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and left it to the Society to decide whose was meant. officer shouted the name of Turner, which was heartily greeted, while others called for General R. S. Foster, who was loudly cheered. To harmonize the generous rivalry of praise, the President called for the company to rise and give the two a round of cheers, which was done with a will, after which General Foster was introduced, and made an eloquent speech, of which the following is a brief abstract:

RESPONSE OF BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT S. FOSTER.

General Foster rose amid great cheering. He spoke of the origin of the reunion of the officers of the Army of the James in Boston, and said he very rashly consented to accompany them. He had never been guilty, in the whole course of his life, of making a speech, and he was not going to make one now. He need not tell them of the pleasure it afforded him, and a few others from the far West, to meet his old brother officers. They had met with a view to commemorate and continue those feelings which bound them together, and also to renew those sacred ties of friendship which had sprung up, and were so common among soldiers. And while the Chairman was recounting the scenes and actions of the Army of the James, they could again in their minds hear the whistle of the bullets and the scream of shells; it was certainly more comfortable than to have the reality. The speaker concluded by narrating his connection with the Army of the James, and the manner in which the latter was organized.

At the close of General Foster's speech, which elicited loud applause,

BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN W. TURNER.

was called for, and was greeted very heartily. He responded in a few words expressive of his pleasure in again welcoming his comrades in arms, and took his seat amid loud cheering. The President then proposed the

SEVENTH SENTIMENT-"The State of Massachusetts, and the health of his Excellency the Governor,"

whose absence he regretted. The sentiment was heartily received. He also stated that they were honored with the presence of the Chief Magistrate of Boston, who, by his learning, has contributed in a most valuable degree to the history of the city, and who has rendered a far richer contribution to the country, when he gave to it two noble sons, one a captain in the Army of the James, then present with them, and the other who sleeps on the bloody field of Cedar Mountain. He had great pleasure in presenting his Honor Mayor Shurtleff, who was received with loud applause, and responded as follows to the

EIGHTH SENTIMENT.-"Prosperity to the City of Boston, and the health of his Honor the Mayor."

RESPONSE OF MAYOR NATHANIEL B. SHURTLEFF.

MR. PRESIDENT: The present occasion, I am well aware, is not for me, but belongs to the gallant soldiers present with you this evening, who have most faithfully served their country in its greatest need, upon the battle-fields of the James. They have returned to their homes laden with honors, and I, and others, are burdened with obligations to them, for their risks of health and life, and for severe hardships undergone in defence of the liberties of our country. I cannot, nevertheless, allow the opportunity to pass, without thanking you for the respect paid the city of Boston this evening, by yourself and associates. Believing as I do in all commemorative associations, I trust that this of yours will be conducive to your personal comfort and future welfare. You have my best wishes for your success. (Applause.)

NINTH SENTIMENT.-"The Army of the United States, and the health of the General Commanding."

Three cheers were given for General Grant; and General Vogdes, on being called upon, spoke as follows:

RESPONSE OF BREV. BRIGADIER-GENERAL ISRAEL VOGDES, U. S. A.

MR. PRESIDENT AND COMRADES OF THE ARMY OF THE JAMES: I can truly say that I came utterly unprepared to make a speech,

and I thought I should escape the ordeal. I have been suffering all day from sickness; still, as the President has called on me, I will endeavor to comply with his request, especially as I deem it to be the duty of the soldier never to forsake or neglect his duty. I should like to know why I am called upon to speak for General Grant? He never speaks himself (laughter), and perhaps I shall say something which will render me liable to be tried by courtmartial, for speaking disrespectfully of my superior officer. (Loud laughter.) My acquaintance with General Grant began many years ago at West Point, and I well remember, and that with great pleasure, that I aided in forming the mind of a man destined to lead armies to victory, and a lover of justice, of liberty, and of equality. (Applause.) I offer you, as a sentiment—Our Country: no weapon that is formed against her shall prosper, and every tongue that rises in judgment against her she shall condemn. (Loud cheers.)

