Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1885 — GRAND ARMY MEETING. [ARTICLE]

GRAND ARMY MEETING.

A Great Gathering 1 at Portland— Marvelous Growth of the Order r * in Recent Tears. . . 1 —H * '' '* Important Recommendations of the Com-mander-in-ohief-‘The Woman’s Department

The nineteenth annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, which was held at Portland, Me., last week, eclipsed any gathering of the order heretofore held, and the capacity of the Pine Tree Stated chief city was pat to a crucial test in providing adequate accommodations for the immense throng. We condense from the dispatches the following report of the doings of the order during its three days’ encampment: The streets through which the rarade was to rasa were crowded wllh people and gay with bunting. At eleven o'clock the >ignal gun for starting t.he process on was fired, and the great line moved forward without halting un'U the procession had passed a given point, when it was made > pparent how great is the number of Grand Army men now here. It had Deen calculated that it would require two hours for the procession to pass, but instead of that it took more than three hours. The most careful est'mates of the number of men in line place the figures at 22,000. of whom 20,000 wore the uniform of the Grand Army of the Republic. It appears that some of the commanders in several of the departments had been overlooked in the instructions as to their positions in the parade, aud those who were neglected, after wandering about for a time aud finding no place assigned for them, gave up the idea of joining ill the procession, and took favorable positions for watching the marching of their comrades. Entire posts of many of the departments, including a number from 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 than 5, t00 members of posts did not parade. The oversight was due to the disregard of official orders that all posts should rc:ister on arrival. The executive committee declare that nearly 30 percent, more men have erme than the committee had been notified would be here. Two tho o sand two hundred tents had been pitched, with a capacity for accommodating abont 13,000 men. 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 they disclaim anjr responsibility. Commander-in-Chief Kountz was greeted with generous applause front §U si<j£S, and Gen. Logan, Who in a ferriage 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, Gem Logan, and many other distinguished men left the procession and Were driven rapidly through other streets to the reviewing stand. Upon the grand stand were Commander-in Chief Kbuntz, Gens. Logan, Slocum; Robinson. Beatty, and Illaek, ex-Gov. Fairchild, ~ of Wisl eonsin. and Governor Alger and staff, of Michigan. After the end of the procession had passed the grand stand, soldiers called loudly for Gen. Logan, who was obliged to respond briefly, referring merely to the benefits of the G, A. il. gatherings. In the evening a reception was "tendered to Commander-in-Chief Kountz. as a representative of the body, at City Halt — Addresses of welcome were delivered by Gen. Hal!, X c-part-ment Commander of Mane; by Gov«. liobie, who also paid a tribute to Gen. Grant; and by Mayor Deering, of Portland. Commander Kountz replied on behalf o. himself arid comrades. a {(dresses wero also 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 CityHall. The delegates were distributed through the hall By States, their positions beine indicated by little banners upon bla k walnut poles. The galleries were open to comrades having the national countersign, and they were well filled. At 10:45 the gavel fell, and the encampment, came to order. After prayer by Chapldn-in-Chief Shanafrlt, of Michigan, the roll 6. membership was called. Commander-in-Chief Kountz, in hie address, stated that (ho order now consisted of thirtyeight departments, 5,026 posts, and 287,637 members. During the eleven months now ended the membership has increased 67,08 i. The Commander-in-Chief advised that of the $15,224 cash on band at least SIO,OOO should be investel, 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 ex cep; those of Florida, Arkansas, and New Mexico. The address contained a reaffirmation of the c’airn of Dr. B. F\ Stephenson, of Springfield, 11L. to be the originator of the order, and commended the Veterans’ Rights Union, the Sons of Veterans, and the Woman’s R lief 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 t • .the perpetuatiou of the* Grand Army, believing the mission cf our great comradeship will have been fulfilled when the last comrade has joined the final muster-out. Knowing that there 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 pf the order to appoint a special committee 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 oar purposes art commended by all wh > 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 Army to prevent any good Catholic from becoming a member." The Commander-in-Chief deprecated participation tn politics as an organization, and urgently advocated the Mexican pension bill and a bill to grant disabled soldiers a pension from »he date of disability. He also nree<i that Decoration Day be not desecrated by devotion to recreation and pleasure. The Woman’s Re- .. lief Corp>s now has twenty-two permanent and three provisional departments, with snbor- . dinate corps in nearly ail 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 r older at'Mount MacGregor. Commander-in-Chief Kountz was presented a gavel made from the Andersonville stockade, and another made of wood from eve and Territory in the United States, which gavels are to be used by the Grand Army of the Republic so long as it exists, and then by the Sons of Veterans. Th- vote to meet at San Francisco next year was two to one. The forma! session of the Woman"e National Relief Corps opened with speeche- by Past Grand Commander Paul Yandervoort, of Nebrr sfca, and l ast Grand Chaplain r oster. of New York. Mrs- Logan wss intrude., ed to the assembly, and in a few words thanked the dele'ca;ee f r the manner in which tbry greeted her. The report of the President for life year was read. After adjournment Mrs. Locan held a reception.