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HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, 16

DR. JOHN M. WOODWORTH,

NEW ORLEANS, LA., October 5, 1876.

Washington, D. C.:

DEAR SIR:-I have the honor to acknowledge, with many thanks, the invitation of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, to be present at, and participate in its tenth annual reunion, the 18th and 19th instants, on which occasion the equestrian statue of my beloved friend and class-mate, General McPherson, will be unveiled.

No one living appreciated, more fully than myself, the great and noble qualities of the glorious McPherson-no one loved him more, and no one can feel a greater degree of just pride in the recognition of his great merits and splendid deeds proposed by your Society. If I can not testify by my presence at the ceremonies, to my love, respect, and admiration for him, it will be with deep sorrow. I shall be with you, if possible, but at present I can only strongly hope.

Very sincerely, your obedient servant,

O. D. GREENE,

Major and Ass. Adj't-Gen., Bvt. Brig.-Gen.

RECRUITING RENDEZVOUS, 10TH CAVALRY, U. S. A.

116 S. SHARP ST., BALTIMORE, MD., October 14, 1876. To the Corresponding Secretary Society Army Tenn., Washington, D. C.: SIR:-I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the invitation, from committee of your Society, to participate in the tenth annual reunion, to be held in Washington, D. C., on the 18th and 19th instant, and to state in reply, that I am prevented by unavoidable circumstances from being present on the occasion when the living will assemble to do honor to him, who, "foremost fighting, fell before Atlanta's grim walls."

To express the hope that the Union may be all that heart could wish in cementing friendships engendered by common dangers encountered in the defense of right, I am,

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. B. KENNEDY. Captain 10th Cavalry.

PEORIA, ILL., October 10, 1876.

GENERAL A. HICKENLOoper,

Cincinnati, Ohio:

DEAR COMRADE:—I am in receipt of letter of invitation from Committee of Arrangements for the tenth annual reunion of the Army of the Tennessee, and it is with sorrow that I am compelled to give up the pleasure it would give me to be present at that time.

I wish you would change my address from Chicago to Peoria, Ill., as I have located here.

Hoping you may have a pleasant time, I remain,

Yours truly,

ROBERT M. CAMPBELL.

DECATUR, ILL., October 16, 1876.

MY DEAR GENERAL:-I had all arrangements made, and fully expected to leave here last night for Washington, D. C., to attend the annual reunion, etc.; but my little boy was taken suddenly and seriously ill, and my family physician says it will not be best for me to leave home.

I regret, exceedingly, that anything should have occurred to prevent me from attending this reunion, especially, as it is to be the occasion of the unveiling of the statue of our much loved General McPherson.

Remember me to all the members of the "old staff" who may be present, and to all our old comrades.

Wishing you all a glorious good time, I am, most sincerely,

GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER,

Yours truly,

Corresponding Secretary, etc., Washington, D. C.

COLONEL L. M. DAYTON,

GEO. R. STEELE,

AUSTIN, MINN., October 12, 1876.

Cincinnati, Ohio:

DEAR FRIEND:-Please change my address from Litchfield, Ill., to Austin, Minn.

I regret, exceedingly, being unable to attend the unveiling of our loved General's monument, but it was impossible for me to be there.

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HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS,
CHIEF QUARTERmaster's Office,
ST. LOUIS, October 14, 1876.

GENERAL ANDREW HICKENLOOPER,

Arlington Hotel, Washington. D. C.:

FRIEND HICK.:-I have postponed, until the last hour, writing you, as I fully intended to be with you, both in body and spirit, at this reunion; for, in ny opinion, it will be the most interesting and attractive gathering of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee held since its organization. The honor of being present and paying that tribute of respect to the memory of our McPherson, in witnessing the unveiling of his statue, is something I have looked forward to ever since the proposition to erect one was first started.

You will oblige me by expressing to the Committee on Invitations, and also, all our old comrades present, my regrets for my absence.

I need not tell you how much I regret the necessity of being compelled to send this excuse, as I have been with you at every reunion (save two) since we organized in Raleigh, N. C., April the 14th, 1865.

Hoping you will all enjoy yourselves to the fullest extent, and live to meet at the next reunion, believe me, to remain,

Yours most truly,

E. M. JOEL.

P. S.-You will recognize the heading on this sheet of paper. I discovered

a few of them some time since, and I thought the present opportunity a good one for making use of this one. How."

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JOEL.

CHICAGO, October 16, 1876.

GENERAL HICKENLOOPER,

Secretary Society of the Army of the Tennessee:

MY DEAR GENERAL:-I had set my heart on attending the reunion of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, on the 18th and 19th instant, at Washington City, and to witness the unveiling of the statue of our gallant and lamented comrade, General McPherson, but circumstances over which I have no control will prevent my leaving here at this time.

I sincerely hope the reunion will, in every way, be pleasant to the comrades who attend. I will be present with them in spirit. I have the honor to be, Respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. L. CHETLAIN,

Late Brevet Major-General, U. S. V.

