ment Of the Grand Army In this city in 1885.
and In Boston in 1890, on both occasions
with full ranks, on each occasion having in
| line more than 60 per cent. of its member
| ship.
Another event of great interest was the
laying Of the corner stone of the Soldiers
| Monument in this city on Memorial day 1889,
| at which the Post also appeared with full
| ranks.
OF this post, Comrade CharlesW. Hadlock
has been a member of the De partment