The Minneapolis journal. [volume], August 14, 1906, Page 3, Image 3

About The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
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"JOHNNIE" WITH
COLORADO'S BOYS
Confederate Lieutenant in Gray
Uniform One of Encamp
ment's Interesting Figures.
Reconstructed from the ground up,
but still wearing: the confederate gray,
Lieutenant W. M. Witten of the Twen
ty-thud Virginia is the sole lepresen
tative of the late Confederate States of
America in attendance at the fortieth
encampment of the G. A. R. Lieuten
ant Witten, who is now a resident of
Glenwood Spnngs, Col., came in last
night with the Colorado contingent and
is spending- his tame fraternizing with
his late enemies.
Six feet tall, well built and carrying
his grav bans with youthful vigor,
Lieutenant Witten is a striking figure
in his gray and gold uniform.
"Ye s, I reckon that I am the only
Johnnie' with cheek enough to wear the
confederate oray at a Oh A. R. encamp-
ment," saidTLieutenant "Witten today.
I tried it last year at Denver and had
such a good time that when the boys
asked me to come along with them this
year I just couldn't refuse.
"Am I afraid to mix up with all
these 'Yanks, here, but I tell you, sir,
I wasn't afraid to mix up with them
down in Virginia in the '60 's and I am
not getting timid in my old age.
Shucks, they never tried to hurt me,
not lately. Some of the 'Yanks' out
in Colorado began a few years back
trying to get me drunk. So far they
haven't hurt me none that way.
I naT always owncl union men. a
good lot. I rather liked them in the
old days when the only way we got a
good look at them was thru the sights
of a rifle and I have liked them ever
s-nee. Missed that massmecting at
Gettysburg because I was with Early
and Buckrnan, trying to capture Wash
ington hile Lee went up into Pennsyl
vania. We got near enough to see the
colors on the dome of the capitol, but
the shells came too thick for us to get
clostr Cold Harbor and Spottsylvania
were a couple of other battles I had the
pleasure of seeing.
"Nowadays, sir, I find mv best
friends among the boys who wore the
blu and I enjov meeting them. Expect
to have the time of my life here
Minneapolis."
George W. Benson of the Twelfth
Wisconsin infants came into Minne
arnhs t,om central Wisconsin Mr.
Benson has a son and daughter-in-law
living in Minneapolis, whom he had not
seen for thirty-five years. No sooner
had he left the train than he went to
an information stand and with a guide
made his way to his son's home
on Pillsburv avenue, where a
touching reunion of the father and son
occurred.
Fifteen old, but hardy, veterans of
the Shell Eock, Iowa, post, No. 262, are
in Minneapolis. On the same train was
"W Lucaa of the John. A.. Dix post
at Kidder. Mo. Mr. Lucas is a delegate
and is a supporter of Judge Burton for
commander-in-chief.
Among the veterans from Minnesota
are four brothers from Owatonnathe
Waldron "boys." These four brothers
enlisted in the same fife and drum, corps
at the beginning: of the eivil war ancl
wont thiu the war together. Together
they are in Minneapolis and all are
the Owatonna fife and drum corps. The
oldest is 75 and the youngest is 64.
At the beginning of the civil war
thcie lived in.Illinois a family of nine
brothers and sisters, named Crawford.
All the brothers at once entered the
service *of the country. Since the war
the family has been widely separated.
Two of the brothers and one sister
moved to Kansas while others moved
to various places, leaving only three at
the old home. The family has had
CEOKGE A, HAStMAN,
Commander G. A. R. Department of Ohio.
COLONEL W. C. ALBERGER,
Commander G. A. R., Department of California
y,, and Nevada.^. 4 r/h.
^?^:e?^f f i
Tuesday Evening',
LOREN 0. DANA,
Colorado Springs Department Commander Col
orado and Wyoming G. A. R.
only one reunion, since then and after
thirty years they have all met again in
Minneapolis. Those from Illinois came
in Sunday night and the members of
the Kansas post came in on the Eock
Island yesterday. The happy reunion
started at the station and will continue
in Minneapolis thruout the week, after
which they will return again to the old
home for a few days.
Commander C. V. Wheeler, leader of
a western Kansas post, arrived in Min
neapolis Sunday night, and to show
what he thought of Kansas and her vet
erans b. 'bTO'ttfrh.'t wvth h.im over 300
golden sunflowers. The flowers were
well kept over night and with them
Captain Wheeler appeared at the Mil
waukee station when the Kansas offi
cial train pulled in this morning. As
the loyal veterans from Kansas came
into the depot each got a sunflower.
Mr. Wheeler and all his post are ar
dent supporters of P. H. Comey for
commander-in-chief.
