USA > Georgia > The army reunion : with reports of the meetings of the societies of the Army of the Cumberland; the Army of the Tennessee; the Army of the Ohio: and the Army of Georgia > Part 18
USA > Ohio > The army reunion : with reports of the meetings of the societies of the Army of the Cumberland; the Army of the Tennessee; the Army of the Ohio: and the Army of Georgia > Part 18
USA > Tennessee > The army reunion : with reports of the meetings of the societies of the Army of the Cumberland; the Army of the Tennessee; the Army of the Ohio: and the Army of Georgia > Part 18
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MAJOR-GENERAL G. M. DODGE,
MAJOR-GENERAL B. F. POTTS, MAJOR-GENERAL W. Q. GRESIIAM,
BRIGADIER-GENERAL T. C. FLETCHER.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL N. RUSK.
Recording Secretary : LIEUTENANT-COLONEL L. M. DAYTON.
Corresponding Secretary : BRIGADIER-GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER.
Treasurer : MAJOR-GENERAL M. F. FORCE.
CONSTITUTION.
ARTICLE I.
The Association shall be known as "THE SOCIETY OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE," and shall include every officer who has served with honor in that army.
llonorary members may be elected from those who have served with honor and distinction in any of the armies of the United States.
ARTICLE II.
The object of the Society shall be to keep alive and preserve that kindly and cordial feeling which has been one of the characteristics of this army during its career in the service, and which has given it such harmony of action, and contributed in no small degree to its glorious achievements in our country's cause.
The fame and glory of all the officers belonging to this army, who have fallen either on the field of battle, or in the line of their duty, shall be a. sacred trust to this Society, which shall cause proper memorials of their services to be collected and preserved, and thus transmit their names with honor to posterity.
The families of all such officers who shall be in indigent circumstances, will have a claim upon the generosity of the Society, and will be relieved by the voluntary contributions of its members whenever brought to their attention. In like manner, the fame and suffering families of those offi- cers who may hereafter be stricken down by death, shall be a trust in the hands of their survivors.
ARTICLE III.
For the purpose of accomplishing these objects, the Society shall be organized by the annual election of a President and Vice-Presidents. The Vice-Presidents to be chosen, one from each Army Corps of the old Army of the Tennessee, and a Corresponding and a Recording Secretary.
The Society shall meet once in every year, and those officers who, for any cause, are unable to attend its meetings, will be expected to write to the Corresponding Secretary of the Society, and impart such information in regard to themselves as they may desire, and which may be of interest to their brother officers. Honoring the glorious achievements of our
By-Laws. ph 251
brothers-in-arms belonging to other armies, whose services have contrib- uted, in an equal degree, in the re-establishment of our Government, and desiring to draw closer to them in the bonds of social feeling, the Presi- dent, or either of the Vice-Presidents of this Society, shall be authorized to invite the attendance of any officer of the United States Army at any of our annual meetings.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.
FIRST. That the first sentence of the third article of the Constitution be amended so as to read as follows :
" The Society shall be organized by the annual election of a President and six Vice-Presidents, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secre- tary, and a Treasurer."
BY-LAWS.
ARTICLE I.
That one dollar per annum be paid by each member to the Recording Secretary, the money so raised to be paid by him to the Treasurer.
ARTICLE II.
Money for ordinary expenses of the Society may be expended by the Treasurer upon the warrant of the President. All other expenditures, only in pursuance of a vote of the Society.
ARTICLE III.
The Treasurer shall make a report to the annual meeting of all receipts and expenditures with vouchers.
The Recording Secretary shall report to the annual meeting all money received by him, and all transferred by him to the Treasurer.
The Corresponding Secretary shall report to every meeting all corres- pondence of general interest.
ARTICLE IV.
All questions and resolutions shall be decided by a majority of the members present. But amendments, proposed to the Constitution, shall be acted upon only at the annual meeting subsequent to the one at which they may be proposed, unless the postponement be dispensed with by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.
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ARTICLE V.
The order of business shall be as follows :
I. Reading of the journal of the previous meeting.
2. Appointments of committees on business and for nomination of officers.
3. Receiving reports.
4. Current business.
5. Election of officers
6. Adjournment.
ARTICLE VI.
If the Society shall, at any meeting, omit to designate the time and place of the next meeting, the President shall, by due public notice, fix the time and place.
