The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-20
GRAND ARMY ENCAMPMENT
TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL ENCIMP- WENT OF CONNECTICUT G. A. R.

Held at Norwich Yesterday-Le gisla;lon of Interest to the Veterans in 1s95-CitIzens' Corps-The woman's Relief oorps-The Soldiers Home-The Death Roll of the Year, Etc.
 Norwich, Feb. 19.-The twenty-ninth annual encampment of the department of Connecticut. G. A. R., assembled in this city to-day. with delegates present from eighty-seven posts,
 This morning at Il o'clock the council of administration met in the Wauresan house, and the encampment proper be- gan at ? o'clock this afternoon in Lucas hall
 Shortly after the session opened with a prayer by the chaplain, Rev. T. C. Druley, of Stafford Springs, General Ivan N. Walker, commander in chief of Indiana. arrived and entered the hall, accompanied by Past Quartermaster General J. w. Burst of Chicago, and others of his staff General Walker made few remarks and retired amid enthusiastic cheers.
 The address of Department Com mander John M. Brewer, congratulated the department on it's fealty and sup port, and notes as follows;
 The report of the assistant adjutant general shows membership of 6,20S, loss os 435 over last year, and three posts have surrendered charters. This reduction in the number of posts has not materially diminished our strength numerically, for members formerly be- longing to such posts have joined others located in the vicinity. By the report many of the large posts this year seem to have been of one mind about car rying members continually who do not pay, dues, and report large losses by members dropped and by suspension. Five hundred and sixty-three stand re- ported as suspended. I attribute the hard times as the principal cause for this state of affairs.
 While we have about us many veter- ans who should affiliate with us, who never belonged to the Grand Army, there is a feeling in some localities that labor in that direction is hopeless. l trust that those eligible to join us can yet be induced to do so and many sus- pended members restored to full mem- perShlp.
 The report of the assistant quarter master general shows a cash balance in banks to the credit of the department of $S,6S5.o7, a gain of $277.72 for the year; the supplies and other department prop> erty added gives a total of $4,040.52, an increase of $20399 over 1894.
 The amount expended for relief dur ing the year was $6,971.32. The condi- tion of posts in hissdepartment Decem- Der 1, 1895, is as follows:
 Relief fund, s54,59795.
 Post fund, $23,725.55.
 Market value of real estate belonging to posts, s51, ,455.5S.
 Cash invested in furniture, flags, etc, s32,717.
 This statement shows an increase of s4.93702 over last year.
 WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS.
 No more hard working, sympathetic, or patriotic band of women was ever or ganized than the Woman's Relief corps
 They represent type of womanhood that believes in deeds as well as in words.
 While making no claims to exclusive ness in patriotism they are doing good work by installing into the minds of school children q love for their country. Their timely assistance and co-opera- ton has been of great value in encour- aging the comrades by financial aid and sympathy.
 The needy and suffering families of veterans can we'll testify their grateful acknowledgements for benefits received. The members are enthusiastic workers, fully appreciating the self-sacrifices made by the Boys in Blue D.
 The commanders report warmly com mends the Sons of Veterans to the active support of the veterans, and then says of the Citizens corps:
 Open meetings and camp fires are made more interesting by the presence of the citizens that take pleasure in meeting the old soldiers and sailors on such occasions.
 Following the example of posts in some of the neighboring states, Sedg- wick post organized a citizens corps.
 A number of posts in this department have since followed the lead of Post No. l. so that now we have quite number of such organizations that are called either citizens corps or associates.
 Only the most influential citizens are sought to join, and they are only too glad to be identified with our work. I believe that if more of the posts in this department should investigate this sub iect immediate steps would be taken to enlist the support of the loyal, gener- ous and law-abiding men in their re- spective communities.
 SOLDIERS HOME.
 Fitcls Home for the Soldiers is an institution in which we can we'll feel just pride. Owing to the lack of room the general assembly of 1895 made an appropriation of S2s,000 for the erection of new building, which was so far completed as to become available in the latter part of January, 1896. The building contains dormitory for sev- enty-five beds a barber shop and tailor shop, spacious dining rooms, kitchen, bake shop and other suitable accomo- dations, and will prove great addi- tion to the facilities of the home, which have been insufficient for the past two years, as is shown specially by the fact that on January 28, 1896, eighty-five ap- plications were on file waiting vacan- cies.