Among the arrivals from Chicago is
Eobert Mitchell, a colored lawyer and
a former member of the Seventeenth
Illinois infantry. Mitchell was one of
the few colored men who served in a
-white regiment cVuring: the war ancl lie
is popular with the Illinois veterans.
Twelve members of the N. I. Law
thian post, a Black Hills organization,
are headed by Thomas Fitch, assistant
adiutant general. The friends and rel
atives with the veterans raised their
number to thirty.
Massachusetts, 175 strong, has De
partment Commander J. P. Bradley in
command. D. M. Gleason, senior vice
commander: W. A. Wetherbee, acting
assistant adjutant general Warren B.
Stetson, commander of the Union Vet
erans' league, and W. H. Hinman, de
partment inspector, are with him. This
contingent seems to favor a western man
for commander-in-chief and is in favor
of St. XJO-UIS as the next encampment
city.
James Bertholf of Sterien, IT. D., is
in the citv a guest of friends named
Young. He gallantly carried the suit
case of a woman fromhis state in help
ing her, off the train. He lost the owner
of the suit case in the* crowd, and now
has an extra piece of "fcaCCRr on his
hands, filled presumably with a worn-'
an's belongings. If the owner of the
property will call at the North Dakota
headquarters she can learn of Mr.
Bertholf's address.
The military ^smp f^or veterans on
the Parade is proving a point of in
terest for visitors. The state militia
department has furnished 200 tents fol
the camp, which is laid out by the
national guard tent squad in true mili
tary style. Atjutant General F. B. Wood*
has two men in charge and a detail
from the Sons of Veterans' Bed Cross
working in night and day shifts is
assisting. Eight hundred visitors can
be quartered at the camp.
"INFORMATION'* ON TAP
Busy Days for the Twenty-one Street
Corner Booths,
Probably no small detail of the ar
rangements for the comfort and con
venience of the encampment visitors is
more appreciated than the street-cor
ner information booths. These booths,
twenty-one in number, have been do
ing a day and night rushing business.
Over each booth is a large lettered
sign of one word:
S
"INFORMATION."
To the army of strangers it is a
welcome sight, and around each booth
there is generally a crowd of people
seeking answers to innumerable ques
tions. Where is such-and-such an ad
dress? What car should be taken to
a certain point? Where' is the best
place to go for what is left of hotel
accommodations? Where are the G. A.
R. headquarters? Where are programs
to be had? Which way to the union
depot? And so on.
What the clerk at the information
bureau does not know, he uses the
telephone to ascertain. At each booth
Commander G. A, B.. Department fit
ur
there is a Northwestern phone connect
ed directly with national headquarters
at the West hotel. If the question
cannot be answered at national head
quarters, the call is switched to some
point in the city where, in nine cases
out of ten, the desired information is
secured.
The encampment program and print
ed folders containing general informa
tion atoowt tho cit-y- are being distrib
uted by the thousand from the street
information booths and are gratefully
received by strangers.
I
th,inpeople
for 3,000l
I have answered questions
today," said the clerk
at the information bureau at Hennepin
and Washington last night. Figuring
that each booth is doing a similar busi
ness, it means that at least -42,000 peo
ple were materially assisted in various
ways yesterday, all doubtless appre
ciating the aid with the thankfulness
of "strangers in a strange land."
VISITORS AT THE PIT
Hundreds of Veterans Are Guests of
the Chamber of Commerce.
Three hundred names went on the
register at the Chamber of Commerce
in the early rush yesterday, represent
ing visitors who had friends in the
TORN A. SHELDON,
Commander Department of Vermont, 6. A.
SPffe
REAR GUARD I S NOW ALL HERE ENCAMPMEN I N FUL "BLAST
TO THE VETERAN WHO CANNOT MARCH.
Uncle SamI have two legs to stand on because you lost one of yours.
grain trade and sought cards of admis
sion to the trading floor.
Nearly every city in the union was
represented, Winnipeg, Milwaukee, Chi
cago, Baltimore and New York city
coming out strong, especially Winnipeg,
which had quite a delegation on the
floor.
There were visitors registered from
London and continental Europe and
one from Havana, Cuba.
Besides these visitors to the floor,
several hundred who were not so regis*
tered were admitted to the smoking
rooms and probably a^thcoijja^dxwere in
and out of ibe^gaipery during the day.
9?
Cl^VEJ^AUttVS BIG POST
Memorial Post Hopes to March Six
Hundred Men in Line.
Memorial post, No. 141, Cleveland,
expects to have the largest show
ing in line Wednesday. Command
er W. S. Bogers said he marched 323
at Denver and may have 600 here for
the big parade.
