Ladies and gentlemen of the city of Cleveland, all I can say to you for myself, and I believe I speak for all members of the Army of the Tennessee, is that our reunion in this city of Cleveland and all that has occurred since we have been here, has been so pleasant to us, that the recollection of our reunion in this good city beside the lake will be something that will dwell as a pleasant recollection forever in the inner halls of our memory. General Force was next called upon and responded as follows: MR. PRESIDENT AND LADIES and GENTLEMEN: If I understand the warning of our President, it is to come forward and say nothing. I have come forward and will say as nearly nothing as may be consistent with the invitation. I will say but one thing, and that is how pleasant it is to be here, and to thank those to whom we owe it. If so many of us are growing old, our heads are growing gray and bald, yet when we take each other by the hands we shake off twenty years and are young again. When we meet in this way we are carried back to those four years of army life. We have to thank the resident members for what they have done to make this meeting so pleasant, and we have to thank the people of Cleveland for the reception they have given us. We have marched through most of the states in the Union, and have met with warm receptions, but we have never found a more beautiful camp than this beautiful city; we have never met a warmer reeeption than we have met here. The President then thanked the members and audience generally for their kind attention to the exercises, and declared the meeting adjourned. TABERNACLE, October 18, 1883. The President called the meeting to order at 10:30 A. M., and requested the committees as appointed yesterday to make report, if ready. General Belknap presented the following: "CLEVELAND, October 18, 1883. The committee on nomination of officers present the following names for the consideration of the Society: Resolved, That the report of the committee be received and the recommendation adopted. General Noyes presented his report as follows: CLEVELAND, October 18, 1883. The committee to whom was referred the duty of determining the time and place of the next meeting of the Society, having considered the subject, and also having taken into consideration the report and recommendations of the committee heretofore appointed to report upon the practicability of holding a meeting at the Yellowstone National Park, beg leave to report that the time for holding the next meeting he the 15th and 16th of August, 1SS4, and the place be Lake Minetonka, Minn., with headquarters at Hotel LaFayette; that after the usual business meeting of the Society, the arrangements include an excursion to the National Park of the Yellowstone, and that, for the perfection of all the arrangements for such excursion, the committee heretofore appointed on the subject of holding a meeting at the National Yellowstone Park, be continued with full powers to arrange for such excursion on the general plan proposed by that committee, provided they may find a sufficient number who desire to go. ED. F. NOYES, Surgeon Beach moved that the report of the committee be received and adopted. General Hickenlooper said, for the purpose of getting at the sense of the Society upon the propriety of the date fixed for next meeting, I move to amend so that 1884 be stricken from the report, and 1885 substituted. My reason for doing this is that it is crowding the limit in bringing the meeting within a year. The motion of General Hickenlooper was put and declared lost. The report still being before the Society, discussion ensued, and Lieutenant Tuthill said, "I believe that this meeting, at Yellowstone Park, could be had at a very small expense to the individual members of the Society, if proper effort is made in that direction. It seems to me that a railroad built by the National Government, which National Government owes its existence largely to the Army of the Tennessee, ought to be willing to take a few old soldiers that belong to this Society to the Park without a very great expense, and I believe, sir, that if a proper effort is made in that direction, almost a free trip could be had by the members of this Society and such members of their families as they might desire to go. With that purpose in view, I make a motion that to the committee already appointed, there be added General John A. Logan and General John B. Raymond, both members of this Society, and that they use all proper efforts to secure to the members of the Association free transportation from Minneapolis to Yellowstone Park." General Sanborn said: "I wish to return thanks to the commit. tee for selecting my state as the place of next meeting. I desire to say that there is no state in the Union which holds the Army of the Tennessee in higher estimation, and where more cordiality will be extended. I move that the report of the committee be adopted. Motion not in order. General W. W. Belknap: As I understand this report, it contemplates a meeting at Lake Minnetonka, and after that meeting is over an excursion to Yellowstone Park. If that is so, I am opposed to it. If we are to meet at Lake Minnetonka, let us meet there and dispose of the whole subject. If we are to meet at Yellowstone Park let us meet there. If this resolution is adopted, two hundred men will meet at Lake Minnetonka and fifteen or twenty will go to Yellowstone Park. I am in favor of meeting at Yellowstone Park, and not stopping at some way place-which, I admit, is a fine locality-and have a few stragglers go on to the Park. Lieutenant Andreas said: Mr. President, the committee that will be in charge at Lake Minnetonka will know what the expense will be, and can ascertain also how many of the Society will go, and whether a sufficient number will go to be enabled to secure a reduction. The railroad fare to Yellowstone Park, as I happen to know, is one of the smallest expenses to be incurred. Four miles from the railroad is the mammoth springs, which is just the opening of the park, after which there is probably about one hundred and fifty miles by wagon or horseback, and perhaps six or eight days to spend to make the tour, and it is of no use whatever to visit the Park unless you make the tour. Now that expense, imagine even if we get transportation free, cannot be less than $200, and I think will not be less than $400. The committee can find that out before the meeting at Lake Minnetonka, and can then be decided. Surgeon Beach: I do not wish to occupy the time of the Society. You do not seem to understand the people of the northwest as I do. Last year twelve hundred delegates met at St. Paul as delegates to the American Medical Association. Free transportation was allowed to every one of these delegates, their wives and daughters over every road in the north-west. Lieutenant Tuthill withdrew his motion of amendment. The question recurring on the original motion of adoption of the report, the President put the motion and by the vote declared the report adopted. The President stated that Lieutenant Tuthill renewed his motion to add General Logan and Captain Raymond to the Yellowstone Park Excursion Committee. General Logan said: Mr. President, I desire to say to the Society that I do not think it would be any advantage to add my name to the committee. I am not acquainted with these railroad men, and probably would not do so well as others. I can suggest a name and would be glad if the mover would accept it. I refer to General Sanborn. He lives in that region. The suggestion of General Logan for now naming General Sanborn as one of the committee was decided out of order, he being a member of the committee originally. General John W. Sprague and General Joseph Stockton were suggested as additions to the committee, and the President, including their names, put the motion, and it was adopted. General Strong reported as follows: "CLEVELAND, October 18, 1883. SOCIETY OF W. E. STRONG, Chairman." At the mention of General Grant's name there was a greeting of a storm of applause and cheers. General Strong stated that General Grant had been informed by telegram of the selection, but no reply had, as yet, been received. General Sherman said he was quite sure General Grant would accept; that he had intimated to him he had something he wished to say to the Society. The report of the committee was adopted by acclamation. On motion of General Chetlain: Resolved, That Mrs. Eldridge, widow of General H. N. Eldridge, be elected an honorary member of the Society. General Williamson offered the following resolutions, which were read by the Corresponding Secretary: Resolved, That hereafter the Society make its annual reunions. |