Hampshire County MA Archives History - Books .....Honorary Association Of Co. I 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ma/mafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 15, 2006, 3:50 pm Book Title: Northampton In The Spanish-American War THE HONORARY ASSOCIATION OF CO. I. Since the establishment of Co. I, M. V. M., in Northampton public-spirited citizens have interested themselves in its welfare and given it their loyal support. These citizens were known simply as honorary members of the company until 1895, when the suggestion was made that an organization be effected to better promote the interests of the company. As a result the HONORARY ASSOCIATION OF COMPANY I was founded at a meeting held on September 24, 1895. The election of officers was the only formality connected with the organization, and the list of first officers follows:—President, Henry A. Kimball; vice president, Merritt Clark; secretary, Hubbard M. Abbott; treasurer, Jasper E. Lambie. At the next election the offices of financial secretary and treasurer were combined under the latter title, and Hubbard M. Abbott was made treasurer. Except for this single change the original board of officers has been re-elected each year. The officers were constituted an executive committee and empowered to transact the ordinary business of the association. The organization has never had a charter, a constitution or by-laws. The only requirement of membership is the annual payment of one dollar. The chief "tour of duty" of the Honorary Association has been the giving of an annual banquet in honor of the company. The first dinner was given in October, 1895, and in 1896 and 1897 the banquets were tendered soon after the return of the company from the annual state encampment in June. Much enthusiasm was aroused on these occasions, and the members of the company were incited to better work by the loyalty of the "honoraries." The banquet of 1898 was not held at the usual time because of the company's absence in Cuba, but after the soldiers had returned, had been mustered out, and had regained the strength wasted by fever and hardships, they were tendered a banquet of honor. Though planned and managed by the Honorary Association the affair was really the tribute of Northampton people to the company. It was held in the banquet hall of the Masonic Temple, on the evening of November 21, and in every respect was a grand success. Co. I was escorted from the Armory to the Temple by the Northampton Band, amid the flaming of red fire and the cheers of many people lining the streets. The banquet hall was beautifully decorated with the national colors, bunting and flowers, and during the dinner patriotic and popular airs were rendered by the band. Mayor Henry P. Field presided as toastmaster, and the after-dinner speakers were Col. Embury P. Clark of the Second Regiment, Captain Henry L. Williams, President L. Clark Seelye, of Smith College, Congressman Frederick H. Gillett, of Springfield, Congressman George P. Lawrence, of North Adams and Edward A. Sumner of New York. Selections were rendered by the Northampton Vocal Club. In its account of the banquet the NORTHAMPTON DAILY HERALD said:— "No other cause has ever drawn together such a representative assembly of Northampton's citizens, and no other occasion has been graced with such a galaxy of speakers from so varied walks of life. It has been said before that the banquets given to Co. I by the Honorary Association have called out the flower of our citizenship. There have been several such banquets in honor of Co. I, Massachusetts Militia, but this banquet to Co. I, United States Volunteers eclipsed them all. It stands forth unique. Those who were honored and they who counted it a privilege to pay honor, either by speech or presence, will long cherish pleasant memories of it. In the presence of our own heroes of Santiago, El Caney and San Juan, and under the inspiration of men gifted with the power of phrasing their sentiments enthusiasm was stirred to a depth rarely reached in sedate Northampton. Old men, as well as young, found it impossible to express their feelings in the ordinary forms of applause and cheer after cheer rang out in the banquet hall. Admiration of the brave men who responded to the call to arms from this city found expression jointly with devotion to the flag that they helped to unfurl over a tyrannized people, and the hero-worship resolved itself into a lesson in patriotism." The membership of the Honorary Association during 1898 numbered 128, and the list is given below:— Hubbard M. Abbott Albert E. Addis Archibald J. Aldrich John W. Arnold Frederick T. Atkins Ralph L. Baldwin William A. Bailey Edwin H. Banister Frank D. Barnes William G. Bassett John E. Bates Charles Beckmann Leslie A. Belding Edward H. Bell Frederick W. Bement Homer C. Bliss Edward S. Bottum Charles H. Boyden Sidney E. Bridgman George W. Cable John B. Cardinal Charles E. Childs Haynes H. Chilson Robert H. Clapp William H. Clapp Charles N. Clark Frank E. Clark George Watson Clark George Wright Clark Howard Clark Jairus E. Clark Merritt Clark Sidney A. Clark William A. Clark Vernett E. Cleveland John Storer Cobb William A. Coburn Benjamin E. Cook, Jr. Elmer H. Copeland Edward P. Copeland Edgar F. Crooks Charles S. Crouch Frank E. Davis Henry C. Day J. Howe Demond Lucius Dimock S. Dwight Drury Oscar Edwards O. Wendell Edwards Thomas B. Ewing George H. Farrar James M. Fay William H. Feiker Henry P. Field Charles N. Fitts Stephen B. Fuller P. H. Gallen William M. Gaylord Thomas Gilfillan Clarence K. Graves Matthew Grogan Henry C. Hallett John C. Hammond Thomas J. Hammond John W. Hartwell Charles N. Harlow Charles H. Heald James W. Heffernan Edwin W. Higbee Henry R. Hinckley Alfred H. Hoadley Richard W. Irwin Henry Jones C. Herbert Kellogg Henry A. Kimball Charles B. Kingsley Frank W. Kingsley Walter C. Kingsley Charles W. Kinney Frederick N. Kneeland John F. Lambie Noah H. Lee Samuel W. Lee Samuel W. Lee, Jr. Orrin E. Livermore Frank N. Look George L. Loomis Edward H. R. Lyman Frederick A. Macomber John L. Mather Avon C. Matthews Charles A. Maynard Alexander McCallum Daniel J. McCallum John Metcalf Phineas P. Nichols Louis B. Niquette Narcisse Paquin John Parnell Joseph N. Pelissier Chauncey H. Pierce John Prince Josiah H. Prindle George H. Ray James W. Reid Osmore O. Roberts Walter S. Rodiman Clarence B. Roote Henry Schadee L. Clark Seelye Christopher Seymour Abraham Sherwin William H. Smith Charles E. Stevens Harold W. Stevens William P. Strickland John A. Sullivan George D. Thayer William M. Trow Charles H. Tucker John M. Turner Oliver Walker Charles E. Williams Robert G. Williams A. Lyman Williston Robert L. Williston Edward E. Wood Edward E. Wood, Jr. Additional Comments: Extracted from: NORTHAMPTON IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR BY JAMES R. GILFILLAN AND HERBERT E. RILEY. ILLUSTRATED. PRESS OF ENTERPRISE PRINTING COMPANY EASTHAMPTON, MASS. 1899. Copyright, 1899, by J. R. Gilfillan and H. E. Riley. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ma/hampshire/history/1899/northamp/honorary3gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mafiles/ File size: 7.6 Kb