Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-14
VETERANS At DINNER
Annual Gathering of Second
Corps Association.
CHEERS FOR GEN. MILES
Addresses by Distinguished Soldiers,
Sailors and Civilians.
MUSIC AND OTHER FEATURES
Function Given at Arlington Hotel
Last Night-List Of Guests
Present.
MUSIC AND OTHER FEATURES

The sixteenth annual banquet of the
Second Army Corps Association was held
in the banquet hall Of the Arlington last
night. The hall was beautifully decorated
with American nags. standards and arms
of the military service. and the tables ap-
propriately set with flowers. ported plants
and all the accessories necessary to COM
plete the scene. Addresses were made
during the course of the evening by Gen.
Nelson A. Miles. Rear Admiral Chester,
Representative William A. Sulzer of New
York. Gen. John c. Black. Gen. George B.
Davis, Maj. Charles Lyman, Col. Sprague.
ex-senator Thurston. Col. Hopkins, Maj.
Tyler. Dr. William Tindall and Judge An
derson. George H. Lillebridge sang.
Maj. Charles Lyman. who, at the re-
quest of Gen. Charles F. HUMPHREYS, pres
ident of the association. assumed the role
of POSTMASTER. expressed his pleasure in
meeting with his comrades again. He an
nounced that the occasion was not to be
formal affair." but case of go-as-yOu-
please. He then introduced Gen. Nelson
A. Miles, the first speaker of the evening.
saying: THE speaker l am about to call
upon was one of us. Is one of us and will
ever remain one of US. He was with the
I'd Corps when 1t made histOry-histOry
which will be read by the generation to
come. The man who helped to make the
Greeted by Storm Of Applause.
In a storm of applause Gen. Miles arose,
bowed his Acknowledgements and respond
ed, in part. as follows:
Il enjoy company of this character
There Is no company like brave men. The
deeds of 81 and '65, as this meeting re-
calls, are pleasure to me.
I'm going back to those days and their
problems, and then to think OF the prob
lens of today, the latter seem insignifi-
cant. The problem of slavery-whether
we should be nation, whether the repub-
lie should live or be dissolved-all were
great. Great leaders had advocated diff
ferent solutions Of the problem. but 1t
moved on like great cloud until 1t burst
into a terrible war. Great armies sprang
from the homes. the very mower OF man
hood. Nearly 100000 left their homes
for the first time and formed .-rmies, and
then went off to the theater of war for
four long years-years when scarcely a
day passed when there was no firing
from one or the other of the armies. Step
by step progress was made: the patriotic
people of this country toiled tn and sue
cess was achieved. The great success
achieved was done by your valor, your
sacrifice, your brave deeds. Many were
swept into eternity, and again ! say sue
cess was achieved.
"Our army is unlike any other army.
1t Is the flower OF the nation. and the
I'd Army Corps Is the best type. We
had at our head the finest men that ever
marshaled troops. 'fhe first great leader
was Gen. Edwin B. Sumner, who dis
tinguished himself In the Mexican war, on
the frontier-the man who was a COM
panion to Abraham Lincoln. Gen. Sum-
ner / have heard say to the troops on
more than one occasion: Never think OF
giving an inch of ground; not an inch.
Press steadily onward
Among Great Leaders.
Another great leader was Gen. Darius
n. Crouch, who was distinguished SOL
der, q gentleman, a general, cool and