The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-13

There was a large attendance at the
meeting OF the Veteran Citizens HIS
torical society in the Mathewson street
M. f. church, yesterday afternoon.
After the reading of the records by the
secretary, Mr. j. III. Brown was intro
duced and gave an address entitled The
ssth q. A. r. Encampment at Washing
ton. u. c. Mr.. Brown spoke in part as
follows:
The cost of the results of the greatest
war In history Of the G. A II. can never
be fully estimated or appreciated. Be
tween 1000 and 5000 battles and Skin
mishes were fought. Once Gen. Tubel
Early slept on the Washington, -. C..
door steps. but Gen. Wright and Gen.
Wheaton of Rhode Island woke him up
and drove his $1,000 troops back across
the Potomac The battles. OF First and
Second Fredericksburg and Chancellors-
VILE. Spotsylvania Court House salem
Church and the Wilderness, present ~
war record unparalleled I'm tragic honofs.
Six battlefeds 10000 acres, I'm one county
50cOO0 men engaged, and 10000 lost ff
battle more than England had killed In
all her wars, the last hundred years.
Maj. Newton said within radius OF
eight miles. more terrible battles, more
men. more execution was done than on
any other spot in the world. The battles
OF vicksburg Antietam and the cam
paign OF Gettysburg. 66 battles and many
more from June TO Aug. 1, 1869 increase
the sacrifice and what pen can estimate
this outlay OF blood and treasure. so
freely given by the g. A. r.
Over 100000 union men were enlisted,
and In four years .52s answered the last
roll call from Sumpter TO Appomattox
10000 died In Southern prisons; 6.0i9. 6iS
soldiers were treated by surgeons ir the
Union hospitals. Dead and disabled for
life the sum total foots UP between 100000
and 10000 Union soldiers, startling
figures the cost of freedom by the g.
AR.
The @. A. r. shares equally with the
heroes OF 1776 the honors OF creating a
free government. Rhode Island was ably
represented In '76. end equally so I'm 1851
Rhode Island furnished the u. S. gov
ernment for the war. 1920 soldiers. 1927
were killed and a large number wounded.
A Rhode Island soldier. Mai. Josiah Hunt,
served on the staff of Maj. Gen. Nathan
fel Lyon. when he was killed in the first
battle OF the war I'm Missouri Early In
the morn OF 81 many OF Rhode Island s
best and bravest soldiers fell and among
them Col John s. Slocum. Maj. Sullivan
Ballou. Capt Levi Tower. Lieut.. X. III.
Ives. Capt. James Smith. Lieut.. Peter
Hunt. Lieut.. Henry A. Prescott. and
many more OF her youngest and most be-
loved citizens. Rhode Island had her
General Greene I'm '16 and her Gen. Burn
side I'm 81 and her officers, like Gen.
Wheaton, Gen. Rhodes and Col Percy
Daniels, and many more came up from
the ranks The @. A. r. in Rhode Island
was organized April 18th, 1867. by the i'm
sttution OF Post No. with Gov. WIN.
Sprague, as provisional commander.
On March 24th. 1865. Maj Gen. Ambrose
r. Burnside was elected department com
mander and II posts organized Most OF
the veterans and several congressman
and supreme Judges belong. and there are
2s q. A. n. posts IN r.. /. or the 80 @. A.
X commanders 10 have answered taps
Sen. Alger Is the only Maj Gen. living,
past commander only three Bull Run col
cneis. now live Gen. Franklin, Gen VIII
.ox and Gen. o. O.Howard. On the Con-
iederate side only Gen. Longstreet Is Iiv-
sk' snk' Zen. John G. Polack OF Illinois Is now
'ue ". a. n. department commander
n"ous 40 are estimated 90 have attended
~ last @. A. X. encampmcnt al Wash.
p,s.on, -. G. large delegation OF g. A
the grand parade
ncsompanying them we're Deputv Com.
msnoer q. VI. Chenery. I Iudso, y
v G.; J. T. wooley isos9n' r :.
phass psa =. y. O.: Nelson Wall, n. g. The
s,nsS', ,slsnd o. A. r., by their fne
STEADY marching made A splerd,a -
rearance and were warmly cbeered ato,,,, ~p
the grand march. There was also nress
en'' a nandsome delegation OF the sons
of veterans. laden and eoc,etv 80
Women's Relief Corps. The wass,,,.,".
encampment was a grand success sc,na
said. the grandest day. grandest mes
and grandest encampment since 'si IT,
sky. the splendid weather, the nne 90
nues. clean. concrete streets elexan, nm
sic and excellent government. citizens ans
Doiice regulations. all combined 20 make
. great success.
Camp Roosevelt back of the White
House, was a model camp. With its Grant.
Sherman. Sheridan. Meade and Farragut
large tents. inside the circle. and the tents
FOR the . army corps. and ten miscella-
neous corps. ali SURROUNDING this bcauti-
f,i circle. Meetings we're held I'm the
sasts every day with veteran speeches