The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-09-07

HEROES Or THE WAR. 81
vetsrans Who Fought O Lana aaa m
s DuriDg til Rebellion Gathsr TOR TAsir
SIS Encanpmsst at Observation-Disclosures 4
&: tho q A. r ssssss55
IHD1ANAroL1s. Ind. Sept s. They
arc coming, hundred thousand
strong. That is the refrain on every
lip, and the homo Of ex-President Har-
rison has arranged o royal welcome for
the g. a. B. It is its twenty seventh
annual gathering, and in no yearswas
the interest deeper or the attendance
more fattering. 55s
The question Of most Importance to
come. up for debate is that relating to
recent developments in pension leRisla-
ton and department. decisions, and
under this head will probably come the
appeal of the disbanded Farnham post
of New York.
There was an unusual scene at the
c AsSDSA AAssNAV - AVoOyVCIAoA SAUICA QUIZ
day morning, and one in which ex-
President Harrison, much to his sur
prise, was made a. central figure. "A
special patriotic service had been ar-.
ranged for the delegates to the conven-
ton OF naval veterans, over 100 of whom,
headed by Rear Admiral B. s. Osbon,
occupied seats in the body of the edi.
fee. The audience still fingered after
the benedlction had been pronounced,
and several of the old salts in the rear
pushed to the front and grasped the
ex-president by the hand. See
ing that an impromptu reception
could not be avoided, the pastor in
vited Mr. Harrison to the trout Of the
platform, and for over an hour men.
women and children filed by, each
taking him by the hand and many ex-
pressing in a few words their pleasure
at seeing him amongst them.
In accordance with the usual custom
the - naval veterans held their
celebration before the rally of their
comrades of the army, and Saturday be-
ing the second and final day of their re-
union they were up bright and early,
and at eight bells every man of them
had gathered at the flagship Kear-
sarge on the capitol grounds to wit
ness the ceremony of putting the
counterpart of the time-honored craft
into commission. The festivities 1T
the man-of-war were concluded barely
in time for the veterans to make
their way to North Meridian and
St. Clair streets, where the line
of march was formed for the grand pa
rade.
1t was in Decatur, ILL.,, on April Z, 1866, that
DR.. Stephenson formed the first post OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic, and on October
81, 1866, the first national convention was held
in this city, where now they are gathering In
twenty-seventh reunion. The second session
was held In Philadelphia in January, 1853
1t was during this session that the
rule was established ab0lishing tho use Of all
military titles in connection with grand army
proceedings, with the result that in the post
room the major general and the private from
the ranks stand on precisely the same footing;
no rank or grade being recognized except those
OF the grand army itself and derived directly
from that body.
T1e third annual session of tho national en-.
campment was held in Cincinnati May IL, 1869,
Gen. Logan presiding, and he was reelected
commander In chief for the following year. and
the fourth annual encampnent was held IN the
city OF Washington on May II, 1870 For the
third time Gen. Logan was elected commander
In chief to succeed himself, and the fifth annual
meeting of the national eneampment was
held in Boston on May 10, 1871. The
sixth annual encampment was presided over by
Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, as commander
in chief, meeting In Cleveland, May g. 1872
Gen Burnside was reelected commander in
Chief. and thu aoVRnth animal
held in New Haven, Conn, May H. 1873 Tho
general declined to serve third time. and Gen
Charles Deyens, Jr., of Massachusetts, was
elected in Harrisburg, Pa, May l3 1874
Gen. Devens was reelected commander in
chief for the following year, and the ninth an
nual session was held in Chicago May II, 1875
The tenth annual meeting, Gen. John F. Hart
ranft commander in chief. was in Philadelphia
on June 80, 1876, tho centennial year, and was
largely attended
On June 20, 1877, the eleventh annual meeting
was in Providence, r. l., Gen. Hartranft hsv-
ing been reelected. On May IS preceding, Gen.
Grant was mustered in as a comrado of the
grand army and a member of Gen. George
Meade post No. 1, Philadelphia. Here was
spectacle: the commanding general of the
greatest army known to history-the ex -presi.
dent OF the repu blic-Quietly taking his place in
the ranks OF the army OF citizen veterans.
among his men who carried the musket
On June 4. 1873. the twelfth annual meeting
took place in Springfield, Mass, with Maj Gen
John c. Robinson as commander in chief Tho
thirteenth year Gen. Robinson succeeded him
self as commander, the meeting occur
ring ut Albany, on June II. 1879! The fol-
lowing year Chaplain William Earn.
shaw, Of Pennsylvania, was commander
in chief; the fourteenth annual session
being held very appropriately At tho soldiers
home at Dayton, O., June 8, $780, whore there
were living over 1900 veterans The fifteenth
yearly meeting. with Gen. Louis Wagner as
commander in chief, was held in indianapolis,
Ind, June IS, 1881. Tho sixteenth an
nual session was held in Baltimore.
Nd. June Fl, 1882, with Maj. George
S. Merrill in command On July q, 1883
the seventeenth annual session took place 1T
Denver, with Sergt Paul Van Der Voort Of
Ohio, as commander in chief, who was under is
years OF age when he enlisted. The eighteenth
annual session was held in Minneapolis, Mimi,
July %, 1884, Col Robert B. Beath commander
In chief. The nineteenth meeting was At Port
land, Me-, June "A, 1885. The commander in
Chief was John S. Kountz, of Ohio. The TWEEN
tieth meeting was held in San Francisco, Au-
gust 4, 1885, and Capt s. S. Burdett was chosen
commander. -
The twenty-hrst annual session was held at
St Louis, Mo-. September %. 1887. Gen. Louis
Fairchild, Of Wisconsin, presided Is tho COM
mander in chief, The twenty.second annual
session was held at Columbus, O., on September
IL, 1883, Maj. John p. Rea, of Minnesota, com.
mander in chief The twenty third annual
encampment was held in Milwaukee. Wis,
on August 70. % and 80, 1889, Commander
in Chief William Warner. Of Missouri,
presiding. The twenty fourth annual session,
with Gen r. A. Alger as commander In chief,
was held at Boston, Mass, on August IL and IA,
1890. The twenty-fifth annual meeting was ut
Detroit, Mich. on August S, 6 and Z, 1891, with
Gen. w. G.. Veazey, Of Vermont, commander
held in Washington, Commander In Chief John
Palmer, Of Albany, presiding. -
Commander in Chief Weissert, of Milwaukee,
succeeded him and IL in charge of the Iudianap-