":'5^ CopV REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT-GENERAL •TO THE' 25TH NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT, (SILVER ANNIVERSARY.) ^ G. A. R.,^ Detroit, Michigan, August 5, 1891 RUTLAND, VT. : 'J'he Tuttle Company, Printers. 1891. ' ■■— mimiBiii Jfti-d*. REPORT ADJUTANT-GENERAL Twenty-Fifth National Encampment. (SILVER ANNIVERSARY,) G. A. R. DETROIT, MICH., AUGUST 5, 1891, RUTLAND : The Tuttle Company, Printers. 1891. H 9 1908 D. of D, Report of the Adjutant General. Headquarters Grand Army of the Republic, Adjutant-General's Office, Rutland, August /, iSpr. Wheelock G. Veazey, Commander-in-Chief, G. A. R. Comrade : I have the honor to submit the following re- port ot the Adjutant General's Department, Grand Army of the Republic, for the year of your administration, as follows: When you assumed command at Boston, August 14, 1890, there were borne upon the rolls of the order, 44 Departments with 7185 Posts and 397,94' Comrades in good standing. The consolidated Report of the Adjutant General for the period ending June 30, 1891, as far as the returns have been received, not all yet being in, shows in good standing: 45 Departments with 7,409 Posts and 398,067 Comrades in good standing. The sum expended in charity as reported for the year end- ing June 30, 1890, was $217,957.54, relieving 21,634 per- sons; for the year ending June 30, 1891, $333,69985- The total number of deaths reported for the year ending June 30, 1890, was 5479, for the year ending June 30, 1891, was 5530. The following tables give detailed summaries of the re- ports for the successive quarters as specified therein, up to the 31st of December, 1890, when the semi-annual system took effect, the period ending June 30, 1891, being the first one so reported. M 1^ "* • "O « O 00 ro I N t> m O ^O fO lo lo O hH r^ M fO O • "O M u-i '^^ lO • ^0 ) H^ VOOO r- a- o 00 ■*'«*■ M o w ■* ( Qi tv 0> U-) O *-■ • MD r^ w o w 10 t^O O^Q t^O O 1 f>. M vo h* rn M r^ ro^ ^ » TOO in F- \o o cs ■* ■^ «nvo oo fo o O VO M rooo *0 -^w roin-^t-^O'"-^ -^ -^ ^.00 ( - - - - ^ - - - o^ c> t^ c^ m -^ -^ Tj-vo M VO w" lo o'oo in i-T o ( fO O 00 ^ "^ '^.00 M M « w MOO or^t-^« a-ioM mo m— t^> 'N -^O MOO (^M CO 0\0 M O « O N O^V( iiOr--.M QVO M M t^MOO o o-co « o^o » iNOoot-T coinrC oaiiHrnm«f^* 000 N t^i^O^O -^o^t^O^ t>*o rot^.t-NO'O i^M to t^oo VO t^vo mmrno -^roN m-^roovo mow o^f . O vO t^ « o* ►■ O (N M moo fOMVo o -^r^t^m > O M W 00 trj f ,3- - in' >- O I m tN VO ro r-.oo I > mvo 00 M CO VO M -^vo VO ■ (^ r* o>oo o-'f-O o «m-i-t^Moo m ^r^ .--_.__ . ._-. -CiOOCOMr^O^ -^oo o ovvo o -^ N w vc I 4 vD 1-"^ rnvo o VO ■^ ro M o t^vo m m r^ fovo >-' t^ m p) cvo o w m rn mvo r>. ts. 0»»0 VO M \o t>.oo mvc ^^ IT) w M I-* ■ ro ovoo ro t^ M 00 o >*■ oo o^O fomc>int~>.o t^o^no ooo '-'«Ttoooovot^WMMC>ooooo cmd "*covoowo>wcoONinO mcncowoo\i:'m'-m'-voM-^M^t^Tj-a>^ " ~ " 1 r^ (N vo CO OOOW'^-^'^fn'^ '^P^^^'^, ^"^ f^oo "^ f^^ ►^ O VO ro t--. "tj VO t-tvowvo eiM Mio ooo^'-'OvcrcNCrt^O coiotC <>vo »- VO o^vo t>»00 ^ \ OOOhvl^MOO o^ w r^oo m M O 00 ro "-" 00 O ■'TV^ 00 VO ' oo C "^ r: --, C <<< rt o o UwCJ J o o J ci3 rt 4J ^ o ^•2 by^o PTD c2. a ■ rt 6 « S"^ °ii;jiij:sSSS22S2:;j?;Z2;:z;ooc,ii,a;HH;:'> 5 RECAPITULATION. Members iu good standing June 30, 1890 397,941 Gain by Muster 31,373 Gain by Transfer 17,307 Gain by Reinstatement 13,446 Gain from Delinquent Reports 13,745 Total gain 07,871 Aggegrate 465,813 Loss by Death 5,530 Loss by Honorable Discharge 1,849 Loss by Transfer 8,858 Loss by Suspension 30,496 Loss by Dishonorable Discharge 362 Loss by Delinquent Reports 20,750 Total Loss 67,745 Members in good standing June 30, 1891 398,067 Members remaining suspended 13,711 Members by Delinquent Reports 29,399 Total in Suspension 43,101 Total Members borne on Rolls June 30, 1891 440,168 Adding to this those out on transfer 4,139 who are, of course, still members of the Order, gives a Total Membership of 444,307 This is the membership appearing in the reports as ren- dered, but it is not the full membership by reason of the fact that the Reports for the six months ending June 30th, are not yet all received. It is expected that they will, however be received in time for correction of these tables in the printed Journal of the Encampment. 