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE.
SOCIETY OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, CHICAGO, ILL., December 15, 186S.
To accomplish its Third Annual Reunion in accordance with its adjournment at St. Louis, and to join in a reunion with the Societies of the Armies of the Cumberland, the Ohio, and the Georgia, the Society of the Army of the Tennessee was called to assemble in the city by the following notices :
WASHINGTON CITY, D. C., October 15, IS6S.
Officers of the Army of the Tennessee :
You are respectfully notified that in accordance with your last adjourn- ment, and the following call issued by Lieutenant-General W. T. Sherman, the third annual meeting of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee will be held in the city of Chicago, on the 15th day of December, IS6S, at 10 o'clock, A.M.
Every officer who has at any time served in the Army or Department of the Tennessee, is entitled to membership, and to all such an earnest invitation is extended to be present, to unite with our brother officers of the Armies of the Cumberland, Ohio. and Georgia, in perpetuating that kindly, cordial and social feeling, which, amidst scenes and events now historical, ever marked our intercourse with the soldiers of these armies, whose hearts still beat in friendly unison when touched by the memories of the past.
All necessary arrangements for the meeting will be made by the following local committee, residents in Chicago :
General William E. Strong, General J. M. Corse, Colonel Harry Gile, General John McArthur, General Joseph Stockton, and Colonel John M. Loomis, to whom letters of inquiry may be addressed.
MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN A. RAWLINS,
President.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER,
Corresponding Secretary, Cincinnati, Ohio.
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL L. M. DAYTON,
Recording Secretary, St. Louis, Missouri.
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Army Reunion.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 20, 1868.
Notice is hereby given, that the Societies representing the Armies of the Tennessee, Cumberland, Ohio and Georgia, will meet on the 15th and 16th days of December, IS6S, at Chicago, Illinois. The object is purely social, and designed to preserve the memories of the war, and to cherish the friendships formed during that period of our national history. All are cheerfully invited to be present and participate.
An orator has been appointed for each army, and addresses will be delivered on the night of the 15th of December, and a grand banquet will be held on the night of the 16th.
Letters of inquiry may be addressed to General William E. Strong, Chicago, Illinois, who will attend to all preliminary business, until a joint committee of arrangements has been appointed to carry into effect the above plan.
W. T. SHERMAN, Lieutenant- General U. S. Army.
Crosby's Music Hall had been selected by the local committee of arrangements, in which to hold the meeting of the Society, and at two o'clock it organized. The President, Major-General Rawlins, and the Senior Vice-President, Major-General Howard, not being present, the second in order of Vice-Presidents, Major- General Giles A. Smith, assumed the chair, and announced the Society ready for the transaction of business.
On motion of Colonel Coleman,
Resolved, That in consequence of the temporary absence of the Secretary, Colonel Dayton, who is engaged in important business of the Society, Colonel T. S. Mather act as Secretary, pro tem.
On motion of Colanel Joel,
Resolved, That all general officers present be invited to seats with the President. The President extended the invitation.
On motion of General Leggett,
Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed to nomi- nate officers for the ensuing year.
The President announced the committee as follows :
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Major-General M. D. Leggett, Major-General J. M. Corse, Colonel D. C. Coleman, Brevet Brigadier-General Benjamin Spooner, Colonel J. M. Hedrick, Colonel Thomas Reynolds, and Colonel George G. Pride.
On motion of D. P. Grier,
Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed to select the place for holding the next annual meeting.
The President announced the committee as follows:
General D. P. Grier, General B. F. Potts, General E. W. ` Rice, Major-General W. Q. Gresham, Colonel L. M. Dayton, ยท U. S. A., and Colonel K. Knox, U. S. A.
Major-General S. A. Hurlbut offered a resolution that a com- mittee of thirteen be appointed to attend the inauguration of the President elect.
Colonel Fort moved, as an amendment to the resolution of General Hurlbut, that a committee of thirteen be appointed to draft an address of congratulation, to be presented to General Grant, the President elect. Amendment accepted.
General Fletcher offered, as an amendment, that the motion as amended, be postponed for consideration at ten o'clock, Decem- ber 16, and it was so resolved.
On motion of General Eldridge,
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to call upon General Grant, Lieutenant-General Sherman, Major-General Thomas, Major-General Schofield, Major-General Slocum, and General Cox, and invite them to meet the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, at its place of meeting, on December 16, at such hour as they may designate.
