Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-05
TO FORM DEPARTMENT
MOVEMENT STARTED BY THE
SPANISH WAR VETERANS.

By unanimous vote all Of the local gar
risons of the Army and Navy Union of
this city which have had meetings within
the past two weeks have determined to
organize a department to be composed of
past garrison officers and delegates, chosen
In accordance with the numerical strength
OF each of the five garrisons, which are:
Admiral David D. Porter, No. 6; Col
Theodore Roosevelt, No. "A; Gen. William
F. Barry. No. %; the Presidents Own, No
ION; Gen. Guy V. Henry, No. 8. the COM
bined strength being estimated at over
1,5OO former soldiers, sailors and marines
There are also ladies' auxiares to Porter
and Guy V. Henry garrisons, respectively,
numbering nearly 100 members.
The proposition was enthusiastically in
dorsed by Gen. Guy V. Henry Garrison
No. 8, at one Of the largest meetings held
by this garrison this year, at which dele
cations from Barry, Porter and Roosevelt
garrisons were present. After the trans
action of the routine business including the
muster in of several recruits, on motion of
commander William T. Conray, the bust
ness OF the garrison was suspended in
order to listen to a patriotic address by
Capt. ]. Walter Mitchell who had been
invited to address the garrison. Capt
Mitchell was received with much applause
as he was being escorted to the COM
mander's chair. He was introduced by
Commander Conray.
Capt. Mitchell spoke upon the lines of
closer relationship among soldiers organi-
zations:s When the troops were marching
TO battle Tor, our country, amid the plaudits
OF an enthusiastic public nothing was too
good for Them but this boom Of enthusi-
asm soon died away, and when our soldiers
and sailors returned to private life their
valorous deeds and patriotic sacrifices were
soon lost sight of. There Is nothing, In my
opinion, too good for the honorably dis
who
TO the United States government. This ma
ton owes its veterans debt which can
never be paid. Were 1t not for the gallant
men of '61-'o5 the men Of the regular
army who defended our frontier against the
hostile Indians and the men of the volun-
teer army and navy who fought for a suf-
fering people in Cuba and the far-away
islands of the Pacific, this land of the free
would not today be the great world power
it is.
There are enough surviving ex-sodiers,
ex-sailors and ex-marines in this county to
organize body which would be second to
none In the United States, and in these
days of federation I see no reason why the
men who have rendered honest and faith
full service to the federal government
should not amalgamate for the mutual,
protective and fraternal welfare of its
meInbers"
Frank Hill was elected junior vice COM
mander, and committee, consisting OF
John H. Thornton. Robert Coats and Will
liam 7. Conray, will confer with similar
committees from the other garrisons in ar
ranging for joint meeting to nominate @
candidate for department commander.
Capt. Thomas A. Green. past department
quartermaster Of the Spanish War Veter-
ans. was present, and talked to the colored
soldiers at some length
Gen. William F. Barry Garrison will meet
tonight at G. A. r. Hall.
The Labor day reunion OF members of
the various garrisons was declared to be a
most successful affair.