6 The Order showed a steady, healthy growth and increase up to and including December 31, 1890, the net gains to that time for the two remaining quarters of 1890 being 11,548 members. The returns for the period received at the time of print- ing this report for June 30, 1891, exhibit an apparent net loss of 11,422, which is manifestly not a correct showing. Indeed, it is known that there has been a large gain, but the time has been too limited to get the reports from all Posts since the close of the semi-annual period. The result of the working of the semi-annual system of reports adopted at Boston at the 24th National Encampment and going into effect December, 31st, 1890, has thus far in my judgment been demoralizing and has not in any way re- sulted in good to the order. The advantage claimed for it was the lessening of the number of reports to be made. This in practice has not yet proved an advantage. The very fact of reporting once in three months keeps up the interest on the part of officers reporting, while the small sums required as per capita dues quarterly are very much more easily paid than are the semi-annual payments whichof course are double in amount. The disadvantage of not having the March reports for reference is felt by the present administration with peculiar force, as so much pressure has been brought to bear to get in the reports to June 30th for publication for this encampment, held ten days earlier than the 24th and about four weeks earlier than the 23d, that they are not in many cases probably a cor- rect index of the true condition of the Posts and Departments. MUSTERED OUT BY DEATH. The number of deaths during the year just closed were as follows: Quarter ending September 30tli, 1890 1341 " December 31st, 1890 1485 " June 30tb, 1890. 2304 Total Number 5530 This is the number as reported, the actual number being doubtless much greater. EXPENDED IN CHARITY. Year ending December 31, 1890 $335,791.31 In the six months ending June 30, 91 224,806.08 $550,057.39 For the year ending June 30, 1891 333,699.85 From July 1, 1871 to July, 1, 1891 $3,231,234.40 TABLE OF PROGRESSION Showing THE MKMBEnstiip i;^ Qodd S['.v>TDt.vo of Tura 'Gr.vnd A.uMif«^ THE Republic, during Each Quarter in the Last Fourteen Years. QUARTERLY REPORTS. ist quarter, March 31 . ad quarter, June 30 3d quarter, September 3S 4th quarter, December 31 Total gains each year . . 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. i88r. 1882. 25,446 22,617 25,749 27,179 26,902 28,274 28,715 31,016 37,777 35,961 38,664 44,752 49,099 55,260 59,^53 60,634 15,882 61,847 70,726 77,203 85,856 25,222 88,965 106,096 "9-354 134,701 a 80 3.837 13,736 48,845 1333. 146,183 178,811 199-447 215,446 8o,74S QUARTERLY REPORTS. ist quarter, March 31 2d quarter, J une 30 3d quarter, September 30. 4th quarter, December 31. Total gains each year. , 233,595 256,258 274,323 273,168 57,772 269,694 275,623 284,351 294,787 21,619 1887. 295,337 320,936 299,891 336,540 308,838 341,213 323,571 I 355,gi6 28,784 32,345 354,216 361,194 362,857 372,960 17,044 375-534 382,598 385,546 397,974 25,014 392,893 397,620 400,554 409,489 11,515 Note.— For thesi.K years prior to 1837, the membership of the Grand Army of the Re- public was almost at a standstill, comprising on the average less than 26,000 Comrades for each year. NEW DEPARTMENTS. The Department of Indian Territory and Oklahoma, upon request of the Posts therein, was divided by the Com- mander-in-Chief by Special Orders No. 10, dated Headquar- ters G. A. R., Adjutant-General's Office, Rutland, Vt., June 22d, 1891, into the Department of Oklahoma and the Pro- visional Department of Indian Territory, the same to take effect July ist, 1891, and Comrade E. Calkins of So. McAles- ter, I. T., was appointed Provisional Commander of said Pro- visional Department. At a meeting of the Posts of said Pro- visional Department duly ordered and held at So. McAlester, I. T. , July 3d, 1 89 1, a permanent departmental organization was effected and Comrade Edward Calkins was elected De- partment Commander. SUGGESTIONS AS TO POST OFFICERS. The Adjutants and Quartermasters of Posts should be the best men possible to be obtained, fitness and ability to be the standard. Once broken in and doing well they should remain year after year. The Sergeant-Major and Quartermas- ter Sergeant respectively should be in training by assisting the Adjutant and Quartermaster, so as to succeed to the offices if capable, or serve in the absence of either. The delin- quencies from which the whole Order suffers and which cut such a figure in the periodical statements and returns can almost invariably be traced to the failure on the part of Post Quartermasters to collect the dues each and every period, while the amount is small and easily paid by almost every Comrade. Once allowed to pass it is soon impossible to col- lect what has become a comparatively large sum, and the worthy Comrade who never intended to forfeit his membership is dropped for non-payment of dues and lost to the Order. DEPARTMENTS. Departments do the best which have fixed Headquarters and the same Assistant Adjutant-General for a term of years. The responsibility of the condition of a Department rests largely on this officer. The growth and stability of the Order would be greatly promoted by permanent location of the office and longer tenure of the officer. Many large De- partments have adopted this policy and it will help the smaller ones even more in proportion. The Adjutant-Gen- eral's office and that of each Assis^tant Adjutant-General should be fixed like that of the Post Adjutant if the best results are to be obtained. 