The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-09-19
THE CINCINNATI.
Smallest hut Most D~istiaruisI,eS Of eb,
Revolutionary ORDER

Smallest hut Most D~istiairuisI,es - eh.
Revolutionary Orders.
The other day there was held in phil
adelphia a meeting Of the Society of ii,
Cincinnati.
men the struggle for independents,
had come to o final conclusion and LORI
CORVALLIS had handed over his SWORD
the time came for the disbanding O.
the Continental army. Gen. Washing
Q ut this particular time had his head
quarters at the old Verplanck mansion
near Fishkill-on-theHudson The Off.
GERS of the army were most of then
a~rlstocratic gentlemen who had gath,
cred together from the various colonies
They had formed many pleasant ac
quaintances as well as warm friend.
ships in camp and field, and when II
was suggested that these be perpetuafed
by the formation of a permanent or
ganization, the project met with warm
approval. Accordingly, on May Is, 1883,
q meeting was called. Baron Steuben
who was inspector general of the army.
presided. Gen. Knox, that doughty old
patriot read a paper which he had pre-
pared, and which was adopted as the
original constitution.
The original draft of this document
has been preserved and was handed
down with other relics and mementoes
Of the order to the late Hamilton Fish,
who was for many years its president.
The organization was one of officers
only, and this was why it YVES so bitter.
~ assailed in later years. The clause
designed to perpetuate the order, which
made only male descendants, or, falling
these, collateral male descendants, elig-
ablefor membership, stamped the order.
according to popular belief, as an imi-
tation of European orders of knight
hood. 1t was also asserted that this was
an attempt to establish an a-ristocracy,
and the legislatures of Rhode Island.
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania cen.
sured it by resolution. In fact. Wash.
ington saw something of the danger
and secured n modification of the CLAUSE
at the second regular meeting.
1t was intended to have a branch Of
the order established in each state, but
this was never done, and TODAY thers
are but seven state organizations. MANY
of the French officers who served in the
revolution were made members, and a
branch of the order, which is still in X.
1stence, was organized in France BY
royal consent, Count d'Estaing sent ia
Gen. Washington, who was elected the
first president of the order in this
try, the eagle of the French branch, set
in diamonds, as a gift of the French
naval officers.
The jewel has been worn in success
sion by each president general of the
society from Washington's time down
to to-day. 1t has adorned the breast
of Alexander Hamilton, of the two
Pinckneys, of Ogden, Lewis, Popham,
Dearborn and Fish, who was made pres.
ident in 1854 and held the Office until
his death, since which time the Office
1Das rvEryn 1HH1J.
William Wayne, Of Philadelphia, a de-
scendant of Gen. Wayne, known as
''Mad Anthony" was chosen. On the
election Of Gen. Wayne the historic
Jewel of the order was handed over to
him by Nicholas Fish, a son Of the late
president. The society meets only once
in three years, and SO the next general
assembly will not occur until May 10,
1899, when a meeting will be held in
New York city.--Pittsburgh Chronicle
Telegraph.