Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-05-23
news FROM THE
HAWkEYE STATE
Encampment of Grand Army
of Republic Meets at
Des Moines.
5000 SOLDIERS IN ATTENDANCE
John Lindt. of Council Bluffs Is Depart
ment Commander-Isanker Hold Inter-
esting Meeting and Homer Miller Is
Made PreSi6eoS

Des Moines, May 22.-The greatest
| day for the Iowa department of the
G. A. r. that recent years have
brought to it came to close last
night with the rousing camptires at
the Auditorium. the Y. M. c. A. audi.
forum and the Mirror theater. At
these gatherings the veterans lived
over again their wartime experiences,
and song and story and oratory quick.
ened their memories of events long
! since past.
The chief of these gatherings ct
| Renaissance was held at the Audi.
| forum. 1t was addressed by General
Granville M. Dodge. who presented to
his audience paper of rare historic
| interest and value, his personal remln'
| iscences of General w. T. Sherman. In
all the nation it is doubtful If there is
any soldier living today that vas
closer to Sherman than Dodge. The
| latter was one of the subordinates on
whom the great commander and nero
| in the march to >le sea absolutely
| depended, and in whom Grant. too, had
absolute confidence. The Iowa MAJOR
general is therefore peculiarly fitted to
last night to the edification of large
numbers of his comrades. At the Y.
M. c. A. auditorium the Spanish-Amer'
lean war veterans held campfire, all
the regiments in the late war being
represented. At the Mirror theater
the ex-prisoners of war renewed IN
memory the horrors of the southern
prison pen and lived over again the
days and nights of misery spent in
Libey and Andersonville. or told of
thrilling experiences in escaping from
captivity.
Upward of 5000 veterans. it is esti.
mated, were gathered in the city yes.
terday, and the larger part of them
marched in the grand parade in the
afternoon. Following the parade re.
unions of the different regiments and
organizations were held. Notable
among these was the reuHion OF the
survivors of the Nlcksburg campaign
and siege at the Mirror theater. IN
the course of the day the Vicksburg
commission met and organized and
laid plans for the work before it OF
having monuments constructed 10
Iowa soldiers who took part in the
siege and campaign.
The first business session OF the
state department was held yesterday
morning. 1t was marked chiefly by the
reports of officers and by the adoption
of resolutions uphoiding the national
administration policy in the Philip
pines.
Des Moines. May 21.-The members
of the Iowa department OF the Grand
Army of the Republic were last night
welcomed to the city by addresses by
Mayor Brenton and Governor Cum.
minis before an immense audience at
the Auditorium. Addresses were also
made by Department Commander
Metzger, Commander-in-C Chief Tor
renee of Minneapolis, Mrs. Jones OF
Bradford. VT, president of the Won.
ans Relief Corps, Governor Van SAINT
of Minnesota. General Dodge and eX.
Governor Drake.
During the afternoon Governor Cum.
Minis, Governor Van SAINT and Com
mander-in- Chief Terrence held a re-
ception at the capitol.
Des Moines. May 23.-The twenty
eighth annual encampment OF the
Iowa department of the Grand Army
of the Republic adjourned yesterday.
1t was the largest attended and best
encampment held for over decade.
The officers and all are enthusiastic
over the way Des Moines welcomed
and entertained the old soldiers, and
at the very creditable reports made
10 the encampment.
Officers for the ensuing year are
as follows: Department commander,
John Linda. of Council Bluffs; senior
vice commander, N. S. Durgen, of
Cresco: junior vice-commander, JOS
eph Madison. Of Fonda; medical di-
rector. Dr. ]. Ames Shaffer of keokuk:
chaplain, Rev. S. R. Ferguson, of
Parkersburg.
Resolutions were adopted urging the
national encampment to give proper
recognition to the Memorial univer-
sity at Mason City; specifying that
in the opinion of the old soldiers a
fair construction of the laws relating
to marriage would be that where
man was living with woman as his
wife up to the time of his death, such
evidence ought to be conclusive
enough to entitle said woman to a
pension; urging the Iowa members
in congress to work for the passage
of the Clara Barton bill as to annuity
for that deserving woman; expressing
the sentiment that law should be
passed giving all honorably discharg-
ed soldiers some kind of a pension,
such to be classed as graded; COM
mending State Superintendent r. c.
Barrett for his work in securing rec
ognition of Flag day. of the observance
of the Lincoln and Washington birth
days; urging congress to provide for
the preservation of the Shirley house
in the Vicksburg National Park.
PriestIey Heads Iowa Doctors.