Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-09

Gen. Wilmar W. Blackmar,
Commander-in- Chief, G. A. r.
Potomac to the commander-in-chief of the
Grand Army. While the list of distinguish
| ed guests was not as lengthy former
occasions nor the program as varied as
similar programs have been in the past it
is probable there was never given a ban
quet by the local veterans of the civil war
which was more thoroughly enjoyed, or
during the course of which the soldiers Of
'61-'65 were more justly or eloquently
lauded, than the dinner last night. All
but two of the men who spoke were of
those who answered the call Of the chief
executive before the first gun fired on
Sumter had ceased it's mighty revarbera-
tons throughout the land, and all OF them
spoke from the fulness Of their expert
ence, as brother to brother and comrade to
comrade. There was none of that species
or personal Renaissance which in verbal
heroics recalls to memory incidents In
which the speaker may have Interest
his hearers might not share. The men
gathered about the six long tables last night
represented every section of the grand
armies of Grant, of Sherman and of Sheri-
dan, and the words they heard re-
lated as much to the unfortunate
volunteer who was posted in the west
long four years as it did to the man who
followed the flag from Manassas to Apo
mattox. from Wilson's Creek to the final
surrender of Johnstons forces. 1t was the
soldier who left his home. forsook wife,
mother, sweetheart and friends, to answer
the call of his country and lay his life, If
need be, on the altar of her liberties, who
formed the subject of all the eloquence,
and his activities in the revolution, in 1912,
in Mexico, in Cuba, the Philippines and
China were spoken of in the same manner
as his doings with the great blue army that
matter of reward for this soldier formed
the principal theme of the addresses, and
the country's duty to its defenders was
naturally discussed at some length Com
mander-in-Chief Blackmar, Past Com
manders-in-Chie Burdette. Black and Alger,
Speaker Cannon. Representative Lacey of
Iowa, Mr.. William l.. Visscher of Ken
lucky and Commissioner Macfarland each
added his blossom to the forensic bouquet
which the veteran received during the even
ing, and each speech served to emphasize
the reverence in which the soldier is held
by his countrymen.
Conventional Gridiron Shape.
The tables were laid in the conventional
gridiron shape in the ball room of the
New Willard. The long table which form
ed the base of the long prongs was reserved
for the distinguished guests and speakers.
Commander Hart Of the Department of the
Potomac presided, and on his right was
seated the commander-n-chief Gen. s. s.
Burdette, past commander-in-chief, chair.
man Of the committee in charge OF the BAN
quet, and the POSTMASTER was seated on
the left of Commander Hart and on his
left were Gen. Black and Speaker Cannon
AT this table also were Senator Alger Ad-
Jutant General J. H. Gilman Of the G. A.
R., Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor of Ohio
Judge Charles c. Burton, Col. A. P. Tasker |
Commissioner Macfarand, Gen. Frank w |
Palmer, Capt Charles D. Loeffler. Capt. j.
E. x; King Capt Hiram Buckingham and
Chaplain-in-Chief j. H. Bradford
The banqueterS filed into the hall in rep1-
lar order at 7:15 O'Clock, and after the |
presentation Of the colors and a prayer by |
the chaplain, fell to the discussion of an
excellent menu. The tables were laden with
flowers of all descriptions and the brightest |
colors, the American Beauty rose, azalea
ana polnsetta predominating in the scheme |
or decoration. AT the end of the BANQUET |
handsome bouquets of roses were presented |
10 the "lie OF the commandments and |
the daughter of Gen. Black.
Commander Hart introduced Gen Rur
dette as POSTMASTER Immediately after cof-
fee and cigars had been served. In propos-
Ing toast to the President Of the United
from President Roosevelt to the veterans.
in which he said he regretted exceedingly
his inability to attend the dinner but he
was absolutely prevented therefrom. The
the comrades should know and feel that |
there has been no President of the United |
states who had a deeper feeling or had
zone more for the Grand Army than Theo-
dore Roosevelt. Gen. Blackmar was intro
duced to respond to the toast to the COM
mander -in-chef. Gen. Blackmar said he
pore greetings to the members of the De-
partment OF the Potomac from $50 600 of
their comrades In all sections of the world |
olvided into 5000 posts and forty-fiye de- |
partments. In other countries, he said the
monarcns make lords and princes of men |
who perform acts which sink into insienifi
canoe when compared with the things that
were done on bloody fields by the sol
ders of America In this country the onIv
title given men of mark is comrade and |
every man who wears that title rests sa fe !
and sure in the knowledge that he earned |
1t on the field Of battle
Many Bronze Buttons.
ut will be very long journey, thousands
OF miles," he continued, elf one attempts to
run away from the little bronze button.
tried 1t once. Two years ago sailed from |
San Francisco for Japan and Manila.
wanted to see what the new comrade had
been doing for On shipboard I found
several old soldiers of our army, men who
wore the bronze button of comradeshfp in
the Grand Army. On our arrival at Yoko-
mama the first person who met us was
man wearing the button, Comrade Arthur
M. Knapp veteran of the 44th Massa-
chusetts Regiment. In China I found the
buttons in the highest Offices of the land.
and In Manila there were hosts of them. In
Father Johns Medicine CurAs Colds