Military Tract Civil War Reunion in Quincy (ca. 1917)

       "The annual reunion of six regiments who served in the Union army and that were largely made up in the Military Tract territory of the state {ed.- Illinois}, closed a two days' session at Quincy on Thursday of this week.  Those regiments were the 16th, 28th, 50th, 78th and 137th Illinois Infantry and the Third Missouri Cavalry--the majority of which was raised on this side of the Mississippi river on the border towns and counties on the west shore of the 'Father of Waters.'
       The reunion closed was similar to those of former years (these associations having held them annually and somewhat jointly in the last dozen or more consecutive years).  That is, the regiments met at the places assigned them on Wednesday forenoon, where they registered and during the day held their regimental reunions.  The reported enrollments for each regiment was:  16th Ill., 30;  28th Ill., 15;  50th Ill., 28;  78th Ill., 42;  137th Ill., 22;  3d Missouri cavalry, 27.
       On the afternoon of Wednesday, at 4:30, veterans to the number of about 100 formed into line for the parade.  From the Quincy Whig, the {Macomb} Journal gives the following account of the parade and camp fire:

       Headed by the marshals on horseback, the parade started at 4:45 o'clock.  Members of John Wood Post G.A.R. followed and after them the veterans of the six regiments.  Boy Scouts brought up the rear.  A fife and drum corps played merry tunes for the soldiers to march by.  It was a short parade, east to Sixth Street, a turn to Hampshire, and back to Fourth and Hampshire, and south on Fourth street to Jersey and the banquet in the Masonic Temple, prepared by the women of the John Wood Post.
       With hearts as high as they possessed when marching through Quincy streets fifty-six years ago, but with wearied limbs, that refused to move as briskly, the veterans followed the fife and drum.  Little wonder that the feet were weary.  They were feet that marched with Sherman to the sea and the voices that made little stir in this parade once sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic through Georgia and the Carolinas.
       The event of the two days' gathering was the banquet and camp fire in Masonic Temple Wednesday night.  The dinner prepared by the wives and daughters of soldiers was toothsome and well-cooked--far different from the meals that the soldiers fought on in the 60s and when the dinner was ended they were privileged to gather in the auditorium secure in the knowledge that no wild battle alarm would come to break in on their pleasure.
       Mrs. Rome Arnold opened the camp fire entertainment in the auditorium of the Temple by singing the "Red, White and Blue."  Music was rendered by the Dickson orchestra.  While the audience stood, "America" was sung in chorus.  Rev. George A. Buttrick pronounced the invocation.
       Captain R.C. Turner, chairman of the meeting, then gave a most interesting short description of the war record and activities of each one of the six regiments.  He was followed by E.H. Osborn, who told a war story and a musical accompaniment.  He related how a Confederate surprise attack on troops in Virginia was halted by hearing a Union sentry sing "Jesus, Lover of my Soul."  During pauses in the narrative, John Dixson sang the old hymn.
       Captain John Andrew told some facts about the Soldiers' Home and at the conclusion of the program Charles Hubert called on survivors of different southern battlefields to rise.  Mrs. Arnold, in flag drapery, sang the "Star Spangled Banner" with the audience joining in the song.
       John E. Wall made the address of the evening.  He told of the heroism of the soldiers, the greatest soldiers of the greatest war in history previous to 1914, he said.  He concluded his eloquent talk with the poem, "God and Our Flag," a dramatic end to a dramatic speech.
       The writer of this, being secretary of the Sixteenth Illinois, kept the following account of the proceedings  at that association's regimental reunion that is here given:
       The regiment's registration was in a room in the Soldiers' Home Headquarters' office, it being occupied jointly by the 16th and 28th Illinois.
       The forenoon was spent in registration, delivering badges, and social talk among the comrades.  Captain Andrews, superintendent of the Home, kindly saw that the members attending both the 16th and 28th reunion were provided with their dinner, so they did not have to go down into the city for dinner.  
