The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-06-15
CUSTER CAr1P NO. 50.
A Brief Outline of the History of Prince
toms Enterprising Camp of S. of V.

! NOS LEX NAl II l<O' oy'
A Brief Outline OF the History of Prince
tons Enterprising Camp of S. of V.
On the fifth Of April, 1890, Col.
A. S. Morgan organized General
Custer Camp No. 50, Sons OF
Veterans, of Princeton, which this
week officiates as host for the Sons
of Veterans and Ladies' Aid Socle-
ties and Grand Army Of the Re-
public attending the thirteenth an
nual encampment of the Minnesota
Division, and their accompanying
friends. When the camp was
mustered it had but thirteen char
ter members but the illomened
thirteen seems not to have infneu-
ced the fate Of the camp. n. G.,
Kelly was chosen by the charter
members to serve as the camps
first captain. Camp Custer was
forced to undergo all the trials
and vicissitudes of new camps and
encountered uphill work at the
very outset. 1t was difficult work
to induce new members to join the
ranks, but the boys labored dill
gently and kept up their courage
and on December II, 1890, five
new recruits were mustered in.
Although these were typical raw
recruits, they proved later on to
be pillars of the camp as we'll as
of the division. These five were
I. C. Patterson, Harley Whitney,
David Berry, D. W. Spaulding
and S. F. Heath. The records of
the order show their value to the
order, for all proved prominent in
the work.
On january /, 1891, F. D. An
MS was placed in command of the
camp. He proved to be an earn
est worker for the order and un-
der his management No. 50 came
rapidly to the front. He was
chosen his own successor the fol
lowing year 1892 and held the
chair until September when he
rendered his resignation. Ever
EFT Southland was chosen to fill thu
vacancy (being an ex-member O.
Camp No. 5, Minneapolis
: January, 1898, Capt. Southar(
2 was chosen to succeed himself
and he in turn was succeeded il
1894 by Capt. I. G. Patterson
who also was elected his own sue
cessor. In 1896 D. W. Spauldin!
was placed in command and dur
ing the present year Irving R
Southland fills the chair in a yer,
g creditable manner.
e There were many ups and down
d in the career Of No. SO and d
T. times it seemed as if the cam
Q would have to 60 the way Of man
other country camps and give u
it's work. But despite all di
u couragements the boys have stea(
u lastly held together and at til
IL past two annual inspections Gu
- ter Camp has held rank with tt
Ii very best camps in the state. N
SO was first represented at Alexa1
to dria and since that time it has a
of ways had it's representatives in tt
H. sessions at Monticello, Glenct
10 and Wells. >.~ 49,: ..
10 Honors have also come to tt
i'll camp at the hands of the Divisi(
of Encampments, notably being Il
election of Capt. Patterson to.
.., Division Commander, which (
ol CURED at the encampment at Gle
D. ~ coe in 1896, he serving until Ju
n 'et 1896. It is generally conced
8; that the administration Of G,
~ Patterson was one Of the b.
70. which this division has ever {
joyed in its history and had
The signified his willingness to accel
his he would have been unanimous
'0'' reelected at Wells, year as
At the latter encampment I