Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 July 1885 — THE GRAND ARMY. [ARTICLE]

THE GRAND ARMY.

Enormous Attendance at Portland. —A Parade with Over 20,000 Men in Line. The Business Session—The Annual Report of Commander Konntz. The nineteenth annual encampment of the Grand Army cf the Republic, which> was hold at Portland, Me., last week, eclipsed any gathering of the order heretofore held, and the capacity of the PineTree State s chief city was put to a cruc al test in providing adequate accommodations for the immense throng. We condense from the dispatches tho so lowing leport of the doings of the order during its threedays’ encampment: Ihe streets through which the parade was topass were crowded wi h people and gay with bunting. At e'even o'clock the signal gvn for starting the process'on was fired, and the great line moved forward without haling tin il the process'on had passed a g.ven point, when it wis made ;y parent how great is the number ot Grand Army men now here. It had been calculated that it would requiretwo hours for the procession to pass, but instead of that it took more than three horn s. The most careful est mates of the number of men in line place th? figures at 22,000, ot whom 20,<iii0 wore tbe i niform of the Gr nd Army cf the Republic. It appe rs that some of the commanders in several of the departments had been overlooked in the instructions as to their positions in the parade, and those who--were neglected, after wandering about for a time and finding no place assigned for them, gave up the idea of joining in the procession, and took favorable positions for watching the marching of their comrades. Entire pos s of many ot the departments, including a number ircm the West, and even in the Department of Maine, did not participate in the parade, and because of this neglect it is calculated that more thans,Boo members cf posts did not narade. The oversight was due to the disregard of official orders that all posts should re.dstsr on arrival. The executive committee declare that nearly 30 per cent, more men have c;®? than the c mmlttee had been notified would be here. Two thousand two hundred tents had been pitched, with a capacity for accommodating about 13,000men. Instead of six it has been found necessary in some cases to put ten men in a tent. This crush could not be foreseen by the committee, and thev disclaim any responsibility. Commander-in-Chief Kountz was greeted with, generous applause from all sides, and Gen. Logan, who rode in a carriage with Congressman Reed, received a continuous ovation. When the line had entered Congress street, on, its way to the encampment, where the procession was to be dismissed, Commander-in-Chief Kountz, Gen. Logan, and many other distinguished men left the procession and were driven rapidly through other streets io the reviewingstand.

Upon the grand stand were Commander-in Chief Kountz, Gens. Lcgan, blocum, Robinson, Beatty, and Black, ex-Gov. Fairchild, of Wisconsin. and Governor Alger and staff, of Michigan. After the end of the procession had passed the grand stand, soldiers called loudly for Gen. Li g«n, who was obliged to respond briefly, referring merely to the benefits of tne G. A. R. gatherings. In the evening a reception was tendered to--Commander-in-Chief Kountz, as a representative of the body, at City Hall. Addresses of welcome were delivered by Gen. Hall, Department Commander of Mane; by Gov. hobie, who also paid a tribute to Gen. Grant; and by Mayor Deering, of Portland. Commander - Kountz replied on behalf ot himself and comrades. Addresses were a’so made by Gov. Alger, of Michigan; Gov. Fairch Id, of Wisconsin;. Gen. Henry W. Slocum, of New York, and Gen. Logan.

The business session was held in the City Hall. The delegates were distributed through* the hall by States, their positions being indicated by little banners upon black walnut poles. The galleries were open to comrades having the national countersign, and they were well tilled. At 10:45 the gavel fell, and the encampment came to order. After prayer by Chaplain-in-Chief Shanafelt, of Michigan, the roll or membership was called.

Commander-In-Chief Kountz, in his address, stated that the order now consisted of thirtyeight departments, 5,026 posts, and 287,637 members. During the eleven months nowended the membership has increased 87,084. The Commander-in-Chiet advised that of the $15,224 cash on hand at. least SIO,OOO should be investe I, and that there should be no further increase of funds at the national headquarters. During the year the Commander-in-chief traveled more than 30,000 miles in his official capacity, having; visted all the departments except those of Florida, Arkansas, and New Mexico. The addresscontained a reaffirmation of the claim of Dr. B. F. Stephenson, of Springfield, 111., to be the originator of the order, and commended the Veterans’ Rights Union, the Sons of Veterans, and: the Woman’s Relief Corps, and pronounced in favor of so .amending the pension laws that, every disabled soldier entitled thereto shall receive a pension from the date of his disability. In his report the Commander says: “1 am opposed to the perpetuation of the Grand Army, believing the mission cf our great comradeshipwill have been fulfilled when the last comrade has joined the final muster-out. Knowing thatthere is nothing in the Grand Army of the Republic inconsistent with the most exacting personal duty or the strictest religion, I deemed it for the interest of the order to appoint a specialcommittee to lay its nature and workings before the proper Catholic authorities of the United States, that they might know our organization has nothing to conceal and that our purposes are commended by all who understand! them. The committee reported, having fulfilled, its mission, that assurances had been given by Archbishops Ryan and Gibbons that nothing could be found in the aims of the Grand Armyto prevent any good Catholic from becoming a. member.”

The Commander-in-Chief deprecated participation in politics as an organization, and urgently advocated the Mexican pension bill and a bill to grant disabled soldiers a pension from the date of disability. He also urged that Decoration Day be not desecrated by devotion to recreation and pleasure'. The Woman’s Relief Corps now has twenty-two permanent and. three provisional departments, with subordinate corps in nearly all the States where the • Grand Army exists. Resolutions of sympathy with General Grant were adopted by a unanimous rising vote, amid great cheering. Remarks were made by several comrades eulogistic of the sick soldier at Mount MacGregor.

Commander-in-Chief Kountz was presented, a gavel made from the Andersonville stockade, and another made of wood from eve, y State and Territory In the United States, which gavels.areto be used by the Grand Army of the Republic so long as it exists, and then by the Sons of Veterans. The vote to meet at San Francisco - next year was two to one. The formal session of the Woman’s. National Relief Corps opened with speechei bv Past Grand Commander Paul Vandervoort, of Nebraska, and Past Grand Chaplain Foster, of New York. Mrs. Logan was introduced to the assembly, and in a few words thanked the delegates for the manner in which they greeted her. The report of the President for the year was ■ read. After adjournment Mrs. Logan held a reception.