The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-04-22
The rlaine Grand Army.
Annual EHcampment In Lewiston. Hon L. 7.
Carleton Elected Commander.

huHudi B1CdupHtHt Ill LthlStUu. nOn L.
Carleton Elected Commander.
The regular session of the annual encamp-
ment Of the Maine G. A. R., opened in City
Hall, Lewiston, April 18th, Among the
first business was the presentation of annual
reports of the various officers and the ad-
dress of the commander. The reports in
substance follow:
Assista MT Adjutant General Miller's report
showed the strength of the department to be
Ito posts number of members in good stand
ing Jan. !, 1876, $3.50; gained by muster
during the year, 121: by transfer, &c; rein
statment, l59. Total gains, 332; aggregate,
9,171 losses by death, 205 honorable dis
charge, q transfer, 81 suspension, 455 dis
honorable discharge / surrender of charter,
Il total loss, 742 number remaining in
good standing Dec. 81, 1896 S,42g; number
remaining suspended Dec 81, 1896, PSI:
dropped during the year, 2S5 amount eX-
pended for relief Guty during the year, 81
5.@ GA, members relieved during the year,
231 outsiders relieved, So: number of posts
Jan. /, 1897, 100, Hildreth post oi South Gar
/ diner having surrendered its charter; num-
her Of member Iii good standing Jan 1,
lS!t S,A.H, number in good standing, Jan.
j, So, S,t29. total loss, 4lQ. 4 II. Beale
Post, No, IL, Bangor, made the greatest loss,
24 Ius ron Of honor for Is years shows
81, tins year having been the greatest ex-
2l9 against .05 Tins year. The membership,
ot the department having dropped below s.
500. reduces lts representation IN the nation
a encampnent to eight delegates with one
/ at large.
The report of Assistant Quartermaster
Genera Smith showed tile total receipts tor
the year from al sources, SJ.1j4 Is. eXpeu-
! ,lltures, ~& 0S-} A.; cash balance on hand,
! April 10. 1881. 500 So balance IN favor sup
/ ply department., So 81.
1It.47,B r, 4 ftI,
/ pleasure in his report To the more general
] observance II Memorial Sunday, rep0cts at
4 hand showing that 10 services We're held
last Memorial Sunday, with 1.6 elergymen
Officiating and 5!l comrades in line.
! Memorial Day returns show that ,21S
cemeteries We're visited and II $50 graves
We're decorated, l27 OF which We're never
found before: 263 services We're held and j,
4 $50 comrades We're in line; 423 schools and
/ H,129 children took part in the exercises; 10,-
( 040 Sons of Veterans We're in line and 2,5"3
! members of the WomanS Relief Corps re-
ported for duty; money raised for Memorial
i Day, 6l3
After the opening fOrmalities in the after
| noon, Col. Carver delivered his address, in
| which he paid a tribute to the Grand Army
| and its place in the world. He gave statis-
tics, showing the number of comrades in
| good standing, the finances, the inspections,
the official visits, the thanks of the depart
| ment to the relief corps, the matter of the
| Newport home, Memorial Day observance,
the nations encampment, the Grant monu-
ment inauguration, words in memory of
Past Department Commander Beale, and of
| Commander VIM. r. Stackpole, recommend
| ations, and Ill conclusion, his thanks for the
| honor conferred upon HIM.
In the evening a camp fire was held in
| City Hall, at which Commander-in- Chief
Clarkson of Omaha and Department Com
mander Carver made the principal addresses.
| Mr.. Clarkson said he was gratltied with the
hearty reception he had received at the
hands of the veterans and people of the
| State. Acting Mayor Callahan gave the adj
| dress of welcome.
AT the Friday morning session Rev. G. A.
Southard of Livermore Falls announced his
withdrawal from the contest for department
commander, and HDn. l.. L. Carleton OF
Winthrop was elected commander by ac-
clamation amid great applause. Other Of
ticers elected include W. H. Bolster, Paris
senior vice commander; j. j. Chase, Chase
Mills, junior vice; John II. McGregor, medi-
cal director; John W. Webster, chaplain
Hon. Leroy I. Carleton, the new com
mander, was born at Phillips, in Franklin
county, February IS, 1S47 enlisted and was
mustered into the United States service in
Co. f, Sixth Maine, Sept. 21, 1861, was dis
charged at Hilton Head, South Carolina, on
account OF measles and typhoid fever, after
a long and critical illness in which his life
was long dispared of. Recovering he en-.
listed i'll Co. E, 52d Maine regiment and
was in every battle and skrmish that famous
regiment was engaged in, including the
Wilderness, Spottsyvania, Cold Harbor
North Anna River, and the Brienswortf
mlne explosion, where he was severely
wounded. Returning from the he went
to work "by the month on a farm, but his
health failing, he began to go to school, and
educated himself at Phillips High school
and Maine Wesleyan seminary at Kents
Hill, receiving special training from the
famous DIR. Torsey, who was then president
of the seminary. He studied law and has
| been in the active practice of his profession
for % years, at Winthrop; was eight years
county attorney of Kennebec county, long
er period than any one has since served in
that capacity in any other county III the
State. He was appointed by Gov. Cleaves
, chairman of the commission to "take into
consideration the subject of private and
special legislation and draft bill to bring
such matters under general laws" Hon. F
H. Appleton of Bangor and Col. W. III. Fog
Ter of Rockland were associated with him
A year ago he was appointed by Gov. Cleaves
a member of the board of inland fisherie;
and game-entirely without bis solicitation
Mr.. Carleton stands among the foremost
lawyers in Maine. A fluent and graceful
speaker, he is much sought after as public
speaker. He has delivered Memorial Day
addresses for many years, and is engaged
this year at Bath at Oxford in 1898, and al
Foxcroft in 1899.
The Both annual encampment of the Maine
G. A. Il. closed Friday night with camp
fire at City Hall, at which addresses were
elected commander, and Col. Nelson How
ard of Lewiston. Over 600 persons were
present The encampmept voted to hole
the next convention in Lewiston in Febru
, ! ary, 1898.