LANCASTER, KY., October 14, 1876.

TO GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN,

President Society of the Army of the Tennessee:

MY DEAR GENERAL:-I am unable, in words, to express my regret at being compelled to forego the pleasure of attending the reunion on the 18th and 19th instant.

I was anxious to be present at the unveiling of the statue erected to the memory of the beloved and lamented McPherson, and to greet our old commanders and comrades of the grand old Army of the Tennessee.

There are not many of us left. May Heaven spare us a little longer; and as our numbers grow less, may we cling the closer together.

GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER,

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Faithfully yours,

W. J. LANDRUM,

Brevet Brigadier-General, U. S. V.

PARROTT CITY, COLORADO, July 11, 1876.

Washington, D. C.:

Many are the

DEAR SIR: Your circular of June 15th just received. regrets I have at not being able to attend this tenth annual reunion of the Army of the Tennessee. However, I will be with you, my old comrades, in spirit, if not in person.

An early

Please remember me kindly to all, and inform me at once what my dues are, so that I may be able to continue as a member of the Society. reply will very much oblige,

Yours respectfully,

E. H. COOPER,

Formerly of D Battery, 1st Ills. Artillery.

CINCINNATI, O., October 16, 1876.

GENERAL A. HICKENLOOper,

Corresponding Secretary Society of the Army of the Tennessee:

DEAR GENERAL:-I am unwell and unable to attend the annual meeting of the Society this week.

I hope the Society will, at this meeting, make an effort to secure the separate publication, by the Government, of all official reports and papers of the Army of the Tennessee, and to secure personal narratives of the principal actors in its campaigns. The story of the whole army is well told in the "Memoirs" of its great commanders, but the details, necessary to a complete history of its achievements, and interesting to all, can be found only in the reports, manuscripts, and memories of corps, division and brigade commanders.

Very respectfully,

E. C. DAWES.

SAINT PAUL, MINN., October 14, 1876.

GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN,

President Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Washington City: DEAR GENERAL:-I am very sorry that engagements at home will prevent my attendance at the meeting next week, in Washington, especially, as it is the occasion of honoring the memory of McPherson.

I desire to renew the invitation, made at Des Moines last year, to the Society, to meet at this city. Gov. Pillsbury authorizes me, in his behalf, to extend a cordial invitation. The twin cities, Saint Paul and Minneapolis will give you a hearty welcome. Generals Van Cleve, Sanborn, Bishop, and other comrades join in this invitation. With a cordial greeting to you and all present at the reunion,

I am, very truly yours,

WM. R. MARSHALL.

BURLINGTON, Iowa, October 16, 1876.

GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER:

DEAR GENERAL:-I had promised myself the pleasure of being with you at the tenth reunion of the Army of the Tennessee, but find it impossible to do so. I shall be with you in the spirit, if not in the body. Hoping you will have a pleasant and jolly time, and deeply regretting that I shall be deprived from listening to the oration by our old commander, I am, truly yours,

A. A. PERKINS.

MELISSA, TEXAS, October 16, 1876.

GENERAL A. HICKENLOOPER: DEAR GENERAL:-After several years of wandering, and the vicissitudes of fortune attendant upon such a life, I have finally, and, I hope, permanently, settled down here, in old rebellious Texas, and as an offset to my immediate surrounding, I wish to again enroll myself in the lists of our grand old Army

of the Tennessee, if I have been dropped from the rolls; and if my name is still there, to renew my obligations, pay up my arrears and secure a life membership, so that I may feel once more entitled to the brotherhood of the faithful. Will you be so kind as to send me a statement of my arrears, and tell me how and to whom to remit the same; also, report of last reunion, and see to it for me that my name is again placed on the rolls of the Society. I am sorry to trouble you with so many wants, but know of no one else that I could so confidently apply to, knowing you to be so thoroughly identified with the entire organization.

I enclose you one dollar for prepayment of postage on letters and papers you may send me, and with many thanks for many personal kindnesses shown me while serving in the old 17th Army Corps,

I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WILLIAM PADON,

Late Major 9th Illinois Mounted Infantry Volunteers.

Melissa, Collin County, Texas.

HEADQUARTERs Department of the South, { }

ATLANTA, GA., October 16, 1876.

MESSRS. C. H. DAVIS, U. S. N., AND OTHERS,

Washington, D. C.:

GENTLEMEN:-I regret that I am unable to accept the invitation of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee to participate in its tenth annual reunion and be present at the unveiling of the equestrian statue of General McPherson.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHANCEE MCKEEVER,

Ass't Adj’t-Gen., Bvt. Brig.-Gen., U. S. A.

On motion of Colonel Diemling:

Resolved, That the report of the Corresponding Secretary be accepted, and that with it all letters read by him be embodied with the proceedings of this meeting.

On motion of General Ewing:

Resolved, That the invitation of the Inland and Seaboard Coasting Company be accepted.

The Recording Secretary then read his report, as follows:

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