The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-05-11
NAMES LOYAL LEGION.
Acting-Ensign E. A. Butler Elected Com
mander.


May Sd, occurred the annual meeting
of the Maine cOmmandery OF the Loyal |
Legion. 1t was followed by banquet |
when an able and interesting paper on
The Siege of Fort Blakely was read by !
Major General Henry G. Merriam, Z. |
S. A, retired. The annual report of
Mayor Henry S. Burrage, recorder,
stated that four meetings had been
held during the year, all of them at
Portland. The attendance at these
meetings was PIP or an average of So,
against As for the preceding year. At
the opening of the year there were 17S
MEMBERSHIP first class original men,
bers, 9 first class in succession, IS first
class by inheritance and IL second
class. Five members have been elected
original companions of the first class,
two first class by inheritance and two
second class. There has also been add
ed to the rolls one companion of the
first class by transfer from the COM
mandery of California Lieut.. Col.
John A. Darling, U. S. A., retired,
whose residence is in Bucksport. This
is a gain of six, or five less than two
years ago. The neurology for the year
includes Lieut. William Ii. Moody, who
died in Liberty, Oct. 20, 1904. The
present membership is 175 134 first
class original members, nine first class
in succession, nine first class by in
heritance and II second class. The
election of officers resulted as follows:
COMMUNICATING Ensign Edward
A. Butler, L. S. n.
Senior vice commander-Brevet
Brigadier General Benjamin B. Muir
ray, L. S. V.
Junior vice communicable
Major Holman S. Melcher, U. S. V.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Major Henry S.
Burrage, L. S. V.
Registrar Major Charles H. Boyd
L. 5. Y.
Treasurer-Capt. Thomas j. Little,
L. S. V.
Chancellor Lieut.: and Adjt.
Che rles w. Roberts, o. S. V.
Chaplain-Chaplain John S. Sewall,
Us V.
Councillors-Bvt. Lieut.-Col Alex
ander B. Sumner, U. S. v; Acting
Master Rowland B. Brown, U. S. n;
First Lieut.. and Adjt. Calvin L. Hayes,
L. S. "; Major Abner r. Small, Z. S.
v: Edward ID. Noyes.
Among those present were Gen. c.
W. Tiiden, Hallowell, Fred E. Rich
ards, Alfred E. Nickerson, A. Eugene
Nickerson, and A. E. Fernald.
After the business meeting came the
banquet and in the absence of the chap
lain, divine blessing was invoked by
Major Burrage. The menu cards were
neat and appropriate, on the front COW
er being the insignia of the order and
on the back being fine likeness of
General Grant. Finely served, the ban
quet was heartily enjoyed
After the cigars had been lighted,
and the national anthem sung, Com
mander Butler introduced General Mer-
RAM, who was given a most cordial
greeting.
General Merriam began by saying
that the title of his paper might we'll
The Siege of Fort Blakely. He spoke
of the location of Mobile, which was of
great commercial Importance before
the war and of great strategetic i'm
portance during the war 1t was the
wish of Grant after the fall of Vicks-
burg to move for the capture Of Mobile
and the Confederate authorities realized
the Importance of holding Mobile, filling
the harbOr with mines and employing
the best engineers i'll the Confederate
service IN terrifying the land about the
city. In the aggregate it can be said
that so skillful an authority as General
Joseph c. johnson considered that Mo
bile WAS the best fortified city III the
south
General Merriam said that history
did not record more glorious deeds
than the capture of Mobile and said
that 1t was his privilege to command a
regiment i'll General Hawkins division
engaged III those operations. Continu-
ing the general touched upon the awful
pnbI a ,IAI hn
sinking to their aXles in the mud and
the animals toundering in the mire.
But 1t is remarkable how order can
come out of chaos by the aid of well
directed discipline and General Mer-
nam said that in the course of a few
days these terrible conditions had be-
come greatly improved. 1t was very
amusing at that time to see the car
ICONS and editorials in the local Con-
federate newspapers, depicting the pre-
dlcament of the Union army at that
place.
General Merriam spoke of the ad-
vance of the skirmiSh line of his bri-
gade and said the forces for the capture
amounted to $4,000 while those of the
defence amounted to 1000 who, how i
ever, were greatly aided by ships The
general next, with Hap of the local
lty, pointed out the many interesting
places incident to the siege He re-
ferred to his regiment being the first to
cross the enemy's wall and of the
awarding to him of a Congressional |
medal of honor. The general spoke of |
his loss of some of his gallant officers,
one of whom was Captain Brown, who !
was in the Massachuse, is regiment that |
was attacked while going through Bal
timore in 81 and then was killed in the |
last assault of the Union forces.
In closing General Merriam stated |
that this siege had lost much Of atten-
ton and appreciation through the over
shadowing assaults at Lexington al
though it will always be remembered az
the last great attack of the war.
General Chamberlain moved that a
rising vote of thanks be given to Gen
eral Merriam for his very valuable and
instructive paper and that the general
be requested to give copy to be placed
in the archives of the commandery.
General Chamberlain said this paper
had settled some points of history and
after speaking of General Merriam's
splendid war record told how he had
organized and enlisted troops for the
Philippines. He also spoke of General
Merriam being enlisted in the Tween:
tieth Maine at the outbreak of the war