        At 1 o'clock p.m., the 16th attendants were called to order by Captain W.H. Gay of Rockport, Pike County, president of the association.  Minutes of the meeting a year ago were read and approved.  
       Letters were read from the following comrades who could not be present:
       Lieutenant John V. Mason,  Co. A., 1623 Genessee Street, Kansas City, Mo.
       E. Ament, Co. B., 544 Morse Avenue, Rogers Park, Chicago.
       Gordon Kimball, Co. D, Box 1132, Ouray, Colo.
       Don C. Salisbury, Co. C, Ferris, Hancock Co., Ill.
       E.F. Currier, Co. G, Box 85, Garnet, Kan.
       John H. Cannon, Co. E, Box 66, Oglalla , Neb.
       Snyder D. Freeland, Co. I, Retell, Wash.
       Mrs. Charles S. Smith, widow of C.S. Smith, Co. F. , Corinth, Miss.
       Thomas May, Co. I, Clayton Ill.
        Russell T. Stokes, 10 Mo. (but "crony of the 16th boys") 1123 Quindaro Blvd., Kansas City, Kan.
        E.W. Mathwson, 10th Ill., Kingston, N.Y.
                                           Death Roll.
       The following are those who have died since last report, most of them within the past year:
        Lieutenant H.W. Gash, Co. A, Macomb Ill., died at the Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
        James M. Welch, Co. D, died at his home in Quincy.
        H.C. O' Neil, Co. E, Ripley.
        Thomas C. McGrath, Co. G, Doddsville, Ill.
        William G. Pershing, Co. I, Oquawka, Ill.
         E.J. Freeman, Co. A, Audobon, Iowa.
       A resolution was passed, extending thanks of the regimental association to Captain Andrews, superintendent of the Soldiers' Home at Quincy, for courtesies and kindness extended to the various members present at the meeting.  The secretary was instructed to send the Captain a copy of the Resolution.
                                           Those in Attendance.
                                            Company A.
       W.H. Hainline, Macomb, Ill.
        John E. Lane, Macomb, Ill.
       James W. Kendrick, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
                                            Company B.
       Samuel Manhollan, Camp Point, Ill.
        Lieutenant George W. McAllister, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
                                            Company C.
        D.M. Sapp, Plymouth Ill.
         Amos Scott, Macomb, Ill.
        George Yenter, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
                                            Company D.
        Timothy P. Ricker, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
                                             Company E.
        George E. Trabue, Camp Point, Ill.
         Seymore A. Rolley, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
         G. W. Petrie, 310 N. 27 th Street, Quincy.
          Thomas A. Lewis, Benville, Pike County, Ill.
                                              Company F.
         James E. Pence, Oqawka, Ill.
          J.W. Cunningham, LaHarpe, Ill.
          A.M. Smith, Iowa City, Ia.
          M.D. Folsom, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
           H.D. Garrity, Biggsville, Ill.
                                             Company G.
          E.D. Nokes, La Grange, Ill.
          W.M. Stilby, Breckenridge, Mo.
           Charles Abbott, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
           John L. Omer, Clayton, Ill.
                                             Company H.
          George Davis, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
          George Oberling, " "
                                              Company L.
           R.M. Thomas, Centralia, Mo.
           M. Canfield, Soldiers' Home, Quincy.
           David McClansland, Warsaw Ill.
                                             Company K.
            W.H. Gay, Rockport, Ill.
             Ira O. Gray, Centralia, Mo.
            Asa D. Baker, Louisiana, Mo.
            Invited guests were:
            George W. Reid, Capt. 54th Ill., Macomb, Ill.
             James E. Wilson, Macomb, Ill. son of Samuel Wilson, lieutenant colonel of the regiment.  Mr. Wilson (guest) also had two brothers and two brothers-in-law in the regiment; was too young to go himself.
             Robert Thomas, Macomb, Ill., ex-Sheriff of McDonough County, who served in an Illinois regiment.
             Mrs. W.H. Hainline
             Mrs. Samuel Manhollan
             Mrs. W.H. Gay
             Mrs. D.M. Sapp
              Mrs H.O. Garrity
             Mrs H.B. Volk, widow of H. B. Volk, current librarian at the Home.
              Mrs. P.H. Delaney, widow of regimental hospital steward.
              Mrs. H.W. Gash, widow of Lieutenant H.W. Gash.