9 It may be out of place in a mere summary of official work, but permit me to state that in some Departments, the change in location of Assistant Adjutant-General and the resumption of business and communication with this office took about four weeks. This occurring- all along from January to May causes gaps in correspondence hard to fill and suspen- sion of the receipt of orders from the Commander-in-Chief by the Posts, no matter how vital or important they may be, and works harm of all sorts. This Order is not at its summit in point of members if some of the evils I have hinted at are remedied. It can and should be made to reach a membership of 600,000 or 700,000, but this must be done within five years if ever. I believe with work and proper organization it is quite possible, there being over 1,200,000 old soldiers now living. The Department Encampments being held in so many different months from January to May makes the work and care much greater at Headquarters than if these Encamp- ments were held say, all within two months and the changes incident thereto occurring at about the same time. OFFICE WORK. Orders and circulars issued 43 Copies distributed, iucluding Decatur, Detroit and War Department matter sent these Headquarters for circulation, about 650,000 Letters received and sent, including mimeograph circulai's 11.000 Commissions issued 800 Special Orders issued 20 The labor attending the administration of the Adjutant- General's office cannot be expressed by giving the number of letters received or answered or the number of pieces of mail matter handled. From one cause or another, notably the death of a large number of our distinguished Comrades and other special matters voted and entailed upon us by preced- ing Encampments, the number of orders has increased, and as you held that all members of the National Encampment were entitled to receive a copy of all publications direct from this office, the number of each issue has also been somewhat increased over that of former years. This matter if properly- distributed by all the Departments and carefully read by Post officers to the Comrades cannot but have made some im- pression for good upon them. I am led to believe, however, that in some Departments and many Posts, more or less negligence attends the distribution of matter from Head- quarters. It is needless to say it is prepared with some care and cost and should be promptly sent so as to reach in the end all the Comrades so they will know that this office is doing effectually the work for which it is maintained. Needless expense sometimes results from hasty legisla- lation. For instance, two years ago a new Ritual was voted. The next year the old Ritual was restored. This cost the Order in round numbers about three thousand dollars. The legitimate needs of the Order are many and must be wisely and fully met for its highest success. The suggestion has come from many sources that the Order should soon be- gin to provide a sinking fund to meet the emergencies of old age with its diminishing membership and dues. This is wor- thy of consideration. The migratory character of this office is necessarily fatal to any permanent accumulation of valuable books of reference, etc. I have, however, the present year secured a full set of the Volunteer Army Register, giving the muster-out roll of the commissioned officers of every Volunteer Regiment serving during the war of the Rebellion and have had them bound for preservation. I have also secured and had bound nearly all the Journals of the Department Encamp- ments for 1888, 1889 and 1890, and have many of the paper copies of 1 89 1. It has required not a little correspondence to effect this, and from several Departments no copies of their General Orders or other printed matter were received here until after repeated requests. By direction of the Executive Committee I have arranged all the matter coming into my hands with a view to its being more easily transported, boxing each year's papers separately and labeling and numbering the boxes so that those not needed daily may be stored. I have also exchanged an old desk and typewriter for a new one upon very advantageous terms ; have also purchased a mimeograph which has saved more than its cost in printing, and also enables the office to issue circular letters, etc., that it is sometimes not desirable to print. ROLL OF ENCAMPMENT. The Twenty-Fifth National Encampment will be com- posed as follows : National Officers --._..-___-__ lo Members of the Council of Administration _ _ 43 Past National Officers .....-_..... 39 Department Officers . _ _ _ 176 Past Department Commanders .. _ _ _ _ _ - 386 Representatives at large and apportioned- _ 451 Total ....---..., ..... 1,105 Note.