1963 Vol 19-3-Fall
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r LOYAL LEGION BULLETIN MILITanr DlmE1\DFTHELDvaLLEGIDN :If .0 ~ . ~ , ; . VOL. 19, No.3 SEPTE~BER, 1963 " 78th ANNUAL 100th ANNIVERSARY MEETING., OF M.O.L.L.U.S. PHILADELPHIA PHilADELPHIA OCTOBER 17-18, 1963 APRIL 15, 1965 - ...... The Seventy-Eighth Annual Meeting of the Commandery-in-Chief will be held in Philadelphia October 17and 18,1963. Pennsylvania Commandery will be the host to all Companions and Dames of M.O.L.L.U.~. The Barclay Hotel, Rittenhouse Sqmlr~ at 18th Street will be the head- quarters and a number of rqqms have been reserved for Companions and Dames. Please mention M.O.L.L.U.S. when making your reservation and make reservation direct to the Barclay Hotel, not thru headquarters. 010 The registration fee will be $20.00per companion and $10.00for lady. ", . Entertainment has been arranged for ladies and dames on October 17th, 1963. Complete details will be in circulars mailed to all members of the Com- mandery-in-Chief and the dames on or before October 1, 1963. I THELOYALLEGIONBULLETINof The Military Order of the Loyal What was remarkable was the indication of the love and Legion of the United States of America, published four times a admiration for Abraham Lincoln on the part of so many year by the Commandery-in-Chief of this Order, which was founded April 15, 1865, after the death of Abraham Lincoln, to Americans, as expressed by the large number of floral foster and promote "government of the people, for the people, by tributes. the people." Second Class Postage Paid at Philadelphia, Pa., and at Additional Following the ceremony there was a luncheon at which Past Commander-in-Chief General U. S. Grant 3rd gave Mailing Offices. (See .132.25g Postal Manual.) Address all com- the address on the subject of the friendship between his munications to: 1805 Pine Street, Philadelphia 3, Pa. Pertinent ma- terial will be welcomed from members and others. Subscription grandfather and President Lincoln. $1.00 per year, paid to Commandery Recorders. So interesting and impressive was the whole affair that For subscribers not companions of the Loyal Legion, the subscrip- I urge all of our Companions to attend this commemora- tion may be sent to above address. tion if, on any April 15th in the future, they can arrange J. TRUMAN SWING, Editor to be in Spr,ingfield. It is a moving experience that well repays those who participate for their time and effort. LINCOLN TOMB DONALD M. LIDDELL, JR. Past Commander-in-Chief OAK RIDGE CEMETERY SPRINGFIELD,ILLINOIS,1963 LINCOLN TOMB My wife and I had the privilege of attending the an- nual commemoration of the death of President Lincoln Past Commander-in-Chid U. S. Grant 3rd appeared in at his tomb in Springfield, Ill. on this past April 15th. I Springfield, Illinois three times on April 15 in connection use the word "privilege" advisedly for the ceremony was with the commemoration of the ninety eighth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's death. a most moving and impressive one. At the seventh annual Memorial Service conducted at As most of you know, this wreath-laying service was inaugurated in 1957 by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery under the the Civil War with certain of our Companions participat- sponsorship of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil ing, namely: James L. High, George L. Cashman, the late War assisted by the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Frank B. Huntington and the late Richard F. Locke of General Grant placed the first of 62 wreaths offered by 45 Illinois; the late Howell Taylor of Michigan; and Past separate patriotic societies and veterans organizations. Commander-in-Chief William C. Duval and Major Wil- The General's wreath represented his personal tribute to liam M. Coffin of Ohio. Our Order was asked to assist in the man who preserved the Union a century ago. The the original commemoration and it has done so ever solemn exercises fittingly honored the memory of our since. sixteenth President. Jim and Gladys High had thoughtfully arranged to The Mem:)rial Salute was fired by a squad composed of meet Jane and me in Chicago and to drive Frank Hunt- two riflemen from the Sons of Union Veterans color guard ington and us the rest of the way. As they met us, they and two from the Department of Illinois, Military Order gave us the sad and shocking news that Companion of the Purple Heart. As in the past, there were two ad- dresses at the Tomb. Commander-in-Chief Chester S. Huntington had died as he started to step into their car an hour earlier. Despite our distress, we felt that this was, Shriver of the Sons, who is also a member of our Pennsyl- perhaps, a happy way for one of our members to depart vania Commandery, recited Mr. Lincoln's February 11, this life at the ripe age of 95. 