Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
By Kevin A. Sanders
The American
Civil War ended on April 9th, 1865 when General Robert E. Lee
surrendered his Confederate armies to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the
Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.
The end of the
Civil War, which pitted brother against brother for nearly four devastating
years, was facing a recovery never before seen or anticipated in prior American
history. The care of countless
veterans, widows and orphans (including former slaves and their families),
could not be accomplished by community infrastructure as had been done
following previous conflicts. President Lincoln, as well as other federal and
state leaders, had declared that “those who had borne the burden” would be
cared for. However, President Lincoln died from an assassin’s bullet on April
15th, 1865 and no one had the knowledge of how to undertake such an
overwhelming task.
The Grand Army
of the Republic (GAR) was founded in Decatur, Illinois by Dr. Benjamin F.
Stephenson on April 6th, 1866.
Membership in the GAR was limited to honorably discharged Union veterans
of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and the Revenue Cutter Service. These veterans
must have served between April 12th, 1861 and April 9th,
1865. The organization was based partly
on military structure and partly on the traditions and rituals of the
Freemasons. “Posts” were organized
under community control while “Departments” fell unto the states themselves. Groups of men began forming based upon the
camaraderie that they had shared in battle, and as the groups became larger
their political influence increased. By
1890, the GAR boasted nearly 410,000 members.
In 1868, General
Order (GO) #11 of the GAR declared May 30th a day set aside to place
flowers on the graves of Union veterans, and was termed Decoration Day. The GAR Decoration Day later became
celebrated and known nationally as Memorial Day. Other national influence of the GAR included pension legislation,
and the organziation created the first “Old Soldiers’ Homes” which later became
part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Department
officers were elected positions.
Department level “encampments” were held annually and presided over by
these elected officers (Department Commander, Senior and Junior Vice
Commanders) and their respective councils.
The encampments were often multi-day affairs often including formal
dinners and memorial events.
An annual
“National Encampment” was held every year from 1866 to 1949. These events were
overseen by a Commander-in-Chief, who was elected in an atmosphere which
resembled current political party conventions.
The Senior and Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief including the National
Council of Administration were also elected.
The final Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic (its 83rd)
was held in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 29th through September 1st,
1949. Only six veterans were in attendance.
The final Campfire, held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, ended with the
Marine Band bugler playing “Taps” and the colors of the GAR were retired for
the last time.
The GAR spun off
several auxiliary organizations; one of those was the Sons of Union Veterans of
the Civil War (SUVCW), created in 1881.
The SUVCW was established to ensure that the GAR mission continued after
the last Union veteran died. The last member, Albert Woolson, passed away in
1956. He was 109 years old.
Many of the most
available GAR collectibles are those badges or medals associated with local,
department, or national encampments (reunions) and membership badges. Early membership badges resembled the Army
Medal of Honor, which was not well received with many veteran members. A subsequent version was re-issued in late 1896.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Army_of_the_Republic
http://www.suvcw.org/research.htm
Kevin A. Sanders is a Manion’s Staff Writer and moderator of the Wehrmacht Collector’s Association. He operates World War Collectibles, specializing in documented appraisals, consignment, and research of 19th and 20th Century military history and collectibles, particularly WWI and WWII German militaria. He can be reached at PO Box 140412. Gainesville, Florida 32614-0412. Telephone 352.505.3825 – Cell 352.870.8385 – worldwarcollectibles@hotmail.com.