The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-25
GRAND ARMY ENCAMPMENT.
Georgia and South Carolina Union
Veterans at FITZGERALD,

hlStofy OF the colony City, which
has been the generous host of the most
elaborate Grand Army encampment
ever held in the South not including
the great national encampment few
years ago at Louisville, KY No de-
partment encampment ever before en-
tertained so many distinguished ma
tional officers of different organiza-
tions. These were: Gen. Thomas ].
Stewart of Norristown, Pa, the
commander-in-chief of the Grand
Army of the Republic; Mrs. Margaret
Anna Hall of Wheeling, w. Va. ma
tional president of the Ladies of the
G. A. r.; Col ]. D. Walker of Pitts
burg, Pa, national commander of the
Ex-Union Prisoners of War; Gen. ]. P.
Averill of Atlanta, Ga, junior vice
commander-in-chief of the G. A. r.
Only such wide-awake and Yankee
Southern place as this, properly called
Magic City, could have undertaken
and successfully carried out the en-
tertainment of an entire department
encampment and so many eminent Wis
ftors. But with three G. A. R. posts,
Woman's Relief Corps and a Circle
of the Ladies of the G.. A R., and a
hotel that in size and commanding APP
pearance, might be classed with Flag
ler's famous East Coast hotels, it was
possible for Fitzgerald to eclipse all
other Southern cities in a hospitality
as cordial as it was bountiful. And
this in colony city only about seven
years old, planted in a wilderness, so
to speak, but now having four impor-
tant railroads entering the town. The
founders of Fitzgerald were old Union
-
West, but they have welcomed the
Confederate soldiers of the South into
their city, and the Blue and the
Gray" dwell together in peace and
a generous rivalry. In naming the
streets and avenues the heroes of both
armies were remembered, and the
stately and imposing colony hotel
bears the name of "Lee-Grant."
After a good nights rest at the Phoe-
nix Hotel in Waycross, my wife. and
met Gen. Stewart and wife on their
arrival and escorted them to the hotel,
where Clerk c. E. Bostwick gave spe-
cial attention to their comfort. At
o'clock we were off over the Atlantic
and Birmingham Railroad for Fitz-
gerald. Gen. Stewart was greatly sur
prised at the remarkable growth of
Nichols and Douglass and other new
towns, as well as signs of steady i'm
provement all along the line of this
we'll Reconstructed and finely managed
railroad now almost reaching into the
heart of Southwest Georgia at Monte
yuma. A very pleasant ride brought
us to Fitzgerald at 10:40 a. M, where
we were greeted by Junior Vice Com
mander-in- Chief Averill and Past De-
partment Commander Lewis Thayer,
heading a band and a party of C. A.
r. comrades. Carriages were provid-
ed for Gen. Stewart and wife and Gen.
S. Herbert Lancey and wife, who were
driven to the Lee-Grant Hotel, where
they were given choice apartments as
the honored guests of the G. A. r.
posts of the city. When Gen. Stewart
looked out from the broad veranda of
the hotel upon the city that had sprung
up, as it were, in a night, he said 1t
was the noblest tribute the Union SOL
diers had yet paid the South. And
responded "Amen!"
Half an hour later Gen. Stewart and
the writer were escorted to the Grand
Army Hail. where the encampment
was already in session, and were re-
ceived with due honors. Gen. Stew
art delivered a magnificent address
which. created great enthusiasm and
Department Commander W. NJ. Scott
of Atlanta, and the writer also made
brief talks. The hall was crowded
and the enthusiasm rose to high water
mark. At noon the Woman's Relief
Corps, the finest in the South, and
who own the two-story building they
and the G. A. r. meet in, sent UP a
committee to invite us all down stairs
to as well-prepared and appetizing a
dinner as any encampment ever en-
joyed. After dinner Maj. NJ.
c. Wilcox of Mount Airy gave
the ladies an excellent ad-
dress. which was followed by
a brief talk from the writer. The aft
ernoon session opened with the formal
reception of National President Walk
er, who was not present in the morn
ing, and he made a stirring address
that was heartily applauded. The US
ual routine business was transacted
with promptness. The reports of the
various officers gave evidence that the
department has not lost ground during
the past year in any respect.
The election of officers for the ensu-
ing year was concluded without a jar,
only a few rival candidates appearing
in the field. The following was the
result: Commander, F. D. Lee of
Fitzgerald; senior vice commander, j.
c. Buckley, same place; junior vice
commander. M. c. Wilcox of Mount
Airy; chaplain, Rev. ]. r. Greene of
Fitzgerald; medical director, DR.. c. A.
Butcher, same place; delegates to ma
tional encampment, j. 7. Eichberg of
Atlanta and F. r. Barford of Fitzger-
aid, with ]. NJ. Mosher and ]. A. Lyon
as alternates; council of administra-
ton, P. E. Mansfield and G. E. Whit
man and NJ Porter and F. C. Brown
of Fitzgerald and Alex Madison of
Atlanta. All of these officers-elect
who were present, with A. w. Keeney
of Fitzgerald, appointed assistant adj
jutant general and quartermaster gem
eral, were installed by COMMANDMENT
Chief Stewart in an impressive man.
ner never before witnessed in the
South, no service book being used by
him. Atlanta was chosen as the place
of meeting of the next encampment,
provided Savannah, Charleston or Au-
gusta do not ask for it later on. After
hearty rising votes of thanks to Fitz-
gerald to the commanderin- chief and
to Gen. Averill, the encampment ad-
journed sine die.
The Woman's Relief Corps during
the day entertained Mrs. Stewart and
Mrs. Lancey in a most charming man
ner, presenting them with souvenirs
of the encampment and giving them
delightful carriage drives. Unfortu-
nately Mrs. Hall did not arrive until
late on the afternoon train, and made
her first appearance at the hall of the
ladies of the G. A. r., who gave the
encampment splendid supper, after
which Gen. Stewart and Mrs. Hall
made eloquent addresses. Gen. Stew
art then visited the Woman's Relief
Corps and gave them stirring adj
dress, after which all Joined the Blue
and the Gray, and citizens at large in
the spacious rotunda of the Lee-Grant
L. l. IL