Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-11
INDULGE IN "REMINISCENCES
VETERANS OF TEE NATIONAL
RIFLES ASSOCIATION.
Banquet Last Night at Which There
Were Numerous Speeches.
Guests Present.

In answer to a previous command TO
fall in at Freund's restaurant, SIS 10th
street northwest, men who were prominent
in the National Rifles, the capitals one
time crack company, and who are now
members of the Association of National
Rifles Veterans, answered roll call as they
sat about the festive board last night.
Tales of the old days of military service,
OF parades, of camps and of service in the
country's cause. when the Union needed
the service were related. There were
hearty laughs over the recitals in instances,
and many expressions of regret at the men
| ton of comrades who have Joined the army
in the great beyond At the close each of
the seventy-fve men present declared the
occasion to have been one of the best re-
unions of the National Rifles since they
disbanded.
Previous to the sounding of the call to
rat1ons the members formed company in
the hallway and marched to their seats at
the table 1t was profusely decorated with
flowers of the season. which emitted a
sweet fragrance. After all had assembled
the lights flashed, taps We're sounded, the
roll of the muffled drum heard, and
tnen the list of the members who died
since the last banquet was read. 1t in
cluded Capt. ]. o. p. Burnside, Lieut..
Charles G. B. Conger William Cyril Keech,
Lieut.. Edwin Barrett Hay and Lieut..
George ii. Shoulders.
Unique Feature.
A unique feature of the banquet was
that the speaking and the eating were inter
mingled toasts being given between courses.
Lieut.. George w. Evans, secretary and
treasurer Of the veterans association, acted
as the master of ceremonies, eliciting fire.
quent applause by his many happy introduce
tons of the speakers. The words of well
n fI1-an fu-
banquet were spoken by Lieut.. Joseph A.
Manson, vice president of the association.
| IN the absence at jamestown of Capt. James
| F. Oyster.
I'VE are living in an age worth living in.
| he stated. Think of the great wealth and
advancement of this nation. attained in
| little over a century. We are proud that
We have been an atom in the creation of
nation which has such wealth and such
position among the nations Of the world"
Lieut.. George w. Evans followed, read
Ing biographical sketches of the five men
whose places in the company are per-
manently vacant.
Toast to President.
A toase to the President of the United
States was the first one proposed, and it
was drunk by all standing. Our Great
and Glorious Union" was the toast to
which Milo c. Summers was called upon
! to respond. Mentioning the union Of
states first, he turned afterward to the
union of hearts which bound together
the members Of the National Rifles. James
Z. Addison was next called upon to tell
how the members went from Washing
ton Light Infantry to the National Rifles
Hail. but his modesty overpowered his
vocal organs last night and the story
was left untold.
]. Henry Small. jr., recently proposed,
| according to the POSTMASTER as the Dis
| trict OF Columbas choice for President
| related some early experiences in keep
10 fno III
| as member Of the National Rifles The
news that Clayton Simms. an old member
| OF the Rifles, was prevented through ILL
ness nessd from attending the dinner; was pre-
toast to the speedy recovery Of the re-
spected comrade.
T. NJ. Shepherd, brother to ex-Gov.
Shepherd of the District, and one of the
original members Of the Rifles of 1861,
told of the enlistment of the first mem
bers of the National Rifles and of their
| first trip into Virginia.
Il believe it is veritable truth that
| the National Rifles were the first troops
| to cross the Long bridge into Virginia in
the civil war" he stated. I'VE went I'M
der Capt. Smeed / remember the night
| well-it was a beautiful moonlight night,
and We went down into Virginia to where
| we thought We could find a rebel post
| When we came back we found the 9TH
| New York Regiment lounging on the bank
of the river. I think we deserve the
| credit of being the first to advance in
t1dt reDei1lOn.
How happy, and yet how strenuous, were
| those days of the activity of the National
Rifles was told by James A. Sample. Henri
Guillaume was asked to speak of camp life.
a Sweethearts and Wives
"Our Sweethearts and Wives; Always
Present-Never Absent" was the toast to
which H, X. Simpson responded He de-
clared his sweetheart to be the National
| Rifles; and he thought the same was true
| of most of those present. No bands of STEEL
| he declared, can bind tight as the tie
| that binds their hearts together. If the
| country ever needed the service of its citi-
| zens for war again, he declared, the men,
hers of the National Rifles would answer
| to the call of Fall in
| Attorney Edward S. Bailey, responding
| to the toast THE Love of Comradeshp,"
said it was remarkable that the members
| oath of fealty or binding promise, meet
| every year simply because of the tie that
| binds their hearts.
Responding to the toast 1.-The Citizen
Soldier Edward P. Harrington declared
| that in no other country but the United
| States, made up of a liberty-loving people,
| can the citizen soldier be a great success
| as he is in the United States. The division
| of the country, caused by the civil war. has
now been wiped out, he declared. and that
| was only possible because of the citizen
| soldiers who fought in that war. and who
were filled with mutual respect and mutual
| love on the southern battlefields.
| Capt. G.. b. Young spoke of the work of
! the men of the National Rifles who went
| into the Spanish war. John w. Sanderson
! related some experiences of the civil war
| Lights OUT was sounded at midnight.
Members Present.
| Members of the National Rifles Veteran
Association present at the banquet were:
| James c. Addison, Dr. G. N. Acker, Ed
ward S. Bailey Frank NJ. Barnes, ]. Harry
CUNNINGHAM Joseph H. Curran Thomas
| L. Clear, James H. Clear Dr. James A.
| Dickinson, Addison G.. Dubois, George w.
| Evans William K Ellis Albert c. Floyd,
| Edmund X. Fox, Charles b. Fonda, Albert
| II. Gawler, Henri Guillaume, Edwin A.
! Goodwin, Z. Edward GaSch, Thomas A.