The National tribune., 1907-12-26
WESTERN ARMIES BANQUET.

WESTERN ARMIES BANQUET.
Ohio and Tennessee veter-
ans Commemorate Battles of Franklin
and Nashville in Speech and story and
Song.
In the East one hears most of the
did 1t is not often the great armies
of the West get show for their white
ally, but on the anniversary of the bat
ties of Franklin and Nashville, which
occurred last week. the Western fellows
of the Armies of the Cumberland, Ohio
and Tennessee got move on them
selves. and the result was a surprise to
everybody, for not even the Army of
the Potomac in its palmiest days could
scare up bigger or a finer lot of vet
Grams and their friends than took part
in the celebration of that anniversary.
The reception and banquet on Dec. II
was held in the largest banquet hall in
the city. Masonic Temple. and a grid
iron table was laid with covers for $50.
The hall was lavishly decorated with
flags, nothing but flags under which
the walls We're almost hidden. The
tables were beautiful with jars of roses.
carnations and ferns. and the menu
was discussed with zest from $50 to
1880, after which program of q num-
bers was taken Up and enjoyed as only
those can enjoy who have eaten well
and have good digestions.
The exercises were opened with Il
prayer by Rev. H. Nj. Couden, Chaplain
of the House of Representatives. Gen.
L. j. Henderson, for 20 years a member
of Congress from Illinois. presided.
Col. John McElroy was the toastmas-
ter of the evening, and in his usual hap
send-off that was most pleasing to all.
He knew the history of each. had his
war record down to a day, and, best of
all, knew all the nice things to say
about each. 1t was rather a shock to
the uninitiated to hear the ranking JUS
tice of the Supreme Bench of the United
States presented as Col John Marshall
Harlan, of the 10th KY" but there was
not a bit of displeasure at this COM
radely introduction in the manner of
the great Justice as he rose to speak.
and he expressed the very great pleas
ure that it gave him to meet with his
comrades: and what a speech he gave
them. 1t was full of ringing patriotism.
He said that the men who served in the
great war are going down the valley
one by one. and it is entirely fitting
that those who are yet remaining SHOULD
gather together and snake hands when
ever it is possible
you read in the papers" Justice
Harlan added, not a great while ago
that Gen. Thomas, under whom | serv
ed. had debated in his mind before the
war whether he would serve the Union
or whether he should serve the Con-
federacy. That story has been told
before Many years ago it was used,
when there was some talk of running
Cen Thomas for the Presidency. At
that time, standing in group. were a
number of his friends, and I asked Gen.
Thomas about the matter and / wish to
say here, publicly. that he there denied
that he had ever contemplated such a
thing as joining the Confederacy. He
said that it was a vile SANDER. Gen.
Thomas thus stamped the thing as false,
and it is unseemly to bring it up again
Gen. Thomas never had thought that
was untrue to the country and the flag
The Justice, continuing. said that
now, owing to the heroic work of the
boys of '61." the American people and
the American Nation are almost at the
top. '.All our troubles are gone; we
are now united and happy. and we arc
not afraid of all the Nations on the
earth. We want no conflict with any
people on the earth, but if one comes
we are able to meet it. Now we have
one of the greatest navies of the world
1t may not be the greatest in point OF
numbers, but man to man and ship to
snip there is no Nation on the earth
that can stand against it.
''It is just starting on trip around
the American Continent which has
startled the world. AS far as / can see
there is in that trip no menace to any
Nation; no people may regard it as ar
unfriendly action. But I thank God
that the ltime has not come and never
will come when this Nation must needs
ask any Nation on the earth where we
shall send our ships
There was no Northern army" the
speaker asserted. "It was the army OF
the Union" in which he fought and ir
which hundreds of thousands of other
Southern men fought They fought not
against their own section of the coun-
try. but to preserve the Union
The remarks of Col Harlan Were
punctuated with applause, and at the
close he received an ovation.
Representative Hull, of Iowa. Chair
man of the Committee on Military At
fairs in the House, made magnificent
and all too brief speech, which was ap-
plauded to the echo, especially when he
said that Congress should be more lib
erai with the fast aging veterans. He
spoke of the great place the American
soldier has occupied in the history ot
the Nation. He said that the present
Congress should enact measure pro
viding a pension of $50 per month fol
veterans who have reached the age OF
10 years. He paid high tribute to the
women of war days and the great worl
they had done in keeping the men a
the front and caring for them there
and of the magnificent work that has
been accomplished by them since in the
various patriotic organizations of wo
men.
Maj. J. w Wham told most pic.
turesquely of the battle of Franklin. HI
described the situation of the army il
| front of Atlanta stretching like grea
| Gordon in the shape of a horseshoe
around the Queen City of the South" Of
he swinging of the Army of the Cum
berland into Atlanta. and swinging tn,
right flank, which turned Hoods left
and thus severed the last link of com
munication between him and the
| South. He also described the battle o
| Jonesboro, of the army occupying Chat
| tahoochee and Kenesaw. He referred
| to the battle of Allatoona and the with
drawal of the Confederate army from
that place. leaving Thomas to contes
| the supremacy with Hood.
| The speaker told of Gordon Granger
commander of the Fourth Corps, tax
ling his command without orders t,
| Chickamauga, where nearly half OF thu
men We're killed in the battle.
The Fourth Corps rendered to tn,
great Republic the most splendid ser
vice that any corps ever rendered t.