The President announced General Eldridge, General Webster, and General Starring as such committee, and requested them to also act as escort.
General Grier offered as a motion,
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Resolved, That the Adjutant Generals, Quartermaster-Gen- erals, Commissary-Generals, and their assistants, and all other staff' officers of the Governors of the respective states that furnished troops for the Army of the Tennessee during the war, be admitted to membership, and all privileges of this organiza- tion, upon their complying with existing regulations.
This motion elicited discussion by different members, and upon the question being brought to vote, was rejected, because it conflicted with the Constitution of the Society.
There being no further business for the present consideration of the Society, on motion of Colonel Wood,
Resolved, That the Society stand adjourned until ten o'clock A.M., December 16, IS6S.
SOCIETY OF THE ARMY OF TIIE TENNESSEE, - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, December 16, 186S.
The Society met in Crosby's Music Hall at ten o'clock A.M., pursuant to adjournment of December 15, and was called to order by Vice-President General Giles A. Smith, who occupied the chair. By his invitation, General Fallows, formerly chaplain 'of the Thirty-Second Wisconsin, and afterward Colonel of the Forty-Ninth Wisconsin Volunteers, opened the meeting with a prayer appropriate to the occasion, invoking Divine blessings upon the saviors of the nation, asking God to assist them in their counsels, and to make it a happy Reunion.
The President announced the meeting ready for the transaction of business. The first in order being the reading of the journal of the previous meeting.
The Recording Secretary of the Society, Colonel Dayton, then read the proceedings of the last annual meeting, held at St. Louis, Missouri, and, on motion of Colonel Coleman, it was
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Army of the Tennessee.
Resolved, That the records of the last annual meeting, as just read by the Secretary, be adopted, and so entered in the records of the Society.
Next, in the order of business, being appointment of commit- tees on business, Colonel Thomas Reynolds arose to a question of privilege, and desired to formally announce to the Society the death of General Cassius Fairchild, Fifth Vice-President of the Society, one of its most distinguished and beloved members. Permission was granted, when he said that it was designed that General Howe should make the announcement to the meeting, but, owing to the unavoidable absence of that distinguished soldier, the duty devolved upon him. For upward of twenty years he had known General Fairchild. They had been friends and neighbors. For four years they had served side by side in the army. He knew him as a citizen, as a soldier on the march, at the bivouac, and in the bloody field of battle. Knowing and appreciating his character so well as he did, the speaker could not help feeling profound sorrow when he looked upon his vacant chair, and feeling that some token of regard should be offered to their departed comrade.
And, on motion of Colonel Reynolds,
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to draft resolutions for the action of the Society, and commemorative of the deceased patriot and soldier, Brigadier-General Cassius Fairchild.
The President announced the committee to consist of Colonel Reynolds, Generals Belknap, M. F. Force, Scribner, and McArthur.
General Rogers desired to announce the death of Lieutenant- Colonel J. J. Jones, Forty-Sixth Illinois Infantry.
And, on motion of General Rogers,
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to draft resolutions for the consideration of the Society, as expressive of I7
1
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its feelings upon learning of the death of the lamented Lieuten- ant-Colonel John J. Jones, Forty-Sixth Infantry.
The President announced the committee to consist of the following gentlemen :
Generals Rogers, Gersham, and Corse.
Colonel Stone announced the death of General Charles Mathies, and on his motion it was
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to draft, for the action of the Society, resolutions of condolence for the friends of General Mathies.
The President announced the committee to be as follows : Colonel J. C. Stone, Colonel J. M. Hedrick, and General E. W. Rice.
There being no other committees to appoint, the President announced that in accordance with the by-laws of the Society, the next in order of business was the "receiving of reports." The Secretary desired to file his annual report, and was requested by the President to read it. The report is as follows :
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, December 1, 1868.
. MAJOR-GENERAL JOIIN A. RAWLINS,
President Society Army of the Tennessec :
GENERAL; - Article third of the by-laws of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, requires of me, as Recording Secretary of the Society, to render at this annual meeting of the Society a report. Before entering upon that report, I wish to state that article first of the by-laws of the Society fixes the annual dues of the members at one ($1) dollar each.