Memorial was Mark Hanna's post
and Brigadier General James Barnett,
the highest artillery officer in the
United States army still living, is a
A. N. BALI^RD,S#!^3^t*i*^i 'f^M GEORGE PREOTTEL,!flQli IB A. J. FISH,' JTTDGE B. }C. SPERRY,
mmmm
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JTHEjlPNNfcAPO:^^ .14/
G. L. OREENE, TAKES H. CREIGHTON,
Department Commander Rhode Island G. A. H. Commander St. A. R., Department of Arizona.
Maryland. Commander ft. A* R., Desartmeat of Montana, Commander 0$ -A., M* im$M^tmt If VUk.
wm^Umtmmm
Defective) Pag*
shoulder in the parade. Bur
lingame's hat was shot to pieces with
a shell, but saved the soldx er 's lif e
i It is still fit to wear.
"SHERIDAN'S RIDE*' NO DREAM
Commander Frank Cole of New Jersey
Relates His Experiences.
"Sheridan's ride from Winchester to
Cedar Creek is no poet's dream," ac
cording to Past Department Commander
Prank O. Cole of New Jersey.
..i.j ic^, v. oi last
night, "was pretty close to the firing
IQOCF
Z\
member of this post. The post is the
largest in Ohio.
The post is for R. B. Brown of Zanes
ville for commander and Caratoga for
the next encampment.
A striking figure in this post as it
marched up Hennepin to headquarters
was George B. Burlingame.T. rost MH
mander of Brooklyn ^^L
in the parade the uniform, filled with
bnlletholes, -which he woTe -wh en mus
tered out. enlisted at 1 5 and was
assigned to the First Massachusetts
heavy artillery. The old musket, which
he loaded before Petersburg* still has
the rusty charge of ball and powder in
its barrel, and-Nvill be on Mr. BUT
lingamejJ,s
JAMES FRANKLIN AYAHS,
Commander G. A. R., Department of Indian
Territory.
I
lire when Sheridan finished his famous
lide. He passed so close to us that I
could have touched his horse with my
hand. I can't contribute anything? to
the argument as to whether the author
of "Sheridan's Ride' was right who"
he intimated that the general swore in
that crisis. He wasn't swearing any
when he passed us, foi by that time h
knew that the day was saved.
I do know one Sheridan story, tho,
and think it has never been printed.
It involves the repetition of a' rather
severe confederate criticism on the
general's character, but serves to illus
trate his headlong aivd lnrpetwow*
position.
A certain confederate surgeon, who
had elected to stay with the wounded
and be taken prisoner, was confined at
Sheridan's headquarters at one time,
and afterwards said in criticism of him,
'While I was in the room General Sher
idan came in arcl took three drinks,
but never offered me one.'
"This remark was repeated to the
general, and I have heard that he made
every effort to locate the confederate
surgeon and remedy his breach of eti
quette, but the doctor had been sent
north, and I suppose that if he is liv
ing today he cherishes a grudge against
Sheridan for his oversight.'
GUIDE SYSTEM IS PBAISED
Veterans Also Commend Wednesday's
Refreshment Stand Feature.
At least two of the host of visiting
veterans are pleased with the prepara
tions made foi their entertainment in
Minneapolis. They are Lieutenant W.
H. Brown of the Tenth Massachusetts
volunteers and Lieutenant John D.
Black o the One Hundred and Forty
fifth Pennsylvania volunteers, both past
department commanders of North Da
kota.
"Your guide system is one of the
best thing I
havet
JS. *S "'S'^PSS^IS^r?l
ever
seen,Dakotd
sai
leutenants Blac a the North a
adquarters in tho Nicollet la*t night
Coming up from the Milwaukee sta
I was accosted by no less than six
nng men who wore guides' badges.
cy all wanted to know if they could
-ret or assist me in any way. It is
mighty good way of making a fellow
r\ at home, and one of the best things
nvc evci seen at any encampment."
"There is one better feature," said
eutenant "W. Brown, and that is
refreshment stands which theV are
have at the mustering places of the
irious departments on the day of the
irade. I have been at every encamp
'ent except two,
anbeforeeverey
at one I
nearly starved th parade
tarted. With a lot of ham sandwiches
rid a couple of cups of coffee under his
fit the man who does not march as
iry as he did in '61 will be a curios
ty. Minneapolis, with its hospitable
women and a fireman ingenious enough
to turn_s.n old fire engine into a coffee
maker, leads every encampment city I
have ever visited in this respect."
ENLISTED AT FOURTEEN
Jerseyinan Ti\ Not Lie, but Stretched
Truth a Mere Trifle.
Enlisted at 14 is the unusual record
of J. W. Cardington, once of the Third
New Jersey and now of the Department
of Wisconsin.
