The Brave Boys In Blue

Fredericksburg ! Vickstmrg ! Williamsburg ! Petersburg ! Harrison's Landing! South Monntain ! Hátcher's Run I Fort Sanders JYorktown ? Chantilly ! Antietano ! Spottsylvania ! Fort Stedman ! Blue Springs! Cainpbell'a Station! Strawberry Plains ! Bethesda Church ! Tlie Cráter! These vvere soine of the historie names blazoned around the walls of Representativo Hall in the State C;i jitol, where was held this week the reunion of Willcoxs' División - "the wheel-horse of the nintli corpse." It is nearly thirty-seven years since Col. Orlando B. Willcox led the old First Michigan out in response to President Lincoín's cali for. 75,000 three-moutlis' troops", and started upon the illnstrious earreer which took him and his brave men of the First División thïough the awful storms of shot and shell that those names recall. It is about a third of a century since they marehed in the grand review; yet several hundred of them can meet together now to greet their old commander and revive the memories of the camp, the march, the fight, and sing: The tattered flag we bore that day, As we marehed in tlie grand review, Thongh shot and shell had louud their way, To maren in the grand review. And thongh our heads are tnrnmg gray, Our guns and knapsacks laid away, We often think of the glorious day Wheu we marehed lu the grand review. The reunión was a splendid success, in point of attendance and of interest. The gallant old división, which buried beneath tlie soil of more states than almost any other, embraces the 2nd, 8th, 17th, 20th and 27th Michigan Infantry and Ist Michigan Sharpshooters, besides the 60th Ohio, 79th and 109th N. Y. and 45th Penn. The Michigan regimeuts were all well represented, and the others somewhat less so. The only Ann Arbor comrade I saw was Robert Campbell ; but C. 8. Wortley A. A. Van Cleve and Henry Le Furge of Ypsilanti, VV. H. Webb of Pittsfield, John H. McDougall of Superior, besides several froui Chelsea, and other parts of Washtenaw County helped to fill the ranks. The business meeting of the Willcox División Association elected Gen. Willcox honorary president for life. He is retired as a Brigadier General, and lias his residence for the most part in Washington, though claiming Detroit as his home. He is 74 years old, and quite grey, though well preservad. The associatiou officers for the ensuing year are, Gen. W. H. Withington of Jackson, president; J. T. Hammond of Jacksou, Hect'y. and treas., with a vice-president from each regiment. The next meeting will be at Battle Creek. Regimental meetings were also held and officers chosen as follows : 2nd Mich., pres., V. R. Morse of Flint; sect'y., Albert Danham of Jackson. 17th Mich., pres., Win. Winegar of Grand Rapids, sect'y., C. D. Cowlesóf Lansing; 20th Mich., pres., Andrew Kuiglit of Battle Creek, sect'y., Geo. M. Knowles of Battle Creek; Sharpshooters, Pres., Robert Finch of Grand Rapids, sect'y., Fred G. Stone of Lansing. All the reunions uext year will be at Battle Creek. Tlie 17th also had a banquet at one of tlie churches, and the 20th had one at the Armory. The great eveutof the occasion, was the general camp tire on Tnesday evening, where the committee found they had builded better than they knew, so that tlie state building proved inadequate. The camp lire should have been held in a ten-acre lot. More people than were ever before under one roof in Lansing were said to be there, and those who could get in listened with great delight to the exercises, which included addresses by Gen. Willcox, Gen. Wm. Humphrey of Adrián, Senator Burrows and others. Auditor General Dix, a veteran of the 2nd Mich., was master of ceremonies. In his person, by the way, I was gratifled to observe atBuffalo, our state received an honorable distinction. He was detailed by Commander-in-chief Clarkson to wait upon President McKinley and official escorts, Past Commanders-in-chief Alger and Heath, and escort them to their station, a duty which assigned him a position with (Continuad on 8th Page.} THE BRAVE BOYS IN BLUE. (Conttuued Irom :s'. page.) tliem apon tlie receiving Rtand. The street parade liere on the second day marshalled over one thousand in line. The Michigan veterans carried their oun regimental colors, loaned for the purpose from the state armory - the same tattered flaj; we bore that day, As we marched lu tlie grand review - more tattered and frail now than tlien. They could not be unfurled, but the heroes gazed upon them fondlv and reverently, and not a few tearfully. The regiments so privileged were the 2nd, 8th, 17tli, 20th and 27th. But, after all, do we speak of veterans? On that very same day, in Grand Rapids, a reunión of surviving soldiers of the Mexican war was held, and 21 of them assembled. There are said to be 100 in the state, and Ypsilanti has 2, Jacob T. and David A. Wise, brothers, the former serving in a regiment of Pennsylvauia volunteers, the latter in the regulare. Beside these men, who marched and fought under Gen. Scott fiïty years ago, we of the later war hardly feel like taking the title of veterans ; thougli íoine of us marched into Virginia under Gen. Scott in 1801. ( rKO. ('. SMITHE. Lansing, Sept, 23, 1897.