The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-05
A NEW FEATURE.
The G. A. II. to Take Part in the
Teachers Institute Next Week.

Teachers Institute Next week.
The Wayne county teachers in
stitute next week will be marked by
a feature which will be for the first
time introduced in this State or
elsewhere as far as we have been
able to learn. The system of pa
triotic instruction in the schools,
adopted by the G. A. r. with view
to make the present and the rising
generations better acquainted with
the causes that led to the Civil War,
and the course of military opera
tions during that conflict, together
with its results; will be employed
before the teachers on Tuesday
afternoon, Nov. 9th. At the sugges-
tion of County Superintendent Koch
Ter, members of Capt. James Ham
Post, G. A. R. will take part in this
proceeding. The Commander of the
Post, Hon. Henry Wilson, will give
an historical outline, summarizing
the events which preceded the out
break of the war, together with
sketch of the military operations
and some of the methods pursued in
the Union army. These will be
illustrated by representations of the
corps badges and field flags used by
the army of the Potomac. These
have been admirably depicted on
canvas by Thomas j. Ham, and all
the veterans who have seen them
pronounce them perfect representa-
tions of the badges and flags. The
Union flags consist of the corps
lags, division flags and brigade
flags, commonly known as head
quarters flags" Mr.. Wilson, in his
address, will describe the purpose
for which they were used in the
service. Besides these, the Confed-
crate battlefags will be accurately
represented. There were four of
these. The first, adopted in March,
1861, soon after the Confederate
States organized a government, was
described by the Confederates as the
'stars and bars" in contrast with
the Union stars and stripes" In
September, 1861, the stars and
bars" flag was discontinued, on ac-
count of it's resemblance to the
Union flag, and the difficulty in dis
tinguishing them at a distance, es-
pecially when obscured by smoke,
dust or fog, or in woods or thick
cts. The second was the flag under
which the Confederates continued
to fight until the close of the war,
having a red field with blue satire
and white stars. The third was
adopted in May, 1868, by the Con-
federate war department, but it
never came into use in the field to
any extent. The fourth was adopted
late in March, 1865; but General
Lees army surrendered before it
came into use.
In connection with these sketches,
several members of Capt. Ham Post
will narrate some of their expert
ences on the battlefield, and other
"reminiscences of the war. 1t is ex-
pected that Isaac H. Ball, who serv-
ed in Company C, 9Th Pennsylvania
Reserves, will give a sketch of the
Pennsylvania Reserves at the bat
tie of Gettysburg. Graham Watts
will give a sketch of Sheridan at
Cedar Creek, he having been a men,
Der of Company G, 9th Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, then in the sixth
army corps, and engaged in that
battle. Other veterans, it is ex-
pected, will relate events and ad-
ventures that occurred during the
war. This will undoubtedly prove
highly interesting, as we'll as in
structive, and as a new feature of
county Institutes it will no doubt
take a place more or less perman-
ent. Supt. Koehler is himself a
son of a veteran and therefore nat
urally feels warm interest in
keeping alive the memory of the
achievement by which onr Union
and government were preserved in
the early sixties. 1t is quite prob
able that this example set by the
Wayne County superintendent will
be adopted in other counties.