GENERAL N. L. ANDERSON offered the following resolution: Resolved, At the suggestion of the Chair, that at every meeting of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, a chair, draped in mourning, be placed at the left of the Presiding Officer, in memory of GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS. The resolution was adopted. COLONEL C. GODDARD offered the following: Resolved, That it is the sense of this Society that paragraph 1, Article III, of the Constitution, shall be construed to mean that the Vice Presidents, to be elected annually, need not necessarily be residents of the State which they are elected to represent. Adopted. GENERAL T. J. WooD asked that he be allowed to withdraw from the position of Vice President for Kentucky. The request was submitted to the Society by the President and refused. COLONEL HUNTER BROOKE, Chairman of Committee on Certificates, reported as follows: Your Committee to whom was referred the preparation of a "Certificate of Membership of the Army of the Cumberland," would respectfully report that after a careful study of all similar Certificates, they have decided to offer the accompanying steel plate, with its various issues and prints, on parchment, parchment paper, and plain paper, with the respective cost of printing: The expense for design was $100; for plate (steel, engraved by the best artist in New York), $700; and for prints, in accordance with former report made at Indianapolis. The striking of the impressions has been placed in the hands of Messrs. Strobridge & Co., of Cincinnati, and they have made ample arrangements to furnish the Certificates as the Society may order. We would also report that since the death of our revered President, and the real founder of the Society, GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS, your Committee took the responsibility of having his fac simile signature cut, in the shape of a metallic stencil press, for the purpose of having his name upon every certificate, to be countersigned by the President de facto of the Society, and we respectfully recommend the adoption of the same. The cost of the press, etc., is $16. The Committee were empowered to act at Indianapolis, and respectfully submit their action for the approval of the Society. HUNTER BROOKE, ROBERT H. RAMSEY. Report adopted. COLONEL C. GODDARD submitted the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved, That the Secretary of the Society be directed to procure a sufficient number of certificates of membership printed on parchment, from the plate prepared for the purpose, and issue the same to the members, and that the fac simile of the signature of GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS be attached thereto, and that the present President, GENERAL W. S. ROSECRANS, be requested to countersign the same. GENERAL H. A. BARNUM, Chairman of Auditing Committee, reported the Treasurer's accounts correct. The report was adopted, and Committee discharged. The Committee on Time and Place made the following report through their Chairman, GENERAL CRUFT: The Committee on the Time and Place for holding the next Annual Meeting of this Society respectfully report: That two plans have been suggested for the next Reunion. 1. A field encampment for three days at some central position, easily accessible. 2. Meeting at some city, as we have heretofore done. In case an encampment should be determined upon, the Committee recommend that it be held on the grounds at the Soldiers' Home, at Dayton, Ohio, on the 29th, 30th, and 31st of August, 1871. If the usual plan is adopted, the Committee propose to the Society, for its choice, the cities of St. Louis or Detroit, and recommend the 14th and 15th of December, 1871. The Committee also submitted the following action of members of the Society, resident in Chicago: At a meeting of the members of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, resident in Chicago, held at the Sherman House, November 19, 1870, the following action was had: Whereas, Believing that some plan may be adopted, whereby at our annual meetings a greater degree of social intercourse can be secured than has been afforded at the hotels of the large cities, where our Society has heretofore met: Therefore, be it Resolved, That the members of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland, resident in Chicago, respectfully suggest to the Society, at its meeting in Cleveland, the propriety of appointing a Committee to make arrangements for holding our next meeting as a Field Encampment, at a suitable time and place. Resolved, That MAJOR L. H. DRURY be appointed to present the action of this meeting to the Society, at its fourth annual meeting, in the city of Cleveland. CHARLES W. DAVIS, President. GEORGE I. WATERMAN, Secretary. The report was accepted. After some discussion, it was moved that the Society adopt the usual method suggested by second clause of the report of the Committee. Which was adopted by the Society. The President appointed GENERAL N. L. ANDERSON, COLONEL G. C. WHARTON, and CAPTAIN J. P. DROUILLARD, Tellers, and the Society proceeded to ballot on place, as between DETROIT, The Secretary announced the ballot for place: ST. LOUIS-49. DETROIT-57. It was moved to change the time of meeting to the last Wednesday and Thursday of August. Motion lost. Moved to meet on the 14th and 15th of December, anniversary of the battle of Nashville. Motion lost. Moved to meet on the 15th and 16th of November. Submitted by the President and carried. GENERAL CHAS. CRUFT, in the absence of GENERAL GARFIELD, Chairman of the Committee on Memorial to GENERAL THOMAS, reported the following preamble and resolutions: On the 28th of March, 1870, MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS, the great soldier, who has presided over this Society from His spirit its institution, fell at his post with all his harness on. returned to God, who gave it, and the memory of his greatness and goodness is all that is now left to us. His death was a national calamity and an irreparable loss to his comrades. Therefore, be it Resolved, That it is vain by words to attempt to express our loss, or to describe the grief which pervades this Society in view. of this sad event. Resolved, That the banners of this Society be draped in mourning, and that an appropriate memorial page be inscribed upon its records. Resolved, That some fitting monument should be erected by his countrymen to mark the spot where the remains of our beloved commander rest; and that this Society shall take the initiatory steps for its erection; and to that end a committee of one from each State represented in the Society be now appointed to arrange some method to procure the necessary funds, and to provide a design, specifications, and estimates therefor, and to report at the next meeting. Resolved, That the President shall appoint some comrade to prepare a biography of GENERAL THOMAS, and collate and arrange the obituary preceedings of the various States and Associations in honor of his memory, with a view to future publication by this Society. On motion, it was Resolved, That the report be accepted and adopted. GENERAL T. J. WOOD, Chairman of Committee on Orator for 1871, reported: The Committee to select a comrade to deliver the Annual Address at the next meeting of the Society, have the honor to report as follows: |