From DANIEL HALL '54

"The kindness of the Boston Association of Dartmouth Alumni expressing through you their desire for my attendance at their Reunion at Symphony Hall on Friday evening the 15th instant, does me great honor, and I am very sorry that my precarious health does not permit me to accept the invitation, although their and your wishes are well nigh equivalent to a command.

"I esteem my association with Dartmouth College, with its; memories of past labors and struggles, the highest distinction of my life, and I should join most heartily in all the gratulations of its glorious record and its newly-awakened life and aspirations. And so I could not fail to find great enjoyment in the coming reunion, while perhaps the presence of an alumnus of my age might be found useful as a restraint upon the hilarity which traditionally marks an assemblage of Dartmouth 'boys,' most, if not every one, of whom will be my juniors in age and date of graduation.

"But, of course, the pendency of a certain Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, will not be forgotten, nor the ancient Boston admonition to 'drink no strong potations,' and the decorum of this Boston assemblage will be assured.

"But perhaps the great world-war in which we are engaged will be referred to at your reunion, and it would be a special gratification to me to represent with my brother Kimball, our Class of 1854, and its honored dead.

"I have an unspeakable pride in the man, and his achievements, of our classmate, Col. Frank A. Haskell, who will not be forgotten, I am sure, in any assembly of his brother Alumni.

"So far as I know, he and I alone had the honor of representing Dartmouth on the field of Gettysburg, 55 years ago. His glorious part in that battle has made him almost the best known of all the heroes of that historic conflict. I knew that he and I were battling together there, but I did not see him till the day was won. I do not know of any other Dartmouth man who was there. His participation there was perhaps a little remarkable. He was among the oldest men of our class—(he was 35 at Gettysburg)—and I was among the youngest. By the alphabetical proximity of our names we were thrown together from the first, and sat side by side on the same bench for four years. At graduation we separated, and lost sight of each other, he going West, and entering upon his career as a successful lawyer, till it was rudely interrupted by war.

"No man more thoroughly- comprehended, or more eagerly accepted the issues of the rebellion.

"After Gettysburg, and covered with its honors, he went home to Wisconsin, and recruited the 36th Wisconsin Volunteers, in 18 days, I think,—and, appointed its Colonel, hurried with it to the front, and joined Grant in the Wilderness in the last days of May, 1864; was placed in command of the brigade to which his regiment was attached, and fell gloriously, at its head, at Cold Harbor on the 3rd day of June, 1864.

"Let me say a few words personal to him. Haskell was a good scholar, a very mature and level-headed man, a fine speaker, and well entitled to be called the leader of the class. We were cordial friends, but never met again for nine years. When he came down to and through Washington to Virginia, we met and passed the night together, in intimate converse. I observed that he was a little sad and despondent, and just as we parted, he said, 'I am going to my death. I shall fall in the next battle.' I replied that I did not believe in presentiments, and that he should not give heed to any such thoughts. He said, 'Oh, no, this is not a presentiment; but I have been in many battles, and escaped unhurt. The case will be different now. I have a green regiment, and have got to lead it into battle. I shall do so, and I shall not survive it.'

"And so the end came to him, as he had forecast. So perished then and there a noble fellow, pure, upright, strenuous, of great capacity, of brilliant gifts, fitted and destined apparently for great things—a victim of the same unholy impulses and ambitions as are now wrapping the world in blood and ruin, and compassing, so far as it can, the destruction of civilization and the best hopes of mankind.

"I rejoice that Dartmouth, our beloved Alma Mater, recognizes today, and will recognize forever the bravery, nobility, and sacrifice of Frank A. Haskell, and will keep his name enrolled forever on the list of her illustrious sons.

"Comrades, Classmates, and Fellow Alumni:

"With warm thanks and wishes for a royal good time, I give you

"Dartmouth College; May every son of the noble old College emulate the bravery and self-sacrifice of Frank Haskell, dedicating his life to the grand purpose of winning the war for Democracy, the Freedom of Nations, and the Liberties of the world.

"Sincerely your classmate,