The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-08-26
THE 18TH C. Y. AT BRANF0RD
TOWN GIVES THE VETERANS A
ROYAL WELCOME.

Attended by 125 Members-old officers
Re-elected-Year's Neorology-Historian
Thorpe's Very Interesting Paper-Other
Spealeers-Reunion Here Next Year.
The veterans of the old Fifteenth regi-
ment, c. ", the gray haired heroes of
many a deadly strife, made an uncon-
ditiona1 surrender yesterday to the hos
pitality of Branford people in general
and the Branford ladies in particular.
The old veterans weren't to blame:
they did the best they could, but the
ladies were entirely to blame.
1t was the thirtieth reunion of the old
Fifteenth, and the ladies were deter
mined that they should have warm
welcome from old Branford.
There were 125 veterans who went
down to Branford, bait the provision
made for their reception would have
satisfied a much larger number. 1t is
probable that the Bnanford ladies in
making preparations for the reunion
1900 men, the number on the regi-
mental roster way back In war days.
Doubtless they were disappointed in
finding the jolly vets so few in nuns
ber now, but on the other hand the
veterans expressed themselves as
highly pleased with the cordial well
com they received not only from the
ladies, but everyone else. The old town
put on a gala dress to welcome her
visitors, and national colors were dis
played alike from private and public
buildings.
Their arrival .on+the train from New
Haven at $3.50 was welcomed by music
and cannon, the Branford military
|,band furnishing the former, while the
Branford section of battery A made the
echoes resound by firing the national
salute.
The Mason Rogers post, G. A. r.,
Commander E. j. Bird, escorted the vis-
itors to Gaylord's opera house, where
the business sessions were held.
Rev. T. S. Dewitt Of the Congrega-
tional church welcomed the veterans,
and Colonel Charles Upham of Meriden
responded. Secretary Oscar P. lives OF
New Haven made his report The
deaths during the past year were ais
follows: Chaplain D. Henry Miller of
Mystic, November 8, 1896; William
Stanton, Co. G. of Noroton, September
80, 1896; Henry G. Aikens. Co. F, of No
rotor, November 8, 1896; John r. Tlr-
ner Co. B, New Haven, December 4.
1885, Sergeant Henry G. Baldwin. CO.
H, Naugatuck, January 15 1897; viii
liam W. Andrews, CO. Il, New Haven,
May 81, 1897; Henry Smith, Co. c, New
Haven, June 8, 1897; George W. stod-
dard, Co. B, New Haven, August "a.
February 15 1SS7;. John W. Wilcox, CO.
D, in October: D. Loper Davis, Co. e,
Guilford some time in 1896.
Resolutions Of sympathy were drawn
| in view of the death of Comrade George
w. Stoddard. the day before yesterday,
and suitable floral tribute will be
made.
| At the election of officers the old
officers were reelected. They are: +,
President, Colonel Charles L. Upham Of
Meriden; vice president, John B. Mix
Of Wallingford; secretary and treasur-
er, Oscar P. Ives of New Haven; sur
geon, Charles E. Beckley Of New Ha-
ven; chaplain, Rev. John r. Doolittla
of West Suffield; historian, Sheldon B.
Thorpe of North Haven.
| 1t was voted to hold the reunion Of
1898 on August 25, the day of the month
| the regiment was musteredAin in 1892
and at New Haven.
The following New Haven members
of the regiment were selected to make
arrangements for the thirty-first reun-
ion: Hugh Finnegan, H. l.. Raymond,
John N. Leonard, William S. Beecher
and c. E. Hart.
The regimental committee of yester~
days reunion wereaCharles r. Frisbie,
A. B. Barker, J. e. Towner,i Albert B.
Plant and Jerome Coan.
A bountifuI repast was served in the
town hall, after which the members ad-
journed back to the Gaylord Opera
house, where short speeches were in
order.
Historian Sheldon B. Thorpe of,North
Haven read the following history:
How fast these reunions occur They
seem divided by a day rather than a
year. Yesterday at Lighthouse Point
to-day in beautiful old Branford-to-
morrow
4 Our chins are scarcely done wagging
and our knuckles done aching over the
handshakes of 1896, ere 1897 is upon us.
And these Branford veterans-what al
grip they can give you-what royal
reception they offer us! And these la
dies, how they have welcomed usi How
they have galvanized life into you old
fellows; why, even that slender high
private on the right, of Co. B, was
looking for comb to part his back hair
before he had been in town ten min
utes. And this is not SO strange when
we remember that Branford has always
had the right of line of these shore
towns since time immemorial Away
back in the 1700s they tell the story Of
the old farmer north of here twenty
miles or more among the huckleberry
bushes Jerome Coan knows where it isl
who kept his son in such seclusion that
at the age of twenty-one he had never
seen or heard of young woman. By
and by father and son came down to
the village which then centered around
the old green, and the understanding
was that whatever the lad liked best his
parent was to buy for him. They wan
l oI1a n opI ,at ho1r1 af