Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1891 — THE BOYS IN BLUE. [ARTICLE]

THE BOYS IN BLUE.

Twenty-Fifth Annual Encampment at Detroit. Inspiring Military and Civic Displays— Grand Parade of Thousand* of Soldiers, Tuesday, the 4th inst., was the opening day of the twenty-fifth annual encamp* ment of the Grand Army of the Republic, at Detroit, and a gala day it waa. The city never before held such a concourse of people, and in the magnificence of pageantry and the beauty of decoration Tuesday’s parade is without precedent In the days that have gone. As the tried and trusty soldiers of ’6l were eager for the battle, so the veterans of ’9l were eager for the grand parade which was to recall so many reminiscenses of former days. THE PARADE. Slo.wly and majestically the procession started from Woodward and Adams avenues with Commander-ic-Chief Veasey and his staff in lead until the reviewing stand was reached. The stand from which the C m lander-in-Chief and his flittering stan reviewed the parade was situated on “Campus Martinus,” on the east side of Woodward avenue. On Illinois was conferred the honor of the right of march. Dr. B. F. Stephenson, the founder of the G. A. R., was born in Wayne county, Illinois, and died in Manard county, August 30, 1871, aged but 49 years. ; ■ His remains lie in the soldiers’ lot of Rose Hill cemetery, Petersburg, 111. He organized the G. A. R. in 1866, and a few months later J. N. Coltrin and Jos. Prior were joined with ten others in forming the first post, which was instituted at Deeatur, April 6,1866, under a charter granted by Dr. Stephenson. The survivors of Post No. 1 were a conspicuous little group in the Illinois delegation, and their appearance was the signal for a tribute of cheers. Department Commander Horace S. Clark led the command, an! 3,ooo.representatives of the loyal sons of the Sucker State were in line. Among the prominent ones were General Pavey, Col. Sexton and Col. Cochrane. An umbrella corps 300 st;ong was a feature of the Illinois division. In the corner a square of blue umbrellas repsented each State In stripes of red, white and blue in columns to represent the stripes of tho flag. As each division marched beneath the triumphal arch little girls, appropriately decked in the national colors, showered the veterans with boquets. The enthusiasm which greeted the second or Wiconsin division of seven hundred strong was unbounded. In the front rank and borne high in the air on the top of a flag-staff was perched “Old Abe,” the stuffed eagle, which became a part of Wisconsin history a quarter of a century ago. Cheer after cheer arose from the multitude, but the tribute was to the war bird and not to tho brave boys of the Badger State. Many a civilian could not divine the cause of all this enthusiasm, but to probably every G. A. R.man, in line the strange history of that bird is a fireside story to his children. In 1861, when the Eighth Wisconsin Regiment entered the war, a tame eagle, captured in the Wisconsin woods, accompanied the regiment South. Taught to perch upon a staff it was allotted to a color-bearer, and in a few months the bird became the emblem of the regiment. With a strange devotion which so partook of “the mysteriotis as to engender superstition in many minds, the eagle clung to his regiment with unwavering loyalty. Amid the roar of cannon and the shriek ofbattle, the eagle of the Eighth Wisconsin maintained his perch only at times to soar briefly above the heads of the bravo boys he led, shrieking shrill defiance to the enemy and then return to his perch. No ball ever attained “Old Abe,’ as he was christened, and in many bloody battles the soldiers of the Eigth seemed to share the good fortune of the noble bird.. In 1865 “Old Abe” was “mustered out” with the Eighth,and thenceforth made his home as a privileged bird in the public park at Madison. He survived the war twelve years, and at his death his funeral was conducted with milita.iy honors. But he was never buried. A skilled taxidermist perpetuated the form and shape of the glorious bird and the Eighth regiment still bears “Old Abe” in the front rank. In line with tho Wisconsin boys were Gen. Lucius Fairchild, ex-Governor of the State and ex-commander-in-chics of the G. A. R., and Col, A. G. Weisert, candidate for commander-in-cbicf, Department Commander W. 11. Upham was in command, and past Department Commander C6L Brayan and Col. Griffin, who was breveted brigadier general at the close of the war for gallantry, were among the familiar figures that tramped to the music. The Pennsylvania division came next 1,500 Btrqng. Department Commander Boyer rode at their head with Adjutant Town and Quartermastor-Gen. Abraham Levering, followed by tho aids. Pittsburg posts led the way. Tho Ohio delegation was a vast army of itself. No less than thirteen thousand veterans tramped to the music of the bands. New York, 3,500 strong came next, and was the recipient of an enthusiastic greeting. They were led by Dep. Com. C. H. Freeman, Adjt-Gen< W. W. Bennett and Quartermaster-Gen. A. R. Penfield. The Connecticut division came next, and following Connecticut was Massachusetts, 2,500 strong. Their grand display and soldierly appearance caused the greatest enthusiasm as soon as they hove in sight, headed by Dept-Com. A. A. Smith, Adjt-Gen. H. O. Moore, Senior Vice Commander J. K. Churchill. Forty New Jersey veterans were accompanied by J. R. Mulliken, commander, Past Department Commander H. H. Stevens and Past Department Commander Charles Burrows. One hundred ex-Union soldiers led >y Department Commander Samuel L. Miller represented the State of Maine. California showed up twenty-five strong, notwithstanding the distance they had to come. At their head, with other post commanders, marched W. R.Smodburg, whom the delegation is booming in such an enthusiastic manner for delegate. Following the little Rhode Island group was the New Hampshire division, twenty . J

.strong,headed by Department E. B. Huse. Vermont followed New, Hampshire, headed by Department Com-i mander W. L. Morgan, Adjutant General A. T. Woodward and Senior Vice Commander Doty. The department of the Potomac, under command of James M. Pipes, was five hundred strong, and ranks presented many faces familiar to the Nation. The strains of Virginia’s martial music was dying in the distance as Maryland, some three hundred strong, passed the stand. Nebraska G. A. R., five hundred strong, with Department Commander Teeter and Governor Thayer, passed the grand stand. Michigan, with its 15,0b® veterans, received the ovation of the day. The division was officered by Department Commander C. L. Eaton, Adjutant K. W. Noyes and Quartermaster-General Spicer. lowa came to the Wolverine State 300 strong. Department Commander C. L. Davidson, Adjutant-General Longley and Quartermaster-General Tamplin headed the column. Indiana’s 2,800 veterans moved in majestic columns past the reviewing stand. A 1 the head, and beside Department Commander I. N. Walker, marched Governor Alvin P. Hovey, and right loyally did the multitude greet Indiana’s chief executiveBut, though a Governor, he was a soldier still, and not even by a bow or glance did the hero of the battle of Champion Hills return the cheers of his admirers. Following in their order were the divisions of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Del* aware, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon,West Virginia, South Dakota, Washington and Alaska, Arkansas, Montana, Texas, Idaho and Alabama. The naval veterans and the Sons of Veterans, five thousand strong, brought up the rear and closed the parade. , THE RACE PROBLEM. The “race problem” still looms up ominously in the G. A. R., and the question on every lip now is, can this dispute be settled by the encampment without a serious disruption in the southern divisions? The whites of the department of Louisiana and Mississippi still insist that the negro ex-soldier must not be admitted to membership with the whites, while the colored veterans vow they will reject the brotherhood of the G. A. R. rather than submit to conditions of ft Sf* ganization in each southern State for the colored members of the order. The col ored delegates from Louisiana will make a request to-morrow to present their side ol the case in an address to the encampment.