Army societies had had their reunions from the clays of
Washington, who organized a society composed exclusively of
officers of the Revolution. The Army of the Tennessee was formed
on that model. It and other similar organizations organized at
the close of the war have always had their annual meetings, from
which all soldiers below the rank of second lieutenant were
rigorously excluded.
J. M. Dalzell issued his call for a general national
reunion, of all ranks of the Union army, to meet in Lansing,
Mich., March 4, 1872. For some reason it was a failure.
His next call was for one of similar character, to meet
in Washington City, on the same date of the following year. He
had industriously exploited his novel departure in the daily
press, to which he had universal entree, and the rank and file
had come to understand his idea quite thoroughly. But the place
chosen was a bad one for the experiment, and the reunion of 1873
was a failure like its predecessor at Lansing. Everybody now
gave over the project but Mr. Dalzell.
Even more earnest than ever he set about making
preparations for another reunion on the old plan, and
accordingly, in 1874, issued his call for a national reunion to
be held at Caldwell, Ohio, September 15, 1874. That place then
had about four hundred inhabitants, and but a single line of
railway. Mr. Dalzell had learned something from repeated
failure, and this time determined to hold his reunion at home,
where he could control it by the help of his old friends. He was
the president and secretary. The papers of the whole North threw
open their columns to his ready pen, and he spent the most of
that year in writing up his beloved project. Letters of
encouragement came from near and far, and the press editorially
commended the experiment to its readers in every State. It grew
in popularity with the boys as they came to understand it
better. Mr. Dalzell easily procured the passage of bills
by Congress recognizing it as national, and affording it the use
of a large number of cannon, and any quantity of ammunition.
General Sherman promised to preside. After that all was
plain sailing. The reunion came off in splendid style, in the
woods west of Caldwell, and Mr. Dalzell was happy.
General Sherman lent it the influence of his
presence, and indorsed the idea unequivocally in an address of
rare power and eloquence. Almost every State was represented,
and no one estimated the crowd at less than 25,000. It is still
remembered as not only the first, but the greatest, national
soldiers' reunion ever held, though it has often been imitated
since. |
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
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