Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-12
ON THE RIGHT SIDE
The Twenty First Michigan
Infantry
HOLDS A PLEASANT REUNION
Speeches Are Delivered and . General
Good Time Is Had-Those Who
Were PIesent-The Banquet

frat Michigan Infantry MAS held yes
terday, and what Misunderstanding time
1t Was. All political affairs were for
gotten for the time and the Old boys
were simply comrades To be sure .
few OF the boys IN the height OF their
Joy took q drop too much beer and
worked OF the effects by Waiting IN
the back part OF the hall. but they
were forgiven for their short comings
IN the general good feeling that pre-
vailed.
The business meeting was held at
O'Clock IN PatriArchxl hall on Lyon
street, with A. Is. Morse as orator OF the
day. There were about $50 persons
present. q number Of them being
women. Colonel McCrsery could not
be present to preside, 30 the meeting
was called TO order and letter from
Colonel McCreery Was read, IN which
he said: al have looked forward with
. great deal of pleasure to the occasion
Of our reunion tomorrow, when l ex-
pected to meet my old friends and
comrades Of the Twenty-first, but l am
compelled to forgo this pleasure on
account Of my health.
Before leaving Chill had an attack
of the grippe from which / have not
recovered and it would hardly DO
prudent for me to 60. Please remem-
Der me TO each and all of the boys and
express to them the great disappoint-
ment feel at not being able 10 be
with them. May long life and pros
perity attend them all.
Mr.. Morse Speaks.
The letter was received with cheers
and it was apparent that Colonel
| McCreery WAS nearer TO the heart OF
each member of the Twenty-first than
any other man in the regimen. Gen.
eraI regret was expressed that the Col
onel could not be here. Major A. b.
| Morse the orator of the day WAS intro.
| duced. Mr.. Morse said:
| Comrades: 81 have no set speech.
/ have not been able to prepare an
address such as Is usually given here.
l am glad to see you all here today.
Colonel McCreery was the most beloved
man in the regiment. He was . strict
disciplinarisn but when of duty he
came down and was one of the boys.
He never lost the respect of q
single man in the regiment
by so dong. In this great war we
went to the front to do battle with the
enemy, because it was our duty. We
did not go for pay. If one of us should
be out in the woods today and some.
body should fire gun at US we would
run away. 1t was duty 10 the country
that made us stand before the guns oil
the enemy. Most OF us came from the
war poor indeed. We were paid in
deprecated currency. / find no fault
with the government for it, but you
know that So of the money you 70.
ceived was not worth . dollar. Poor
as you were you set to work, and one
thing that makes me proud of toe
Twenty first is what you have done
Most Of you have done something fol
yourselves. You proved that the very
men who made good soldiers made
good citizens.
Returned to Peaceful Ways.
You have shown that the keeping O
q standing army in this country wa
unnecessary. Should the time eve
come-which God forbid-that !
should be necessary TO call upon TIT
men of this country to protect the fiat
we would find young blood and BON
to take up the banner of the countr,
and plant it firmly and permanent.
upon our free institutions. We low
our country because it protects on
homes. Some of US are here toda,
who left our homes with our familie
there. We know Our homes will b
protected by the government and tina
our dear ones will be perfectly eat
there even in our absence. Withou
our country We wonld have no homes
Without homes We would have no lif
worth living for without home Their
would be no loved ones and our live
would be an existence to dreary to cor
template. 1t is great pleasure Z
come here and aid in this reunion.
thank y.u all for this opportunity I
speak before you.
The regiment chose Ionia as the plac
of holding the next meeting. II WI
be held October IL on the old campin
ground near Ionia city. The orato
CHI zen for the next meeting was CAPT
George w. Woodward.