Secretary's Address

The following data is extracted from Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, February 1909.

Comrades of the Gallant Old 13th Infantry, Greeting:
I have, and am, doing my "level best" to serve you and the Reunion Association.
On account of having to pay a good price for the last Souvenir badges there was but little funds left to pay the current expenses.

I have been to some little expense in getting out this little book-let and I am going to call on All The Members to chip in a quarter if they feel like it.
In case there is more than enough to defray the expenses, it will all be placed to the credit of the Reunion Association fund.

I think this little booklet giving a write-up of the 44th Reunion and a revised up-to-date Roster of all living Comrades, so far as I know, will in all probability be the last one gotten out. I hope, and believe, that the Comrades and lady members will appreciate it, and keep it as a souvenir. So that in years to come our children's children can refer to it with pride and say that my ancestors were members of the famous 13th Michigan Infantry that fought through the great Civil war from 1861 to 1865.

The 45th annual Reunion will be held in this city in the new G. A. R. Building, on the last Thursday and Friday in October, 1909. I hope that every member will write to me and tell me whether or not they will attend.

Tell me how they like the booklet. Make any suggestions they wish in regard to the next Reunion.

I would also like to hear from all the members in regard to the kind of a Reunion they like best. How did you like the last one? Do you think we should invite the public to our camp fires? What about having a musical program? Now, you must help me out in this matter.

Our new President, Captain H. H. Trask, is a whole-souled Comrade. His heart is in this work and I am sure that he is ready and willing to carry out your wishes.

At our last Reunion one old Comrade requested the President to call on all who went with the Regiment first to stand up. About 30 responded. I am sorry that it caused some feeling amongst some worthy Comrades who joined later on. This should not be so.

There is glory enough and honor enough to go around. Those that came in later on really deserve more credit than the ones that left early.

In 1861 they told us that the war would not last six months.

I remember hearing the Hon. Chas. E. Stewart of this city telling the boys on the old Fair Ground here that all we had to do was to go down into Kentucky and make a show of resistance and the advocates of secession would all come back into the Union inside of six months.

Everybody preached that sort of a doctrine at the time.

We all know too well how they came back into the Union-after four years of hard pounding.

So I say all honor to those that held up our hands and helped carry on the war during the dark trying days of 1863 and 1864. We needed the recruits. The war could not have been carried oil without their help.

Captain H. H. Trask, President, Hastings, Mich. Address all communications to C. Hogle, Secretary-Treasurer, 402 West 'Water Street, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Eaton, Willard G., Otsego, Mich. First Lieutenant 13th Infantry, October 3rd, 1861. Captain, October 20th, 1862. Major, May 26th, Colonel, February 23rd, 1865. Killed in action Bentonville, N. C., March 19th, 1865.

Source: Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, February 1909

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