awaiting me the kind invitation of your committee for myself and the officers of the "Perry," to attend the reunion of your well-known society. I regret to say that, in consequence of this vessel's going out of commission October 1st, we will be unable to attend; but as we have all served during the last war, we have a strong fellow-feeling for your Society and the “cause.” Please accept our thanks for your kind invitation, and our best wishes for your success. Very respectfully yours, D. C. CONSTABLE, Captain. CINCINNATI, October 3, 1883. CAPTAIN JOSIAH Barber, Secretary Executive Committee, etc., Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR CAPTAIN:—I am much obliged to you for the invitation to attend the sixteenth reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, in your city. It would give me much pleasure to be present on that occasion, but pressing duties, connected with the fifteenth reunion of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, in this city, on the 24th and 25th inst., will prevent my being absent from here at the time of your meeting. I wish you great success. course you will have a grand time. Thanks for the invitation. Of I am, Captain, CAPTAIN JOSIAH BARBER, Yours very truly, ROBERT HUNTER. PADUCAH, KENTUCKY, September 17, 1883. Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR SIR: I thank you for the invitation you sent me to attend the meeting of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee in your city one month from to-day. I regret my inability to accept it this year, but hope I may be more fortunate some day. Hoping sincerely that this will be the most enjoyable of all the pleasant reunions the Society has had since the first, I am. Very respectfully yours, TO GENERAL BARNETT, MRS. S. A. HALL. WASHINGTON, D. C., October 18, 1883. Army of Tennessee meeting, Cleveland: My official duties here prevent my coming to Cleveland, which I exceedingly regret. W. B. HAZEN. NEW TACOMA, WASHINGTON TER., August 10, 1883. DEAR GENERAL:-I am just in receipt of invitation to attend the reunion at Cleveland, the 3d and 4th of October next. The anniversary of the battle of Corinth is a particularly interesting date to me, and I should be glad to be with you, but doubt my being able to do so. If you will have me informed as to the amount of dues and assessments due from me, I will gladly remit. With kind regards and best wishes, I am, Yours truly, J. W. SPRAGUE. GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER, Corresponding Secretary, etc., Cincinnati, O. My address has been at this place for last three years, not Portland, Oregon. CAPTAIN J. Barber, HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF ARIZONA, WHIPPLE BARRACKS, PRESCOTT, September 14, 1883. Chairman Committee on Invitation, Kennard House, Cleveland, Ohio: MY DEAR SIR:-I am in receipt of your courteous invitation to attend the sixteenth reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, on the 17th and 18th of October. While it would afford me much gratification to be present on this occasion, I regret that my duties in this department preclude the possibility of such enjoyment. With heartiest wishes for fullest measures of success in the above and all subsequent reunions, I remain, very truly yours, GEORGE CROOK, Brigadier-General U. S. A. HELENA, MONTANA, August 18, 1883. CAPTAIN JOSIAH BARBER, Secretary Executive Committee Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR SIR:-I have your kind invitation to attend the sixteenth annual reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, to be held at Cleveland, on the 17th and 18th of October next. I had hoped to meet with my old comrades this year, to join in celebrating our glorious victories of the past, which have so fully secured to us and our children one united country, but poor health, the great distance to be traveled over, and limited means forbid. My whole heart will be with you on that occasion, and I send greetings to all who shall be present, and ask for them the best blessings of heaven, which their sacrifices and valor have so richly earned. Truly now, as in time of war, your faithful comrade, WILLIAM F. WHEELER, Late Captain 4th Minn. Vol. Inf. CHICAGO, October 15, 1883. CAPTAIN JOSIAH BARBER, Secretary Executive Committee, etc., Cleveland, Ohio. DEAR CAPTAIN :-I most sincerely regret that a press of business matters here renders it impossible for me to be present at the reunion in your fair city and answer the roll call once again in the Army of the Tennessee. No one there will feel a greater thrill of joy in the grasp of a comrade's hand than I would were it my privilege to be with you. I know you all will have a glorious time, and I will say to you, as did a gifted poetess at one of our reunions: "Then go over the ground to-day, boys, Tread each remembered spot. It will be a gleesome journey On the swift-shod feet of thought. You can fight a bloodless battle, You can skirmish along the route, But it's not worth while to forage, There are rations enough without." Remembering with sadness and regret that this will be the last meeting of our Society at which we will have the pleasure of hailing our grand old chieftain as General of the Army, and praying that Heaven's best blessings may be showered upon him and his during his remaining years, I am, Fraternally yours, WILEY S. SCRIBNER. BELLEVILLE, ILL., September 10, 1883. CAPTAIN JOSIAH Barber, Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR SIR:-I have received the invitation to attend the annual reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee on October 17th and 18th, “anniversary of the battle of Corinth." I respectfully request to be informed whether there is not a mistake about this date. The battle of Corinth was fought October 3rd and 4th, and I should be able to attend on those days, but not on October 17th and 18th. Very respectfully, W. C. KUEFFNER. NEW YORK, October 2, 1883. GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, United