Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-06-23
q. A. r. AT LA CROSSE.
VETERANS OF WISCONSIN IN AN.
NUAL ENCAMPMENT.
Advancing Years Cause Membership of
Great Order to Fall OF-Col. Copeland
of La Crosse Chosen Commander
Next Years Meeting in Marinette.
La Crosse Correspondence:


Grand Army of the Republic in this city
elected Colonel Fred A. Copeland of La
Crosse as department commander for the
ensuing year by reclamation, all other
candidates Withdrawing Colonel J. A
Watrous of Milwaukee nominated Cope
land and Past Commander A Ell. De-
CROFT. who had nominated De Steese in
an eloquent speech, made the motion to
elect Copeland by reclamation. The de-
partment commander was brought before
the encampment and made a brief
speech, pledging himself to do earnest
work for the cause.
John G. Martin of Mineral Point and
A. Il. Tucker of Berlin were nominated
for senior vice commander. The ballot
gave 113 votes for Martin and 161 for
Tucker. Fl. r. Allen of Merrill and w.
II. Gets of Grand Rapids were NOM
mated for junior vice commander, but
Gets withdrew and Allen was named by
reclamation. DR.. f. r. Garlock of Ra-
cine was elected medical director and
Rev. 0. A. Britton of Superior chaplain,
both by reclamation. William Handy
side of Depere was reelected as trustee
and B. T. Bryant Of La Crosse and o. f.
Chase of Oshkosh as trustees of the Wis
cOnSln veterans Home.
Corporal Tauner of New York was en-
dorsed for commander-in-chief to be
elected at the national encampment in
Denver
The encampment was invited to Mari
nette and Racine next year and the vote
was largely in favor of Marinette.
The Annual Parade.
The parade at o'clock Tuesday after
noon attracted a large number. The
local military companies and bands were
out, but only portion of the veterans
turned out. Many of them are getting
too old and infrm to participate. The
city was handsomely decorated.
When the encampment reconvened
Tuesday at o'clock, a memorial service
was held in honor of the dead of the
year. Past Commander-in-Chief A. G.
Weissert presided in the absence of Com
mander Norcross. The department chap
lain, Rev. L. G.. Carr, offered an elo-
quent prayer, after which e. O. Kim
berly, the national singer and adjutant
general Of the department, sang ''As the
Years Roll By" By this time Com
mander Norcr0ss appeared and took the
chair. Brief but eloquent addresses were
LAtluo ny OOLuldOCS W. l1SIllCh VI A1uu-
son, A. G. Weissert of Milwaukee, B. E.
Bryant of La Crosse and J. A. Watrous
of Milwaukee.
Late in the afternoon the Womans
Relief Corps of the department presented
a beautiful and costly silk flag to the
high school. The ceremonies took place
on the steps of the building.
Mrs. Minot of Massa chusetts national
proSiHaDt bo Of bo p oliof
Corps convention Tuesday and made an
address.
An immense audience gathered at the
campfire in the opera house that evening.
Commander-in-C Chief W. w. Blackmar Of
Boston was the principal speaker.
Past Department Commander G. Fl.
Russell, member of the Andersonyille
Monument Commission, presented to the
encampment gavel made from the roots
of a pine tree from under the stump of
which gushed the waters of the famous
Providence spring at a time when the
prison pen was full of Union soldiers.
The handle was made from section of
the Confederate flag staff which was dug
up from where it had lain forty years.
Past Department Commander y. G.
James, another member of the commits
SlOu, pEcSSuleu q SlLllldL SdbCl " ChO
ladies Of the G. A. r.
Address of Department Commander.
The address of Department Comman-
der Plny Norcross received close atten-
ton. It showed that at the beginning
of 1904 there were S,9OS members of this
department in good standing. The loss
by death for the previous year was 3O1,
or 1-3 per cent The loss by death last
year was 331 or 3a4 per cent, a small
percentage considering the ages of the
members. There were no new post char
tiers issued the past year and one post
surrendered it's charter, and three posts
went out of existence because the mem
bers did not wish to pay their dues. The
present number is 241 posts, with total
of $40 members. The commander be-
leves the time will come when many
posts will adopt county organizations in
stead of separate posts. The address
also referred to the splendid condition.
under Commandant J. II. Woodnorth, of
the Wisconsin Soldiers Home at Wau>
paca, of which the commander says: at
is one Of the most sensible and deserving
charities in the United States"
The address favored the reelection of
the trustees whose terms now expire
The encampment was asked to make a
contribution toward the fund for a monu
ment to Dr. B. T. Stephenson, founder
of the G. A. r., and the commander sug-
gested that Wisconsin give at least 500
W. r. c. Holds Election.
The Woman's Relief Corps convention
balloted four times for department pres
ident, resulting in the election of Fannie
e. McAllister of Omro. The other can
didates were Mrs Annie E. Noyes of
Madison and Mrs. Sophia Strathearn of
Kaukauna.
Sons of Veterans elected: Commander
John A. Hazelwood of Jefferson, Senior
Vice Commander, L. F. Small, 49, Olson;
Junior Vice Commander, E. G. ParL.@ =
ter, La Crosse; Division Council, Anton