Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-05-04
GRIZZLED VETERANS.
Closing Sessions of the 18th Annual
Encampment of the Grand Army
of the Republic.
Fine Public Entertainment at the Court
House Last Night-Patriotic Ad-
dresses and Stirring Songs
A Love Feast.

encampment of the Grand Army of the
Republic, department of New Mexico,
was held at Carleton post hall this fore
noon. The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year by reclamation;
Thomas w. Collier, of Ration, de partment
commander; John A. Brown, White Oaks,
senior vice department commander; c. H.
McHenry, of Pennington, junior vice
commander; DR.. f. Il. Olney, of East Las
Vegas, medical director; Rev. Thomas
Harwood, reelected chaplain for the
eleventh time; Capt. H. M. Davis unani
mously elected delegate to the national
encampment with Leverett Clark as al
ternate. G. W. Cook, of Ration, j ohm q,
Klepinger, of White Oaks, John G. Brom-
agen, East Las Vegas, E. W. Eaton, So
zorro, council of administration.
Ration was selected as the place for
holding the next encampment, and vote
of thanks was rendered to the people of
Santa Fe for courtesies extended.
COMMANDER KNAEBEL's ADDRESS.
Department Commander Knaebel's an
nual address, delivered before the en-
campment yesterday afternoon, is gen
orally commended by the comrades VINO
were SO fortunate as to hear it, and the
New MEXICAN regrets its inability to print
it in full. After extending an eloquent
fraternal greeting to the comrades present,
the speaker alluded in feeling language
to the absent ones, particularly to those
who had passed over the dark and silent
river since the meeting of the last en-
campment, and congratulated the de-
partment that it was still intact. Then
he spoke hopefully of the reinforcements
that he confidently believed statehood
would bring, adding:
81 state this because I believe New
Mexico is on the eve of statehood and
when she enters the Union believe many
of the old soldiers, who, in their early
days braved the storms of battle in con-
tlict with a manly foe, and since have
struggled in the battles of life, yet haye
the old spirit left and the strong hope of
finally meeting with some degree of sue
cess, will flock to the new state of New
Mexico, and, therefore, most earnestly
of this department hold manfully to-
gether, whatever the struggle may be,
until the reinforcements come, and be
ready to welcome them upon their arrival
and gather them into the ranks. Our
territory is, perhaps, larger than that of
any other department. of the G. A. r. and
for this reason we should feel peculiar
pride in holding our posts together, for
it is not improbable, in my opinion, that
the day will come when our membership
will begin rapidly to increase and then
we can point with satisfaction to our
present struggle. With statehood, many
of the surviving members of the grand
old army of the Union, are likely to come
to New Mexico, and, if we brave the
present condition of our posts and hold
Gus G. A. R. posts when the older com
rades that may remain in the eastern
posts have gone to the eternal camping
ground where we will all have to go
finally"
Continuing the speaker urged upon the
comrades the Importance of preserving
the practice of observing Memorial day;
thanked the members of his staff for their
Jealous cooperation with his efforts to
promote the interests of the department;
spoke of the magnificent "object lesson"
presented at the last national encamp-
ment and indicated his intention to at
tend the next one at Louisville; men
toned that the government should pursue
more liberal policy in passing upon the
pension applications of veterans; men
toned that the United States soldiers
homes were full and Overlooking and that
the G. A. R. was doing all in its power to
supplement the efforts of the government
to relieve the distress of INDECENT and
shattered old soldiers; urged that the
United States should appropriate at
least $500 per annum to each G. A. R.
post as a relief fund; closed with hearty
Godspeed to all old soldiers and sailors
of the United States and also to the brave
"boys IN grey.
MEETING LAST NIGHT.