Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14
Thousands of Old Soldiers Will Attend
the Reunion.
RECALLING INCIDENTS OF TIE War
Ranks Are Growing Thinner as the
Years Go BY.
S STORIES OF BRAVE MEN

oSteuty -hto tHOuSunU veterans OI Tie
Union army will attend the 3lst national
encsmpment of the Grand Army of the Re-
public. to be held in Buffalo week after
next. The estimate is not large, inasmuck
as 1t represents but one-fifth of the surviv-
ing strength Of the great host which de-
Tended the north during the war. For
three days, during which the encanpment
VIII continue the city of Buffalo will be
practically given over to the boys in
blue. and the citizens will devote most of
their time to doing honor to the veterans.
There will be receptions by the citizens and
the women of the city. reunions of various
corps and divisions, and on August 26
grand parade, which will probably be re-
viewed by President Mckinley On his way
home from his summer outing at Lake
Champlain.
This peaceful army of invasion will be
well cared for during its stay in Buffalo.
Its center division of 1000 men will be
quartered at the Front, one of the most
beautiful portions of the city's park sys-
TEN. located just where Niagara river
leaves Lake Erie. The United States mill
tary post known as Fort Porter stands
here. and about it will be spread hundreds
OF white tents. the aspect of Camp Jewett
as 1t will be called. in honor of Mayor
Jewed of Buffalo, will be thoroughly mill
tary. and will doubtless revive the memoir
les Of 81 under the faded blue uniforms
The camp will have its department head
quarters, and the flag Of the Union will
float above every division of 1t. In. one
respect only will It differ from the camps
Is which these same men bivouacked
generation since along the Potomac or the
Cumberland; there will be no stacks OF
arms. and the tone Of the place will be
one OF cheerful Renaissance instead OF
Warlike anticipation. OF course the camp
Will not accommodate more than a small
fraction of the visitors, but the others will
be Quartered in the various hotels and in
Private houses throughout the city. Doubt
less the battles OF the rebellion will be
1ought all over again, but the spirit of
these encampments is the spirit of reunion
not that of division. AS General Porter
said. IL affords a grand object lesson IN
patriotism to the younger generation OF
Americans and to all citizens"
"Reminiscences of Sherman.
An incident typical Of the spirit of these
gatherings was related the other day by
General Daniel E. Sickles When 1 at
tended the encampment in Pittsburg in
1884," said General Sickles, lit was ar
ranged, as is usually done, that 1 should
meet the men who had been under my
command in a sort of informal reception.
A regular feature of the encampments are
these receptions, at which the members of
dinerent divisions gather to shake hands
that General Gordon of the confederate
army was in PfttSburg at the time and
as l was acquainted with him 1 asked
MIN to go along with me to the hall where
side. and as the men filed past l intro
duced them to General Gordon and we
both shook hands with them. The men were
pleased and General Gordon was much at
fected by his hearty reception"
The incident Of these two generals stand.
Ing side by side and shaking the hands of
the men who had fought under one and
against the other does not Indicate the re-
mi
been more enthusiasm for the one-legged
commander of the Union, but there was a
hearty welcome for the one who had fought
under the stars and bars. The men, some
OF Wnom carried confederate lead Under
their skins. welcomed him as heartily as
his own soldiers might have DONE
The presence Of corps and division COM
manders at the encampments Is always the
men who have served under Them" said
Gen. Sickles. Whenever a group of men
see an officer under whom they have fought
the hats will go into the air and the old
battle cries ring out in a way that makes
the old blood run faster. or course there
are not many of the most prominent Off
GERS left now. For years Gen. Sherman
was the prominent: figure at the encamp-
mentS. which he always attended. I SUD-
pose nobody who had not served under
Sherman or marched across Georgia with
him could appreciate the peculiar venera-
ton In which he was held by the men in
soldiers and there was no holding them in
when he was around"
Every encampment has its pathetic Incl
dents. Men meet who have not seen each
other since they parted In the smoke of
some battlefield, and often the veil is lifted
from mysteries that have endured for more
than three decades. An incident of this
kind was related a few days ago by a man
who was a private In the ranks of one of
the New York regiments.
A Pathetic accident.
"At the Louisville encampment lot of
US were sitting about at one Of the camp
fires talking over the old times, and 1 re-
lated an experience at the battle of Fair
Oaks The regiment to which belonged
had been badly shattered at the first Bull
Run, and had been consolidated with an
other New York regiment, some of the
companies being doubled up. Our company
was united with one of the others. that had
also suffered severely, and, as both the cap
tainS bad been killed. there was some RI
valry between us. Each company, OF
course. wanted one of its own men selected
to command. The result was that we got
man who had belonged to neither COM
pany, but was taken from some other regi-
ment Nobody was suited with that ar
rangement, and the first day or two Of our
experience with the new man. who was
very strict, didn't increase his popularity
any.
HE had been with US only couple Of
days when we went into the battle of Fair
Oaks. That wasn't an important engage
ment, but II was q serious one for us, for
we were In the thick of the fight. and were
driven back. AS we retreated. was in the
rear OF the line, and l wasn't losing any
time, can tell you. for the bullets were
falling mighty thick around me. As we
were going over brush fence, saw the
captain, who was waving hts sword, and
trying to stop his men, fall back to the
ground. Almost everybody was over the
farce and thew rvlahod NJ
I suppose. didn't even know that the captain
had dropped. went on for little way,
and then thought what mean thing IL
was tc leave my officer there, when he
might be only slightly wounded. So
went back to the brush fence, and. climbing
over It. picked him MP. He was shot
through the leg. and had tainted. so had
70 carry him until came across q Hitter,
never saw him after that, and don't
KNOW Whist became Of him, except that he
got well and vas sent home. But - ~