St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-13
H. r. Tilton, of the United States

II. r. Tilton, of the United States
army; e. w. Winter, T. H. Peavy,
of Minneapolis; DR.. D. W. Brooks,
Lieut.. w. c. Butler, Lieut.. c. w.
Kennedy, J. F. Moore, D. r. Noyes,
W. j. Sloppy, r. NJ. Hicks, F. J.
Salfnger, P. N. Scanlon and DR.. j.
L. Mahan. Among the prominent
members of the commandery present
were: Gen. e. G. Mason, of the
United States Third infantry; Gen.
Sanborn, Judge Terrence, of Min
neapolis; Gen. J. w. Bishop, Capt.
D. NJ. Gilmore, Capt. Harries, Judge
Collins, of the state supreme court;
Judge Kerr, Capt. Castle, Albert
Shelter, and others.
Judge Terrence presided as master
of ceremonies, and Maj. G. Q. White,
who made all the arrangements for
the banquet, busted himself in look
ing after the enjoyment of the
guests. There was little speech
making, aside from an interesting
Brig. Gen. Edwin G.. Mason, the
subject being Through the Wilder
ness to the Bloody Angle" The
evening was devoted mainly to So
cial conversation and singing patri-
otto songs. After discussing a splen-
did menu, all present joined in sing
ing America" and then Judge Tor
renee introduced Gen Mason
Gen. Mason began by a brief ex-
PLANTATION of a map showing the line
Of breastworlzs of the Confederates in
the vicinity of Spottsylvania when the
Union troops under Hancock and
Wright made their attack. He also
had drawing OF the stump Of an oak
tree two and half feet through that
had been cut down by the interchange
OF bullets during the engagement. He
himself, he said, had been but short
distance from this tree at the time if
fell of
IT'S OWN WEIGHT
IN consequence of the trunk becoming
so completely shattered with bullets
that it could not bear the weight of
the top.
mere mad been constant downpour
OIL rain for days and the ground was
so completely soaked that it was moth
ing but mud, mud everywhere. Under
the circumstances he did not blame
Gen. Burnsides for becoming discour
aged, as in the attempt to move. all
the teams got stuck, the army gave I'D
in despair the idea of moving and the
prospects were the gloon1iest that could
possibly be conceived. Then Burn
sides was relieved by Gen. Hooker
IN h n
March in reorganizing his forces. No
more discouraging conditions ever con.
ffonted commanding officer, he said,
than those that confronted Gen.
Grant when he planned the campaign
OF the Wilderness.
Gen. Mason then went on and de-
scribed the campaign from what he
had seen, saying that it was impossi-
bic for any man to describe it in a
general way on account of the heavy
forest, which made it iynpracticable
for him to know what was going ,,n
beyond radius of a few feet. His
own horse was killed and he was
struck at by sabre in the hands of a
rebel. Another rebel tried to bayonat
him. 1t was the staying Qualities of
the American soldiers, he said in con-
ciusion, that won in the Revolution
and the Mexican war. Then what
herce fighting must have ensued when
American was pitted against American
IN what was practically a
HAND TO HAND
struggle such as characterized This
campaign.
At the conclusion of Gen. Mason's
paper there was prolonged applause
and he was rendered a vote of thanks
Sydney Farwell then sang, and receiy
ed a fiattering round of applause
which he responded to with another
song. Judge Terrence asked if there
were any of the other companions who
desired to speak, and Capt Harries
talked few moments on the same
subject as that treated by Gen Mason.
Capt. Harries said he simply wanted
to emphasize a few points in the
graphic description given by Gen.
Mason. The condition of affairs. he
said, was we'll described by a rebel who
started to go to the rear He was met
by one of the soldiers on his own side
and when asked where he was going.
he replied:
81 am going to the rear
why, d it, there isn't any rear
here" replied the other.
Il know" continued Capt Harries,
chat l felt greatly relieved when the
Johnnies crossed the river, and 1 be-
longed to regiment that was made
up of pretty good stayers, too. I felt
that I had about enough of it, Gap
plause)
The Battle Cry of Freedom was
then sung. which was followed by
Marching Through Georgia and
other patriotic songs, and then the
guests dispersed. Before the banquet
a brief business session was held, but
no business of special interest was
transacted beyond the adoption of the
followingr esolution:
Resolved, That the thanks of this
commandery are due and are hereby
rendered to the Commercial club Of
st. Paul and the Commercial club of