Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-14
WAR DAYS LIVED OVER
Annual Banquet Second Army
Corps Association
SHOREHAM LAST NIGHT
OVATION TO GEN. NELSON A.
MILES, GUEST OF HONOR.
Tribute Paid to Memory Of Old Com
Handkerchief. Shallenberger as
Toastmaster.

POSTMASTER.
The organization which keeps alive the
memories of the gallant soldiers VINO
brought honor and glory to the I'd Corps
of the Army of the Potomac assembled at
dinner last night at the Shoreham Hotel
and fought again the battles through which
the corps passed. There were present hall
a hundred or more grizzled members OF the
I'd Army Corps Association, all of whom mad
rendered valuable service to their country.
At the guest table was the commanding
general of the army, United States sena-
tor, a justice of the Supreme Court OF the
United States, retired major general OF
the army the president of a university and
an assistant cabinet minister, all but one OF
whom had fought in the ranks OF the "a
Army Corps and one of whom won for him
self a place in the army and lasting re-
nown as leader.
Beautiful Decorations.
The soft tints of the newly decorated BAN
auet hall of the Shoreham formed an ex-
cellent background for the bright red, white
and blue of the national flag, which was the
only bit of bunting used. About the walls
at regular intervals were placed stands of
colors in sets of threes. Above each stand
of colors was a wreath of laurel and ever
green, in the center of which was written
the name of one of the commanders of the
corps Thus Summer, Sedgewick, Hancock,
Warren, Humphrey and Couch were honor
ed.
Between the wreaths were reproductions
in evergreen of the trefOil badge of the
second corps Above the head of the toast
master was another trefoil, traced in white
electric lights on red center and placed
against blue background, the three colors
denoting the three divisions of the corps.
The souvenir menu cards contained the
name and numerical designation Of every
regiment that served in the I'd Corps from
its organization to the end of the war. Be
side the roster of regiments and companies
was list of twenty-eight pitched battles
in which the corps had participated. The
names of the corps commanders throughout
the war We're also printed in the menu.
Gen. W. s. Shallenberger, second assistant
postmaster general, who is president Of the
I'd Army Corps Association, called the as
semblage to order, after the last course had
been served He said the I'd Corps had in
cluded in its ranks many distinguished SOL
dlers, and that number of these had at
tanned renown in every walk of life. He
spoke of the number of persons Who had
been invited to attend the dinner and of the
difficulty in securing speakers.
Letters Of Regret
He then read letters of regret from Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Admiral Dewey, Gen. Alex
ander S. Webb. Gen. James A. Beaver. Gen
John M. Wilson. former Speaker Henderson,
Gen. st. Clair. A. Mulholland, Gen. H. H.
Bingham, Justice Harlan and Mr. S. S. Bur-
dette.
Mr.. Burdette was to have responded to
the first toast, Our Country Yesterday"
but was unable to be present. Gen. George
w. Ba1r, U. S. A, was introduced in place
of Mr.. Burdette. to read poem reciting the
deeds of the Army of the Potomac The
poem was loudly applauded Mr.. George H.
Lillibridge sang 1--WE Drank From the Same
Canteen.'
''On the I'd of May, 1862, at the battle of
Charlottesville" Gen. Shallenberger said,
in introducing the next speaker, 1.-The gen.
eral in command of the army watched close
ly the work of one regiment, and turning
to one of his aids. said:
Tell Col. Miles he is worth his weight
in gold
Gen. Miles is with us tonight and we
would like to hear from him Of the condi-
ton of Our Country Today"
Cheers for Gen. Miles.
Gen. Miles was cheered as he rose to
speak. He referred to the pleasure it gave
him to be among the members of the I'd
Army Corps at one Of their reunions be-
cause he had served with that corps and
had once been its commander.
He said he had been reminded of many in
cidents connected with the great war by
the names of the commanders he saw on
the walls of the banquet hall, and he told
several anecdotes relating to the peculiari-
ties of their various corps commanders.
He then spoke of the prosperous condition
of the country today and said he believed it
to be one of the results of the victory gain
ed in 1865. He said it had recently been his
good fortune to make long trip around
the world during the course Of which he
had visited almost every civilized country
and several that were not quite so civilized.
He referred to the Chinese problem as one
of the greatest of the century and said he
hoped its solution would be accomplished
peacefully.
Cen Miles Travelled from :Pekin to st.
Petersburg via the Trans-Siberian railroad,
thence through Germany and the other Eu
ropean states to England. He said the de-
velopment of the United States as he had
seen 1t in crossing the country was the
most wonderful of the age and that there
was no country in the world so bles sed and
prosperous as our own.
DR.. Needham Speaks.
The next speaker was DR.. Charles w.
Needham, president of the Columbian Uni
versity, who was called upon to respond to
the toast, Our Country-Tomorrow." The
theme of DIR. Needham's address was the
heritage of the children and grandchildren
of the present generation. To 1t, he said
the men who fought in the civil war had
contributed in no mean degree.
The speaker believed that this heritage
could be kept pure and unstained If the
youth would keep before it the example of
the men who entered the army to battle for
the Union. s4.s.y..
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the
United States Supreme Court was intro
duced next as an old member Of the I'd
Corps who had been twice wounded in bat
tie. Justice Holmes said the occasion of
such reunion always filled his heart with
a love and veneration for the romantic
spirit of the people f>this country.
He said that after the war he had left
the army and had since devoted himself
assiduously to the prosecution Of his studies
of the law. He had gone far away from
the current of popular feeling and had be-
come a student. AS he was drawn once
more from the library to the society of the
men with whom he was associated during
those four terrible years, he said, the old
feeling revived and something Of the exul-
tation OF battle returned, and he lived again
those old days when the true worth of man
was ont on bar of hiatt fo