Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-21
TheGray-Haired Veterans
Meet at indianapolis.
Reunion Of Society Of Army OF
Cumberland.
Letters from President and Other
Prominent Men.

light, Tor the punt ca
arked the closing of the first DAY ;
ssion of the 35th annual reunion OF
10 Society of the Army OF the Cuih-
Derland.
cen. H. V. Boynton of Washington,
u. C., president Of the society, called
the meeting to order and Judge Daniel
W Howe welcomed the visitors. Gen.
Jchn r. Wilder Of Knoxville, Tenn.
who. during the bloody campaigns Oh
the Cumberland army commanded the
famous wilder brigade responded.
Cen. Roynton then read letters from
President Roosevelt, Whitelaw f@ld
and Judge Alton 3. Parker
Oyster Bay, y. Y, Aug. 80, 1904.
NV dear General Boynton: Permit
me. through you, to extend my hearty
o,nd wishes to the Society of the
Army of the Cumberland at its re-
union in Indianapolis. L only wish IL
were in my power to be present.
The record Of the Society of the
Army of the Cumberland is indeed
noteworthy. Three Of its members
were Presidents of the United States
Grant. Garfield and Harrison. -Four
commanded the army after the civil
War-Grant, Sheridan, Sherman and
SchofieId Two reached the supreme
court-Matthews and Harlan. You
have had many members in the Cabl-
net. In the Senate and in the House OF
representatives; one of them, General
kcifer, becoming Speaker OF tht
House. For their exceptional record
YOU are entitled to tn" respect and adj
miratiun of your countrYm"n; nut
after all, the great claim, tn" undyIhg
claim that you have upon all the p"o-
Die Of this nation rests upon IN" fact
that all of you from the major gen.
cr,l to the private. did your fun part
i'm that great brotherhood Of men Wh"
formed the Union Army from 1861 to
1s65 and who during those four years
rendered not only to our people hut To
all mankind the greatest service when
il vas given to any men Of the nine
t,pnth century to render. The men
who served in the great Civil War left
to their children and their children's
children. unto the rcmotcst generation
not merely q reunited country, h"
merely the sense Of belonging To a ma
ton which has before it a future 50
vast that even its most loyal sons car
hardly venture to anticipate 1t; bu
YOU left to them also the memory Z"
the way in which that Formidable
army Of fighting men, when once tn
war was ended. turned forthwith t
tho pursuits Of peace ANA ShoW"'
themselves good citizens at nome JUS
as they had shown themselves g""'
soldiers ut the front In any Er"a
crisis Of war this nation must rel
mainly upon its volunteer S"ldlerN
and the veterans of the CIVIL War haN
left us forever the model of what sue
, soldicry should be- We of tn
Younger generation owe you a der
grcltcr than We can ever pay. alik" ~
the lessons you taught in war and fo
the Lessons you taught in peace
With the heartiest regards. and wit
every cordial wish for the success {
your reunion. believe me.
Very faithfully yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
General II. V. Eoynton. President. Sc
cicty of the Army Of CumberlanC
indianapolis. Ind.
Rosemount, Esopus, n. Y.
Aug. 81, 1904.
General IT. V. Boynton.
NV dear sir: | very much regrf
that It Is impossible for me to atten
the thirty-sccond annual reunion
the Society Of the Army OF the Cum
hcrland. Will you be kind enough
.onyey to the society assurances
w regret and very grateful apprecla
on.
Very truly yours,
ALTON II. PARKER.
Camp Wild Air Upper st. Regis, y. Y
Sept. .. 1904.
General H. V. Eoynton. President. 50
ciety Of the Army of Cumberlan'
Indianapolis. Ind.
Dear General Eoynton: An invitatio
to address your society on the battle :
Pittsburg Landing can only |
esteemed by any man who was thei
a. 4 privilege and great honor
beg to tender my sincere thanks for |
To Won personally and to the histor
body YOU represent.
over twenty years ago Gener
Sherman wrote IN" similar invitatio
IN behalf Of the Army Of II
Tennessee. 1t happened that l w;
inst going to Euronc for 4 considerah
absence and WIS thus compelled
forcso the opportunity: hut in O.
pressing regret ventured t. tell Ger
cral Sherman that if ever ] should
able to meet such a call. | should hol
to have the Army of the Cumberial
is the audience.
Unfortunately for me-. your meetir
comes ut the exact date when my pos
ton as director If the Associate
Press requires attendance for ol
annual meetings in New York. N
thing hut such clear duty would no
prevent me from standing UP befo
the hopored survivors Of the army tn.
saved a lost field in the greatest bait
Of the Civil War at the West. and r.
counting. face to face. what l heard
the authorizations of leading con
manders from their own lips the nigl
before what | saw on the first morl
ing Of the battle along the back Of Il
river for three miles below Pittsbul
Landing. what I saw that first for
noon on the field itself. when ar
under what circumstances / saw II
advance of Buelrs army greeted on 4
narrow strip of land by the river sid
into which our people had been force
Nov fla.N