Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1887 — UNION VETERANS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

UNION VETERANS.

Work of the Grand Army National Encampment at St. Louis. Official Reports—Columbus, 0., the Next Place of Meeting. General John P. Bea, of Minnesota, Chosen as Commander-in-chief of the Organization. Sketch of the New Coinmander-in-Cliief. Gen. John Patterson Bea was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Oct. 13, 1840, and enlisted in Piqua, Ohio, in Company B, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, April, 1861, for three months. Aug. 18, 1861, he enlisted for three years in the First Regiment Ohio Cavalry, and was promoted Sept. 23, 1861, Second Lieutenant; March 12, 1862, First Lieutenant; April 1, 1863,Captain; was brevetted Major for gallantry in battle Nov. 23,1863. He joined the G. A. R. at Piqua, Ohio, in December, 1866, and was a member of the first department encampment of Ohio. He became a charter member of George H. Thomas Post, No. 84, Department of Pennsylvania, October, 1867, and was successfully Post Captain, Post Commander,

member of the Department Council of Administration, and one of the Pennsylvania delegates to the National Encampment in 1872. He was also a member of the commission that erected the soldiers’ monument at Lancaster, Pa. In 1875 he removed to Minneapolis, and has been Commander of Morgan Post. No. 4, Department of Minnesota, and Senior Vice Department Commander two terms. He was elected Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief in 1884 and 1885. He served as Captain of Company A, First Regiment, Minnesota National Guard, from 1879 to 1882, and was Quartermaster General of Minnesota from 1883 to 1886, with the rank of Brigadier General. At the close of the war Captain Rea had a record of three years and four months’ service, and had been absent only ten days, seven of which he was a prisoner and three on the sick list. In 1865 he entered the Wesleyan College, at Delaware, Ohio, and completing the classical course, graduated in June, 1867, During the vacation of 1866 he entered the office of the Hon. J. J. Dickey, Lancaster, Pa., as a law student and was admitted to the bar in 1868, On April 12, 1869, President Grant appointed Captain Rea Assessor of Internal Revenue of the Ninth District of Pennsylvania, which office he held until it was abolished by law in 1873. He continued practicing law in Lancaster until December, 1875, when he moved to Minneapolis, and shortly became editor of the Minneapolis Tribune, remaining in that connection until May, 1877. He resumed law practice, but in November of the same year was chosen Probate Judge, and was re-elected in 1879. Declining a renomination in 1880, he again resumed practice, forming the late firm of Rea, Wooley & Kitehell, afterward Rea, Kitchell & Shaw. In the summer of 1886 Governor Hubbard appointed Captain Rea Judge of the District Court to till the unexpired term of Judge M. B. Koon, resigned. At the election in the following November Judge Rea was chosen for the same office for a term of seven years. Of late years he has figured prominently in Grand Army affairs, both State and National. From Commander of a local post he went to the office of State Commander in 1883, and was elected Senior Vice Com-mander-in-chief at the National Encampment held in Minneapolis in 1884. He is also a member of the Loyal Legion. National Encampment G. A. R. The convention of delegates to the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic met at St. Louis, Mo.” on Sept. 28, Gen. Fairchild, Commander-in-Chief, presiding. Committees were appointed, and the work of organization proceeded quietly. The annual address of Gen. Fairchild was presented, and announced the evidence of permanent and healthy growth of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the strong love of the order entertained by the loyal people of this country. That this may continue he earnestly cautioned every member that he keep a watchful guard over himself when he acts or speaks as a member of the Grand Army and not consciously further schemes foreign to the legitimate purposes of the organization. Article 9, forbidding the use of the organization for partisan purposes, had, so far as he knew, been strictly obeyed in letter and spirit. From Adjutant General Gray’s report it was learned that the total number of members borne on the rolls of the order at the national encampment was 326,499. The number reported on June 30, 1887, was 372,674; actual gain in five quarters, 46,157. The increase of members in ninety days, ending June 30, 1887, in good standing, was 15,616. In 1886’there were 60,634 members. In the last five quarters there have been mustered into the Grand Army 72,355. There were reported June 30, 1887, in good standing, 336,562; suspended, 25,200; by delinquent reports, 10,892; total at last returns borne upon the rolls, 372,674. The amount reported expended in charity March, 1886, to March, 1887, inclusive, is $253,934.43. This money was disbursed to 17,670 comrades and their families, and 8,999 others were assisted,

