The National tribune., 1899-05-18
THE GRAND ARMY.
What Veterans are Doing for the
Good of the Order.
NEW HAMPSHIRE EScAMpMENr.

The annual Encampment of the Depart
ment of New Hampshire was held recently
mt Concord, Department Commander a. ,.
Twitchell, of Gorham, presiding. The at
| tendance was good and the Campflres
and social meeting. were enlivened by the
presence of many speakers OF Nahona
prominence.
Commander Twitchell in his annua
report said regarding pensions:
! "Ihe intirmities of age, which are now
more and more pressing upon us, are
bringing many of our comrades who nave
never asked aid from the Government tG
seek place upon the pension roll; ana
while these are more or less Invalid from
causes growing out of their service III
camp and field, but few are able 10 OBTAIN
the difficult proof, after so many years;
but the act of 1890, which was generously
enacted, makes it possible to obtain some
measure of relief. | know there Is muci'
and serious fault found with the fehsloi'
| Bureau for its treatment OF our ola Net-
Grams in the adjustment OF their ciaii1s
and it would seem that much OF thls Is
just, for the long delays, i'll many cases
years often passing without any progress
| whatever, surely seems uncalled for, ana
our comrades are dying with claims pcnG
ing, which, if just, surely ought TO lurniSll ,,
them the little bounty due to them, whlie
in need, and when they can appreciate IL
most for dead men have no wants which
the living can supply.
The movement to pension Confederate
veterans, while it strikes sympalhetic
chord in the hearts of GAIT. men; was
opposed by Commander Iwltcheil DIS
being wrong in principle.
The assistance of the W.R.C. and other
| patriotic societies was gratefully DC
knowledged by the Commander.
The proposition to admit veterans OF the
| Spanish American war to the All. was
discussed by the Commander, but no
recommendations were made.
The report of Asst Adi't-Gen. Frank
Battle showed the number OF members IN
good standing Dec. 81, 1898, to be o,oo4;
One year previous the number IN, IN eoou
standing was 4,116. Comrade Battle S re-
port showed the Department to be III
excellent condition financially. there
being balance on hand of 81 ,4i7.6I.
Col. Henry O. Kent, Col. Daniel Hall,
Capt T.. NJ. Shaw, Col. James f. GRIMES,
and Maj. James f. Itandlett, composing
the Committee on Resolutions, reported
a number of important resolutions, among
them being the following:
Resolved, That as loyal citizens we
pledge a support tested IN tne Gays vi
danger, to the Chief Executive Oh the
Nation. To our comrade, VIM. Mchihley
holder of that exalted trust, we extend
confidence and esteem as a soidler anu
citizen. His career illustrates the posi-
biities always open to intelligence,
probity and honor.
Resolved, That while we do not regard
the permanent incorporating of the Iniiip-
pine Islands into, the territory OF the
United States as desirable, ana regret tiie
struggles in which a portion ol thOSe
people are arrayed against our authority'
with consequent deplorable loss to both
parties, we can see no honorable diteIHd-
tive for our Government but to assert IT'S
legal sovereignty and authority over the
islands, by force of arms II need pc, anu
that we believe it the duty OF the Amerl-
can people to support the Government
with all the men and means necessary 10
conquer ain honorable peace.
The following officers were elected:
Com, Horace l.. Worcester, Fochester;
S. V. c., d. f. Proctor, Wilton; }. V. e.,
A. C. Haines:, Newmarket; Medical IN.
Chap, Rev. Isaac b. Vail, Manchester.
Delegates to National Encampment,
Henry f. Conant, Concord; Jos. Parker,
Plymouth: John W. Snow, Sutton; ii. T..
Currier, Littleton; E.. NJ. Hawes, Man
chester. .-..-. ..H t-s .--. :.
.. MEMORIAL DAY.
D. B. Searle, Commander Of the Min
nesota Department, in General Orders,
urges a general observance OF Memorial
Dav by the Posts of the Department, the
" nc. Ladies of the GAR, Sons OF
Veterans, and Ladies Aid Society. He
saws. "These memorial services are not
held to excite any sectional feelIng be-
tween the old soldiers OF the North ahd
South, but rather to exhibit to the world
in the daring and valOr of the Union and
Confederate soldiers alike the bravery
and patriotism of the American people,
fighting for the right as they saw It,
Time has practically healed the enmitles
of that cruel war, and all the hatreds' the
bitterness, and sectional IealousieS en-
hyt th at struggle OF 'Dl 10 %
have passed forever from the patrIotc
American heart.
Memorial Day this year has new
element While we strew flowers over the
graves of our dead comrades of the civil
war. let us not forget the brave boys who
those Young heroes of 1898 who offered up
their lives freely upon the altar of pat
riotism All these brave boys have done
their duty nobly, and hundreds have died
bravely upon the battlefields.'
To the Department Of Louisiana and
Mississippi is assigned the task ot decor
atinp the graves of nearly 1000 loyal men
who lie buried in the National cemeteries
at Chalmette Vicksburg, Baton Rouge,
Corinth. Natchez, Pinevile and Port Hud-
son. The &. AR. men i'll these States are
few. but Department Commander Chas.
W. Kceting in his Memorial Day order
urges that the grave of each Of these brave
defenders of our country be marked with
the flag in whose defense they gave up
their lives. In this work the veterans
will be assisted by the W.R.C.
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA.
At the recent meeting of the Department
of Virginia and North Carolina, at Rich
mond, the following officers were chosen:
Com, j. W. Rutter, Portsmouth; S. V. c.,
Edward Mitchell Richmond; j. V. c.,
E. M. Houston, Winchester; Medical Di-
rector, A. B. Heistand, Norfolk; Chap,
j. l.. Gibbs, Norfolk.
Comrades Peter Morton, Richmond, and
r. G. Griffin, Yorktown, were elected
Delegates, with Dred Smith, Portsmouth,
and o. j. Chavers, Richmond, as Alter
mates.
GEORGIA ENCAMPMENT.
At the Encampment of the Department
of Georgia, held at Atlanta, Ga, April 2S,
the following officers were chosen: Com,
Alex. Mattison, Atlanta; S. " c., S. A.
Darnell, Jasper; !. Y: c., Joshua F. En-
sor, Columbia, s. CD; Medical Director, S.
b. Coe, Fitzgerald; Chap, John W. Payne,
Jasper. Council of Administration, f. A.
Jones, Tallapoosa; &c: Il. Haskins, At
lanta; C. +. Fairbanks, Atlanta; C. n.
Stone, Fitzgerald; Chas. Lewis, Savan-
nah. J. J. Donnally and Charles n. Has
kins, both of Atlanta, were elected Rep
resentatives to the National Encampment,
of