By resolution of the Society, passed at its annual meeting held in Cin- cinnati in 1866, it devolved upon the Corresponding Secretary to request of each member a contribution of five ($5) dollars for the purpose of creating a permanent fund for the use of the Society.
In accordance with these provisions for raising money, I now present the following : Since my last annual report there has been paid me by members, in compliance with article first, namely : For dues, two hund- red and seventy-six ($276) dollars; and in response to the resolution
-
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cited, as passed at the annual meeting of 1866, and received since my last annual report, five hundred and fifty-five ($555) dollars, making paid me for dues and permanent fund, a total of eight hundred and thirty-one ($831) dollars, which I have, in compliance with the by-laws, passed over to the Treasurer, General Force, and herewith inclose his receipts.
This money was nearly all received during the session of the last annual meeting, and after my report for the previous year had been made.
I wish further to state that the Corresponding Secretary has notified the officers who served in the Army of the Tennessee, of this provision of the Society, for raising funds needed to carry out its intentions, by circulating the annual report of the proceedings of the Society, at its annual meeting of 1866, prepared by the Secretary, and ordered published by the Society, fifteen hundred (1,500) copies of which were sent by mail to the known address of members.
Further notification was given the members as follows : I arranged the proceedings of the last annual meeting for publication, and had a thou- sand copies struck off. These were forwarded to the members by the Corresponding Secretary.
All money for the Society is payable to the Recording Secretary, which necessitates his keeping an individual account with each member. Con- sidering it my duty, both to the Society and to members, to keep them informed of their financial standing with the Society, I prepared a circu- lar, making a statement of their accounts in accordance with the provis- ions of the Society, and which reads as follows :
SOCIETY OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, - ST. LOUIS, MO., Fune 1, 1868.
SIR :
Your attention is invited to those parts of the constitution and by-laws that fix the membership, and specify the authorized assessments and dues of the Society.
The Secretary's books show that you are indebted to the Society in conformity thereto :
For assessment,
$ For dnes, - $
Please make an early remittance to the Secretary, to whom all moneys for the Society are payable.
L. M. DAYTON, Secretary.
These circulars were also forwarded to members by the Corresponding Secretary at the same time that he sent the report.
I have been thus particular in making my report, in order that you and the members of the Society may know that no effort has been spared to
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give the proper information to them, that they might know the require- ments of the Society.
The circulars mentioned were sent to members in June last, but up to this time only twelve (12) persons have responded. This will show to you all that it is evident the action of the Society thus far to provide its treasury, has not been adequate, and that some further action is abso- lutely needed, which fact is more specially shown by the Treasurer in his report. I therefore respectfully recommend this subject to the considera- tion of the finance committee, and the Society, at this meeting.
At our last annual meeting, held in St. Louis, no resolution was passed by the Society to provide for the publication and distribution of the pro- ccedings, but at the suggestion of some of the members, that it was an oversight, I undertook the task, and succeeded as you know. The expenses were paid by funds secured by the local committee of arrange- inents of that meeting, and the treasury of the Society was not called on for any money.
I would further suggest that some definite action of the Society be taken in regard to the carrying out of a provision of the constitution that contemplates the preservation of the record of its members, especially of those who are lost to us by death. Though it has not been regularly so reported, it is known that several have died since our Society has been organized. Time is fast obliterating from our memories many interesting features of their service and character, and we ought, without further delay, to give this subject our attention. I am, with respect,
Your obedient servant, L. M. DAYTON, Lieutenant-Colonel U. S. A., Secretary Society of the Army of the Tennessce.
On motion of Colonel Reynolds-
Resolved, That the annual report of the Secretary, as just read, be accepted.
The Treasurer asked permission to file his annual report, in accordance with the by-laws, and by request of the President, read it to the Society. The report is as follows :
TREASURER'S REPORT.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, December 15, IS68.
At the last annual report the balance remaining in the permanent fund was one hundred and sixty-four dollars ($164.) Since then the Record- ing Secretary has paid in five hundred and fifty-five dollars ($555), and
-
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one coupon on a Government bond has been collected, making, with its premium on gold, twenty dollars and ninety-seven cents ($20.97.) The expenditure has been five hundred and forty dollars ($540), paid in pur- chase of a Government bond for five hundred dollars ($500), on which another coupon will be due January 1, 1869. There remains, with the permanent fund, this Government bond, and one hundred and ninety-nine dollars and ninety-seven cents ($199.97) in cash.
