Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-09
REUNION OF VETERANS.
Banquet by Union Soldiers of thu
Pension Bureau.

In the curling smoke of fragrant cigars
memories of sanguinary battlefields, the
bivouac, the camp and the marching boys
in blue in the sixties were recalled by q
gathering of Union Veterans at Freund's
last night. The occasion was the fourth
annual reception and banquet Of the civil
war Union soldiers of the pension bureau
The guests of honor were Henry Nj
MENUS commander-in-chief of the g. A
r.; Gen. John c. Black, Senator William
Warner, Corp. James Tanner and Col
w. w. Dudley.
A reception preceded the dinner, which
was followed by addresses, war songs
and "reminiscences. A toast was drunk
in silence to those who had died since the
last banquet.
A paper on 1.-The Veteran Soldier il
the Civil Service written by G. c. Knit
fin, was read by M. NJ. Lewis. 1t was
explained that Mr.. Kniffin's absence from
the banquet board was because of his
illness.
In part the paper of Col. kniffin, who 1:
chief of the record division Of the pension
bureau, lauded the soldier employees a.
1.-The wheel horses of the bureau. whose
knowledge and patient investigation OF
knotty problems, Of advice to claimants tc
furnish all the testimony required to carry
their claims triumphantly past the Scylla
Of the board of review and the Charybdis
of the medical division. Men whose intel
ligence and experience. have enabled the
bureau of pensions to eXpend millions OF
public money with the smallest possible
percentage Of loss.'' Col. Kniffin added
that the requisites of good soldier are
not unlike those in the civil service. THE
march of years over the good gray head
of the soldier has had little effect, except
to whiten it. Out of 240 clerks in the
record division, II are survivors of the
civil war" In conclusion, he paid high
tribute to 'the noble men who barred their
breasts to the god of battle"
A H. Frear read some of the songs of
the sixties, and w. w. Curry talked OF
Events Following the Great War"
The members of the banquet committee,
who were lauded for the splendid enter
tainment,' were: John I. Clements,
chairman: B. F. Chase. ]. A. McCauley,
NJ. NJ. Lewis. L. M. Kelley, G. c. Knit
Holbrook, John D. Bloodgood. w. A.
Moore, N N. Hill. M c. Davis. A. H.
Frear. Harry jerks. James Mckee. s.
w. McElderry and j. B. Thatcher.
]. G. Greenwalt. w. Mitchell. w. L.
Marsh, T. ]. McGraw. E. D. Tracey ].
maid, H. S. Stotler. ]. Tyler Powell, Will
liam Wilson. G. NJ. D: Browne, William
P. Seville, William P. Davis. A. w. Con-
lee, John R. Weathers. William r. Hill
yer, H. T. Bonorden. E. D. Godfrey. T..
T. Gitchell, Frederick Tyers, w. s. Nee
ley, w. N Paxton, P. c. Griffin, D. f..
Buckingham, E. II. Ripley, J. E. Hart.
G. w. Van Buren,. ]. A. Hunt, w. c.
Moore, William H. Faiss, E. r. Campbell,
William w. Case. H. T. Hutton. w. w.
Curry, John Grimstead, James P. Burrill.
W. T. Evans. ]. d. Vernay, A. w.
Roome. H. Riggs. P. ]. Hofhinger. w. F.
Schuckers. ]. w. Churchill j. M. Curtis.
H. n. Keene, James P. Matthews. S. p
Pearson, W. NJ Newell. DR.. Burke, l.. R.
Whitney, Abram Myers, D. Rhodes. j. b.
Agate, J. F. Simpson, G. r. Paschel, s..
R. Pile, o. o. kinsman, Charles D. Shank,
NJ. B. Have. s. w. McElderry. ]. H.
jerks, Alex. Stephens. John Riley, A. H.
Frear, w. H. Fuss and J. H. Honn.