Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-18
VETS IN SESSION.
Annual Gathering of the Grand
Army, at Bangor.
Various Officers Reports Submitted
at Wednesdays Session.
Election of Department Commander at
Today's Meeting.

I>dll5Ol, VT, L cU. Hc lOlillssl
opening of the 37th annual encampment
Of the Department of Maine, G. ~. r.,
was held in City han, at IL o'clock
Wednesday forenoon. Long before that
hour the veterans had begun to congre-
gate and several hundred had passed
the guards before the time for OPEN
ing. The hall is appropriately deco
rated with flags and banners, they
having been in charge of the commit
tee from Z. II. Beale and Hannibal
Hamlin Posts Of Bangor.
Adjutant General Isaac H. Danfor:h
Of Brunswick, made the following APP
pOintrlcntS before the encampment
opened:
Officer Of the guard, +. D. Juimby:
sentinels, w. II. feeling. :. Il. Stone.
G.. w. White, S. G.. Waldron ard w. T..
Grinde.
The present officers of the depart
ment are as follows:
Commander. Joshua L. Chamberlain.
Brunswick: senior vice commander,
Neranus l.. Coffin. Harrington: junior
vice commander, Lewis Se.b;ng, Au-
gusta; medical director. John II. Ne
GrcgCr, Montague; chaplain, john
Webster. Newport.
Council OF administration: ]. Fl.
S"ett. Kittery; Irving OsgoOd. Els
worth; William Fennelley. Bar Har-
hOr; F.lbridge T. Douglass, Dover; Pat
rick Hayes, Togus.
Official staff: Assistant adjutant
general, Isaac II. Danforth. Rruns-
wick: assistant Guartcrmaster general
Roswell G. Harris, Bath: Inspector,
James L. Merrick. Waterville judge
advocate. Franklin NJ. Drew. Lewis
ton; chief mastering officer, George
o. d. Soule Portland.
When the department commander.
Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain. took the
platform there was great cheering ana
applause-a greeting which has seldom
been equalled for enthusiasm. He said ::
Comrades of the Department of
| Maine:
Our regulations do not require the
commander to make an official report
! to the encampment; nor might this be
| deemed proper method Of making an
| address to its members. yet as some
| thing like this appears to be Il custom
| and may be your expectation. | con-
| form to it.
| 1T is necessary to use this occasion
to praise this organization. or to pro-
| TESS supreme personal devotion to it
and eShort other to do So We Well
knew what il is-the chief representa-
| tive organization of the soldiership of
| the armies and navieS OF the Union in
| the war for its preservation. It's object
| is to cherish the memories Of great SER
vice. great sacrifice. great victory: to
minister to those who in this cause
have suffered overmuch. and need a
brotherly hand; and to impress upon
Others the value Of the principles vim
dicated at so dear n cost. 1t is not in
itself tac supreme end of our loyalty
and love. 1t is 4 means: it looks to an
II end. to which it believes it can still
nightly minister-the honor and vel
fare Of the old soldiers of the republic,
and thereby the perpetuity of the re-
public itself
80 far as anything personal may
here be permitted. let me say that l
have an increasing sense of the degree
Of honor conferred on me. when hav-
ing neither worked for it, nor sked for
it. nor sought it. you generously plac-
ed me at the head of this organization
which represents the soldiership of
Maine. I cannot express my sense of
this in thanks. I put it among su-
prere honors. In this feeling ] have
endeavored to fulfill the trust. I have
not been able to follow exactly the
example of my predecessors. Perhaps
this was not expected of me. Different
individuals will conceive of their duty
and best service differently, according
to their abilities and opportunities. I
have not been able to visit all the post
:! Of the department. nor half Of them
nor to testify my appreciat ton of the
| work OF the women of the Relief Corps
and the Grand Army and that of the
Sons of Veterans. by responding to
their invitations as often as I could
wish. At the season of the year when
such invitations were in most demand.
I was severity suffering by q return
| of disabilities incurred in the service
as goes the phrase familiar to you
all. So also for the same reason my
purpose and plans to attend the nd
tional encampment in San Francisco
We're suddenly and painfully over
turned. However agreeable to me such
privileges might he. I do not regard
any personal visit of mine anywhere
essential to the welfare of this organi-
cation.
This office has not enlarged my op-
rortunity of taking up the interests
of old soldiers and their familes-nor
could anything do SO without increas-
ing the number of days and nights in
the year. But it has called ME in 3D.
dition to this to devote special and
earnest care to the condition OF the
several posts of this department. and
the efficiency of our means and
methods of operations. Many subjects
have been under consideration, both
between the department and the gem
eral headquarters. and among the posts
ana staff officers of the department.