The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-15
LIGHT BATTERY REUNION
OLD VAR VETERANS MEET AND
 HAVE JOLLY GOOD TIME.

piled by one of Its Members, Presented
 to Each Member Individunily-Goid
 Watch Presented to Mir. Beecher, the
 Historian-Ionumen to he Erected.
 The veterans of the First Connecticut Light Battery held their thirty-siXth annual reunion at Duncan hall yester- day and right jolly good time they had too. In fact it was the most en- joyable, and most memorable one that has been held since they returned from the civil war, and took up their occu- pations of civil life once more. The business meeting of the Battery was called to order in the reception room at 12 o'clock by President Griswold, of Guilford. The reports of the secretary and treasurer were read and accepted and they showed the Battery to be on a good financial basis. At the roll call forty-nine responded to their names.
 The committee, which was appointed at the last reunion, to attend to the matter of erecting a soldiers monu- ment in this city in memory of the First Light Battery and the Sixth and Tenth regiments of Connecticut, re- ported that their work was progressing rapidly and that by next year they ex- pected to make their final report
 The election of officers which follow ed resulted in the following gentlemen being continued in office: President Ed ward Griswold, of Guilford, Vice Presi- dents H. w. Beecher and Alfred G. Bishop of New York, Secretary Theron Upson, of Hartford, and Treasurer John Sloane, of this city.
 Following the election of the officers there being no further business to be transacted, the various members were called on for a speech or a few remin- iscences of their war experiences. Mar row escapes, and narrowing situations were described and the brave deeds of comrades that had met death on the battlefield were recounted. Genral E. s. Greeley, of the Tenth Connecticut Volunteers, was present and made very enthusiastic and witty speech that amused all who heard it.
 During the meeting it was announced that the history of the Battery com- piled by H. w. Beecher, of New York. had been published and every member was presented with copy. The work is in two volumes and is handsomely bound. MT. Beecher is a member of the Battery and is a prosperous New York publisher. The history has many rem iniscences of the Light Battery during the war and of the many brave deeds of the company.
 It is the only history in the world of a war written from the standpoint Of the private citizen soldier. The pa triotic citizen soldiers tell what they saw. heard and did during the great civil war.
 The story of the citizen soldiers life is fully told; we see him in camp and on the field; we learn of his patriotic aspirations, sympathize with him in the tragedies of war and share the humors an amusenlents of the camp. The facts are given by the veterans Of the war in their own language, and the special contributions by those who took part in many battles and thrilling adventures unite to make it story told by the "Men Behind the Guns, with their portraits as they appeared on the field of battle. The most sacred chord implanted ii the human breast IS touched, bringing tears to eyes that have never wept save when the most divine emotions of brotherhood and love have been stirred by angelic breezes.
 But even while the eyes are moist we read of the practical jokes, of the fun and frolic indulged in, and of the stor- ies told round the camp fire, which play upon the humorous faculties with a pyrotechnic rapidity which is aston ishing and causes the reader to Won- der how a soldier could ever crowd so much laughter, song and fun into wild, tempestuous life, amid the show ers of shot and shell and the hardships of war
 It is the most elaborate history of a regiment of Battery ever written book which will be read and re-read by the descendants of the old war Veter- ans. It will be of priceless value to the relatives and friends of all who took part in the glorious struggle for free- dom and liberty for all.
 One of the pleasant features of this reunion, however, was the presentation to MT. Beecher of gold watch. In appreciation of his kindnesses the Bat terv made the gift, the presentation be- ing made by President Griswold, who said:
 Comrade Beecher--At the last mo- ment, unexpectedly and unappropri- ately. a very pleasant and agreeable duty has been assigned to me, but the pleasure of this assignment has been somewhat marred by the fact that the comrade to whom this duty had been assigned, and who could have perform ed if so much more satisfactorily, was unable to be present. But wolud not he a worthy member of the First Connecticut Light Battery unless 1 helped to sustain their record of those four long years of war, which was to do the duty assigned to them to their best knowledge and ability.
 Comrade Beecher-Forty years ago our country's flag was fired upon. Our neonle's government, established for suc, noble purposes, and by so much sacrifice by the fathers, was in danger of overthrow; agitation and excite ment was at it's highest pitch; many its downfall and the uselessness of attempting to save it. But more, with the spirit of '76, be- liaved it could and should be main tained. But who should do 1t? This ouestion was answered by the unself1sh natriotic spirit of the young mon of the land, who promptly responded to
 n F.