Evening star., 1905-10-14
COMMANDER GREETED
RaWlins Post, No. |, G. A. B.,
Celebrates.
"CORPL TANNER GUEST
ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING OF
OLD SOLDIERS.
Address Of Interest and Stories Of the
Civil War Told by
Veterans

Corporal" James Tanner comma ndar-tn.
chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
was present last night to aid In the celebra-
ton of the thirty-ninth anniversary of the
institution Of the oldest G. A. r. post. the
John A. Rawlins No. /. and his presence
gave an added enthusiasm to the meetinr.
The celebration was held In the post room,
In u. A. r. Hall, at 1412 PENNSYLVANIA ave.
nue. northwest and was attended by a large
number OF members from the other posts in
the city. Commanders Of other posts and
others were called upon to make speeches.
as well as the commander-in-chief OF the
organization.
haWnns Post was organized October ~.
1866. and was given the initial number. as II
was the first post. Since that time It has
maintained its existence continuously. and
Its thirty-ntne years of life have been char.
acterized with many notable events II re.
ceived Its charter from DIR. B. F. Stephen-
son. the founder and commander-in-chief OF
the 9. A. R.. and upon that paper was en-
toliSu ,o tne names OF the following honorab1y
discharged Union soldiers as charter mem-
bers: W --.e''A-
William L. BramhaII, H. A. Hall. D. q
curtis, Wilson Miller, James T, Smith. ]. 3.
To noyce, william A. Short. w. c. Porter. ]. A.
doughty and L. Edwin Dudley.
On september 10, 1869, the day followinp
the burial of MAJ. Gen. John A. Rawlins.
VINO was serving as Secretary of War under
IRE. rresioent Grant when he was stricken, the
post was named In his honor, and thus his
memory Is kept fresh in the minds of the
members, and his achievements as a SOL
oier, statesman and citizen were recognized
=, Inc present officers of the post are William
II Bailey. commander; James A. Allen ad-
5utant, and Alonzo B. Mackenzie ouarter-
master These men were in their places last
evening, Commander Bailey presiding over
the meeting.
The maetipo ,~o4h..
NUMBER NJ OF prominent G. A. r. men in the
Oistrlet and men who are prominent In the
natlonal councils of the organization and
" .Iie Union Veteran Legion. The guests
Inc uded Commander-in-chef James Tan
ner, Adjutant General John Tweedale Post
&C emmander e. C. Dougherty of Sheridan
Post, No. Il; Post Commander j. T. Ford of
6naiayette Post, No: 20; Post Commander E.
douglass King of Kit Carson Post, No. .;
Post Commander b. F. Graham of Farra-
gut Post No. 10; Andrew Freeman, post
commander of Douglass Post No. 21: Post
1e =, m mmander Honey of Lincoln Post, No. B:
Post Commander Goodman of Sumner Post.
NO D; J. Tyler Powell, post commander of
Pctomac Post, No. II: L. M. Kelly, deputy
commissioner of pensions. and others.
occupied seats on the platform and were
called upon for speeches during the evening.
Corporal" Tanner Cheered.
When the commander-in n-chief was called
meeting was great and old soldiers who
are enjoying the autumn of life broke their
usual calm and cheered as they did when
they charged the confederate lines, back In
the days OF 1S81-65. His popularity here
was shown by this welcome In introducing
him, Post Commander Bailey said: Il will
next call upon our new communicative chief
twenty-five years ago, up in New York
state, he was known as the corporal" Ten
years ago he was known in Washington
with plain Jim" Today he Is referred
to as the commander-in-chief. I hope he
Will be the lion of the evening"" Commander
Tanner spoke in part as follows:
"AH our posts can't be numbered No. 1;
but all of them can strive to be number
one In Its work and in its spirit. In hear
back over the thirty-nne years of life.
Many would have done differently and done
other things. But we are now enjoying our
autumn. The greatness OF the @. A. r.
grows every year: but cannot help think
ing that many of the comrades with whom
shook hands in Denver few weeks ago
are now dead. But don't let's mourn. Let
us not die before our time: but when we do
come to the end, let us go confidently to
the judgment of God, not the just God but
the merciful God, who will appreciate what
good we have done and will glide over the
evil
I'm Denver we had one Of the greatest
conventions the organization has ever had,
and Denver people were united In saying that
they had to entertain the largest crowd OF
ViSltOfS lney Nau ever entefta.lneQ. FROM
there / went on to the Pacific coast and
there stood before that magnificent body of
], 600 or ]. 500 students of the Palo Alto Uni
versity. Back of me stood the comrades
whose records have been made and who are
now in the serenity Of their Old age, think
Ing of their part in raising the country up
to be the greatest on the face of the globe;
and before me there at the university were
those who had their records to make. I
looked back to my alma mater that old
red school house up in Scnoliarie county,
N. Y, and wished for a moment that n
could have the advantages those students
have. But then / thought that IL lived
my young days now I could not have stood
an unknown atom in that mass of blue,
which saved this country from destruction.
Pension Resolution.
''I have been accused by the press OF the
country with being the instigator of the
pension resolution which was passed at the
last convention Of the G.. A. r. But that
was the deliberate conclusion Of the repre-
sentatives OF quarter of million menu
bers of the G. A. r.. representing the Pres
ident of the United States, governors of
states. senator's. JUDGES and others: and I
stand pledged to carry out the will OF this
united body of G. "A. r. members. That Is
what propose to do with detiberateness.
earnestnesS and care, and showing all the
learning I can acquire.
Il stand here primarily to greet RawIins
Post on Its birthday, and l have one bit OF
adSlce. Stand solid In what you stand fer.
Hold yourselves as high as you held the
flag many years ago. When you are Tempt
ed to do wrong thing. remember that
there Is one man on this earth whom you
cannot fool-yourself Is 1t any wonder
that the people of the country don't an
preciate what we have done? At the time
OF the civil war the population was 80.
100000 Half of those have died and the
other half have been joined by 65. 600 600
more, who know nothing of the war ex-
eept by history. In this busy world history
is not studied as 1t should be and the peo-
pie do not know what we did.
Col A. III. Niekerson was called upon for
speech and he replied feelingly, with a
tribute for Commander Tanner and Ad-
jutant General Tweedale. Alexander Free
man of Post No. 20 and Commander Good
man of Post No. 10 were also speakers DUR
ing the evening. Dennis O.Connor and
Gen. Hiram Buckingham also aroused en-
thusiasm with addresses. A letter from
Acting Public Printer O. j. Ricketts, was
read which expressed regret at his abb
senee and sending greetings to the post
and It's honored guest
Music was rendered by Prof. Joyce e. C..
Stidham and w. A. Smith, and their efforts
evoked hearty applause. Refreshments
were served at the close of the evening S
entertainment. and at that time several old
soldiers started up the songs they had
sung in the days of warfare. They seemed