The Washington times., 1894-09-16
AFTER THE ENCANPNENT.
from Pittsburg, but Nearly All
the Comrades Are Here.


The headquarters of the Department Of the
Potomac, G.. A. r., have not been re-estab-
lished Mt No. l412 Pennsylvania avenue. The
department officers have not yet returned
from the national encampment and there is
no one authorized to open up the command
er's tent and inaugurate the business
routine.
Many Of the comrades who went TO Pitts-
burg merely TO participate in the exercises of
parade day, and those, also, OF the official
roster whose presence was no longer required,
have returned. They are well satisfied with
their experience in the smoky City in gem
eral but say there was not that completeness
of detail in the arrangements that they have
been accustomed to elsewhere. This is not,
however. attributed TO Indifference upon the
part of the Pittsburg comrades. The trouble
seems to have been in the multitude OF COM
mittees. whose duties confiicted.
There was no such crowd in Pittsburg as
there was at the encampment held in Wash
ington,' said returned veteran last night.
1--WE had here not less than so. 600 soldiers in
line. There could not have been more than
half that number in the Pittsburg process
sion"
'That is all bosh. said another, ''about
the recent walk being the last. I have
heard the same thing here about Decoration
Day marches. Each is to be the last. l tell
you when the time comes for a national en-
campment the old boys will go, and when
they get together they will march. They just
can't help it."
Many Of the comrades whose homes are in
the New England States, New York, and New
Jersey had arrangements mads so that their
retu m tickets would include Washington on
the way home. They could not resist the i'm
pulse to revisit the Capital, and numbers of
them have been in the city within the past
three days engaged in sightseeing.
One of the New Jersey contingent was in
troduced TO a Washington courade at the en-
trance TO the G. A. K. headquarters.
II belonged TO the Fifth New Jersey" said
the visitor, responding to an inquiry.
Il did not know much about the Fifth"
said the Washingtonian. Il was more fRmil-
lar with the Eleventh"
II had a friend in the Eleventh, J" was the
answer, calling the name of Dean.
"Why 'Bennie' Dean was with me when he
had his arm shot of, - exclaimed his Washing
ton acquaintance He fell over on my
shoulder when he received the wound.
Thus it is that the campdres are made inter
esting ard herein consists the attraction that
induces the Grand Army men to congregate at
the national encampments.
There is scarcely a reunion, - said one who
heard the foregoing conversation, ''that incl
dents of that character are not of frequent oc-
currence. l met my captain at the Washing
ton encampment whom | had not seen since
the war, and you may be sure we embraced in
the most feryent way
The department officers were expected to
arrive at a late hour last night, though it
was not certainly known that they would.
The Old Guard, as was announced in THE
TIMES OF Sunday last, stopped yesterday at
Johnstown, Pa, where the entire command,
including the Mount Pleasant Drum Corps
was TO enjoy the hospitality of Emory Fisher
Post. Kit Carson Post, of this department,
that went in a body to Pittsburg, stopped
yesterday en- route to go over the Gettysburg
battlefield. All will doubtless be at home
before tomorrow morning