States Army, President of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Cleveland, O.: GENERAL:-As I find it impossible to be present at the meeting of the Society to-morrow at Cleveland, I beg that you will do me the honor and favor of again bringing to the attention of the Society the views which I expressed to you in the letters which you submitted at the Indianapolis meeting, respecting the importance of organizing a system of discussion upon incidents of the war in which the Army of the Tennessee participated, in order that the personal experiences and recollections of the members of the Society may be preserved for the elucidation of disputed questions, and in aid of the investigations of future historians of the great epoch during which the Army of the Tennessee was making history under the leadership of its gallant commanders. The Southern Historical Society, and its various affiliated organizations in the South, have set us in this particular a good example. Their papers are multiplying so rapidly, and are covering so generally the field of the war, that no historian will have the hardihood to ignore them, or to treat them merely as ex parte statements. Indeed, the influence of such work on their part upon the history of the war is illustrated and manifested by the third volume (American edition) of the Count de Paris' History of the Civil War, recently issued. I do not wish to be understood as saying that these Southern publications have warped or given undue color to the views of the Count de Paris, but I think their influence upon his mind in modifying, if not indeed in changing his point of view, may be easily traced by any one who reads the third volume critically. For one I do not complain of this intellectual activity on the part of our late opponents, but I do not think it wise that we should allow them to occupy the whole field of historical inquiry. Our army societies afford the organization needed for the conduct of the work which I propose, and I think, if the Army of the Tennessee should enter upon the work under your guidance, that the other army societies would soon appreciate its importance and follow in your footsteps. A committee was appointed at the Indianapolis meeting to take into consideration my proposition, but I cannot learn that it ever reported, although I understood from one of its members that the committee was heartily in favor of its adoption. I fear that a new committee, if appointed, would not find the opportunity to do more than its predecessor. In order, therefore, that a beginning in the work may be made, I have the honor to propose the following course of action: First. That the President of the Society (yourself) be requested to select some topic, or some epoch of action, for discussion. Then that he shall call upon some six or eight officers, who may have actively and prominently participated in the occurrences to be considered, to prepare papers upon the question, said papers to be forwarded to the Secretary of the Society by the 1st of January, 1884. Second. That the Secretary cause the papers to be published in pamphlet form, for distribution to the members of the Society. Third. That the President of the Society (yourself) be requested to select the form in which his paper shall be presented, whether as the opening paper of the collection, or as a summary of the discussion. In either case, the pamphlet to be issued under his supervision. And as bearing upon this general subject, I also venture to renew a suggestion which I have heretofore made, to the effect that Colonel Dayton, the very efficient Secretary of the Society, and so long the Adjutant-General of the army, be requested to prepare a separate paper, to be published in pamphlet form for distribution to the members of the Society, giving an account of the organization and administrative history of the Army of the Tennessee. I have the honor to be, General, Your obedient servant, MAXWELL WOODHULL. DECATUR, ILL., October 17, 1883. DEAR GENERAL:-I am prevented from meeting with my old comrades of the Army of the Tennessee at this their sixteenth annual reunion. I had intended to be with you to-day accompanied by my wife, but death has again entered our home and taken our baby girl, our bright little Katie. While our hearts are too sad to meet with you, our prayer is, that you may have a pleasant time, and when we shall have had our last reunion on earth, may we join our old comrades who are now waiting on the other shore, and all be present at the final roll-call. Yours truly, TO GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER, GEORGE R. STEELE. Corresponding Secretary of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, CAPTAIN JOSIAH BARBER, FORT DODGE, IOWA, August 24, 1883. Secretary Committee Invitation, Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR SIR:-I have your polite invitation to be present at the sixteenth annual reunion of the Society of the Army of Tennessee in your city, Oct. 17th and 18th, 1883. It would gratify me to be present, and will be a disappointment to me that I shall be unable to come, but circumstances are such that I will have to forego the pleasure of being with you. I beg you to believe that my absence in no sense indicates a decreasing interest in the Society, its members, its history and its annual reunions; in fact, as I grow older, the memories of the comradeships and friendships of the war are dearer to me than ever, and it would gladen my heart to take each of my friends by the hand on this occasion. Yours very truly, C. C. CARPENTER. KANSAS CITY, Mo., October, 14, 1883. GENERAL A. HICKENLOOper, Secretary Army of the Tennessee, Cleveland, Ohio: DEAR GENERAL:-I regret to say that I will not be able to put in an appearance at our reunion this year, the distance is too great, and it would require more time than I can spare. I know you will have a good time. Cleveland always treats her guests royally. Very truly, EDWARD SPEAR. |