Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/203

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IIo)i. ^foJin C. Liuchan.

��193

��tive worker in the total abstinence cause, being president of one of the first Catholic temperance societies, and for a time one of the most flour- ishing in the state, at Fisherville. In company with the lamented Maj. T. B. Crowley of Nashua and Maj. P. A. Devine of Manchester, he helped to organize a state union, and was one of the first delegates to represent it in the national convention in New York in 1874. In 1875 he was one of the charter members and the first com- mander of W. I. Brown Post, No. 31, G. A. R., of Penacook ; was elected a delegate to the national encamp- ment in 1878, appointed assistant department inspector in 1879, served on the staff of Department Com- mander George Bowers in 1879 and '80, elected a member of the national council administration in 1880 and '81, chief mustering officer in 1882, elected department commander in

1883, unamiously reelected in 1884, appointed a member of the national pension committee of the G. A. R. in

1884, reappointed in 1885-6-7, elected president of New Hampshire Veteran Association in 1885 and reelected in 1886. While department commander he instituted twenty new posts, begin- ning at West Stewartstown and end- ing at Salisbury, from No. 64 to 84, reorganized eight posts, and increased the membership of the order from 3,000 to nearly 4,500. He was elected one of the board of directors of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Asso- ciation, and placed on the Executive Committee in 1884. He was selected by the New Hampshire Veteran Asso- ciation to procure from the legislature appropriations for the Gettysburg monuments, and for head-quarters at

��The Weirs, and was appointed by Gov. Carrier agent foi- the expenditure of the same.

From 1865 to 1879 he was a member of what has often been called the best musical organization New Hampshire has had within its borders, " Brown's Band," wq.ll known all over New England, and led by the well known manufacturer of the Concord Axle works, D. Arthur Brown, formerh' leader of the Third Regiment band. This baud numbered among its mem- bers T. W. Henry of the Cadet band of Boston, and Jean Missud of the Cadet band of Salem. Of this baud he was the secretary and treasurer during its existence. In 1876 it accompanied the Governor and Amoskeag Vet- erans to Philadelphia, and the year following to Bennington.

Since the organization of the State Veteran Association he has had charge of the musical section of the annual reunion, except while he was presi- dent, and at the expiration of his term he was again elected to fill the place of musical director. He was appointed by Governor Hale one of the board of trustees of the Industrial school at Manchester, and takes an active interest in its welfare.

Though but nine years of age when he left Ireland, his memory of it is clear and his love for it strono;. Natu- rall}^ his sympathies lead him towards any movement for its welfare. In 1865-66 he was the head of the Fenian Brotherhood in New Hampshire, and organized a company of militia com- posed almost wholly of veteran sol- diers, and named in honor of Governor Smyth the " Smyth Guards," for the manly position taken by the governor on the imprisonment of Captain Hea-

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