The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-02-25
COM WANDER HOPKINS.
The Success of Maine Men In Washing
ton
wv +shington Post. }


Thomas S. Hopkins was elected Com
lnander CT the Department of the Poto-
mao, G. A. R., last night at the annual
enoampment, leading his opponent, DIR.
A. j. Huntoon, by twelve votes. The
contest has been quite spirited, and the
interest In the selection of the highest
officer in the department was shown by a
marshaling of the forces on either side
long before the encampment opened its
session. The nominations having been
made on Wednesday, night, 1.-The election
was proceeded with almost ut once.
after the reading of telegram from Rus
sell A. Alger, thanking the department.
for its message of congratulation on his
selection as Secretary Of War. livery
body was ready with his vote, the situa-
zion having been industriously canvasssd
since the encampment met last, and the
lines closly drawn. The tellers reported
1863 votes cast, Of which Comrade Hop
kins received SO and DR.. Huntoou ".
Comrade Hopkins was declared elected
by Commander McElroy amid much en-
thusiasm. He was the i'm mediate recipi-
ent OF congratulations and assurances of
support not only from those who had
favored him, but those who had voted
against him.
Thomas s. Hopkin the new depart
ment commander, WAS born in Mount
Vernon, KenDebec County, Me-, April ~
1915. and spent his youth on a farm or
iginally decided to his ancestors by the
Plymouth Company. He is direct de-
scendant In tho ninth generation of
Stephen Hopkins, who came over on the
Mayfower, In 1920, and is member of
the New York Society of May flower De-
scandants. In the winters he attended
the "district school," and, later the
seminary at Kent's Hill. Me.
LII June, 1852. MIR. Hopkins, who was
the Sixteenth Maine Volunteers, and
went Immediately to the front. This
regiment was second co none, and Is in
oluded in the,list of the famous 300 f1s hit
ing regiments mentioned by Fox in his
"Regimental Losses, - who says that the
total of killed, wounded, and died of dis
ease, &c, in this regiment was 1,0l8
He WAS wounded at Frederioksb rig
which was the frstEenaagementssin which
the regiment participated. The color
company, of which he was a mem Der,
lost SO per cent of It's mem bers in killed
and wounded on that day. He contin-
ned with his command until the fall of
1868, when he was relieved from duty
and sent to the hospital, completely
broken down, and was subsequently
Transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps,
in which he served until the close of the
war.
After his discharge, through Mr..
Blaine, who WIS a warm friend of his,
he was offered a position in the Treasury
Department.. While there. he studied law
in the Columbian Law School, gradual
ing in the class of 1859. Soon after he
made the acquaintance of Benjamin
Vaughan Abbott, the distinguished law
writer, and, resignina from the depart
ment went to New York City with that
gentleman. who was one of the commits
sionars for revising the United States
Statutes.
In 1879 he returned to Washington and
began practicinR law, entering the office
of Col. James g. Payne. the present
auditor of the court; later he was with
Judge Andrew @. Bradley and Mahlon
Ashford. Mr.. Hopkins hasa large prac-
tice.