SOCIETY OF THE WAR OF 1812

BY MORRIS PATTERSON FERRIS, REGISTFAR

On the third day of January, 1826, a few officers who had taken part in the "Second War of Independence," gathered at the Broadway House, corner of Broadway and Grand Street, in the City of New York to organize a society, having for its object the commemoration of the events. and the preservation of the records of the War. The formation of the "Society of the War of 1812" was the result. A constitution was adopted which provided for the admission only of commissioned officers who had served in the army or navy of the United States in the War of 1812, and had thereafter been honorably discharged.

The anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans was selected for the annual meeting.

Major George Howard, late of the First Regiment of the United States Infantry, was elected President and Commandant.

Colonel Robert Bogardus, late of the Forty-first Regiment of the United States Infantry, Vice-President and Vice-Commandant.

Captain Mordecai Myers, late of the Thirteenth United States Infantry, Secretary and Adjutant.

Colonel Clarkson Crolius, late of the Ninty-seventh Regiment Infantry, New York State Militia and Major Twenty-seventh United States Infantry, Treasurer and Quartermaster.

Meetings of the society were regularly held down to the close of the war with Mexico, and then the membership having been much depleted by deaths and removals, the constitution was amended so as to permit the society to include in its membership survivors of the war other than commissioned officers, and "The Veteran Corps of Artillery," an independent corps originally formed in the last century by officers and soldiers of the War of the Revolution, and which had served in the defence of New York Harbor in the War of 1812, was consolidated with it.

In addition to the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, the anniversaries of the Declaration of Independence, and of the Evacuation of New York, were thereafter celebrated by the raising of the United States flag at- daylight on these dates, at the Battery and at MacGown's Pass, and by public parades and social gatherings. As years passed, fewer and fewer of the members attended the meetings until at the celebration of the inauguration of the Government of the United States in 1889, as but five veterans representing the society were able to meet the President of the United States at the reviewing stand on Madison Square, they realized that unless hereditary members were admitted the society must soon die out. A vote of the society was taken and it was unanimously resolved (twenty-one surviving members joining in the resolution under their hands and seals) that provision should be made in the constitution for the admission of hereditary members, and five veterans, General Abraham Dally, Henry Morris, Thomas Morgan Sturtevant, David Wollaber, and Lientenant Michael Moore, U. S. A., were designated as Trustees to take the necessary steps to

SOCIETY OF THE WAR OF 1812-Continued.

effect that end. Under the advice of counsel an amended constitution and by-laws were prepared and subsequently adopted by all of the veteran members, and on the 8th day of January, 1892, the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, " The Society of the War of 1812," was duly incorporated by the veterans under the laws of the State of New York, and in accordance with the provisions of the resolve of Congress of September, 25, 1890, as a Military Society or Order.

The Rev. Morgan Dix, S.T.D., D.C.L., eldest son of Major General Joan A. Dix, an original veteran member, was admitted and chosen President and Commandant. Honorable Asa Bird Gardiner, LL.D., grandson of an original member was admitted and chosen Vice-President.

Governeur Mather Smith, M.D., was admitted and chosen Treasurer; and other gentlemen likewise descended from participants in the War of 1812, were duly admitted to membership and elected by the veterans to take charge of the active work of the society, Brigadier General Abraham Dally, continuing to hold his military title as an honorary distinction, which had been originally permanently conferred in 1854, by the State Convention of Veterans of the War of 1812, on the Commandant of the corps. The qualifications for membership in the society are as follows:

I. ORIGINAL MEMBERS.— Actual combatants in the War of 1812, who supported the side of the United States.

II. HEREDITARY MEMBERS.-Descendants of original members in this or in any other military society formed prior to January 8, 1856, by men who served in the armies or navies of the United States in the War of 1812; descendants of hereditary members admitted prior to January 8, 1894; descendants of a propositus who, being of the rank of a commissioned officer, aide-de-camp or commanding officer of a private armed Vessel sailing under letters of marque and reprisal from the United States, would have been entitled to original membership.

III. HONORARY MEMBERS.-The President and ex-Presidents of the United States, the Judges of the Supreme and Circuit Courts of the United States, General Officers of the Army of the United States,not below the rank of Major General, Flag Officers of the Navy of the United States,not below the rank of Rear Admiral, General Officers of the Society of the Cincinnati and Presidents of the State Societies of that order, and citizens who have received the formal approbation of the Congress of the United States for distinguished conduct or eminent services are alone eligible to Honorary Membership.

The present officers of the society are: President, Rev. Morgan Dix, S.T.D., D. C. L.; Vice-President, Honorable Asa Bird Gardiner, LL.D.; Secretary, Major Henry Chauncey, Jr.; Treasurer, Gouverneur Mather Smith, M.D.; Registrar, Morris Patterson Ferris; Assistant Secretary, Charles Isham; Chaplain, Rev. Alexander Hamilton; Board of Managers, Lieutenant Michael Moore, U. S. A. (retired), Thomas Morgan Sturtevant; Rev. Morgan Dix, S.T.D., D.C.L., Hon. Asa Bird Gardiner, LL.D., Major Henry Chauncey, Jr., Gouverneur Mather Smith, M.D., James Mortimer Montgomery, David Banks, Frederick Gallatin.

The society is now in an exceedingly flourishing condition and growing rapidly. Its members are carefully selected and their credentials rigidly scrutinized. It includes in its membership some of the most influential men of New York. Established as a military order, under the Act of Congress, it ranks with the Order of the Cincinnati, Aztec Society and the Loyal Legion.

MORRIS P. FERRIS.

