Evening star., 1914-11-15
|lAM0NGTnE
LAFRATFRNlTIESl
Sons of Veterans, U. S. A.

SUllS VI VCIGIduS, y. .. a.
Capt. Henry c. Duncan, who is a
member of William B. Cushing Camp,
was the first chief of division in the
pension bureau, it is said, to begin his
official duties as chief by placing the
holy Bible on his desk by the side of
the American flag, and open the exer-
cises with prayer. Commissioner of
Pensions G. NJ. Saltzgaber advised Capt
Duncan August Is that he had decided
to appoint him chief of the certificate
division, to take charge the next day.
In going from the civil war division to
the certificate division the next morn
ing he asked John D. Bloodgood, an or
dained minister and past commander of
the Department of the Potomac, q. A.
r., now chaplain of Lincoln Post, to ac-
company him to his division. Upon en-
tering his room, Capt Duncan placed
the holy Bible on the front of his desk
by the Stars and Stripes. He then in
structed the assistant chief of the GER
tion chiefs and their clerks to assemble
about his desk, or as near as they
could, the section chiefs forming the
inner line. Capt. Duncan was then in
troduced to each chief of section and
his clerks by the assistant chief of the
division. He then stated to them that
in order that they should know some
thing of the man who was to occupy
this important position he desired to
say that he was native born American
citizen; one that had a part in making
this great country a united country;
that on the 18th day of April, 1861, he
was a sixteen-year-old schoolboy in
Ironton, Ohio, and after attending
school that day in the evening enlisted
as a private in Company A, 18th Ohio
Volunteer Infantry Cthree months
service) and after serving four months
enlisted as a private in Company D.,
n
years, and was mustered out of that
organization as second lieutenant when
he was commissioned captain of Com
pany K, 1st Veteran West Virginia In
fantry, that regiment being composed
of the veterans of the 9Th and 5th West
Virginia Infantry, from which he was
mustered out July 81. 1865. by reason
of the close of the war. Capt: Duncan
then stated that by reason of his serv-
ice he became eligible to membership
in the Grand Army of the Republic;
that he joined Dick Lambert Post, G. A.
R., of Ironton, in the eighties and by
transfer joined Kit Carson Post of the
District of Columbia in 1901, of which
he was now a member: that his father.
A. J. Duncan, served In Battery l.. LIST
Ohio Light Artillery, from December.
1861, to December, 1864. father and son
being in the same battles under Gen.
Phil Sheridan; that during this term of
service he was in fourteen battles and
in every engagement in which his com
many night after battle in the Shen-
andoah valley he looked up the camp
of his fathers battery, guided only by
the campfires. to learn whether he was
among the living, wounded or dead.
BY reason of his fathers service he
was eligible to membership in the Sons
of Veterans, U. S. A, and was happy to
say that in honor to his fathers mem
ory he was member of William B.
Cushing Camp, No 80, Division of
Maryland. Capt Duncan then stated
that he believed in the divinity of
Christ as the Son of the Living God
and thought it well that man upon en-
tering upon any important undertake
ing should invoke the blessing Of the
Deity. John d. Bloodgood was then
asked to deliver the invocation. at the
conclusion of which the clerks We're
requested to unite in reciting the Lords
Prayer Mr.. Bloodgood delivered a
prayer in which he asked the guidance
of God in the mana agement and control
of the certificate division; after which
the clerks repeated the Lords Prayer
and returned to their desks
Maj. Edward r. Campbell of William
3. Gushing Camp returned last We'd
nesday from Brandon, VT. where he
went to vote in the recent elections.
Wilfred E. Garlick. secretary of Will
liam B. Gushing Camp. has this past
week been on visit to North Adams.
NJ S. where he was called on account
of the death of his mother. She had
long been an invalid and died OF htart
disease at the Massachusetts, State Hos
pital in North Adams.
| Robert NJ. Eyler. commander of
| George H. Thomas Camp, No. II. who
has been confined to his home at 33i
| = street northeast on account of ill
ness, is nof recovering and able to be
| out.
| Lincoln Camp, No. 2, meets tomorrow
night at o'clock in the Perpetual
building, 11th and streets northwest
r. F. Stiffler of Davis Star Camp.
pittsburgh, who has recently been
visiting this city, promised number
| of the members of William B. Cushing
Camp before lie left last Sunday night
\ that he would come back to attend the
Inext meeting of the local camp and
describe the way i'll which he formed