giving 26,606 individuals who had received benefits during the year. The Grand Army veterans, attired in rubber coats and with trousers rolled up, paraded some of the principal streets in a steady downpour of rain. Thousands who were at the encampment had either gone home or refused to march in the mud, but there were men enough to organize ten divisions, representing in their make-up nearly all the departments. The Department of the Missouri was given the right of the line, and'the Department of Illinois followed in the second division. As the column passed under the beautiful stained-glass transparency of Gen. Grant on Fourth street, between Locust and St. Charles, all the men uncovered their beads and passed by in silence. The head of the procession reached the Grand Army arch that spans Olive street at Twelfth at noon and there Gens. Fairchild and Sherman, ex-Vice Piesident Hannibal Hamlin, the war Governors, and other distinguished guests left their carriages and took their positions in the grand stand just east of the arcb. Across the street facing the grand stand, Grand Marshal Grier and staff sat in their saddles while the rain increased in volume and for an hour and a half poured down on the heads of the passing soldiers. Missouri’s contingent was twenty-five minutes in passing, Illinois’ was fifteen minutes, and Kansas’ twelve. The other States were represented by posts and regiments. Gens. Fairchild and Sherman, partly protected from the storm, bowed to the boys as they passed, acknowledging continually the rousing cheers that went up from each post as they filed by in company front. Here and there throughout the different divisions marched a colored post, and their salute was invariably a signal for applause from those in the grand stand, which several times was taken up by the crowd and prolonged into a hearty cheer. The dripping flags received much boisterous notice, and as a squad carrying the tattered remnants of battle-flags passed by the enthusiasm became unbounded. Throughout the column an occasional warrior carried a cane or a pole on which was dangling a chicken, leg of mutton, side of bacon, cabbage, or some other representative of a foraging expedition for commissary stores. Every delegate was in his seat on the second day of the session, Thursday, Sept 29. Department Commander Smedbury, of California, submitted an offer, in behalf of John G. Capron and Colonel Holabird, of San Diego, with a view to the establishment of a G. A. R. soldiers’ home in that city. The donation is in the form of land, and is equivalent to SIOO,OOO in cash. The proposition is accepted by the encampment. The home will be placed under the control of three trustees, one appointed by the donors, the second by the encampment, and the third by the other two. The usual red tape regulations of soldiers’ homes will be tabooed, and actual service, Grand Army membership, poverty, and residence in California will be the sole qualifications for admission.

A lengthy report was submitted by the committee appointed to consider the address of the Commander-in-Chief, and it was adopted with a three times three. It eulogized his administration of the office, and suggested that a proper testimonial be presented him in the name of the organization. The proposal to appoint an historian was approved, and Comrade R. B. Beath, of Pennsylvania, was suggested for the position. Approval was also given to the proposition to locate permanent headquarters at some central point, with the suggestion that the matter be referred to the incoming administration. Special approval was also given in the report to the action of the Commander-in-Chief in instructing posts to withhold replies to a circular issued by a New York paper, the committee expressing the opinion that “it is entirely improper and contrary to the rules of the order for posts to express themselves by official action at the request of persons outside of the Grand Army of the Republic upon any subject or question unless officially authorized or requested so to do through the regular official channels of the organization.” There was a sharp contest over the selection of a location for the next encamp-

ment. Columbus, Ohio, Gettysburg, Chattanooga, and Saratoga were placed in nomination, but before the ballot was announced the two latter withdrew, and the vote resulted in the selection of Columbus. The Vandervoort resolution condemning the President’s action on the pension question was almost unanimously voted down in the encampment on the morning of Sept., 30. Then came the election of officers, and the following were nominated for Com-mander-in-chief for the ensuing year: Gen. Slocum, Judge Rea, Gen. Anthony, and Gen. Grier. Gen. Slocum received 153 votes; Gen. Anthony, 66; Gen. Grier, 13; and Judge Rea, 294. Gen. Sherman received 1 and Gen. Warner of Missouri 1. Rea was declared elected. He was escorted to the platform by the defeated candidates, Anthony and Grier, and returned thanks to the encampment. The rules were suspended and Nelson Cole, of Missouri, was elected Senior Vice Commander; John C. Linahan, of New Hampshire, Junior Vice Commander; Gen. Lawrence Donahue, Sergeant General; and the Rev. Edward Anderson, Chaplain-in-Chief. Among the members of the National Council of Administration elected are: R. F. Wilson, of Chicago; Irwin Robbins, of Indianapolis; Russell A. Alger, of Detroit; George C. Gintz, of Chippewa Falls, Wis.; James H. Drake, of St. Paul, Minn.; and George A. Newman, of Cedar Falls, lowa.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF JOHN P. BEA.

EX-COMMANDEE-IN-CHIEF LUCIUS FAIRCHILD.