Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-05-08
VETERANS TURNED OUT
To Show Esteem In Which They Held
the Fighting General.
A Red Letter Day In the His
tory Of Hadley.
Little Town Prides Itself Upon Deing the
Birthplace 81 Joe Hooker.

HADLEY, Mass, May S.-Thc great
Hooker reunion was held yesterday In the
big canvas tent on the green, just across
from the quaint old gambel-roofcd farm.
house where General Hooker was born
The day was ideal and the parade was
brilliant and impressive. The days ,ex.
exercises began at Northampton.
The march was to begin promptly nj
1880, but IL was fully an hour later before
the line was formed. In front OF the Nor
wood was the place Of assembly and
Bridge street, Oh the other side, was
crowded with spectators. The sight was
picturesque one. The generals and Off
GERS, seated on the spacious piazza OF tn
Norwood watched with interest the pre-.
paration for the march. Commencing al
the Bridge street crossing, the various com.
panies and escorts extended to the resi-
dence of Gen, al B. r. Cook.
Several OF the veterans took the oppor.
tunity Of visiting General Cook, and an
informal reception was held on his piazza
General Thomas ii. Dunham was marshal
of the procession. The guests of honor fol.
lowed the corps in carriages.
At the depot, awaiting the arrival Of the
posts, were scenes Of hustle. Two trains OF
10 cars were waiting for the civilians, which
necessarily included the wives and children
of veterans, and many friends Of the Grand
Army men, us they arrived, looking To
see if their families were properly seated.
As the food of humanity poured into
Hadley, the hot, summcrlke sun had
most succeeded in dispensing the fog, and
but a slight haze dimmed the atmosphere.
1t proved welcome before long, tempering
the heat, and the exercises at Hadley
Opened Most Auspiciousiy.
Never before has old Hadlcy presented
such gala appearance The arrival OF
the first special train found the streets
crowded with people, the public buildings
and private residences profusely decorated
with flags ID bunting and the ever
looming up lemonade and refrcshment
men lining many Of the sidewalks with
their booths or tents. The centers of at.
traction were, of course, the old Hooker
homestead, in which General Hooker was
born, white hip-roofed building, about
which wee rcd, white and blue, and the
majors tent erected opposite, in the form
of a Greek cross, and capable of seating
fully 5000 people.
Upon the platform, ready to be un'
veiled when the time arrived for General
Sickles to raise the concealing flags and
make presentation speech was the
Hooker portrait. Gathered together in the
Hooker house were the groups of relatives
and friends, some Of whom had travelled
many miles to do the old hero honor.
The procession was but little late in re.
forming at Hadley, and marched and coun.
termarched on West street, whose great
width gave ample room for evolutions.
Arriving at the tent, the veterans found /,
completely filed, with the exception OF
the space reserved for themselves. On the
platform were seated the principal speak.
ers and several Of the old commanders and
other notable men.
An Entertaining Program.
When all were seated, the buglel
sounded tho call for Attention" and the
invocation was offered. G. w. Prouty OF
Hadley was the first speaker, giving the
address Of welcome, the response being
made by Major Plimley In the absence
Of Governor Greenhalge, General Kimball
spoke for Massachusetts,. Then followed
the song, "Reveille," written for the occa.
sion by Clarence f. Hawkes., the blind
poet, and sung by the pupils of Hopkins
academy ComrsAle Jewett of the WOrces.
ter Gazette read his poem, "Greeting and
Salute" and was warmly applauded.
The cornet solo of "The Star Spangled
Banner" by Thomas Henry, was received
with great enthusiasm. Then followed
the address Of General Tremaine, at the
conclusion of which General Sickles
stepped forward, reCeivi1s an ovation, and,
as he unveiled the fine portrait of General
Hooker, which had been painted by j. H
Young of Boston at cost Of $500, the en-.
thusiasm was unbounded. The inscrip
ton plate on the portrait bears the follow.
ing: "The Soldiers of the Third Army
Corps to the Town of Hadley, May 2, 1895"
General Sickles presentation speech was
masterpiece, and was ably and feelingly
responded to by DIR. BOnney, after which
the whole company Joined in singing
America"
A large number Of veterans remained &c
the farewell banquet last evening. Afte,
the banquet, toasts were responded to by
Mayor Kimball Of Northampton, Captain
Jenkins, Colonel Stone of General
Thomas staff, General Joseph f. Rust
ling of New Jersey and j. II. Jewctt OF
Worcester.