THE CAVALRY SOCIETY OF THE ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES. CONSTITUTION, BY-LAWS, AND RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING HELD AT TROY, N. Y., AUGUST 20 AND 21, 1897. CONSTITUTION. I. The name of this association shall be "THE CAVALRY SOCIETY OF THE ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES." II. Any honorably discharged officer or soldier, who at any time has served in the cavalry corps in the said armies, shall be entitled to membership in the society. III. The object of the society shall be the promotion of kindly feeling, the revival of old associations, and the collection and preservation of records of the services dered by this corps during the "War of the Rebellion." ren IV. The officers of the society shall consist of a president, seven vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer, and historian, who shall be, with the exception of the historian, elected at each meeting of the society. V. The duties of the president shall be to preside at the annual meetings, to call extraordinary meeting of the society in case of necessity and to issue such orders as may be necessary for the good government and control of the society. VI. The vice-president shall exercise the powers of the president, in case of the absence of that officer. VII. The secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of the society, a roll of members, and perform ali duties usually pertaining to an office of such character. VIII. The treasurer shall have control of all funds, to be expended only on approval of the president, and shall render an account of all disbursements at the annual meeting of the society. IX. The historian shall prepare for the use of the secretary, a history of the cavalry corps, and of all matters connected therewith of interest to the society. X. There shall be a standard bearer, who shall be an officer of the society, and who shall be appointed at each annual meeting, by the presi dent. The duties of the standard bearer shall be to have charge and custody of the flag of the society, and carry it on all occasions of ceremony when the society shall be pres ent. XI. There shall be elected annually an assistant secretary, who shall perform the duties of the secretary at the annual meetings of the society. in case of the absence of that officer, and who shall perform such other services as pertain to the office of secretary, as may be required of him by that officer. XII. There shall be elected annually an adjutant-general, whose duty shall be to assist the president in all cases where the society is formed for parade, and to act as an aide to the president, and perform such services as that officer may direct. BY-LAWS. I. The entrance fee of the society shall be one dollar. II. The annual dues shall be one dollar, but all members present at any meeting of the society, shall, upon payment of one dollar, be relieved from all arrears of dues. The payment of five dollars at cne time order, and presided over its proceedings. The minutes of the last meeting, held at Burlington, Vermont, Sept. 16th, 1896, were read by the secretary, and upon motion, were approved. The treasurer, Major Gerrald Irvine Whitehead, then read his shall constitute life membership in report, showing a balance of cash on hand of $45.84; this report did not include about $50.00 that Major G. I. Whitehead has saved for the soci this society. III. The president shall determine the time and place of each annual meeting, being governed in his selection thereof, as far as practicable, by the time and place of the meeting of the Society of the Army of the Poto mac. NEXT MEETING. Place of meeting next year, as fixed by the Society of the Army of the Potomac, is Niagara Falis, N. Y: the Potomac, is Niagara Falls, N. Y.; date not named. BADGE OF THE SOCIETY. The badge of the society is a pair of crossed sabres, accurately copied from the regulation cavalry sabre, and finely finished in gold, upon a boldly worked "sunburst" of silver. It is attached to the coat or the ribbon of the society by means of a brooch-pin at the back. Price, $5.00. Send money with order to Major G. Irvine Whitehead, treasurer, 206 Broadway, New York. REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS. The society met at 10:30 in the city clerk's office, and in the absence. of the president and all of the vicepresidents, upon motion of Major Gerrald Irvine Whitehead, General J. P. Cilley called the society to ety by depositing the funds in the savings bank, where it has been drawing interest for some years. A committee was appointed by the chair to audit the account, and they reported the same correct, and upon motion the report was accepted. A letter of regret, at not being. able to attend the reunion, was read from General Charles G. Sawtelle, its president, by the secretary. Upon motion of General Henry E. Tremain, a committee to nominate officers for the ensuing year was appointed by the chair, consisting of General J. J. McCook, Major C. G. Davis, and P. N. Boehn, who reported as follows: President - General Russell A. Alger, Detroit, Mich. Vice-Presidents-General J. P. Cilley, Rockland, Maine; H. E. Tremain, New York city; General E. W. Whitaker, Washington, D. C.; Major C. G. Davis, Boston, Mass. Vice-President of the society in the Army of the Potomac-General John J. McCook, New York city. Treasurer-Major G. Irvine Whitehead, 206 Broadway, New York city. Secretary-General Llewellyn G. of the Potomac was too large to be Estes, Washington, D. C. described in these columns. It is, Adjutant-General-Colonel A. J. however, appropriate to state that the Morrison, Troy, N. Y. yellow banner of the Cavalry Society Bugler-Henry T. Bartlett, New followed closely the leading coach of York city. Upon motion, General G. S. Greene, U. S. A., was nominated as our Cavalry Society's candidate for president of the Society of the Army of the Potomac for the ensuing year. Upon motion cf Major C. G. Davis, Article 2 of By-Laws was amended, the following words to be added: Hereafter, all members present at any meeting of the society shall, upon payment of $1.00, be relieved from all arrears of dues. That the payment of five dollars ($5.00) at one time shall constitute life membership in the society." Upon motion of General L. G. Estes, the sum of $50.00 was set aside toward the erection of a monument to the memory of General Judson Kilpatrick, to be paid by the treasurer when notified that a sufficient sum had been subscribed to complete the monument. Major and President McKinley. Colonel A. J. Morrison of the Third New Jersey Cavalry planned to give the Cavalry society a special excursion in his steam yacht, but the sickness of his engineer prevented its accomplishment. In compensation, Colonel Morrison entertained the cavalry contingent at the Troy House. The oration was delivered by Major C. A. Woodruff, U. S. A. It was brilliant with wit, and eloquent in patriotic devotion. We give a brief extract to show its merit : "My friends: These veterans are growing old, but they love to recall the scenes of the war with their lights and shadows; the joys and sorrows, the pleasures and hardships, the sufferings, defeats, victories, and final glorious ending of the war for the Union, are a part of their very being. "They love to meet and greet the comrades of long ago, the comrades with whom they marched and fought and suffered. Each Each hearty handclasp sends an electric current of love and patriotism tingling through every nerve, which awakens tender memories of the fallen, and memories of camp and bivouac, heroic memories The acting president appointed of hospital and prison, pleasant memCaptain Peter M. Boehn, standard ories of many a battle-field. It was bearer. the epoch of their lives, as it was of Upon motion, the society ad- the nation's life, which for four years. journed. was merged in, and sustained by, their The parade in honor of the Society own brain, brawn, and blood; in those |