The National tribune., 1901-12-26
SPANISH WAR VETERANS.
Growth of a Society that Was Formed il
Washington About Two Years Ago.


Washington About Two Years Ago.
| This city is the birthplace of numerous
| organizations, some of them National in
their scope. Not the least of these is the
! National Army, Spanish War Veterans,
of which President Roosevelt is an hon
ored active menRjer, his name being on
/ the rolls of Theodore Roosevelt Command,
/ No. 10, of New York City, just as the
! late President Mckinley was an active
member of the g. A.oR.
| The National Army Spanish War Vet
Grams, found itsForigih here on Sept. 8,
| 1899. in the National Guard ArmOry,
over Center Marketuand has since rap
! idly extended its franks. and soon prom
! ises to have Commands and Corps in
every State and Territory i'll the Union.
! The first Convention Nas held in pursu-
ance Of call signed by Gems. J. Warren
| Keifcr, joseph WheC4cr. j. L. 8 Goblin,
Past CONFERENCE.-The chief G.. A. r.; Col.
George NJ. Studebaler, Maj. Russell Il.
Harrison and others.
There We're delegates present represent
| ing the States bf Ohio, Pennsylvania,
! New York, Maryland West Virginia,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Caro-
! lima, Florida, Iouisiana, Arkansas, Mis-
sissippi, New Jersey, kentucky, Illinois,
Indiana, Virginia, Michigan, and the Dis
trict of Columbia. The delegates from
the 1st ID. C., Gen. Nelson 4. Miles Com
mand, and three immune regiments, while
Col. f. II. Harrington, Of the Marine
Corps represented the Navy.
After adopting the name, National
Army, Spanish War Veterans" Gen.
Neifer was elected Commander-in-C Chief; (;
Col. Lawrence J. Logan, of Boston, Sc
nior Vice COMMUNICATING, and Col.
James II. Tillman, of South Carolina, Ju-
nior Vice Communicating. with a
full complement of the other officers, the
District being honored with five, includ
ing Gen. George III. Harries as n MEM
Der of the Council of Administration. The
late President, William Mckinley, was
unanimously elected the first honorary
member, and Miss Helen Miller Gould
chosen as Sponsor.
Eligibility for membership was confined
to soldiers and sailors of the Regular
and Volunteer Army and Navy and Ma
rine Corps of the United States, having
hOnOrably served during the war with
Spain or the incident war in the Philip
pines" 1t was also determined that the
purposes of the Association should be Ito
perfect and maintain National and De
partmental organizations; to keep alive
the memories of the war with SPAIN to
promote the best interests of those who,
in the service of the United States, took
part in that war, ami their dependents; to
encourage and spread universal liberty
and equal rights and justice to all men,
as well as to inculcatc the principles of
freedom, patriotism and humanity"
The only colored delegate to the Con
yention was Capt. Hamilton Il. Blunt,
of Louisiana, who had been an officer in
one of the colored immune regiments, and
who later served as First Lieutenant i'll
the Philippines. While the II members
Of the Council of Administration were
being elected, Col. Tilman, the tall South
Caroiuian. arose and in Il few well-chosen
remarks nominated "COmradc Blunt" as
Il member Of the Council. Loud applause
greeted the nomination. When it had
partly subsided, another born Southerner,
Col. Fred. W. Cole, of Florida, seconded
the nomination in q stirring speech, and
Capt. Blunt was elected by acclamatiOn.
-Four months prior to the birth of the
National organization i'll this city, i'll May,
1899, the first Camp of Spanish War
Veterans found its origin here, and pre-
liminary action was taken by its MEM
bers looking to the formation of a Ma
tional body. The organization was chris
tened Gen Nelson A. Miles Camp (after-
wards changed TO Command No. /. Its
formation resulted from Il call made by
Gen. \. {. Hawley, commanding the Mil
itary Division of the Peace Jubilee, for
n body of Spanish War Veterans to par
I
was held at the beaver House, on Tenth
street, which resulted in about 200 vet
Grams of the war with Spain participating
in the Peace Jubilee parade. These en-
braced men from every branch of the
army and navy. including several Rough
| i;iders and Il contingent of colOred vet
Grams They wore their sOied and faded
service uniforms of blue and khaki and
received q CONTINUOUS ovation along the
! line of march Another meeting followed.
Mt which Il permanent organization was
effected, with Capt. Percy w. Moss, late
of the 2d Ark. Vols, as Commander, and
| it has had a prosperous career ever since.
! Gen. George ii. Hurrics, as mastering
officer. mustered Gen. Nelson \. Miles
| Command into the National Army. Span
! ish War Veterans. on Jan. Il, 1900. as
the first Command. and gave il the proud
designation NO. l." j. Walter Mitchell!
was its second Captain, and Charles w.
I Parker the third
! The second Convention. or first Dele
gate Assembly, ii is officially dcsig
/ mated, was also held in this city, at the
| Washington Light Infantry Armory,
| Sept - and 20. 1900. Gen. Nelson 4.
| Miles was elected Communicated Chief.
| succeeding Gen. j. Warren Kefcr. The
| latter in his annual address congratu-
/ lated the organization on the good state
of the Order and the stability of the work
/ already accomplished" He deplorcd the
existence Of several kindred associations.
/ and expressed the hope and belief that
in time the eligible veterans may all be
harmonious,y united in one organization,