Capt. Thomas F. Temple, the Commander, occupied the centre of the table on the platform, sitting almost directly in front of the portrait of himself which had been procured for the gallery of past commanders of the corps. On his right sat Gov. Ames, on his left Mayor O'Brien, and at the other seats at the platform table other principal guests, including Collector Saltonstall, Major A. G. Robinson, Quartermaster, U. S. A.; Rev. Brooke Herford, Judge R. H. Cochran, of Toledo; Rev. A. H. Quint, of Dover, N. H.; and Mr. James W. Clarke, associate editor of the Boston Globe. At each end of the platform was a side table. At one of these tables sat the honorable body of past commanders; at the other, members of the committees for the day. Other members of the corps and others of the visitors sat in the body of the hall. The list of guests was a long one. Quite a number of the gentlemen who had been invited had signified their inability to be present, but those who had accepted the invitations, and many of whom were present, included, in addition to the governor and mayor, and the other gentlemen noted as occupying seats upon the platform, Adjt.-Gen. Dalton, Col. Thomas Sherwin, Col. Morgan Rotch, Col. Allen G. Shepherd, and Col. Rockwood Hoar, of the governor's staff; Aldermen Donovan, Allen, Sullivan, McLaughlin, C. W. Smith, N. G. Smith, Carroll, Bromwich, Maguire, Capen, and Lee; Revs. E. A. Horton, Minot J. Savage; E. C. Bolles, of Salem, L. T. Townsend, of Watertown, and W. H. Ryder, of Gloucester; Lieut.-Col. J. L. Roome, Commanding United States Marines; Major G. W. Baird, Paymaster, U. S. A.; Major J. C. McKee, Surgeon, U. S. A.; Capt. T. C. Sullivan, Commissary, U. S. A.; Capt. Samuel McKeever, Second U. S. Infantry; Major Horace G. Kemp, First Battalion Cavalry, M. V. M.; Capt. I. H. Allard, National Lancers; Capt. D. F. Henderson, Roxbury Horse Guards; Col. W. E. Clark, Brig.-Gen. C. R. Dennis, Major I. R. Dorrance, and Capt. and Adjt. Fred B. Burt, Providence Light Infantry Veterans; Col. W. H. Thornton, Major Samuel T. Douglass, and Adjt. J. F. Phetteplace, Providence Light Infantry; Major Lewis Simons, Capt. E. F. Trow, and Adjt. John B. Abbott, Amoskeag Veterans of Manchester, N. H.; Capt. George E. Fairbanks and Lieut. William J. Hogg, Worcester Continentals; George H. Harlow, Clerk Worcester Continentals; Major J. C. Kinney and Lieut. J. R. Dwyer, Governor's Foot Guard, Hartford, Conn.; Aug. P. Sherman, First Vice-President Newport Veteran Artillery Association; Brig.-Gen. Fred Barton, of New Haven; Col. W. C. Mowry, Norwich, Conn.; Lieuts. A. M. Sanders and James Hamil, Old Guard of New York; Capt. Thomas Manning and Lieut. Douglass Greene, of the First Hussars, New York: Capt. J. G. B. Adams, Sergeant-at-Arms; Mr. Howard M. Dow, Mr. H. A. M'Glenen, Mr. Robert B. Brigham, Lieut. David Pulsifer, Mr. Fred Hassam, of Hyde Park; Lieut. I. O. Harvey, of Pittsfield; Mr. George E. McKay, Superintendent of Faneuil Hall Market; Hon. F. G. Jillison, of Providence; Mr. Alexander P. Browne, Lieut. E. H. Smith, of Boston; Dr. Charles G. Davis and Mr. Daniel B. Hubbard, of Worcester; and Mr. J. O. Harvey. Among those who had been invited, but who found themselves unable to be present, were President Cleveland; Hon. William Endicott, Secretary of War; Gov. Bodwell, of Maine; Gen. Sherman, Gen. Sheridan, Major-Gen. Schofield; Commandant McCann, of the Navy Yard; Capt. John Egan, Fourth United States Artillery; and Major George W. McLean, Old Guard of New York; and some of the letters and telegrams of regret which were received are appended: · EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON. The President has received the invitation of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts to be present in Boston at the celebration of their anniversary, the first Monday in June, and he regrets that its acceptance is impracticable. TUESDAY, May 31, 1887. WAR DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, My dear Sir, — I regret that my engagements will not permit of my being in Boston on Monday, June 6th next, and I am therefore compelled to decline the invitation of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company to meet with them in the celebration of their anniversary on that date. With an expression of my best wishes for this most honorable command, and trusting that one and all may have an enjoyable meeting, I am, very truly, your friend, CAPT. THOS. F. TEMPLE, Commanding WM. C. ENDICOTT. Ancient and Honorable Artillery, Faneuil Hall, Boston, Mass. STATE OF MAINE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, LIEUT. GEORGE H. ALLEN, Clerk Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, Boston, Mass. Dear Sir, I regret that it will not be in my power to be present at the anniversary of your company on the 6th of June next. Please say to the members that I appreciate the honor conferred, and I beg you to accept my thanks for the invitation so courteously communicated. I have the honor to be, CAPT. THOMAS F. TEMPLE, Very respectfully yours, JOSEPH R. BODWELL, Governor. ARMY BUILDING, NEW YORK, May 23, 1887. Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, Boston, Mass. My dear Sir,-I beg to acknowledge receipt of your invitation on behalf of the above organization, asking my presence and participation, as one of the Honorary Staff, on the occasion of the celebration of their two hundred and forty-ninth anniversary, on Monday, June 6th, proximo. In consequence of former positive commitments, I regret to say it will be impossible to avail myself of the honor of attending the same. With kindly assurances of my appreciation of the compliment, I am, Very truly yours, W. T. SHERMAN, General. CAPT. THOMAS F. TEMPLE, HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES, Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, Boston, Mass. Dear Sir, In reply to your very cordial invitation to be present at the celebration of your anniversary, Monday, June 6th, I am obliged to send my regrets, as my time is so fully occupied with other engagements which cannot be cancelled, and official duties, that I will have to deny myself the pleasure of meeting the members of your Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company on the occasion named. Thanking you for the compliment you have paid me, I remain, Yours truly, P. H. SHERIDAN, Lieutenant-General. CAPT. THOMAS F. TEMPLE, FORT ADAMS, NEWPORT, R. I., May 31, 1887. Commanding Ancient and Honorable Artillery. Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your very kind invitation to be present at the celebration of the two hundred forty-ninth anniversary of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery, and to express my thanks for it, and the appreciated compliment of a place on your staff. I regret very much that my duties here will prevent me enjoying the very great pleasure and honor you have tendered me. Very respectfully and thankfully, Your obedient servant, JOHN EGAN, Captain Fourth Artillery CAPT TEMPLE, Commanding Honorable Artillery Company, Faneuil Hall: Sorry not to be with you. Accept warmest wishes that my dear old comrades, the Ancients, in celebrating their anniversary, may repeat the old-time glory. MAJOR GEORGE W. McLEAN. When everybody was seated, Commander Temple rapped for order, and introduced Rev. Brooke Herford, the chaplain, who invoked the divine blessing. Then, at 1.20 P. M., the attack on the edibles and other necessaries of an anniversary dinner began, and for over an hour but little was heard save the clatter of knives and forks rising above the hum of conversation, and accentuated by a frequent "pop," of most suspicious but quite enjoyable sound. Cigars were not reached until 2.30 P. M. When the hall began to wear a hazy aspect, as the smoke from hundreds of cigars ascended, the Salem Cadet Band, stationed in the gallery, played the "Railroad Galop," one of its most popular selections with the Ancients. When the applause which followed the rendering of this piece had subsided, Commander Temple rapped for order, and addressed the company. The speeches of himself and of the various gentlemen whom he introduced to respond to the toasts, which Adjt. Thompson announced, are given below. They were interspersed with music by the band. THE SPEECHES. CAPT. THOMAS F. TEMPLE. Gentlemen of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, -For myself and the gentlemen who have kindly consented to come here and respond to your toasts, I ask that we may have such silence in the hall that they may be heard by those who desire to hear them. Gentlemen, for the honor of occupying this position to-day, I desire to return my sincere thanks. I congratulate you upon the favorable circumstances under which you have assembled here to celebrate the two hundred and forty-ninth anniversary of the first chartered military company of Massachusetts, of which this company is the lineal descendant. To my associates, the commissioned and non-commissioned officers and staff, and to each and every member of the command, I desire to acknowledge my indebtedness for the services which they have rendered and the loyal support which they have given me on all occasions. To our invited guests I extend a cordial welcome. [Applause.] During the past year death has removed many from our ranks, among them several of our most prominent and valued members, whose services, not alone to this corps, but to their country and the community in which they lived, have made their names familiar in our mouths as household words. We miss from our gathering to-day the dignified and gracious presence of Col. Marshall P. Wilder. an active member of our organization for fifty-nine years [applause], its commander thirty-one years ago, a man who performed with conscientious fidelity all the duties of a citizen-soldier of the Republic. We miss, too, the soldierly form of Col. Isaac Hull Wright, who served with distinction in the Mexican War, and whose service was recognized soon after his return home by being selected, thirty-seven years ago, as your commander. [Applause.] We miss, also, the sturdy form of Major Ben: Perley Poore, the commander of 1873, the veteran journalist, writer, and author, who had hoped to crown his literary efforts with the history of this company. [Applause.] We mourn the loss from our ranks of Lieut. Edwin Adams, a veteran member, and Sergt. Wm. C. Pfaff, whose long and faithful service had endeared them to us all. [Applause.] And there is another whose familiar face we shall see no more at the head of our column - our old drummer, Daniel Simpson [applause], who, although not a member of our company, had become identified with us through a service of more than half a century. From our honorary list we have lost Chester A. Arthur, of New York, whose genial qualities raised up for him a host of friends wherever he was known [applause], and who, in the highest position in the land, and under circumstances the most trying, won renown as an able executive and a wise statesman. ner. The history of our organization during the past year has been one of more than ordinary interest. On the 17th of June, by invitation of the Webster Historical Society, your officers visited Concord, N. H., and took part as the guests of the State in the ceremonies attending the dedication of the statue of Daniel Webster. [Applause.] The fall field day was very happily observed in an entirely original manInstead of visiting some other city, as has been the custom, and getting up an entertainment of a semi-official character, an excursion was made to the White Mountains, the members being accompanied by their ladies. [Applause.] The admirable arrangements made by the committee having the matter in charge, and the fine weather which prevailed during the trip, made the occasion one long to be remembered, and worthy of record as a red-letter day in the history of the corps. During the spring, Lieut. W. II. Hayward, of the Honourable Artillery Company of London, made our city a brief visit. [Applause.] The uncertainty of his coming and the briefness of his stay rendered it impossible to extend to him an official recognition; but members of the company maintained its high reputation for hospitality, and rendered his stay with us agreeable and pleasant. Sev |