Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-02-04


GROWTH AND pEvrLoFNrNr-THE SMALL M
GINNING AND HOW ITS MEMBERSHIP uss IN
cREasED-Tur prTrERENr DErARTMrsr ooH-
NASDERs.
The Department Of the Posonac has been In
existence twenty-five wears and IL Is PROPOSED
to celebrate the silver anniversary on Monday
In honor. OF the occasion the ooinmardcr-in-
chief, Gea- weissert. viii be present with sons
members Of his STAFF one ~ the art po.t.
organized in this country Vas located in this
city, and as the home Of some Of the originsl
Grand Army men tins city has an Importance
In the history OF the organization quit apart
from the fact thst in point ~ number. a. wi
as in the prominence q the membsrs. ths he
rartment OF the Potomac occupios a pro,ninrns
place in Grand Army circles. The Program
prepared FOR the celebration on MONDAY an
cludes, first Of I'll. the public instailatlan a
the recently elected officers % tho aef,srtrnrrt
at the First Congregational Church IN the even
Ing, after which here dil Ne al lfosso. bv ssv-
eral prominent speakers, including Gen. wcis-
sert There vii be a banquet AZ ths F'.aitt,
beginning ~ $50 pm. ana a aistinru,shee
company has heon invited.
No SIMILAR ASSOCIATION ~ -ur uHRt.p.
The event which viii be cclehra'rl IL one a
more than local interest from the fact that it l.
so intimately connected with the early history
Of an organization that hold a nuilue r,a-ftioa.
There Is no similar association u tie uorIf
large bodies q men in various countries have
been taken frcIn ciyIl lio ana f1rulei irso
armles, and after the need which called tlora
together no longer existed tlscv have aesis
been returned 60 private lie and di-aapearsi
IN the ranks OF citiSe:s. Bus IN thc casr - ths
SURVIVORS OF the late war while resuui-r tta
duties 81 private citizcus. thew have fres.rNed
nos - HHHH
ganizauca Of the Grand ARMY. Tho sarir rsn-
timent which brought them into the aeld ~
soldiers IL the suImatinC principle uf 'hs or
gaflzation, namely. love ~ country. Ia sorns
countries such an organization would &c. o..
Garded by the poVcrs tiIrf Ie a. q menace =,
the state while here. and m thu cas-. Of tD.
Grand Army It i looked upon a. sour~e n-l
as stimulus 10 patriotism. The reason flr
the difference lee mainly In tho fact that
the soldiers Of the late Wat went INTO the con-
met as patriots, rot as ticrcsuarl.s.
TIE FIEsr rosr urEE
As is well known the Grand Artnvuas r,a-tel
by Benjamin 4. Ste henson IN S9rii g.ield. H.,
March, 1886. In aTril Of the same wear he went
to Decatur, H.. and formally mustered in IL
first post. under the name II Durham lost A
month or two later tie first encnmrmeut va.
held. but the organization was then a mere
shadow Of the splendid body % men Gsftis
known TODAY. John A. Hawlins post No l. was
OtEaItstu IN tAts CITY ftcfntitr ~. NaII Lie
charter, which was written and signed bv Ir
Stephenson. is still preserved and A. carefully
framed and hung on the wall Of the post ROOM
Tho names mentioned m the charter or, ~ fol-
lowe: w. l. Bramhall r. A. Hall. II. = Iurtl..
Wilson Miller. James I. Smith, J. D. G1sce. ".
A. Porter, j. Ed. Doughty. 4. Elwia Dudley
and Viii A. Short The order seemed 20 meet
with favor in this city, and whom the first
national encampment was hc!l IN Iueiauapo.i-
In 1867 delegates were present Rom ;his CITY.
In the following year. when the second national
encampment WIS held, there we're nine posts In
this city, and in connection with D l-hnsuf
post they were known provisional DEPART
ment. In the course Of a few months r.,tlfe-
post had Joined the ranks AMI authority va.
obtained for the organization q a de- .arttne-t
q be known as the Department q the Potomac.
The order throughout the country wns sui IN a
formative state. although lite rapid growth Lad
already exceeded the expectations Of the
founders and it was forging ahead at rapid
rate.
MEMBERS OF TIE FIRST rNcANrNrNr.
The following were the members q tie irs,
encampment, which met February rs, 1869, in
upper hall, northeast corner Of nth and Penn-
sylvania avenue, over blanchard a Nouns
book and stationery store:
Post No. III. l.. Weaver, rost c6n,r1anicr.
Delegates, A. Wright. A. }. Hunton. ". u.
Campbell.
Post No. Wv. D. Brown, post commander.
delegates, Harrison bingham, W. Curry. {.
Harvard, +. Fritz.
Post No. S-A. y. Seip. post commander. A.
ID. Brock, Theo. +. Gatchol. delegates
Post No. 4, Geo. W. Hatton. post commander.
Delegates, ). l. Nichols. ". n. LeWis. J. X
Tunnia, J. II. Waugh, J. Green
Post No. 5, 4 Dadlcnhauscn, pos. COM
mander
Post No. G. II. A. Myers. post oonrnander.
Post No. Z, J. Bell Adams. post commander.
Post No. S, not represented
Post No. y. Newton Ferree. post commander.
Post No. 10, A. ii. q. Richardson, post COM
manaer.
The officers elected and appointed at this en-
campment were rs follows: Samuel A. Duncan.
grand commander; q. Wiley Wells s6uinr vice
grand commander; q. ". Hntton, junior vice.
Timothy Luby, assistant ndjutaut general;
James Campbell, assistant quartcrmaster gem
eral; j. Edwin Mason. assistant surgeon gen
eral; Benjamin swallow, chaplain: Newton
ferree, assistant inspector general: council ~
administration. L. Iubey, A. Duddenhal-en.
VIM. Slater, II. A. Myers aul J. IT. Waugh:
delegates to national encamument, James T.
Smith and A. II. q. Richardson.
All the above named with the execution %
Nlessrs Lubey, nthiAn and Mason are sslu
living.
GROWTH II TWENTY-FIVE WARS.
When the department was organized the total
membership was only 7Gs. A. compared with
the present muster rolls Of the department,
which contain nearly 1000 names the sar;v
days OF the organization seem insicnihcant
However. the Grand Army WAS not a. popular
IN those days a. IL is at present: neither were
its objects as fully understood or appreciated
by those outside as well n inside the order.
During the twenty-five years the number %
posts have doubled and there are now twenty
Grand Army posts in this CITY.
During the presidential campaign Of ls6s /.
was charged that the Grand Army was a secret
political organization. the object beiug o. So
cure the political advGuccnlento 81 it, memb.rs.
These charges, although asserted 20 be without
foundation, yet seriously injured the order.
checked lite growth and seemed to threaten IT.
life. The membership in this CITY roaC he, a
very low ebb and in ISIS there we're only sixty
SIX members Of the Grand Army here lu-ts
were obliged to surrender their charters. pfe-
yious to this the posts had increased 60 four
teen. The cloud OF susDicion under vhi.fsfb.