KINDRED SOCIETIES IN OTHER STATES

Societies kindred to the above exist in other States. In 1857 there was organized in Philadelphia, "The Pennsylvania Association of the Defenders of the Country in the War of 1812." In 1890 the name was changed to the "Society of the War of 1812." The society was incorporated in 1892 under the laws of Pennsylvania. The officers are: President, John Cadwalader, Philadelphia; Vice-Presidents, Rear Admiral Roe, U. S. N.; Col. M. I. Ludington, U. S. A.; John Biddle Porter; Registrar, A. Jackson Reilly; Secretary, Peter Stewart Hay.

Eligibility to membership in the New York Society is restricted to descendants of commissioned officers. In 1894 there was organized by descendants of American soldiers and sailors who participated in the War of 1812, a national society comprised largely of members of the Pennsylvania State Society. Under the auspicies of this National Society, State societies have been organized in Maryland, Connecticut and Massachusetts. To these societies are admitted proper descendants of all military and naval participants in the war on the American side. The officers of the National Society are: President General, John Cadwalder, Philadelphia; Vice-Presidents General, Col. John B. Porter, Geo. B. Sanford, U. S. A., Capt. William L. Willey of Massachusetts; Secretary General, Capt. Henry H. Bellas, U. S. A.; Treasurer General, Reynold W. Wilcox, M.D., of New York; Registrar General, Albert K. Hadel, of Maryland; Surgeon General, Chas. Sutherland, U. S. A.; Judge Advocate General, Charles H. Murray, of New York; Chaplain General, Alexander Hamliton, of Connecticut.

AMERICAN PHILOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Officers: President, John H. Wright, of Harvard; Vice-Presidents, Profs. Perrin. of Yale, and Minton Warren, of Johns Hopkins; Secretary and Treasurer, H. W. Smyth, of Bryn Mawr; Executive Committee, the above officers, ex-officio, Prof. Gildersleeve, of Johns Hopkins; W. N. Goodwin, of Harvard; Miss Abby Leach, of Vassar; Prof. March, of Lafayette; and Prof. Wheeler, of Cornell.

AMERICAN SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

Officers: President, F. J. Kingsbury, Waterbury, Conn.; First Vice-President, H. L. Wayland, Philadelphia, Pa.; Vice-Presidents, Francis Wayland, New Haven, Conn.; Daniel C. Gilman, Baltimore, Md.; William T. Harris, Washington, D. C.; Carroll D. Wright, Washington, D. C.; Mrs. John E. Lodge, Boston, Mass.; Lucy Hall-Brown, M.D., Brooklyn, N. Y.; Mrs. Caroline H. Dall, Washington, D. C. ; S. W. Dikc, D.D., Auburndale, Mass.; Charles A. Peabody, New York; Andrew Dickson White, Ithaca, N. Y.; Grace Peckham, M.I., New York; Henry B. Baker, Lansing, Mich.; Dorman B. Eaton, New York; Henry Villard, New York; H. Holbrook Curtis, M.D., New York; R. A. Holland, St. Louis, Mo.; John Eaton, Washington, D. C.; General Secretary, F. B. Sanborn, Concord, Mass.; Treasurer, Anson Phelps Stokes, 45 Cedar Street, New York.

YACHT CLUBS IN THE UNITED STATES

BY CAPTAIN JAMES C. SUMMERS

There is something about the words "yacht club" that is distinctively fascinating to the layman, or rather to the landsman. The names of other clubs simply suggest a place where one may lounge. dine, and perhaps sleep occasionally, a place where one's mode of living is limited only by one's means, but a host of fancies spring to the mind when a yacht club is mentioned.

Visions of sunny days and moonlit nights on river, bay and sound, promenades on decks whose cleanliness would put to shame any floor in your own house, and dinners served a la Delmonico in the cosy cabin-these are items of novelty as well as of luxury that the average landsman looks forward to with unconcealed satisfaction.

All these and many more things are possible to the man who is a member of a yacht club, and is a yacht owner, but most of them are also possible to him who is neither a member nor an owner, but who is lucky enough to be the guest of one who is, for then he may enjoy the luxuries of yachting, in congenial companionship without having to worry over the important problem of footing the bills.

There are three classes of yachtsmen, steam, cruising and racing. The first two named go in for yachting for rest and entertainment, sometimes found on board their yacht, sometimes at the club house.

They go to races for much the same reason that others drive to a horse race, or a foot-ball match, to see the fun, always taking a party of friends along to swell the list of spectators. They are almost as necessary at the race as the contestants, for without the accompanying fleet of steam yachts and cruisers, the contest would be robbed of half its interest as a spectacle.

The racing yachtsman on the other hand, cares for little else but racing, purand simple. His guests, if he has any, are expected to be imbued with the same spirit. If they are not, they are generally looked upon as in the way on race days, for there must be no "dead wood" on board after the starting signal is given.

One rarely finds a racing yachtsman who cares for cruising and vice versa. Give a racing man a good boat under him,of the modern type, a smart crew and stiff breeze, in which he and his rival sloop or schooner may have an exciting thrash to windward and a fast run home to the finish line, and he is a happy man. Luxuries, in the way of food are not looked for nor asked for on board these boats. They are furnished on shore, and that is where the usefulness of the club house comes in. At a comfortable dinner after the race all its points [are discussed by the participants and frequently new challenges are made for future races.

It is safe to say that at no club in this country is the making of matches more frequent, or the racing element kept up to concert pitch, as it were, through the whole season, as it is at the splendid house of the Larchmont Yacht Club, located in Westchester County, N. Y. Facing, as it does, one of the best natural harbors on Long Island Sound, this handsome house, with its broad piazzas, spacious halls, diningroom, library and other accomodations is an ideal spot for yachtmen.