— Vacancy— Oklahoma to be filled and this Encampment will elect the first mem- ber ot the National Council of Administration for the Department of Indian Territory, when there will be forty-five. In this list all deceased members are noted and the date of decease of all Past National Officers given. As above intimated the short time intervening between the close of the semi-annual period, June 30th, and this En- campment, renders it a work of great difficulty, practically impossible, to arrive at any exact knowledge of the true con- dition of the Order. Posts take a few days, sometimes weeks, and the Department officers must verify and consolidate the returns, taking at least a few days more, then the Adjutant General has to codify and print, so that as I have said the time is too short in which to accomplish what the Encamp- ment has a right to expect. I would therefore suggest as one recommendation that the National Encampment be held not earlier than the 20th of August to enable this work to be more perfectly done. But during this official year we have had other means of information than the periodical reports of Posts and Depart- ment officers, as called for by the Rules and Regulations. Early in your administration an order was prepared calling for monthly reports from all Aides appointed upon the staff, and specifying methods for the observations desired to be made by them. That feature has given these Headquarters a large amount of valuable information, grievances have "been remedied, faults corrected, uniformity in work aided, weak Posts encouraged and a great amount of good done. Many of these staff officers have shown themselves indus- trious and zealous Comrades, willing to work for the Order and its interests, and these reports, coming as they have from all Departments, large and small, and being largely unbi- ased and impartial, as they were confidential in nature, have led me to believe that the Order is in a very vigorous state and may easily continue to be so if its members continue look- ing to the front and moving on in harmony. Through the same media also we have been made aware of the great extent and enthusiasm attending the observance of the 25th anniversary of the founding of this Order and also of Memorial Day. Many of the former were very large in point of numbers attending, only limited by the capacity of the largest halls and churches in the country, and the exer- cises as reported fully rose to the dignity of the occasion. Your suggestion as to historical statements was heeded and a large amount of valuable matter has thereby been rescued from oblivion and will be preserved for others j^et to come after us. The effect of the two anniversaries so closely following each other has been to put the whole people in very much closer touch with the Order, in my judgment, than ever before. At your suggestion I also procured and sent each Post a fac- siimlc copy of the original Charter given the first Post by Comrade Stephenson, and I believe I am justified in saying that no Order has a more striking relic of the period of its formation. 13 DECISIONS. The following decisions, based upon opinions of the udge Advocate-General, have been made the current year, viz: — I. Plurality of Departments. Under present regulations, several Departments cannot be formed having jurisdiction over the same State or Territory. II. Honorable discharge removes the apparent stain of re- ported desertion. III. Department Council of Administration may, for suf- ficient cause, change the place designated for the meeting of the next Department Encampment. IV. Department Commander may establish new Posts, in his discretion. Adjoining Posts cannot question his exer- cise of this discretion. V. Members of companies called into service by U. S. General Ofificers, on emergency, and dismissed when the emergency has passed, are not eligible. VI. On Memorial Day, a Post may, in its discretion, halt on its way to or from a cemetery and attend a flag-raising or other ceremony of patriotic character. VII. Honorable discharge removes the apparent stain of desertion. VIII. Member of State Regiment is eligible, if the or- ganization was called into active service and subject to or- ders of any U. S. General Officer. IX. Compulsory muster into the Confederate army will not, alone, render one ineligible, if, before having performed mil- itary service of any kind, he escaped and joined the Union Army. But military service of any kind as a Confederate soldier, though compulsory, will disqualify. X. A Past Post Commander, removing to another Depart- ment and joining Post there by transfer card, on removing back to his former Department and again joining Post there 14 by transfer card, retaining at all times good standing in the order, does not lose his honors as Past Post Commander. XI. A Chaplain, duly commissioned and serving with his regiment, but never mustered into nor discharged from the U. vS. service, is not eligible. XII. Members of companies called into service by U. S. General Oflficers on emergency, and dismissed when the emergency has passed, are not eligible. XIII. Reinstatement of one dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues, must, under the amended Regulation, be by ballot election, as in case of a recruit. XIV. If a Comrade, on transfer card, is fully admitted by a Post without payment of admission fee, he becomes a member of the Post, and his name cannot be stricken from its rolls because of such omission. XV. Election by single ballot of several persons for various offices. The ballots must designate for what ofhce each per- son is voted for. XVI. The Executive Committee, during the recess, prop- erly exercises all the power of the National Council of Ad- ministration. XVII. The Department of Kentucky was in a disorgan- ized condition from 1874 to 1878; and a Comrade who in this interim made slight but futile attempts to organize it, with himself as Department Commander, is not entitled to rank as Past Department Commander. XVIII. One dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues ceases to be a member of the order. To be reinstated he must, under the amended Regulation, pay the arrear- ages due his former Post ; and be elected and pay admis- sion fee as a recruit. But the admission fee is for the ben- efit of the Post; and if it admits him on payment of ^a less fee, the admission is valid. XIX, One dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues is outside the order. If he applies for reinstatement, pays arrearages and admission fee, and is elected, he must IS present himself for obligation and muster within three months after notice of his election. Decision 24, Blue Book, Ed. 1891, page 76, 21-4, is overruled. XX. A Chaplain duly commissioned and serving with his regiment, but never mustered into nor discharged from the U. S. service, is not eligible. XXI. Sentence by court martial may be remitted by the Commander-in-Chief, on application, approved by interme- diate authorities. XXII. A Lieutenant of the U. S. Revenue Marine ser- vice is not eligible. The Regulation as to Eligibility admits of no constructive or equivalent service. XXIII. Department Encampment may rescind vote en- titling Past Post Commanders to seats. XXIV. A Hospital Nurse is not eligible. XXV. I. — While the Commander-in-Chief will not, upon appeal, review the evidence, or revise the Sentence of a De- partment Court-Martial, he will examine its proceedings so far as to ascertain whether they are legal or void, and if void will annul them. 2. — A charge is futile, unless sustained by the facts and circumstances set forth in the specifications. In reference to the matter of the return of the flag of the 75th Ohio Infantry, which was left in the hands of the Adju- tant General to look after, I have corresponded through the Comrades at New Orleans with Mrs. Gen'l. H. T. Hays, who has had possession of the flag ever since it was captured at Gettysburg, and it has finally been turned over to Comrade Graham, Aid-de-Camp upon the staff of the Commander-in- Chief to be brought to Detroit and delivered to the repre- sentatives of the regiment alluded to. i6 The Headquarters flag, which has been in use so many years, having been substantially worn out in the service, a new flag has been procured, pursuant to vote of the National Council, which is m-ede in conformity with the regulations now existing, and will be used for the first time at the Silver Anniversary Encampment at Detroit. Many Posts of the coimtry are engaged in procuring a biographical sketch of each of their respective Comrades. Such sketches will be a valuable acquisition, and the example which some Posts have set in this regard should become the rule throughout the Order. To the Department officers, especially my brethren of the Adjutant General's Department, I wish to make the fullest acknowledgment for countless courtesies extended and for overlooking all faults of this office, but too well realized by me, though sometimes unavoidable. Few others can conceive of the Order as it is, or as it might be made to be, but to you, Comrades, one and all, I tender my sincere thanks for the great assistance you have rendered me in the discharge of my official duty. Quartermaster General John Taylor, with whom I have have been in almost daily communication, I have ever found alive to the needs of the Order. Judge Advocate General Lochren and Inspector General Burst have been prompt and ready in matters referred to them by this office. To you, Commander-in-Chief, with whom it has been my privilege to serve as Adjutant, as Asst. Adjutant General, as well as in this office, I can only say that each recurring period of service has made me the more sensible of the honor conferred upon me and of your high qualities as a Comman- der Comrade and friend. In F. C. and L., Adjutant- General. 9r- 1 TRRARV OF CONGRESS ■m 012 027 231 7 \ UBRARY OF CONGRESS