Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-08-04
VETERANS I'm DETROIT

The City OF the Straits Fast FILLING Up
With G. A. n. Men-Over Two Hun.
1 dred Thousand Visitors Expected
To-Day-Some of the Post Arrivals
The Big Parade-Candidates for
Commander-tn-Chfe
DETROIT, Aug. 3.-The twenty-ffth an
nual encampment of the Grand Army will
formally open in this city at 1890 q. m.
tomorrow when Commander-in-Chief
Veazey will head the line of march and
after an hours parade will review the 40
600 or 30, 200 veterans. To-day has been
| reception day. It is estimated that there
are 10000 visitors in the city tonight, but
the great crowd is not expected until to-
| morrow when the multitude of strangers
will probably aggregate 900, 900 or more.
If so, it will characterize the twenty-ffth
encampment as the most successful in the
history of the organization. There is
strong rivalry in the race for the position
of national commander-in-chief, but thus
far it isin the nature OF friendly compe-
tition and is unmarked by strife or acri-
mony. The most prominent candidates
are Colonel William P. Snedburg of San
Francisco, A. G. Weissert of Milwaukee,
General Samuel Fl. Hurst of Chillicothe,
O., and Colonel G. P. Lincoln of Wash
ington. Besides these, New York has
three candidates for the position-General
81. A. Barnum of New York, General
John Palmer of Albany, and General ira
81. Hodges of Hayerstraw. There is a
strong belief that the next commander-in-
chief will be Western man The leading
candidate of all those in the field is &C.
knowledged to be Colonel Weissert of Mil
waukee. He was formidable candidate
two years ago, but withdrew in favor of
General Veazey. In return, Veazy's east
ern friends are now for Weissert. The
fight for the location of the next encamp-
ment is peculiar one. The rivalry is
sharp between Washington, d. c., and
Lincoln, Neb., and from present indica-
tons Washington is in the lead.
Governor Carroll Page of Vermont and
staff is composed of General Theodore s.
Peck, adjutant general; General William
81. Gilmore, quartermaster general; Colonel
w. NJ. Slack, Captain E. 81. Il. Larum,
Nineteenth United States infantry, and
Captain Herbert S. Foster, Twentieth
United States infantry, aides-de-camp.
Among the posts that arrived this morn
ing the most conspicuous, perhaps, was
Tyrell post of Lapere, Mich, ffty-two
strong, and it was conspicuous because it
was headed by the Hsdley Ladies' band.
Three special trains brought the Old Guard
of Washington, the department command
er and his staff The Old Guard, noted
organization, is commanded by J. M. Edgar.
1t has color guard of twelve men, six of
whom lost their right arms in the war and
another six who lost their left arms. The
Old Guards membership is largely made
up of past commanders and well known
men. John A. Andrew post of Boston is
the only armed battalion in the Grand
Army, being uniformed as cavslrymen and
equipped with sabres. 1t will be repre-
sented by one hundred and fifty men.
Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes,
commander-in-chief of Military Order of
the Loyal Eegion, arrived from Ohio to-
night. He was met by local delegation
of the Loyal legion and escorted to the
home of Colonel F. J. Heeker Command
er Hayes was rendered a reception at Col
onel Hecker's residence, and all members
of the Loyal Legion paid him their re-
spects. About seventy ladies belonging to
the Potomac Relief corps arrived on the
train which brought the Washington par
ty. These ladies, or many of them. are
well-known througho the country. They
include Mrs. Nellie Prentice, the president
of the corps, Mrs. Maria 81. Weisher, SEN
ior vice president, Miss Clara Horton,
president of the Red Cross association, and
others. The Rhode Island contingent of
200 men, mostly members of the we'll
known Slocum post of Providence, march
ed to the hotel, escorting the
twenty-five women of the party.
The department commander is Adjutant
E. F. Prentiss. The department of Loui-
siana and Mississippi will review the
"color" fight in the encampment. Charles
F. Fink, assistant quartermaster general of
this department, said to-day: 1--WE have
come up to this encampment to make a
fight on the color line. We object to col
ored members of the G. A. r. and wanted
them formed into separate colonization.
1t is all right here in the north, where You
have only a few colored veterans, but do
you know that in the south there is any
quantity of colored members of the Grand
Army who are not thirty years old. They
swarm in our posts, as a white man has no
show. We will not associate with them,
and if the present convention does not do
something to relieve southern posts of this
growing trouble, then white veterans will
withdraw"
Commander-in-C Chief Veszey o-night de-
clined to discuss the ''color" dispute and
was disposed to minimize the importance
of the question in controversy.