The National tribune., 1896-10-22
TIE GRAND ARMY
What is Being Done by the Veterans
for the Good of the Order.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Comradc Watson Suggests Card system
bx abicl, Veterans May Find Associates.

<o,oradc Watson Suggests a Card system
bv which Veterans May Find Associates
FDrroR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: We need
better system of registration at tue orano
ARMY Reunions. The present system Oh eh'er-
;p,, names at each State Headquarters is no
- 10 hool, is constantly being used, there
= no time to examine il. and If there were the
,os;cl,t of the majority of the boys would pre-
,-o,t tI,e finding of friends names sandwlched
among SO many, mostly badly written, names.
We don't write as plain as we used TO ana our
fingers are not so nlmble.
We attend these Reunions to meet our par
ticnlar frieuds-those that were IN our own
comnanv or regiment particularly the former.
We knew them: we marched, sept, ATE WIN
them. foraged and fought Win them we
trusted them: we knew when they went ihto
fight with Us that they wouldn't run away We
knew that they would risk their h'es 10. u: 40
Treelv rs we would ours for them ano ieeihs
- a., hctween MS that was more than fra
5ernal one and though are glad TO meet the
GAR comrades in general, we are huhuieu
times bladder to meet our own company eoh-
rades and intensely disappointed TO Dha ina.
several comrades were at recent Reunion ANU
that we failed TO meet them
At Columbus went into the Probate ounce,
which WAS Michigan's Headquarters, to register.
I was early and the man in charge was an
Ohio man. and requested me to take charge Oh
the Michigan registration until the proper o.h-
GERS arrived. agreed and took my seat at the
office table / looked the book over ana iouhu
about 100 names registered. lhe 1rst question:
asked by the boys as they registered, was Is
any of nv company or regiment mere! II
was hard to answer without looking the book
entirely over. and while looking a dozen com-
rades were waiting to register
They were so anxious to meet their friends
that made up my mind right there ana tbeh
that would helm them out. i got one oil the
l., Oh of he
arouud the office fer some paper. found
nile of white card board about 80 by 10 inches,
and ruled it off in II columns for the cavalry
and 10 for the infantry, lettered the Columns
and numbered the sheets, one Tor each regi-
ment. and in a very short time we had them
registering in their own regiment and I'D thelr
companv column. Then after transferring the
hook tn the regimental rosters, when comrade
asked II anv of his company or regiment had
arrived / hanoed him the sheet OF ms regN
ment. and his EXPLANATIONS OF JOY at hndlng
names of his com rades were ample pay Tor the
little trouble / was at OCCASIONAL y wouia
hear a group of boys. after handing them list,
"Great Scett. bows our old Captain is here. L
haven't seen him since the war. Where can
we find him?" His address is there" l
wopld answer: "both where he lives and
where he is stopping; but he will probably be
around here soon.
There was some DELAY of the trains, and the
MEXICAN HEADQUARTERS were delayed. SO that
had the registration for nearly two days, and
the majority of the boys had registered and
were immensely pleased with my system.
Shortly before being relieved good looking,
heavily-bearded man sat down opposite me
and requested 10 register in the LIST Mich. Cav.
/ handed the card TO him and watched MIN
write: Joe Cuichley, Co. Is.
/ looked him over again. and thought that
he must have been one of the $50 recruits that
Joined the regiment after left the old COM
paiIv. He did not seem to notice the names
already signed, but said: Are there any OF
the old LIST here?"
Yes" l answered. Il belonged to that
regiment"
Is that SOP What company"
go b.
"What is your manner"
ed Watson" / replied.
"Why" said he as he looked into my face,
@dont you know nae?
] looked him over again, and told him that
did not.
What. Don't know Joe Kitchley? You
ought to- for ] used 10 sleep with you.'
q why / remember Joe Kitchley all RICH,
enough, but he spelled his name with K, AND
he hidn't look like you"
90. well" said Joe "the officers got my
name down with r. and didn't think i:
was worth while to have it changed, and if
had these whiskers off you would know me
better, for am the same old Joe / used to be-
ana am awful glad to see you."
And he showed that he was and was equal Y
glad TO see him, for hadn't seen him since the
charge at the second Bull Run. after my bri.
die broke and my horse was rushing me in
among the enemy, and / looked back over the
heads OF hundreds of the Johnnies, and all
could see of our folks was their blue arms aloft
whackifg the Johnnies with their ssbers q:
they ran. However, that WIS not what / start
ed TO write about.
At ST. Paul i presented myself at Michigan
Headquarters room, and found officer
arrived had, aud quite number of the boy
were registering on slips of paper and pill
ing them up the table, aud / related m,
experience at Columbus. The idea seemed t.
strike Them. and "A small collection was mad
for stationery, the cards prepared, and eacl
regiment registered by itself. Men came il
and found their company and regiment regis
tered by itself
The idea seemed to please everybod excep
the Headquarters When they arrived the,
promptly cleared the room. Headquarters wer,
for the arranging OF the march and other bust
ness and registration finding comrades wa
of secondary consideration, and / have n,
doubt hut our lists were promptly consigned 4
the wasi-paper basket
j would recommend two rooms for Head
quarters-one for comrades to register ant
meet, and the other for the business that re
CURES the ejectment of comrades at every En-
campment that j have attended.
j hope 10 meet all the survivors of Co. B a
Buffalo next year, and TO find every man reg
ietered on my system, so that each and all ma,
know who OF his com AIDES are at the meeting
EDWARD NJ. WATSON. Co. u and Co. L, Ii
sno 9Th Mich. Cav, Marquette, Mich.