Macomb Daily Journal, 18 OCT 1917

Macomb Daily Journal on Lawrence Y. Sherman

       "Judge Sherman is the sort of man that we wish we had more of.  While he does not feel that he is obliged to be in violent accord with everything the president {Wilson} says, or may say, and being in his position of United States Senator he claims his full privilege of all the rights accorded to the members of the national legislature guaranteed by the Con-stitution, and exercises the rights he claims, yet he is firmly loyal to the government, just as interested in the prosecution of the war {WW I}, and equally as anxious for its successful conclusion as any man in Washington today, or in the United States for that matter.  Not only does he favor those conditions above mentioned, but he works assiduously along the lines that he believes are most conducive to their success.  Because of the fact that he has not been of that class of congressman who are in favor of passing a blank paper bill, with a heading providing that the president and his cabinet fill in the white paper passed what they want, he has been called by some of that class 'an obstructionist,' and sometimes even a 'slacker.'  If these gentlemen had the courage of their convictions, as has Sherman;  if they would look into measures they are asked to pass upon--indeed, their desired action outlined in the bill or message connected with it--it would be much better for the country.  While Sherman has under his constitutional rights investigated and discussed the merits of bills before the congress, he has opposed but two of the important measures that became a law--the conscription bill and the food conservation bill, passed with a whole aim to making Hoover arbiter and even dictator in all food matters as to supply, prices, and even to making him autocrat of the private tables as he sees fit.  On the first measure, Judge Sherman, while just as eager to raise a large army as anyone, he believed in the volunteer system and labored to continue this time-honored and always successful plan in the United States.  He opposed the conservation bill because he believed it gave entirely too drastic powers to place in the hands of any one man.  Both bills were passed, and our senator is for the enforcement of both, just as much as he is for the enforcement of the laws that he most earnestly advocated.  In a word, Judge Sherman is the lawabiding man.  He will vote against a measure if in his opinion it is not for the best public policy.  But when it makes its place in the statutes, he is for the law's carrying out.  Nor does he take favors or 'sops' to keep him 'hitched,' as is the case with some self-presumed important persons, who are prone to rate the Illinois Republican Senator as 'opponent of the administration,' and yet they have to be kept on the payroll to have themselves and followers in line and 'loyal.' "

What Have You Done for Me Lately?

       The election had results nationally and in Killinois that were in some ways entirely predictable.  Both nationally and locally, Republican chances were hurt by Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner being self-absorbed, and not caring about the consequences of their behavior.
       America's Hill of Offense is its thriving abortion industry.  That industry was aided by Illinois' King Solomon, Bruce Rauner, through the signing of House Bill 40, which created taxpayer-funded abortion in Illinois.  Governor Rauner has been a corrupting influence on the Illinois Republican Party since the day he was elected.  Many representatives and state senators have been forced to make Faustian bargains to stay in Rauner's good graces.  Rauner's personal wealth has made up for the decreased contributions by the bewildered and betrayed Republican voters.
       Once the base of the Republican party was abandoned by Sci-Fi Bruce Rauner, J.B. Pritzker made short work of him, and the effect was felt throughout the Republican party in Illinois.  Similarly, the self-absorbed Orange Blatherskite hurt Republican candidates, while making this election all about him.  In Paul O'Keefe's biography of Wyndham Lewis (Some Sort of Genius) , Wyndham Lewis is quoted as telling Dick Wyndham, "People are only friends in so much that they are of use to you."  Insolently thinking of himself as the personification of the Republican Party (an illusion reinforced daily on Fox News), Trump gloated about the defeat of great candidates like Mia Love from Utah, saying that the lack of adulation from them somehow made them undeserving of victory.  Illinois congressman Peter Roskam also suffered from the toxic overflow of Trumpian egotism.  Orange Blatherskite is a user in the same vein as Wyndham Lewis.  People are tools for Trump.
        With Trump's lack of loyalty and chronic self-centeredness, it only makes sense that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was let go in favor of a malleable cipher who will do only Trump's bidding.  This obvious attempt to kill the Mueller Investigation will probably not meet with Senate approval.   And Republicans need to get used to saying "Speaker Pelosi" again.  So much winning!