The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-11
ENCAMPMENI ECHOES.
NOTES OF A NORTH HI YEN YET
ER1N'.S TRIP

10 the Recent Big u. A. Id. convention
in Chicago-stghts and scenes of n
Pleasant Journey In the West Many
Places of Interest.
Lieut.. S. f. Linsley attended the re-
union of the Fifteenth C. V. at Gull
ford August 25th, at which place he
was greeted by a dozen or more OF MS
old comrades with II thought you was
dead" If they had followed him Tor
the next three weeks they would have
come to the conclusion that he was very
much alive for at the close OF the day
he Joined the Connecticut delegation on
the trip to attend the national encamp-
ment of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie at Chicago, August %, 20 and 80 60
ing on the Baltimore and Ohio route by
way of Washington, and over the cum
berland mountains. The scenery 10
grand in the extreme, as one passes
along the banks of the Potomac river
till the summit of the mountains is
reached, and then follows the course OF
the Allegheny river to PittSburg. Does
anybody remember how hot 1t was
about that time? We were obliged to
open all the windows and doors to the
cars in order to get air enough 10
breathe. Of course the cars were fun
of dust smoke and cnders. We could
hardly have been called white folks. Ii
was a long journey, being about forty
two hours from New Haven to Chicago.
But as there is an end to all things, so
there was to our trip to Chicago.
There were some unavoidable delays,
For instance, the bunter to one OF the
cars of our train was pulled out, ana
the passengers were obliged to crowd
into the remaining cars of the train,
which were already full; yet all were
good-na tured, which was quite an item
towards comfort. We also made some
very pleasant acquaintance on the
trip. One was an 'ex-rebel' lady and
her husband So pleasant was the In
terview that at parting each was invi-
ted to visit the other at their homes,
which goes to prove that we are indeed
one country now. On the day of our
arrival at Chicago I took trip to Au-
rora, ILL.,, about fifty miles out, and
found a pleasant city and quite like one
of our New England cities, it being
manufacturing place.
On my way into Chicago the next
morning a man accosted me with this
question (seeing my Connecticut
badge): "How is Connecticut going
for PRESIDENT" The reply was, NC
Kinley, of course" He answered, "Oh,
Connecticut is not of much conse-
quence; we are going to cut her off.
/ replied GAS goes Connecticut, so goes
the Union' He clustered around a
nj tnI h pr
statement, and much more Of the same
nature Finally I said, Hold on
minute; let me tell you a little about
Connecticut that you are not aware of.
Connecticut is the birthplace of Gene
rails Benham, Darlington, Lyon, Ketch-
Jim, Mansfield, Mower, Myers, Terry,
Ripley Sedgwick, Totten, Tyler, Yves
sells, Wright, Mcclellan, Bone, Admi-
raj F'oote. Generals Sherman, u S.
Grant, Presidents Hayes and Garfield,
and Admiral George Dewey-all are de-
scendants of Connecticut men and wo-
men. General Joe Wheeler got his edu-
cation in Connecticut They left Con-
necticut to furnish brains for the west.
There wasn't room enough for them to
expand in Connecticut. Last but not
least, old John Brown was a Connecti-
cut man; and what would you do with
out Yale university. Boys are coming
from all over the Union to be taught
there in all the ways of life, and then
to return home and teach you benight-
ed people. There is something besides
'16 to L to look out for in this country"
Said he, IT am from Bryan's town, and
he Is going to be elected president"
Yes, but it Is conceded by politicians
that he cannot carry his own town and
state.
But 1t Is time for the G. A. r. parade.
/ helped to makethe Connecticut dele
cation of about fifty. We were to be
marched two miles, but 1t was four and
q half to five miles, and that over cob |
BILE stone roads most of the way, to say
nothing about the hot weather. Two of
the old comrades died in the street |
while on the march. While there was a
goodly number in the parade, there
were more old soldiers on the sidewalks |
than there were in the parade. But,
OH what a passive crowd There was |
not handkerchief waving in a thou |
sand I thought of sending out a car |
load for them to wave. They didn't re- |
alize who we were. If those In the pa |
rade had halted and faced outward to-
wards those on the sidewalks, and been |
armed with guns loaded with powder
and balls, and commenced firing into
the crowds, and in the midst of the fir
ing another body of soldiers had
stepped in between the men, women
and children, and the parties that were
firing had received the bullets intended
for the citizens, and had saved them
from DEATH would not their hearts go
out in gratitude to their delverers, and
could they have ever forgotten it as
long as they lived? Now that Is just
exactly what we did in 81 and '65. We
barred our bosoms to the shot and she'll
to the bayonets and sabres of the enc
my, the only difference being the citizens
were so far in the rear that there was no
danger whatever of the shell and shot
reaching them, except in some few in
stances. 1t Is generally conceded that
the Chicago parade will be the last
grand parade of the G. A r. The main
reason is because we are getting to be
old Consequently we shall be q back
number and In few years shall go to
our eternal rest. There were some very
peculiar meetings of old soldiers at the
encampment One was of a man step
ping up to another old soldier, grasping