Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-28
REUNION THURS
DAY, WATERV|LLE,
OF 21ST NE. INF,
Sixty-nine Members Exchange
Greetings = Resolutions f o r
the Departed-Oppose Any
Change at Soldiers Home, To-
gus-The New Officers Are
Elected

Trains arriving in WaterVille Ihurs-
day morning brought numbers of COM
rades of the 21st Maine Regiment of
the G. A, r. and their friends, to at
tend the annual reunion of their regi-
ment The lapels of mems coats and
the shirtwaists of ladies were decor
ated with red, white and blue badges
signifying the occasion for which they
had gathered. Long before time. for
the business session to take place the
Grand Army hall was crowded with
veterans and their friends, eagerly ex
tending hearty words and handshakes
in welcome. Comrade was meeting
comrade once more and smiles and
laughter were abundant.
The meeting, or the reunion, was
opened at 1910 by singing Nearer My
! God to Thee" Prayer was then offer
ed by Chaplain John Williams of Read
field. The committee appointed by the
chair to draw up resolutions on de-
| ceased comrades was as follows:
| Washington Bornheimer, Austin Bragg
| and William II. Hunt. A nomination
committee. Comrades Augustus l..
Smith, Homer c. Proctor and Simeon
NJ Sawyer was elected. This was fol-
lowed by the singing of war songs I'M
der the leadership of Mrs. Walter
Nichols of Providence, r. l.. and Com
rade + Gould. Abstracts were read
from the letters of those comrades
who were unable to be present, fol-
lowed by the reading of the secre-
tary's report.
On motino of Comrade Gould the
comrades followed Commander-in-
Chief Washington and stood during
the reading of the resolutions for the
deceased comrades. During these ex-
ercises music was fittingly rendered
by Miss Helen Priest. A poem in
memory of the deceased comrades and
written for the occasion by Charles
Robinson, a grandson of the late Cap
tain Garland. was read by Mrs. Ruth
L. Robinson. Mrs. Walter Nichols
again sang very beautifully. The res
olutions relating to comrades deceased
during the reunion year of 1914 as
drawn up by the committee were read
as follows:
whereas, we have learned that dur
ing the last year there has been called
from the few remaining comrades of
i this association to the immediate pres
ence your common Father, ou9 beloved
! Comrades Isaac w. Comery, Howard
| Perkins. Geo. H. Lord. Samuel J.
Thayer, George Dickson. George c.
Higgins. Wellington Preble. Daniel H.
Jones, Martin Ingraham George Dip
lock. Alonzo L. Farrow. Albert Melvin.
/ Leavitt Thayer, Joseph G. Lash,
Charles F. Allen, James E. Nichols,
Jacob Rankins. Thomas Arnold, How
ard Burgess. Nathaniel Meader, Galen
a. Chapman and Seth NJ. Hewett.
And the sorrow and lonliness
brought by the knowledge that their
eyes shall not meet our own in glad
welcome, their hands no more clasp
ours with the affectionate nearness of
Comradeship, nor again shall we feel
from them the thrilling touch of elbow
in brave and unbroken line again in
life. presses deeply and painfully upon
us,
Therefore, resolved that we do not
forget that this loss has fallen upon us
by chance or without warning, nor
come as an experience varying from
that of other men, that it is not from
an enemy and for our harm, but from
a friend bearing even in the darkness
of our sorrow promise of the bright
ness of the morning JOY, that awaits
US all in the future. where Beyond
these voices there is Peace:
Resolved, that it is for us to COM
! fort one another with pleasant mem
| Dries these faithful and brave COM
rades, who having performed their du-
ties well in stirring scenes of war,
where men learn to suffer and be
strong, and lived and usefully in
years of peace as examples of the mer-
Its OF the volunteer soldier and his
value to his country. have fallen
asleep among us; and that we may
we'll remember that not far beyond
us all is the river over which they
have passed and the eternal hills
where in shining ranks they wait our
coming to welcome us beyond all sor-
row and pain;
Resolved, that we tender to the
members of the families of each of
these departed comrades our deepest
sympathy in the cloud of sorrow that
has fallen upon them in that inner cir
Gle OF affection whose gloom we can
q not know; and we trust that the spirit
oil Almighty power who holds the des
times of nations as a very little thing
yet watches with infinite tenderness
and pity the fall of the sparrow and
tempers the wind to the shorn lamb.
may scatter the darkness that sur-
rounds them and heal their wounded
hearts with controlling blessing of an
infinite Father and friend
Resolved, that this preamble and
resolutions be spread upon our REQ
ords and that the secretary be direct
ed to send a copy thereof to the fam
H.. Of each of. the comrades mention
ed"
A recess of five minutes was declar-
ell that the comrades might leave the
hall and go down to the street to greet
their comrade, Lieut. George w. Huh
bard, one of the two living lieutenants
OH the regiment, who had come to
town by auto for the purpose. but
whose i'll health would not permit his
going up to the meeting.
The total number of comrades in at
tendance at the morning meeting was
So Among the living officers of the