Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-05-08

His Annual Report TO Grand Amy
Encampment.
OF INTEREST TO EVERYBODY.

the twentieth encampment OF the
Grand Army of the Republic, Depart
ment of New Mexico, held in Knights
of Pythias hall May Sc, 1903:
Dear Commander and Comrades: I
have the honor herewith to present
my nineteenth annual report as depart
ment chaplain of the Grand Army of
the Republic. and in so doing | pause a
moment to express thanks to our kind
Heavenly Father for sparing our lives
through another rear and in permit
ting so many Of us to meet today in
Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty. in an.
nual encampment; and my desire is
that our meeting may be one of peace.
harmony. kind words and good will to
all our comrades as our meetings in
the past have nearly always been.
| desire also to express thanks 10
the department commander. J w Ed
wards; the adjutant general, w. w.
Mcdonald, and other department Of
ficials for courtesies received during
the past year.
In reporting to you for nineteen con.
secutive years, during which time you
have had the forbearance to honor me
as your chaplain. it would be strange
If | had not long g exhausted all
very good material for chaplain's re-
ports, but such as | have left | will
give. and will call your attention to
the following:
1. The growing interest in Memorial
Sunday services and Memorial Day.
Your chaplain finds that the preach
ers and churches of nearly all denomi-
nation are not only willing but gladly
open their churches and agree among
themselves as to who shall preach the
memorial sermon. and in what church
the services shall be held. The mem
bers of the Grand Army and all old
soldiers, the Women's Relief Corps and
others are always most cordially invit-
ed to attend the services. always find
ing comfortable seats and places of
honor in the congregation. 1t is evil
dent the interest taken in memorial
services as well as in Decoration or
Memorial Day Is increasing as the
years go by, and for all of this we
ought to be thankful. 1t may be that
fewer soldiers in many places now at
tend such services than formerly, be-
cause Of the sad fact that our numbers
are growing less, but 1t Is certain that
more of our friends attend than form
erly; first, perhaps because OF the
growing interest in such services, and
second, the fact that the old veterans
and the noble purposes for which they
pledged their sacred honor and their
lives and the grand achievements
wrought out by their heroic sacrifices
are growing in appreciation as time
goes On.
II | am lot mistaken in the above
statement it speaks well for our coun.
try at large as well as out here in the
western wilds, for in all this we recog-
nize the greatness of our country and
the obligations we are under to our
country's God, and to u heroic dead,
whose tolls and sacrifices and death
have added luster to our country's
fame.
More songs of patriotism are being
sung today than ever before; more
thrilling and patriotic sermons are be-
ing preached, and more fervent pray
ers are being offered in behalf Of our
country than eve before. The grow.
ing custom of posts attending Memoir
ial services in a body indicates a
growing recognition of the Supreme
Commander n of His right to rule in
the affairs of war. While we speak of
posts attending Memorial services in
a body we ought not to overlook the
fact that in many places the faithful
pastors preach Memorial
where only a very few can attend, and
your chaplain INDUCES the hope that
when the last tattoo, announcing the
death of the last old soldier of the
civil war shall be sounded, and he be
gathered t. his eternal camping
gospel will go right on preaching Mem
orial sermon in grateful memory of
our heroic dead.
Deaths Doines.
The cold hand of death has touched
no less than nine of our comrades in
this department during the past year
and two of the Woman's Relief Corps,
and we sincerely mourn their loss.
Comrades Isaac Jackson of G. X. War
rem Post, No. 5, died in Albuquerque
last year.
j. S. Campbell of G.. X. Warren Post
No. 8. died in Albuquerque December
/ :, 19O2; II. G. Whitcomb. also a mem
Der of G. X. Warren Post. No. 8, died
in the Soldiers Home at Santa Monica,
Cal, January IS. 1902; also Comrade
John SanbursOn of Carleton Post, No.
8. died in Santa Fe during the past
year; Henry w. Easton OF the last
named post died in Santa Fe March s,
1903; John L. Forsha Of the same post
died in Santa Fe during the past year;