The National tribune., 1910-04-14
DEPARTMENT OF MARYLAND.
Meeting of the Annual Encampment.
Officers Eiectsd-.IOhn McElroy In
sinrscd for COmniander-in-Ch Chief.

H''E~tu lDf tOihltdHuef-11-t ffitI.
The Department of Maryland. G. A.
r.. held its Annual Encampment at
baltimore. beginning April s, with Com
mander Benjamin f. Taylor presiding.
Commander-in- Chief Van SAINT was
present. and made during the course of
the TWO days several very excellent and
inspiring addLesses. The election of
officers resulted in William J. Van Mort
being elected Department Commander.
COmrade Van Mort served in the I'd
Eastern Shore Md. until disabled by a
severe wound. After partial recovery
from this he entered the 11th Md. as
First Lieutenant, and served until the
end of the war. The other officers elect
ed were: s. V. ID. c., Charles Litz; J. V.
d. c., Winfield Scott Drach: Chaplain,
Rev. B. F. Clarkson: Medical Director.
{. Marion Dodson; Council of Admins
tration, George J. Finch, A G. Afford,
Whitfield Stansbury, W. H. Fisher and
John A. Hauck; Delegate-at-Large
John c. Erdman: Alternate e-at-Large,
Albert ID. Smith, and Delegates, Chas.
\. Emich, Chas. F. Brown, Joseph
Brooks and Cyrus Sears. Those elected
as Alternates were Charles Fl. Jones,
Charles E. Stepney. A. Gardner and r.
Stackett. After being installed Com
mander Van Mort appointed Robert C.
Sunstrom Assistant Adjutant-Genera
and John C. Erdman Assistant Quarter
naster-General.
A resolution offered by Past Com
mander Frank Smith indorsing Com
rade John McElrOy for Commander-in-
Chief and directing his support by the
Maryland delegates was adopted by a
rising vote with enthusiastic cheering
The Banquet.
Saturday evening, April 8, a banquet
was held in the Belvidere Hotel. In
this function were combined the ban
quet to the Department and the annual
celebration of Appomattox Day, which
the Maryland veterans have regularly
observed since the close of the war.
The Union Veteran Association of Mary
land was organized at Appomattox
Court House April 9. Immediately after
the surrender. The present officers of
the Association are:
President, Gen. Peter Leary, Jr. (re-
tired), L. s. Army; 1st V. P, Serg't
Daniel Tatum, 9Th Nd; I'd V. p, Ad-
miral John D. Ford (retired). U. S. N:
Chaplain, c. A. E. Spamer, Sd Md; Re-
cording Secretary, Lieut.. Geo. W.-John-
son. Sth Nd; Corresponding Secretary.
Lieut. John A. Thompson, I'd Md:
tlnance Committee. John C. Erdman,
18th Md.
The fine banqueting hall of the BeIvt-
dere Hotel was handsomely decorated
with flags, and in the center of the
decorations was large picture of Gen.
Logan. Gen. Leary began the speech
making with toast to the President of
the United States which was drrnl,
standing and followed by singing NV
country, 'Tis of Thee A toast was
also drunk to Minnie johnson. who has
oeen the life and soul of the Grand
Army Association in Maryland Gen.
Leary then introduced Past Command
er-in-Chiet John r. King as toastmas-
-er, who began by saying that what we
1ad settled at Appomattox when Lee
was being overturned by
me action of the Maryland LEGISLATURE
N their Dill to nullify the Constitution
Df the United States. The measure ia
now aVerted, however, by the refusal OF
me Governor TO sign the bill He then
Introduced Representative Washington
Iardner. of Michigan, who made one of
MS BEST speeches, which was received
with great enthusiasm. The next sneak
7r was Commander-in-Chi Van SAINT
VINO, tho he had spoken several times
nad yet something very new and can
lVatlng to say, and aroused the enthn-
'lasm of his hearers Comrade Card
ler presented John McElroy as the next
Chief Senior Vice Com
nander George c. Ross of the Depart
nent of the Potomac, sang Illinois" To
he great qualification of the audience
md was followed by a brief speech by
'omrade John McElroy The occasion
vas vas happy one in every respect. and
III were delighted to be there.