Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
Organized Shortly After the
Close of the War.
REUNIONS IN THIS CITY
ARMIES OF TENNESSEE, CUMBEK
LAND, OHIO AND POTOMAC.
Distinguished officers in Each Organi
zation-History of the Formation
of the Several Bodies.

The four army societies which began Sc
ries of reunions here yesterday were all or
ganized near the close of the war in which
each played a most conspicuous part. 1t is
said that there is no intimacy so close as
that bred in battle and it's attendant mill
tary life. The rigors of discipline, the hard
ships and privations soldiers must endure
bring out all that is best. that is real, that
is lasting in men. The tie that binds the
soldier to his comrade. and the company to
its commander. acts as an indissoluble tie
ttat even the weight of years and the strain
OF absence cannot affect. So that after
four years of hard fighting. long marches
and great privations. the million. more or
less. that composed those vast armies of the
Potomac. the Cumberland, the Tennessee
and the Ohio, desired to commemorate their
years of campaigning by preserving among
themselves some semblance of the mighty
organizations to which each had given most
loyal service. AS the soldiers laid aside
their military accouterments and took up
the peaceful arts of civil life they wished to
carry with them to their homes some re-
mnder Of the time they spent together.
and to have set apart some time and place
away from the store the office. the fac
tory or the bank. when and where they
could meet and live again through song and
story the glorious days they spent together
in the field This idea taking root in few
brilliant minds is responsible for the Or
ganization OF the societies of the armies
that meet here this week.
Army of the Tennessee.
OF the four organizations that have
chosen this as their place of assembly, the
one which on this occasion will play the
most prominent part is the Society of the
Army of the Tennessee This society was
organized Immediately after the cessation
of hostilities. Its membership was made up
entirely from the officers of the army from
which it takes its name General Sherman
was its first president-General Grant was
also Il member and on its muster rolls are
found names which have become famous in
the history of the United States. includ-
ing: MacClernand. Logan, Dodge Nc
PhersOn. Oglesby, once governor of Illinois;
o. o. Howard. Frank Blair, Belknap. for
mer Secretary of War; Corse. author of
the famous message Hold the Fort, for
l am Coming" Hugh Thomas. Charles
Ewing, FairChild, once governor of Wis
copsin; Gresham. who held several cabinet
positions; William Pitt Kellogg. once gov
ernor of Louisiana, and Rawlins, Grants
chief of staff and Secretary of War. who
was hOnored by a statue on Pennsylvania
avenue.
The present officers of the society are:
Maj. Gen. Greenville NJ. Dodge L. 5. Vols,
president: Col. Cornelius Cadl. recording
secretary; Gen. Andrew HeikenlOoper cor
responding secretary. and Maj. Augustus NJ.
Van Dyke. treasurer.
Besides its interest in erecting the statue
to Sherman. the Society of the Tennessee
is responsible for the splendid statue of
Gen. Mcpherson. who lost his life at At
lanta. I is statue being of the adorn-
ments Il Mcpherson Square. The society
also participated in the more recent dedi-
cation of the equestrian statue of General
Logan in Iowa Circle
Army of the Potomac
PROBABLY the largest of the four societies
is THAI Of the Army of the Potomac. This
organization does not holj reunion here
this year. As has been explained, it's
nual meeting was held in Boston during
the summer, and it adjourned to meet
here and participate in the unveiling cere-
monies At the invitation of Gen. Dodge.
This society was organized, after several
futile attempts to bring its members to-
gcthe., at meeting held in February,
1863. Tie organization was not completed,
however. until July > and Is of the same
year. when il met in New York. Gen.
George b. Mcclellan presided at this first
general meeting. which was attended by
hundreds of veterans Gen. Phil Sheridan
was elected first president of this society,
and Col. Horatio G. King was made sec
1etary. which office he has held to the