At the conclusion of General Vogdes' remarks, the President said, that as we had heard from one who had been the instructor of General Grant, he would call up Major-General Gordon, who had been his fellow-student.

RESPONSE OF BREV. MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE H. GORDON.

MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN: I agree with the gentleman on my left (Gen. Hawley), that we may claim as comrades all who have borne their part in the late warfare for our national salvation, and I may also claim for myself, that nowhere in the length and breadth of our land, can I look in the faces of our soldiers, without feeling that I am lifted up in the light of the noble action, of the noble men, who have rescued their country from destruction.

In rising to respond to the great name which I am sure we all delight to honor, while I recognize in Gen. Grant another of the noble citizens of the United States, who offered his all for the salvation of his country, I may call him, too, by the endearing name of comrade.

How shall I speak of Gen. Grant? How shall I find words to tell you of that calmness and self-possession, with which he bore upon his shoulders the destinies of our country, carrying us from victory to victory, as unmoved by his successes, as we by the most ordinary and trifling incidents that befall us?

How shall I tell you of him, who was equal to every occasion, who inspired his troops and his people with that belief in our success, which in his own heart never wavered, however dark the cloud that lowered upon us; how shall I speak of him, whom the people have nominated as their candidate for the highest office in our Government, thus showing that they repose in him, in peace, the same confidence that his soldiers felt in time of war?

Of Gen. Grant's earlier life I can say but a single word now. He was one of that little band known before the war as the old army, scarce numbering sixteen thousand men, but whose victories and magnificent achievements, have illustrated the annals of our country for almost three-quarters of a century. I can go still further back in the early life of Gen. Grant, and recall him as a cadet at the National Military Academy. I can well remember the calmness and pluck which he always manifested in his young life, and the conviction that I then felt, in looking into that impassible face, that if God spared his life, he would be great among the greatest of his countrymen.

The scenes you have presented here to-night, remind me of the closing hours of the rebellion, when our great chieftain sat quietly in front of his tent on the Potomac. Before him, his army confronting the rebel lines; around him, senators, foreign ministers, and distinguished gentlemen from all parts of the country;-upon such an occasion, in an anxious hour like this, not for a moment was his true heart in gloom or distrust; not for an instant was his temper ruffled or disturbed; receiving despatches from the front of momentous import, he retired for a moment, only to return and engage as pleasantly in conversation, as if no responsibility for the safety of a nation rested upon him.

Recalling these scenes, I may say, that I believe the character, the achievements of Gen. Grant, entitle him to a place in that plane of greatness, to which it pleases our Almighty Father to elevate some members of the human race.

I am thankful to God that He has preserved Gen. Grant, that he may in the future, as in the past, do his part in lifting up still higher in the rank of nations, his country and his countrymen. (Loud cheers.)

The President then said, that they had with them an officer of high rank in the Navy, who had often acted in co-operation with the troops of which the Army of the James was afterwards in part composed, and who had rendered the name he bore illustrious in the second generation, in the annals of naval warfare, and called upon Commodore John Rodgers, U. S. Navy, to respond to the

TENTH SENTIMENT: "The Navy of the United States, which has done its work on the sea, as gallantly as our armies have done theirs on the land."

Commodore Rodgers on rising was greeted with loud cheers.

RESPONSE OF COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS, U. S. N.

Commodore Rodgers in responding said, that his vocation in the war was on the sea, as that of the others was on the land. Their recollections perhaps, could not accompany him in anything he might have seen, and he felt on this occasion his utter inability to respond in an appropriate manner.

Gen. Hawley said, he could not let this sentiment go without a passing word. He had seen much of the work of our navy, and he called for three cheers for it, which were given with a will.

The President then said, that they had with them an officer from whom all had been impatient to hear, and under whom many had served, at the time they were immediately engaged in co-operation with the navy, and called upon Maj. Gen. John G. Foster, who on rising was greeted with the warmest applause, and spoke as follows:

RESPONSE OF MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN G. FOSTER.

MR. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW-SOLDIERS: Called upon suddenly as I am to perform an unaccustomed duty, I know you will readily ex

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