The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-09-15
VETERANS NOT THERE
THOUSANDS OF OLD SOLDIERS TOO
INFIRM FOR THE ENCAMPaENT.
Men Who Fought for the Union Dy-
ing on Rnpidiy-15.OOO Said 10 Be
Now I'm Their Last Illness.
New York Press.

New York Press.
The veterans who stay at home are in
some respects even more interesting than
the thousands who will make the annual
encamoment of the Grand Army at Pitts
burg this week so notable. There are over
100000 members of the organization at
present, but their numbers decrease so rap
idly in view of .ge and infrmity that
high water mark, numerically, has been
attained. Pittsburg is preparing for an i'm
mense concourse, it is true. Some 5000
men are expected to be IN line. Pennsyl-
varia will. of course, contribute most to
this array. New York and Ohio will each
send thousands But the stay at homes
will amount to hundreds of thousands.
The exercises in these posts will be SIM
pie, but none the less impressive. The 18th
and 18th of the month. the day set apart
for the great Pittsburg encampment, are
TO be commemorated in every State of the
Union. Throughout the South this IS par
t~icularly the case. The Grand Army men
are so few there that one comrade is per-
sonally acquainted with every other COM
rade. Alabama. for instance. has but 291
members. of whom but a fractional num-
Der can come to Pittsburg. But they have
arranged for a little reunion Of their own
at Birmingham. and Commander ]. Clyde
Miller has arranged a programme which
includes a procession to the post rooms
and a reunion in the public square, where
e bust of Grant will be unveiled. And as
fos the feeling of the Southern people to-
ward. Union veterans. it is significant that
Governor Hogg, of Texas. has been asked
to speak at the reunion of the 800 Texan
campaigners who, out of the 1,500 odd
- -
stay at homes this year. and Dallas will
be quite jubilant ali the week. To be sure,
there will be no public ceremonies, for
the stay at homes are poor and broken
down war horses. but they are scattered
all over Texas, and the people of that
immense State are very proud OF them.
general keating is TO preside at a New
Orleans gathering OF some 400. The post
l.. that city is TO unveil a bust of Lincoln
on the 18th. and there will be a banquet in
the evening of the 18th.
The Pacific States have their ceremonies
also. At San Francisco there is to be a re-
union of the veterans, and the great son of
the great soldier President is TO address
his fathers sacred warriors. There will be
fully 1000 men, 1t is expected. at the gather,
these States. Oregon's Grand Army men
number a little over 1900, and their turnout
is TO be impressive from one point of view.
it, and the Mayor of Portland will be the
guest of honor at the banquet.
PASSING INTO OLD AGE.
The Grand Army stay at homes are not.
however. prompted by distance from Pitts
burg alone i'm being absent from this years
encampment. Many of them are gradually
succumbing to old age and illness. OF the
400, 900, no less than $4,000 bear some scar
or physical injury as a result of the civil
struggle. No less than 10000 odd have de-
fective vision, and the large number OF rs,
600 suffer from rheumatic disease of the
joints more or. less developed. The hands
appear to suffer peculiarly, as 5l.000 i'm
round numbers have lost the full control of
a finger or thumb. Some 5000. according
TO post reports. must now be in their last
illness. and many of these in all likelihood
will be passing away as the veterans march
who will not attend because they are away
from their native land about $50 are in
Mexico, nearly $500 are in Ireland. 1900 i'm
and 2,500 in Canada, Alaska and
Manitoba. TIE Grand Army men abroad
are variable quantities, since they either
travel for pleasure or make very short
stays in any foreign land They are so
many Irish and German-Americans who go
across the water for a short stay that
quite an army OF veterans will sometimes
meet in a foreign city Some years ago on
the arrival of Decoration day IL transpired
that there were nearly LOO Grand Army
men in Berlin.
ed by business necessities TO he absent
There are thirteen OF the veterans ir the
| Senate. of whom three are 10 head desega
lions from their respective States. In m,
| House are no less than sixty-two OF the wal
horses. OF these twenty-one are scheduled
| TO take part i'm the Pittsburg- encampmsnt
| Six Of them will not only stay away but bt
stay-at-homes in a very literal sense, and
the others will doubtless be required al
| Washington.
In the State legislatures the Grand Arm,
men are equally conspicuous. Pennsylvania
has honored seventy-three Ohio sixty-two
Illinois forty-one. lndisna thirty-eight
Massachusetts, thirty-two, Michigan. thirty
two, Wisconsin nineteen, Missouri seven
teen, and all the other States. except Ala
bama, Ttah. New Mexico. Maine and som.
six other commemorative have their quota
There is q very close race for supreme,
between Ohio and Pennsylvania for nu
mericai strength. both having some hun
drcds beyond 5000 Grand Army men. New
York being third. with a trifie over 1900.
MILLIONAIRE c.. A. r. MEN.
There are nineteen m~illionaires in the
Grand army. There are also l2f corporation
ofHcIals-corporations. that is. which arr
vast and wealthy. More than 900 Grand
army men are honored in death throughout
ths counsry with statues or busts-a larger
number than any one close organization IN