The National tribune., 1893-11-02

orally for the inmates of Soldiers Homes, he
said that many were either too old or too
feeble to work, and those who were able
wanted pay for their labor. The National
Homes had tried shoemaking cigarmaking,
etc, aud bad lost money; though if an In
mate wanted toe try his hand at manual
labor he was given about 80 cents day;
aud so long as he did not get drunk on 1t,
the Government did not care how he spent
the money. He estimated ,250,000 old sol
diers to be living, and already at least $4,000
of these had been cared for in the National
Homes alone.
Rev D. Henry Miller, DID,, Chaplain of
the G. AR, delivered an
ELOQUENT ADDRESS,
dedicating the chapel to the use for which
it was intended-the service and worship of
Almighty God.
AS before stated, the Home was originally
managed by Board of Trustees, under
an act of the Legislature, and for 8
few years previous to 1887, Mr.. Mark l..
Pelham, formerly Chief of Police in Nor
walk, was the Superintendent of Fitchs
Home. Those who are acquainted with him
say that he would have made very efficient
Superintendent, if he had been properly
backed by those above him in authority, but
as this was not always 1he case, it could not
fail to be subversiye of good discipline IN
the institution. In 1887 the government
of the Home came under State manage
ment. The staff of Fitch's Home consists
of Superintendent and Surgeon, Assistant
and Engineer, Adjutant and Quartermaster,
and Matron.
The Hospital Staff consists of Resident
Consulting Physician and Surgeon House
Physician, and two trained Nurses.
DR.. Munson, the Superintendent Of the
Home at this writing, was born Dec. 8 1s45,
at Oxford, Conn; enlisted Dec. 3, 1863, in
Co. G, 1st Conn. Cav; was promoted Cor
poral Jan. 81, 1854; Commissary-Sergeant
Dec. /, 1864; was wounded at Waynesboro,
Va, March 2, 1865; was captured at Ash
land, Va, March Is, 1865; was in Libby
Prison till March %, 1865; was mustered
out on Aug. 2, 1866. He entered Yale Medi-
cal School in September, 1866, and received
degree of M. D. Jan. IA, 1869; was Surgeon
of Blaekball line of packet ships between
Liverpool and New York in May, 1868;
appointed one of the six attending physi-
clans and Surgeons at Bridgeport Hospital
October, 1884; appointed Superintendent
and Surgeon OF Fitch's Home April 20, 1887.
He was also Surgeon of Elias Howe, jr., Post,
3, GAR, from January. 1879, to January,
1886, and Medical Director, Department of
Connecticut, GA. r., in 1885.
Lewis G. Logan, Assistant Surperinten-
dent, was born March a, 1886, at Washing
ton, Litchfeld County, Conn, was educated
at the Gunnery in Washington; enlisted
May %, 1861, in Co. /, 1st Conn. II. Art, as
private, and discharged Oct. %, 1854 as First
Lieutenant, commanding Co. e. Joined
Elias Howe, ir, Post, g. at Bridgeport, in
1885, served three years as Post Commander,
and was Aid-dr-Camp On the staff of Com
mander-in-Chief Merrill; appointed Assist
ant Superintendent of Fitch's Home in April.
1882
Franklin Dart, Adjutant, was born Dec.
Is, 1912, at West Hartford, Conn; educated
at West Hartford Academy; enlisted Aug.
80, 1862, in Co. K, 25ih Conn, and re-euiisted
July "a, 1868, as Sergeant in Co. A, Head
quarter Troops, Nineteenth Corps; was pro-
NOTED First Sergeant April 20, 1864; was dis
charged July 80, 1864; was one of the
seven who organized r. o. Tyler Post, so,
GAR, at Hartford, Conn, and has been
member since organization; was also at one
4 ror
tant of Fitch's Home Dec. 90, 1889.
Very much more might be written,-for
instance, about discipline, rules and regula-
tiOns, pensions, how the soldiers pass their
time, vital statistics, eic.,-but this article
has about reached it's limit. It may be said,
however, that Mr.. w. w. Starr, Civil Engi-
neer, of Bridgeport, and his able Assistant,
Mr.. Samuel G.. Stoddard, as well as Assistant
superintendent Logan, are deserving of much
praise for the various and continued labor
they have put forth for the improvement
and adornment of the grounds of the Home.
The opinion of Gen. VIM. B. Franklin, who
has had so much experience with Soldiers
Homes, must be regarded as hat of a practi-
cal man. When speaking OF Fitch's Home he
says: No institution of this size that |
know any thing about has greater facilities for
taking good care of the veteran soldier than
this one, and all honor is due to the authori-
ties of Connecticut, and to the Superin-
tendent as well, for the excellent things that
have been done here" Such expressions as
the foregoing justify the assertion that
FItch's Home is one of the model institu-
tions of its kind; comfort to the invalid
soldier in his declining years, and an honor
to the State and Government by which it is
provided and controlled.
~Since the above written, Capt. James N,
Coe of the I'd Conn, III. A., has been appointed
Supsrini iendent, and DIR. W. A. Bronson, OF New
Canaan, Conn. House Physician. Judge Alfred b.
Beers 9th Conn.,, is head of the Executive Com
mittes.
Americans In England.
Hordiuare
think III would surnriso the American