At the last meeting the balance in the general fund was twenty-one dollars ($21). Since that time two hundred and seventy-seven dollars ($277) have been received. From this fund has been paid out, on the warrant of the President of the Society, two hundred and twenty dollars and seventy-six cents ($220.76), leaving a balance of seventy-seven dollars and twenty-four cents ($77.24) remaining.
In 1866, by resolution of the Society, three hundred and forty dollars were appropriated from the permanent fund toward payment of the current expenses of the Society. I respectfully recommend that the balance now in the general fund, and future receipts therein, till the amount equals three hundred and forty dollars ($340,) be transferred to the permanent fund.
I took the responsibility of investing the money of the permanent fund, as soon as enough was received, in a Government bond. I respectfully recommend that the Treasurer be authorized from time to time to make such investments when there is sufficient money on hand.
It was determined, on the organization of the Society, to create a per- manent fund, the interest of which would be enough to meet the incidental expenses, other than the supper, of the annual meetings. For this pur- pose at least ten thousand dollars should be raised. We can not always look to generous citizens to meet these expenses for us. Enthusiasm is a sentiment of too high pressure to be permanent. I respectfully suggest that some immediate steps be taken to carry out this important policy of the Society.
M. F. FORCE,
Treasurer of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee.
On motion of General B. F. Potts,
Resolved, That the report of the Treasurer, as just read by himself, be accepted.
Colonel Reynolds, chairman of the committee appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the feelings of the Society on learning of the death of General Fairchild, asked leave, which was granted, to file their report, which is as follows :
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Resolved, That in the death of General Cassius Fairchild, of the Army of the Tennessee, of wounds received in battle, his wife has lost a tender husband, his family an affectionate brother, his country an earnest patriot and gallant soldier, and we, his fellows, a noble and generous comrade.
Resolved, That we tender to his stricken bride and bereaved relatives, a soldier's sympathy, asking them to accept with us the consolation we find in this sorrow, in the knowledge that his name is on the roll of those who were not born to die.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to the widow, and each of the brothers and sisters of the deceased.
[Signed by the Committee.]
On motion of General Force,
Resolved, That the report as filed by the above committee be adopted.
General Leggett, chairman of the committee appointed for the nomination of officers for the Society, asked leave to file their report, which was granted, and reads as follows :
CHICAGO, ILL., December 15, 1868.
The committee appointed to nominate officers for the Society of the Army of the Tennessee for the ensuing year, submit, as . their report, the following nominations :
For President : Major-General John A. Rawlins, U. S. A. For Vice-Presidents :
Major-General John A. Logan, Major-General G. M. Dodge, Brevet Major-General B. F. Potts, Brevet Major-General W. Q. Gresham, Brigadier-General T. C. Fletcher, Brigadier-General N. Rusk.
Army of the Tennessee. 263
For Recording Secretary : Lieutenant-Colonel L. M. Dayton, U. S. A.
For Corresponding Secretary : Brevet Brigadier-General A. Hickenlooper.
For Treasurer : Brevet Major-General M. F. Force.
[Signed by the Committee.]
On motion of General Fuller, Resolved, That the report, as read, be adopted. On motion of General Leggett,
Resolved, That the rules of business proceeding be suspended, for the purpose of taking up the election of officers for the Society for the ensuing year.
On motion of General W. W. Belknap,
Resolved, That the persons presented by the Committee on Nomination of Officers are unanimously elected to the positions recommended, and are duly authorized to act respectively and accordingly as officers of the Society.
The President pro tem. announced, that by the resolution just . passed, the officers elected for the ensuing year, to be
Major-General John A. Rawlins, U. S. A., President. Major-General John A. Logan, First Vice-President. Major-General G. M. Dodge, Second Vice-President. Brevet Major-General B. F. Potts, Third Vice-President. Brevet Major-General W. Q. Gresham, Fourth Vice-President. Brigadier-General T. C. Fletcher, Fifth Vice-President. Brigadier-General N. Rusk, Sixth Vice-President. Lieutenant-Colonel L. M. Dayton, U. S. A., Rec. Secretary. Brevet Brigadier-General A. Hickenlooper, Cor. Secretary. Brevet Major-General M. F. Force, Treasurer.
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