Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1882 — ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. [ARTICLE]

ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

The Annnal Reunion at neirolt. The Society of the Army of the Potomac convened at Detroit on Wednesday, Juno 14, and was called to order by Gen. Charles Devens, Jr., its President Gen. Andrew AHumphrey, U. 8. A., was elected President so the ensuing year. The other officers were reelected. The various army <xrps represented in the Army of the Potomac held corps reunions durinz the afternoon. First corps elected Gen. E. G. Bragg President; Second, Col. N. 8. Church, Ithaca, Mich.; Fifth, Gen. James MoQuade; Sixth, Col. James H. Platt; Ninth. Gen. John G. Park, U. 8. A.; Twelfth, Oapt W. W. Bush, Lockport, N. Y., who claims to have been the first emisted man in the War of the Rebellion; Nineteenth, Gen. H. E.-Paine, Wisconsin ; Oavalrv, Gen. W. Wells, Vermont Gen. Francis A. Walker sent a letter accepting the position of historian of the Second corps, and Gen. Hindu, of Wisconsin, made a ro-i-ing speech to his old comrades, whom he had come 3,000 miles to see. At the meeting of the Ninth corps, Gen. E. E. Sprague, of Massachusetts, read a beautiful tribute to the memory of their late President, Gen. Burnside. Gen. Sheridan was received with deafening cheers by the Cavalry corps, and made a brief speech, expressive of kind regard for his old comrades. The reception in the Music Hall in the evening was a grand event. The auditorium was beautifully decorated with mementoes of camp life, interspersed with the rude engines of war. Gov. Jerome welcomed the veterans of the Army of the Po'otnac. He said : “ I shall not linger long in the grateful duty imposed upon me of giving you a welcome to the State of Michigan. Wo recognize in you the surviving coworkers in one of the greatest periods of our history—illustrious agents in tha. accomplishment of a mighty triumph far transcending the ordinary exploits of arms. You are conspicuous witnesses to the truth, never represented at the military reunions of nations aeross the Atlantic, that a free republican government by the people knows how to take care ot itself. It was your fortune to have been placed in the foreground of the conflict. It was the Army of the Potomac tliat began the war, and when its fighting was done the war had ceased. The rebel Army of Northern Virginia, defending the rebel capital, represented in the eyes of the world the idea of organized hostility to the Union. The Army of the Potomac, protecting the capital of the nation, and striking directly therefrom at the hearts of its enemies, represented in the eyes of the world the idea of organized loyalty to the Union. You saved Washington, ’and you captured both Richmond and its defenders.” The Governor then dwelt upon the long services of this great army, and bid it a warm welcome to the State that had furnished 90,000 men to the Unioii army, and whose representatives were found with the Army of the Potomac from the first crossing over the Long bridge into Virginia to the fall of Richmond, and whose dead strewed every one of that army’s battle fields.

Mayor Thompson, in a brief, but cordial speech, welcomed the veterans to the hearts and homes of the citizens of Detroit General Devens, on behalf of the Army of the Potomac, mi de a brief but eloquent response. John Boyle O'Reilly, of Boston, then read h’s poem, entitled “America,” which was a very neat production, indeed, and was received with great applause. Gen. E. 8. Brager, of Wisconsin, was then introduced, and delivered the oration. This was an elaborate defense of Gen. McClellan’s organizing ability and military skill, was high in its praise of Fitz John Porter and strong in its incidental condemnation of Gen. Pope and Secretary Stanton. Tracing the history of the Grand Army from the first to the last, he closed in these words: “ Oh, my countrymen, the Army of the Potomac was the army of deeds worthy to live in history. It fought more pitched battles and lost more men on the field than any of the armies* of the United States, aggregating a grand total of 93,856. It was often repulsed, but never with dishonor. Broken, it rallied again ; driven back, it returned vigorously to battle. As the sturdy oak on the mountain side, stripped of its limbs and riven with thunderbolts, refuses to bow to the storm, but, conscious of its strength, lifts its head in grim defiance to the elements, so this grand old army, shattered, worn, with thinned ranks, bleeding sons in every hospital, its dead strewn on scores of battlefields, bore to the front her battered, blood-stained banners until the sun of Appomattox gilded them with the luster of a final victory. In its vocabulary ‘ there is no such word as fail.' Proud is the record of any soldier of whom it may be truly said : ‘He was of the Army of the Potomac.’ ” The close of the address was greeted with great applause. The audience then loudly called for Gen. Grant, who was on the platform, who acknowledged the compliment, but declined to speak further than to express his gratification at being present with his old comrades in arms, and to declare his belief that volunteer armies were the best in the world. They feught for love of country, and not because they were hired. Sheridan also declined to make a speech, but expressed gratification at meeting with old friends. Speeches were made by ex-President Hayes and Gen. Sickles, and the exercises of the evening closed.

The second and last day of the reunion witnessed a grand procession in honor of the veteran guests. The streets were everywhere lined with thousands of people, and the appearance of the most prominent soldiers was greeted with great applause. Grant, Sheridan, Hayes, and Sickles were, of course, the chief attractions. Thb procession was a mile and a half long. In the afternoon two steamers gave the guests a ride on the Detroit river. The exercises closed with a banquet at Music Hall, where the menu cards were in the form of a canteen, opening on a hinge. ExPresident Hayes responded to the toast, “Our Country;” ex-Gov. Austin Blair to “The Volunteers ;”.Gen. Sickles to “The Army and Navy,” Gov. Jerome to' “The State of Michigan,” and Mayor Thompson spoke for the city of Detroit.