1861 Springfield farewell and was followed by Lieutenant Colonel Donald M. Liddell, Jr., Past Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln's tomb is indeed a beautiful one. No of the Loyal Legion. wonder it has become a national shrine and a place also After the service in the cemetery, General Grant ad- for foreign visitors to go. It must be seen to be appreci- ated. And both Companion Cashman, the Curator, and dressed a luncheon gathering of 94 guests at the State Mrs. Cashman are excellent cicerones with a detailed House Inn, his subject being "A Unique Friendship- Lincoln and Grant". (Note to Ed.: The luncheon attend- knowledge of their subject and a vast store of informa- tion as to President Lincoln's career and the Civil War ance was down this year because the 15th fell on a work- ing day, as it will for several years to come. JLH) Mayor in general. Nelson O. Howarth of Springfield extended a cordial wel- The memorial service was a short one with brief come to the out-of-towners. A moment of silence was ~peeches by Chester S. Shriver, Commander-in-Chief of observed in memory of Honorary Illinois Companion the Sons of Union Veterans (also one of our Pennsylvania Richard F. Locke, a Past Commander-in-Chief of the Companions) and myself, followed by the placing of Sons, who passed away shortly after the 1962 ceremony, wreaths contributed by more than sixty organizations. and Companion Frank B. Huntington, who died suddenly I ~ """.'- ~::"""'.'''-''''':''~~'' ~ . ' 1 t ..~I I LINCOLN TOMB CEREMONY . SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS . APRIL 15, 1963 on April 14, 1963 as he was about to start the journey to Ohio- William M. Coffin. Springfield. Both of these gentlemen had taken active New York-Donald M. Liddell, Jr., Mrs. Donald M. parts in organizing the Tomb exercises in the early years; Liddell, Jr. (Dames). Companion Huntington had given prayers at the Tomb Pennsylvania-Chester S. Shriver. and at the luncheon in each of the six previous years. All General Grant's third appearance of the day took place those at the luncheon received plaster Lincoln heads pre- at an evening meeting of the Sangamon County Historical sented by the Loyal Legion. Society, where he spoke on "Grant and Lincoln-The Vic- A chartered bus, furnished through the courtesy of the torious Team". During his talk, the General quoted his Sons of Union Veterans, operated between the State grandfather as having said "Lincoln was the greatest man House Inn and the Tomb. I've ever known and the day of his death was the darkest day I've ever known". It was fitting that this meeting was Co-Chairmen of the Committee in charge were George held in the Old State House (Sangamon County Court L. Cashman, Curator of the Lincoln Tomb and an Honor- House), since it was here that the first General Grant ary Companion of our Order, and James L. High, worked while mustering new regiments into Federal serv- Recorder of the Illinois Commandery. ice during the early days of the Civil War; it was here that he received his first commission as an officer in the Union MOLLUS memorial wreaths were offered by the forces; it was from this historic old building that he Commandery-in-Chief, the Dames and the following stepped forth on the road to fame and immortality. Commanderies: California, Illinois, Southern California, The Historical Society graciously presented Past Com- State of Washington, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. mander-in-Chief Grant with a handsome fountain pen desk set mounted on a base of stone taken from Mr. Lin- Representing the Loyal Legion were: coln's first burial vault and containing a piece of wood District of Columbia-U. S. Grant 3rd. from a roof timber of the Old State House. Illinois-Charles A. Brady, Jr., George L. Cashman, JAMES L. HICH Gladys N. High (Dames), and James L. High. Illinois Recorder I PLAQUE LINCOLN AT GETTYSBURG OF GETTYSBURG-NOVEMBER19th-1963 WAR LIBRARY & MUSEUM The Gettysburg Centennial Commission of Common- AND wealth of Pennsylvania is now firming up its plans for PENNSYLVANIA COMMANDERY the commemoration of the centenary of the delivery of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. In doing so they are work- GETTYSBURGNATIONAL PARK ing closely with the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania, GETTYSBURG, PA. which has conducted anniversary ceremonies at the Na- tional Cemetery for th3 past twenty-five years and with Gettysburg College, which has for the past several years brought prominent Civil "Var authorities to speak at semi- nars and conferences. This year the event will center around the observances to be held at the cemetery in the early afternoon of November 19th and on tdevised pro- grams dealing with "The Impact of the Address, Nation- ally and Internationally, During the Past 100 Years".