Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
CUMBERLAND
Enthusiastie Reunion at Con-
gregaaonal Church.
E1oQFfr SPEECHES
MADE BY DISTINGUISHED VET
Erals OF CIVIL WAR
Grafton of Gen. Thruston on the En-
Hstments on Both Sides Of
the Conflict.
ELOQUENT SPEECHES

Under the most favorable auspices and
before an audience composed of enthusi-
astic friends, the comrades of the Society
OF the Army of the Cumberland held their
thirty-first annual reunion at the First
congregational Church last night. The
eulogies pronounced on this occasion were
not confined to the armies of the Union
Tor were the speakers only veterans of the
war of the rebellion. distinguished Of
f1cer Of Great Britain told the old soldiers
or his inspirations from the hard-fought
fields of the great civil conflict. and a son
or former officer Of the army and a
president of the United States. who has
risen TO high eminence in the government
or his country. told what he had learned
from the stories of the battles in which
his father had participated. The gathering
that heard the eulogies and pronounced
them was included some Of the most dis
tlngu1shed military men in the country
perts From start to finish the exercises
proceeded with vim and at no time was
there an uninteresting moment, for vet
eran or visitor.
Elaborate Decorations.
The church was handsomely decorated
for the occasion. Flags and bunting Of all
kinds were used to drape the walls and
festoon the gallery rails Above the choir
loft In the center Of the massive organ a
huge portrait Of Gen. George H. Thomas
was hung. On one side Of 1t was draped
the flag Of the Army Of the Cumberland
and on the other the banner Of the cav
airy corps. A platform extending over
several rows of pews had been erected
from the pulpit and on this was seated
the sneakers and DISTINGUISHED guests.
Gen. Henry V. Boynton, the newly elected
- .IoA,,
him on the platform were seated Gen.
Grenvfl1e M. Dodge. president Of the So
ciety Of the Army of the Tennessee; Maj.
Gen. and Mrs. Henry c. COrbin. U. s. A;
| Lieut.. Gen. John NJ. Schof1eld. Lieut.. Gen.
Sir Ian Hamilton. r. A; Gen Barnett Gen.
Charles II. Grosvenor OF Ohio. Admiral
Winfield Scott Schley. Brig. Gen. Michael
Sheridan. U. 8. A. retired: Gen. John G..
Parkhurst, Mr. James Rudolph Garfield.
| Gen. Wickersham Of Alabama. Brig. Gen.
Andrew Burt. U. 8. A. retired; Judge Job
Barnard Of the District Supreme Court.
| Gen. Joseph Fl. Brigham. assistant secre-
| tary of Agriculture: Rev. DR.. Wallace Rad
cliffe. Rev. Samuel M. Newman, D. D.,
| Capt Henry A. Castle. Gen. David B. Hem
derson, ex-speaker Of the House Of Rep
resentatives;- Col Charles NJ Belts Of
| Philadelphia Gen. Green B. Raum. Maj.
| Gen. John r. Brooke U. s. A. retired pres
| ident of the Society of the Army of the Po-
| tomac, and Mai. Gen. Oliver o. Howard,
| US. A, retired, president Of the Medal of
Honor Legion.
| In the seats reserved for the choir were
| the members of the society to the number
| Of hundred or more. while in the body OF
| the church was vast audience of friends
| and comrades of other societies and mill
| tary associations to the full capacity Of
the edifice. The galleries were filled too
| and a full orchestra from Haley's band was
| there to render the musical numbers. Be
| tween the speeches toward the end OF the
| program -bugle calls used in the army were
| interspersed. the trumpet being sounded by
| IT. II
United States Cavalry from Fort Myer.
The exercises were opened with the sound
ing Of Assembly by Trumpeter Eddy af-
ter the playing of medley of national airs
| by the orchestra. Rev. Dr. Newman then
| offered a prayer and Gen. John G. Park
| hurst introduced Gen Boynton as the presf-
dent OF the society. On the program the
! introduction of the new president was as
signed to Gen. Boynton who had no idea
| that he would be honored by his comrades.
| The program was therefore changed and he
was himself introduced by Gen. Parkhurst,
who was the provost marshal general Of the
| Army of the Cumberland. Gen. Boynton
made short speech in which he told Of his
surprise at his election and by which he
thanked the members for the honor done
| him.
Gen. G. P. Thruston's Grafton.
| After the rendition Of selection by the
! orchestra Gen. Gates P. Thruston was in
! troduced as the orator of the evening The
| principal theme of Gen. Thruston's address
was the multiplicity Of statements that ex-
| lists as to the actual number of troops in
the field on both sides during the war Of the
rebellion. He said that as yet no statement
| of the confederate forces had been made
which could be considered accurate and
that no statement could be made until the
| present work of the war department in
| examining the records Of the confederacy
had been concluded. He rather took excep-
| lions to the statements that have been made
| and which are regarded authentic in the
south that but 100000 confederate troops
| were in the field during the war. Gen.
| Thruston is himself a southern man, by
| residence, and in concluding his speech he
| paid an eloquent tribute to the valor of the
| confederate troops. He said:
NO my comrades and fellow-ctiZens,
| there is no standard by which we can COM
| pare the soldiers of the north and the SOL
| diers of the south in the great war, that
does not reflect honor upon both. 1t was
| a war between Americans. Anglo SaXons In
| the main. of the same general ancestry and
of the same inherited characteristics.
| The best lesson Of the civil war, and one
that every section OF our great republic
| should remember. teaches US that there are
| no geographical limits to American man
hood 1t cannot be sectionalized. All
opinion to the contrary must be regarded
as the offspring of mere craftsmanship and
provincialism. They do not rise to the
true standard of the broad spirit of Ameri-
canism. IS one of our distinguished con-
| federateS, Ex-GOV. fOrter OF tennessee,
stated at the dedication OF our Tennessee
monuments, confederate and federal at
| Chickamauga, eff the complaints had not
| already learned 1T, they learned it upon
this field, that. educated Americans Of every
section Of the American Union were alike
| brave in action. and that advantages won
by either resulted from the character Of
| their leadership
In the conflicts and struggles between
| the Puritan and the cavalier and their de-
| scendants, many victories have been won
| and lost, but the question as to who is
| the master is stAl unsettled. In the words
| of the poet Of Scotland. there are
| Hills beyond PentIand and lands beyond Forth
in the nerth."s
As Admiral, schley sait of Santiago,
There's glory. enough to g., round" yes.
We won the ,hopors of SUCCESS in the civil
| war, and we know full weE that we will
| never have a share in any other duty, or
| achievement. so useful, so honorable or so
| memorable. hut the federal soldier must
| be cold ana nngenerous. indeed, whether
his home ba at the north OF south, IL he
| fails to pay the tribute Of respect and ad-
| miration to the soldiers of the confederacy.
who matched deeds with us through four
long years, who, with a narrower and mis-
taken loyalty, as we think. but with like
sincerity, courage and devotion and under