"When our local militia company
was mustered in at the first call,"said
Mr. Cardington, while calling at the
New Jersey headquarters yesterday,
"they reacted my brother because he
had a weak heart. I was just a kid,
but I kind of resented the slur on the
family, and stepped up and said to
the recruiting officer, 'I'll go in Bill's
place.' He looked at me and said, 'How
old are you, son?' I said, 'Eighteen,
sir,' and he swore me in."
I thought a Jerseyman never lied,''
said Alfred Atkins, the present, de
partment commander of New Jersey,
who was standing by.
"Right you are, sir," retorted Mr.
Cardington', "right you are. A Jersey
man never lies, but sometimes he
stretches the truth a mite when the
occasion demands it."
THIRTY SLATN IN BATTLE.
London Aug 14 The Tribune's correspondent
at Sofia states that thirty persons -were Isilleo.
in the fighting at Apiolu.
CHARLES W, KEETING,
G, A. R., Department of Louisiana
till Miaaluippi.
FLAG AS GIFT TO
QUAKE SUFFERERS
New Jersey Veterans Will Pre
a Banner to California
Comrades.
m\
Coming to Minneapolis without a de-j
partment ^banner or a United States/
flag, as the result of the San Francisco
earthquake, the department of Calif or*^
nia and Nevada will not be compelled'*
to .march flagless during the Grande
r-rade for New Jersey has come i
to iac r.S'i'e of the veteran earthquakQ
sufferers and will present her sister de
partment with a beautiful silk United
States standard and a new department
tal flagr. This announcement is hailecteS
with delight bv the veterans from the-*
far west who have arrived in the city,
for the Grand Army man, the country
over, wishes to march under the flag
when he does march.
The presentation of the flags will b#*f
made by Charles J. Burrows of Ruther-'"
ford, N. J., for six years quartermaster
greneral of the Grand Army, and one of'
the most prominent men in the organf-^
zation.
During the San Francisco catastro-.'
phe the headquarters hall in San Fran%
eisco. where the records and the para-7,'
phernalia of the California department
were kept, was totally destroyed by fire,
and the demoralized condition of the
city since the earthquake has prevented
the veterans from securing new equips 1
ment for the use of their department.-I
As the time for the Minneapolis en
campment approached the Californiana
Who planned to come to Minneapolis
were confronted with the fact that they
had no department banner, and altho
an effort was made to secure one befOTO
leaving Califernia it was unsuccessful.
New Jersey, however, had heard of the
plight of the California veterans and a
movement was at once started to pre
sent the western department with two
new banners. j^
t,
CTJSTEE GUN IS HERE J?2
Famous Relic Was Showpiece of Many
an Encampment.
The famous "Custer gun," made
from relies of every state I the union,
has arrived and is on exhibition in tho
lobby of the Brunswick hotel. The
"gun" is a small brass field piece,
handsomely mounted and polisheS,
weighing 252 pounds. It has General
Custer's shoulder straps engraved upon
it and was cast at Fort Pitt, Pittsburg,
Pa. It has been shown previously at
twenty-one national G. A. R. encamp
ments, twenty-four reunions and nine
state encampments. The following relics
were melted into the metal from which,,
the gun was cast: Three division
bugles, 4 regimental bugles, 2 brass
drum rims.. 44 United States buckles
(infantry), 36 United States buckles
("cavalry), 2 brass door keys of the
Ford theater, Washington, D. 5
snears of infantry flags, 3 eagles of cav
alry ancl artiYlerv fla,sjs, 3 eagles of divi
sion flags, 9 pair spurs (confederate),
24 pair spurs (union), 24 copper cents,
captured at Lexington 104 Spencer
carbine cartridges (copper). 13 brass
caps (out of shells), 4 pounds of buck
les from artillery harness, 5 sleeve but
tons. 5 white metal watch cases (of
armv service), 4 nounds of brass but
tons, 10 armv spons, 3 gold (armv) dol
lars (relies^ "Entire weight, ?o2 pounds.
One cow bell, 1 B. & 0. brass lock'
(Harper's Ferry). "MS-
MENELIK OPENS DOOR.
Rome, Aug. 14.Abyssinian dispatches re
ceived here *av that King MenelUc has signed
the Franco-Italian British "convention.. Th*
mam features of the treaty referred to* are a
guarantee of the integrity of the Abyssinian
empire, the open door and commercial equality
for all countries, and the continuation by the
French of the construction of the railway con
necting Addis Abebe. the capital of Abyssinia,
with the coast, Great Britain And Italy naming..
representatives on the raUroad directorate. 1,
Commander G-. A. B., Department of XexMb
T. M. MILLS,
Commander G. A. R.. Department f