Evening star., 1897-02-25

luOUllSOi, fldcES! Lee, iOTeICe l. HOW
ellis and Laura Wheeler.
Past Commander Marion T. Anderson in
behalf of the ladies of the Woman's Relief
Corps and comrades of the Depar tment
OF the Potomac. G. A. r., presented to.Mrs.
johnson, the retiring department president,
a beautiful jeweled badge of the order.
which Mrs. Johnson accepted in a brief and
Wel,-Worded speech.
Growth of the Relief Corps.
President Bain announced the appoint
ment of Julia r. Layton as secretary ard
Clara T. Chase as institutng and installing
officer, and then she returned her thanks
for the honor conferred upon her in
graceful manner. stating that the Women's
Relief Corps had increased from 1873 in 1SG:;
to 1iG,GD0 in 1897.
Commander McEroy assuming the gaval
announced the election of the new officers,
and after a vote OF thanks had been voted
him for the very impartial, able and faith
full manner in which he mad performed the
duties of bis office, he called Upon Past
Department Commander Marion Anderson
to install the newly elected officers, Capt.
James NJ. Edgar acting as officer OF the
day. The officers installed were: Comman-
der, Thomas 5. Hopkins; senior vice com
mander, DR.. J. f. Raub: junior vice COM
mander, James E. McCabe; cha plain, Rev
w. H. Black; surgeon, c. V. Pettys NJ. D.;
council of administration, Thomas Gallo
way, George E Davis. James Woods, VIM.
d. Wallace and Sidney w. Herbert. Com
mandcr Hopkins having announced the ap-
pointment of Arthur Hendricks as his as
sistant adjutant general. and j. Tyler Pow
ell assistant quarternlaster general they
were also installed.
New Comma nder's Speech
AS Commander Hopkins assumed the
gavel he was greeted with applause and
he responded in a short address, He ex-
planned that the G. A. r. held its instalIa-
tions in public thai every one might know
hat tH.a
doing. The organization seeks to help and
fought, suffered and starved together dur
ing the war, so they stand together today
The organization seeks not only to help
ard support the needy and distressed but
1t also aims to instil patriotism and loyal
ty in the hearts of the people, particularly
in the young. During the past four years,
said Commander Hopkins, the old Union
soldier had been persona non grata with
the present chief executive and he had been
merely tolerated in Washington. He had
been able to obtain no redress for wrongs
ln1lcted upon him, and the civil service
rules ana regulations had been made to be
a mountain over which he could only in
rare instances climb. All that however
would be changed within the next few
days. for next week comrade would be in
augurated President, and then the old SOL
dier could sincerely say: Thanks be to
God that giveth us the victory 1t was
true that President Cleveland had in
| stiuStSo lHe present commissioner OF pen
sions to be lenient to the old soldier, but
the old soldier had never asked him to be
lenlent, and 1t would be a very cold day
before he ever would. He simply asked
justice, and that he would get after the 4th
of March. In conclusion, Commander Hop
kins paid a high tribute to the Women's
Relief Corps, stating that upon them de-
pended In a very large degree the success
of the G. A. r.
Other Exercises.
The rest Of the evening was devoted to
songs by Comrade George H. Lillibr!dse
and Miss Lena Shepherd, addresses by Past
Commander Patrick of Alabama and ex-
Representative Charles A. Sumner of Cali
fornia, the audience being dismissed by the
singing of America" But before the as
Semblage was dismissed retiring President
Annie Johnson of the Women's Relief
Corps was presented with an elegant corps
badge by Past Commander Anderson, on
6ehalf OF the corps and the G. A. R., he eX-
planning that it will later be replaced by
jeweled one.
The commander of the department,
Thomas s. Hopkins, was born in Mount
Vernon, Kennebec county, Me-, April -
1916. He was reared on the farm, and is
direct descendant of Stephen Hopkins, who
came over in the Mayfiower. He attended
the district school, and later the seminary
at kents Hill, Me-, enlisting in 1862 when
but seventeen years of age, in the 10th
Maine Volunteers, going Immediately to the
front He was wounded at Fredericksburg
the first engagement in which his regiment
participated, but he continued with the
regiment until 1863, when, being broken
down, he was sent to the hospital and SUBJ
sequently transferred to the Veteran Re-
serve Corps. After the war he entered the
Treasury Department and studied law here
in the Columbian University Law School,
graduating in 1869. Since then he has re-
sided here almost continuously, acquiring
good practice. He is member of Meade
Post, G. A. r., of this city, and the Office
to which he has just been elected came to
him unsought.
First Orders Issued.
Commander Hopkins has issued general
orders l and 2. In the first he assumes
command and thanks his comrades for the
great honor conferred upon MIN by his
selection. The second is as follows:
/. The following named comrades were
elected for the ensuing year at the twenty
ninth annual encampment of the Depart
ment of the Potomac, Grand Army of the
Republic, namely:
Commander, Thomas s. Hopkins, Post No.
B: senior vice commander, DR.. J. F. Raub.
Post No. IA; junior vice commander, James
e. McCabe, Post No. 8; chaplain, Rev. ".
81. Black. Post No. 8; surgeon, c. v. Pettys,
M. D., Post No. g.
Council OF administrations Thomas Gallo