Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-05
G. A. R. Encampment AS
'Sembled in Butte Today.
DEPARTMENT OF MONTANA
They Will Remain in Butte Three
Days--The Departments
Condition.

Department of Montana, Grand Army
of the Republic, met at 2 o'clock this
afternoon in Good Templars hall. About
20 delegates, representing the various
posts in the state, were present when w.
H. H. Dickinson, department
er, called the ~encampment to order. Many
more are expected in during the after
noon and evening. The encampment will
continue three days, and promises to be
a most enjoyable reunion. Tonight the
local post will give a camp fire, at which
the hearts of the grey haired veterans
will be made glad by the recital of the
deeds of themselves and their comrades
of a golden post.
This afternoons session was brief and
was devoted to business of a routine
nature. including the reports of the de-
partment officers. A feature of the after
noon was the report of the assistant ad-
jutant general, Samuel Bellew of Mis-
sOula, showing in brief the condition of
the Department of Montana during the
year. General Bellows report, in part,
was as follows:
In compliance with the rules and
regulations 1 have the honor to submit
my report of the business transacted by
this office during the past year. In good
standing December 81, 1898: Posts, II:
members, 449; amount expended for re-
lief during the year SAL.
Cluster Post No. 5 and Sherman Post
No. 10, reported delinquent last year,
AVE not been heard from. l would there
fore recommend that they be dropped
and their charters returned to depart
ment headquarters.
George X. Warren, Post No. 20, for
warded report for second term and per
capita tax for first and second terms 1898,
and was thereupon reinstated.
Garfield Post No. % was mustered in
July /, 1898, at Carlton, Missoula county,
by Department Commander w. II. II.
Dickinson.
mo reports have been received during
the past year from Thomas H. Kane,
Post No. ~. Nor for the term ending De-
cember 81, 1898, from John c. Fremont,
Post No 81, and no report for term end
ing June 80, 1898, from Steadman Post
No. s.
After a years experience as assistant
adjutant general, I feel that some sug-
g~estions from me in regard to that office
will not be out Of place. l would earnest
ly urge that for the future there should
be established in some one of the central
cities of the state, a permanent head
quarters for the department., at which
place may be kept all records so that easy
reference to them may be had at any
time, instead of the migratory system we
now have, and also that the assistant ad-
jutant general should be a resident of
the city where the headquarters is eStab-
lished.
This department is now fifteen years
old and the records now in possession of
| the assistant adjutant general, are con-
tanned in but one small field desk; judg-
ing from the number of returns, reports,
copies of proceedings of other department
and national encampments which have
been received during my term, as a basis.
| there should now be on hand enough Of
these to fill several large packing cases.
but we have them not; what has become
of them I do not know nor can | obtain
any inkling as to their whereabouts. In
| Justice to ourselves and to the great or
| ganiZatiOn of which we are an integral
| Dart, this should not be so; every report
| and proceeding has a value, perhaps not
| great intrinsically, but it may be of in
estimable aid to the historian and biog-
, apher of the future, and should be kept
; in some safe and convenient place, where
easy access may be had to it at any time.
Commander, in ~surrendering the office
with which you have honored me-, l wish
to express my sincere thanks for your
support and assistance; / also desire to
express my appreciation of the valuable
assistance rendered by the assistant
quartermaster general and the officers of
the department and post generally.
The officers of the department are as
follows:
Department commander, w. II. H.
| Dickinson. Missoula; senior vice COM
mander, l.. C. Dagenhart, Philipsburg;
Junior vice commander. Frederick Hopp,
Dillon: medical director, j. Nj. Sigh,
! Anaconda; chaplain. Rev. H.. 5. Taft,
| Helena; council of administration-F.
George HEIDI, Great Falls; CT. H. Ptatt,
| Helena: p. II. Manchester, Butte: T.. f.
Osborne. Bozeman; f.. II. Grigg, kals-
pei.