Young Republican Regiment
Page 1

ADDRESS

DELIVERED BEFORE COMPANY A ASSOCIATION FEBRUARY 7, 1883.

Mr. President and Comrades of Company A,

In preparing this record of Company A, of the Young Republican Regiment of Providence, it has been necessary to enter into more of a history of the regiment itself than a separate company record, but as the company shared in whatever the regiment took part in, it would be difficult to write separately of either. I have taken for my starting point the formation of the Young Republican Regiment. During the campaign of 1876, when Hayes and Wheeler were the republican candidates for the presidency, the Union Hayes and Wheeler Club was formed, of which many of us were members, in fact that was the nucleus from which the Young Republican Regiment was formed. Our interest being far greater in the last named organization, I have thought it unnecessary to go further back than the formation of the Young Republican Regiment. The facts with which to compile this record have been carefully selected from the Providence Journal and from personal observation of your own members. On the 10th of September, 1880, there appeared in the columns of the Providence Journal a notice which read as follows:

THE YOUNG REPUBLICAN REGIMENT.

     "The bank clerks of the City of Providence, with such others as united with them in the public demonstration      in favor of the election of Hayes and Wheeler, desire to renew that organization for active work in the present      campaign under the name of the Young Republican Battalion of Providence. There will be a meeting for      organization and election of officers at the Armory of the United Train of Artillery, Canal street, on Friday      evening, September 10, 1880, at 8 o'clock. They also invite the presence and hearty cooperation of all young      men of whatever trade or profession who may be in sympathy with them, for the purpose of aiding in the      election of Garfield and Arthur."

This notice was widely observed and a large number of young republicans met at the Armory on Friday evening for the purpose mentioned in the preceding notice. The meeting was called to order by Henry J. Hall, and Henry W. Wilkenson was elected chairman, and Daniel F. Hayden, Secretary; on motion of Mr. Hall, a committee consisting of Messrs. George C. Noyes, Henry M. Boss and Benjamin W. Gallup were appointed to recommend and report a plan of organization; while this committee were absent attending to that duty, Captain William B. W. Hallett made a brief speech in favor of the election of the Republican candidates. The committee having returned, reported the following plan of organization:

οΏ½That this meeting nominate three gentlemen, who shall constitute a recruiting committee."

οΏ½That the committee proceed to call meetings at their discretion of not to exceed fifty names, which meeting shall be authorized to elect a captain and two lieutenants each, and when not less than five companies shall be so organized, a meeting of the company officers so elected, shall be called, which shall elect three battalion officers, thus completing the organization: the committee recommend as such committee, Messrs. Henry J. Hall, Philip S. Chase and Harry F. Lippitt."

A committee on uniforms was also appointed, and a finance committee consisting of the following named gentlemen: