The citizens of Lewiston, Idaho, vied with each other in making the Department Encampment of Idaho and the Annual Encampment of the Woman's Relief Corps a success, and the citizens of Tacoma, in large numbers, turned out in the parade, and showed their loyalty to the Grand Army of the Republic in many other ways. Though each year shows that the old soldier is growing older, yet at these Annual Encampments he shows that he can still step lightly to martial music, and at Tacoma not less than 500 old soldiers participated in the annual parade.

During the year I visited a number of camp fires and also visited a number of camps of Sons of Veterans.

Distance is so great in this section of the country that it was impossible for me to do more without having matters more systematically arranged for such visits than the irregular time that the various encampments and posts have for their regular meetings. To have done more would have kept me from my business more than I could spare.

Not unmindful of the great honor conferred on me by the national encampment in confiding this trust to me and assuring my comrades that my loyalty and zeal shall not wane in the cause of the Grand Army, I am,

Yours in F., C. and L.,

S. G. COSGROVE,

Junior Vice-Commander-in-Chief.

REPORT OF SURGEON-GENERAL.

I. N. WALKER,

JANESVILLE, Wis., Aug. 15, 1896.

Commander-in-Chief, Grand Army of the Republic:

My Dear Comrade:

In making my annual report you will permit me to say that I am greatly embarrassed by the non-receipt of reports from a large number of the Medical Directors of the various Departments.

I need not attempt to account for this, as the same difficulty has been experienced by my predecessors, and none of them have been able to find sufficient reason for non-compliance with instructions from headquarters.

Making the reports that have reached me the basis of opinion I believe this Department of the Grand Army is in much the same condition as it was when my predecessor made his report.

But we are compelled to take cognizance of the fact that our advanced age furnishes us ready excuse for any seeming neglect of duty. To this reason, I largely ascribe the fact that Post Surgeons and Medical Directors delay their reports.

While Medical Director of the Department of Wisconsin I learned that much misapprehension existed in the matter of what constituted a "term." Some Posts ended the term with the date of closing their reports, many seem to have no definite idea of the significance of the word "term." Hence I recommended to the Department that the "term" should end with the calendar year, and that only one report be required for the year, ending December 31 always. This I believed would simplify the matter, and would insure from the Posts more prompt and reliable reports.

Under the efficient work at Department Headquarters a new blank was formulated, which has resulted in an improved service in the Department of Wisconsin.

In order to secure uniformity I respectfully recommend that all blanks be furnished by Headquarters, not only the blanks issued

to Medical Directors, but also those used by the individual Posts in each and every Department. In this way only can uniformity and reasonable accuracy be assured.

In order to proceed intelligently along the line here indicated, I would respectfully recommend that the Council of Administration determine the form of blanks to be used, and certify the same to the Commander-in-Chief, and when such blanks are printed and issued the Medical Director shall supply each and every Post within his jurisdiction with the proper blank. Until some measures are adopted to secure better results the office of Post Surgeon might well be abolished.

The following Departments have reported to this office, to wit: California and Nevada, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Washington and Alaska. Thus it will be seen that from the 45 Departments only 17 reports have been received. Some of these are annual, some semi-annual and some indefinite as to time. It will be seen, therefore, that no compilation of these reports can be made that will be of the least practical value from a statistical standpoint, and I shall not attempt it unless under express mandate of the Commander-in-Chief.

What Past Adjutant-General Jones says in his report concerning blanks in general is equally applicable to blanks for use in the Medical Department, and I most heartily concur in his recommendation. In some way let our blanks be simplified and made uniform. My predecessor, ex-Surgeon-General Weeks, in his very able report, called attention to this matter, and I trust it will not be forgotten or neglected.

The Departments of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, and Mississippi, Iowa and Washington and Alaska, show an expenditure for charitable purposes of $7,445.99, Maine leading with a report of $3,428.97 and Washington and Alaska following with $1,684.

Thus it will be seen that the heart is kept warm and the palm wide open to relieve the wants of the old soldier, whose advanced years and declining strength render him unable to supply his needs.

It is believed that the other Departments have contributed generously for the relief of their Comrades, but have neglected to make report.

Among all the organized associations for the relief of soldiers and their families, none is entitled to greater credit than the "Woman's Relief Corps," not simply by reason of the generous amount expended by them, but because of the warm hearts and willing hands they put into the work. The names of these women will go down into history, and their deeds will be told in song and story, long after the last veteran soldier shall have been laid to his rest.

The condition of the various "Homes," National and State, is believed to be, in the main, satisfactory, but the ample report of the Inspector-General renders any detail in this report superfluous.

The mortuary reports are too meagre to be of value. Thirteen Departments report 908 deaths. Taking this as a basis, the deaths in the entire jurisdiction would be about 3,000, but it is presumed that the Adjutant-General's report will show a much greater depletion in the ranks of the old boys.

The number of Posts in operation in all the Departments is 7,245, of these only 779 have reported to their respective Medical Directors. It is to be hoped the Assistant Adjutant-General Adjutants of the various Departments have been more successful, if so, the Grand Encampment, through the Adjutant-General, will be in possession of statistical information which this office is not able to give.

While I am deeply chagrined at the meagerness of my report, in the matter of statistics, I do not despair of an improved service in the future. There certainly is no sufficient reason why the Medical Director should not receive reports from the Posts in his Department as promptly and accurately as the Assistant AdjutantGeneral. As an important factor in this matter, will you pardon me if I repeat that in my judgment, all blanks used must be uniform, and to secure uniformity they must be issued from Headquarters.

A word in conclusion:

Boys, I profoundly appreciate the honor you conferred upon me at the Twenty-ninth Annual Encampment, and in many ways. I have enjoyed my official intercourse with you.

I have felt myself in touch with the remnant of the grandest army the world ever saw. "Grand in the field, grander still when flushed with victory it put off the panoply of war and returned again to the peaceful vocations of the citizen."

The years pass all too quickly for the work we have to do. Our faces have long been turned sharply toward the setting sun. Many of us are moving in the twilight and are so near the Divide that we are almost able to catch glimpses of the Beyond. So, Boys, till we meet, farewell.

I have the honor to be very respectfully,

J. B. WHITING, Surgeon-General, G. A. R.