Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1906-04-19
CEN. WILDER
COMMANDER
Will Head Department of Tenn
essee of the G. A. R.
Corporal Tanner Makes Fine Address,
a Mrs. Adams, National President
Womans' Relief Corps, Talks.

The following from the Chattanooga
News gives concise account of the
Department Convention of the G.. A.
R., in Chattanooga, last week The
number of deaths of G. A. R. members
in the Department of Tennessee during
the past year is 49, AS the names were
read by the adjutant bugler blew the
retreat as each ten or dozen names
were announced, rendering the reading
very impressive In the list was Samu-
el F. Smith, of Whitwell.
Gen. John T. Wilder, Of Knoxville,
was elected commander Of the depart
ment of Tennessee, of the Grand Army
of the Republic, at late hour We'd
nesday afternoon as the twenty third
annual convention of the encampment
was drawing TO close. His opponent
was James /. Peck, of Cleveland, who
during the past year has been senior
vice commander of the department.
Upon the nomination of Gen. Wilder
by Capt. A. J. Gahagen of this city,
the long time friend of Chattanooga
was greeted with cheers. j. l. Peck
has been an active spirit in many
meetings of the Tennessee department
and has host, of friends throughout
the Grand Army,
The ballots, when cast, showed "a
!. votes for Gen. Wilder and Col. Peck "a
votes. Following the election of the
commander the following inferior Off
GERS were chosed in quick succession
Senior Vice-C Commander-Thomas Fl.
Hill, Sequachee.
T,nsor Woo Co,op rdar w Nov
non, Memphis.
Chaplain-M. A. Rule, johnson City,
reelected.
Medical Director E. H. Price
Chattanooga.
Patriotic Instructor J. Marker,
Knoxville.
AS delegates to represent the Tennes-
see veterans at the reunion to be held
at Minneapolis next summer, the fol-
lowing were elected:
Delegates It. F. Brown and F. Y.
Weiss, Nashville;, J. l. Pyott, Athens.
Alternates- B. Thompson, Chat
tanooga D. w. Payne, Knoxville; j.
N Bayer, Memphis
The executive committee, has in
charge the selection of place for hold
ing the next meeting of the depart
ment.
Wednesday night at the auditoriom
Corporal Tanner, the commander-in-
chief of the Grand Army, and Mrs.
Adms, national president of the Wom
ans Relief Corps, auxiliary of the G..
A. R., delivered characteristic addres
ses to large crowd of old veterans
their wives and friends. Mrs Adam.
was introduced by Col. D. NJ Stewart
and gave a short outline of the birth
growth and ambitions of the w. R.
She gave number of figures illustra
ting the character and scope of thu
work being done by the corps and ex
pressed pleasantly her appreciation O
southern hospitality, such as has beer
rendered her during her stay in Chat
tanooga.
When Corporal Tanner arose to speal
the manned veteran of the civil wa
was greeted with a storm of cheerin.
which was repeated when he began il
characteristic manner to deny tn
''soft impeachment that he was sol
of Erin, and that he had kissed tn
Blarney stone.
The speaker began his address, afte
indulging in a number of pleasantries
with tribute to the commercial act
ivity of Chattanooga, drawing com
parison between the smoke that cover
ed the Chattanooga valley in '63 an
that which covers it today, telling @
the agony and bloodshed which tn
former pail concealed and the stou
citizenship and spirit of progres
which the smoke of factories today al
tests.
Corporal Tanner declared himself i
favor of woman suffrage in no uncel
tain terms, basing his remarks in thi
{ direction upon what Mrs Adams ha
said on the platform just before he be
gan to speak. He agrees with the po
icy of maintaining large navy an
standing army, and paid tribute t
the militia of today. Cheers greete
his assertion: "No physical force ths
this world can boast can ever tear dow
the American nation" The portion {
his speech which laid bare his opinio
of American womanhood drew contiI
ned applause from his sympathetic heal
ers and his declaration that Amer
can mothers do not bear and rear COW
ardS-whether they be of the north {
of the south reflects the chivalroJ
spirit of the veterans.
AT the conclusion of the address Co
poral Tanner was kept busy shakin
hands for a half an hour with I'll
many old veterans and visitors WI
wished to greet him.