The National tribune., 1903-05-28
ILLINOIS INDoRses BLACK.
Representatives Instructed to Support Elm
for Commander -in-Chisf.

Representatives Instructed to Support Hin
for commander-in-chisG
The 9th Annual Encampmene Of the
Department OF Illinois, Grand Army OF
the Republic, was held in the city of East
st. Louis, May 5, 6 and z, 1908. The
evening Of May 5 found the large Opera
House crowded to its utmost capacity,
the doors having been opened to the gen.
eral public and members of auxiliary and
patriotic societies. The Mayor of the
| sponded to by Past Department Com
mander Cochran. Addresses Of courtesy
and formal official reports were made by
representatives of the Woman's Relief
| Corps, the Daughters Of Veterans and
the Sons of Veterans. Then followed pa
triotic songs and stirring campfire talks.
At the same hour an overflow campfire
was held at Music Hall, where able
| speakers entertained an enthusiastic audi
ence.
Wednesday morning, May 6, the En-
| campment assembled for its first formal
session. After the usual preliminaries,
| Department Commander II. NJ. Trimble
! read his address, and ably discussed many
| topics of interest. The reports show that
| on Jan. l.. 1908, there were 21,O25 COM
rades in the $50 Posts comprising the
Department. During the past year there
| was net loss OF 700. The total num-
Der of deaths during 1902 was 712. But
one Post was mustered during the past
year, while IL Posts surrendered their
charters or were merged with other Posts.
| The Posts of the Department have in
cash, collaterals, real estate, furniture,
| flags, etc. property valued at a little more
than $150,000.
The Commander reviewed the work of
| the Department and its officers, and closed
| with an eloquent appeal for the proper OBJ
| servance Of Memorial Day.
The Commanders address was splen-
didly read and struck such popular
| chord that all precedents were set aside
and the report adopted without being re-
ferred to the Committee on Officers Re.
ports. Col. A. G.. Mathews, on behalf
of the Encampment and members of the
staff, presented Commander Trimble with
a beautiful diamond-studded Past Com
mander's badge. and Past Chaplain-in-
Chief Hagerty, whose home is just across
the river, in Missouri, and who was
Chaplain of the ODD ILL.,, while Commander
Trimble was its Adjutant, presented him
with a gavel, the handle of which came
from the battlefield Of Wilson's Greek,
while its head was made from the house in
which Sherman once lived.
Past Commander-in-C Chief Lawler made
an eloquent address and introduced q res
| olution warmly indersing Comrade John
G.. Black as a candidate for Commander
in-Chief, instructing the representatives
from Illinois to present his name at the
National Encampment, soon to be held in
San Francisco.
During the first session kilograms were
received from the State Capitol announc-
ing that the Illinois Legislature had that
day passed the bill authorizing an expen-
diture of $250,000 in marking the posi-
ton occupied by Illinois troops during the
campaign and siege of Vicksburg, and
appropriating $150,00O for immediate use
Resolutions of thanks were at once for
warded to the Governor and Members of
the Legislature for their generous action.
Tclegrephic appeals We're sent to the
Legislature in behalf Of bills pending look
ing to the bettering of the State Soldiers
Home and Soldiers Orphans Home, and
n few hours later came word that the
Soldiers Home at Quincy would be opened
to soldiers wives as soon as the neces-
sary changes could be made.
Comrades Burton, Rodgers and Peter
son, Past Commanders of the Department
Of Missouri, and Past Adjt.-Gen. Sterrctt
were formally presented to the Encamp-
ment, COmrade Burton making a pleasing
address.
Reports from committees appointed to
visit the Soldiers Home the Widows
Home and the Orphans Home, reported
all of these institutions in fine condition
AS candidates for Department Com
mander five names were, presented, as fol-
lows: Conrade J. B. Sine,, Post l.. Rock
ford Comrade Jos. w. Wham, Post 102,
Salem: Comrade G.. w. G.. Estoyer, Post
AS, Chicago: Comrade NJ. III. Wagar,
Post 706, Chicago, and Comrade Benson
Wood, of Post So, Effingham. The latter
won on the first ballot.
The newly-elected Commander served
in the 3fth ILL., during the war, has been
member of Congress from an Illinois
District, is a forceful and fluent public
speaker and enters upon his duties with
the good viii of all his competitors, the
contest having been very amicable one.
Other officers elected are as follows:
Department Commander, Benson Wood,
Post SS, EfIingham, Illinois: S. V. c., E.
A. Thomas, Post 507, East st. Louis; j.
Y. c., John II. Collier, Post 20, Gibson
City; Medical Director, J. II. Plecker,
Post %, 422 Washington Boul., Chicago;
Chaplain, J. NJ. Wyckoff, Post 255. Kin
mundy. Representatives to the 37th Ma
tional EncaInpment John l.. Manning
lat largnl, Post 2s, 60 Dearborn Street,
Chicago; q. II. Winslow, Post 2S, Palmer
House. Chicago; G. E. Vaughan, Post 81,
IIOo NlHCeHutS hNcuuc, NulCdSo1 OTlu
Bates, Post 444, 61O7 Wentworth Ave
nue., Chicago; D. W. Howe. Post %, 1919
Ogden Avenue, Chicago; J. w. Bennett,
Post 216. 152 S. Center Avenue, Austin
Station, Chicago; II. b. Martin, Post 276,
1888 Superior Street, Austin Station. Chi
cagO; L. s. Rasmussen, Post 754, 43S Mil
waukee Avenue. Chicago; NJ. w. DiffIey,
Post 706, AZ Bellevue Place, Chicago;
Henry p. Barnum, Post 374. Waukegan;
Robert Mannwoods, Post 6. Joliet; Thorn
as J. Abbotte, Post 1, Rockford; l. E.
Thorp, Post 546, Flagg: d. M. Sapp,
Post 302, Plymouth; G. Zoll, Post 325,
Vermont; Fl. B. Doll, Post 67, Peoria; W.
G. Trott, Post 326 Atlanta; Peter Wright,
Post 293, Clifton; VIM. ]. G. Pound, Post
323 Newman; A. o. Vosseler, Post 512,
White Hall; Ed A. Baxter. Post 321,
Pawnee; Jos. Fuess, Post 443, Belleyille;
J. Fl. Hopkins, Post CSC, st. Elmo; Jas.
B. Smith, Post 269, Springfield; Geo. w.
Norris. Post 55S, Anna: A. G. Matthews,
Post 515, Pittsfeld: B. F. Funk, Post
146, Bloomington; G. II. E. Koch, Post
$50 La Sale Street. Chicago; Edward S.
johnson, Post 80. Springfield. Alternates
&C. G. Jones, Post 1, Rockford; VIM. J.
Smith, Post 40. 173 Thirty-sixth Street,
Chicago: Jesse G. King. Post 5. 1OS La
CoII