Editing Grand Army of the Republic (section)

==History==

[[File:RGShawGARPost146.jpg|thumb|GAR Uniform Hat Badge from Post No. 146, "RG Shaw Post", named after Colonel [[Robert Gould Shaw]] and established by surviving members of the [[54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]] in 1871 (R. Andre Stevens Civil War Collection)]]

After the end of American Civil War, various state and local organizations were formed for veterans to network and maintain connections with each other. Many of the veterans used their shared experiences as a basis for fellowship. Groups of men began joining, first for camaraderie and later for political power. Emerging as most influential among the various organizations during the first post-war years was the Grand Army of the Republic, founded on April 6, 1866, on the principles of "Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty," in [[Decatur, Illinois]], by Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.suvcw.org/?page_id=167|title = Grand Army of the Republic History|date = December 13, 2013}}</ref> The GAR almost disappeared in the early 1870s, and many state-centered divisions, named "departments", and local posts ceased to exist.<ref name="suvcw" />

In his General Order No. 11, dated May 5, 1868, first GAR Commander-in-Chief, General [[John A. Logan]] declared May 30 to be [[Memorial Day (United States)|Memorial Day]] (also referred to for many years as "Decoration Day"), calling upon the GAR membership to make the May 30 observance an annual occurrence. Although not the first time war graves had been decorated, Logan's order effectively established "Memorial Day" as the day upon which Americans now pay tribute to all their war casualties, missing-in-action, and deceased veterans. As decades passed, similarly inspired commemorations also spread across the South as "[[Confederate Memorial Day]]" or "[[Confederate Decoration Day]]", usually in April, led by organizations of Southern soldiers in the parallel [[United Confederate Veterans]].<ref name="gilman">{{cite web |title=The Grand Army of the Republic |author=John E. Gilman |publisher=civilwarhome.com |year=1910 |url=http://www.civilwarhome.com/grandarmyofrepublic.htm |access-date=2011-03-05}}</ref>

[[File:Gar reverse.png|thumb|right|Reverse of the GAR Badge]]
[[File:Grand Army of the Republic marker, on veteran's stone in Portland Street Cemetery, South Berwick, Maine.jpg|thumb|right|GAR marker, beside a veteran's grave in Portland Street Cemetery, [[South Berwick, Maine]]]]
[[File:GARcourthouse.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Department of Massachusetts GAR Post 144, Dedham Massachusetts 1886]]
[[File:GAR 1893 - Kearsage.jpg|thumb|right|A replica of the [[USS Kearsarge (1861)|USS ''Kearsarge'']] displayed at the 1893 GAR National Convention in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]]]]
[[File:GARProgram-cover.jpg|thumb|Grand Army of the Republic National Encampment bulletin in 1900]]
[[File:Department of Ohio, G.A.R. Parade, Toledo, O., 1908 - DPLA - 75c1948944ddcd37924d84416daf2ac2 (page 1).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|Department of Ohio marching in GAR Parade, Toledo, Ohio, 1908]]
[[File:1914GAR Parade.jpg|600px|right|thumb|GAR parade during the 1914 Encampment in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]]]
[[File:Shafer-and-Haskins-Grand-Army-of-the-Republic.gif|thumb|right|A.C. Shafer and Commander C.H. Haskins, standing, observed the transfer of the Departmental Headquarters of the '''Grand Army of the Republic''' from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June 1917.]]
In the 1880s, the Union veterans' organization revived under new leadership that provided a platform for renewed growth, by advocating Federal [[veteran's pension|pensions for veterans]]. As the organization revived, black veterans joined in significant numbers and organized local posts. In at least one case, in Ohio, an African American was elected as the commander of a predominately white post.  This was Robert A. Pinn of Hart Post 124 in Massillon, Ohio..<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wills |first=Anita |date=8 Jan 2013 |title=ROBERT ALEXANDER PINN (1843-1911) |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/pinn-robert-alexander-1843-1911/ |access-date=26 Apr 2023 |website=Black Past}}</ref>  While the national organization may have failed to press the case for pensions for black soldiers, many of them did receive federal pensions, and the papers in these pension files are now a rich source for African American genealogical research.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USCT Pension Files: honoring those who served |url=https://cfh.iaamuseum.org/united-states-colored-troops-usct-pension-files/ |access-date=25 Apr 2023 |website=International Museum of African American History: Center for Family History}}</ref> Some sources emphasize that these pensions for black soldiers were less frequent than for their white counterparts.<ref name="museum" /> Some African American members of the GAR organized the [[National Memorial Association]] to advocate for a memorial to black soldiers in 1919.<ref name=":0">{{Cite report |url=http://nmaahceis.si.edu/documents/The_Time_Has_Come.pdf |title=The Time Has Come: Report to the President and to the Congress |date=2003-04-02 |publisher=[[National Museum of African American History and Culture#Passage of federal legislation|National Museum of African American History and Culture]] |pages=7–8 |access-date=2023-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194234/http://nmaahceis.si.edu/documents/The_Time_Has_Come.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-23 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The GAR was organized into "Departments" at the state level and "Posts" at the community level, and military-style uniforms were worn by its members. There were posts in every state in the U.S., and several posts overseas.<ref name="museum">{{cite web |title=A Brief History of the Grand Army of the Republic |url=http://garmuslib.org/ |publisher=Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library |access-date=2011-03-05}}</ref> The pattern of establishing departments and local posts was later used by other American military veterans' organizations, such as the [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]] (organized originally for veterans of the [[Spanish–American War]] and the [[Philippine Insurrection]]) and the later [[American Legion]] (for the [[World War I|First World War]] and later expanded to include subsequent [[World War II]], [[Korean War|Korean]], [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] and Middle Eastern wars).

The GAR's political power grew during the latter part of the 19th century, and it helped elect several United States presidents, beginning with the 18th, [[Ulysses S. Grant]], and ending with the 25th, [[William McKinley]]. Six Civil War veterans (Grant, [[Rutherford B. Hayes]], [[James A. Garfield]], [[Chester A. Arthur]]; [[Benjamin Harrison]], and McKinley) were elected [[President of the United States]]; all were Republicans. (The sole post-war [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] president was [[Grover Cleveland]]--he bought a substitute and did not serve in the Civil War, but he did veto many pension laws passed by Congress.) 
Of the six mentioned US Presidents, at least five were members of the GAR but there is no record of membership for Chester Arthur, who was a Union general:
* [[Ulysses S. Grant]] (Lt General of the Union Armies) Became a member of the Philadelphia PA George G. Meade Post GAR Post # 1 May 16, 1877<ref>{{cite book| url=https://archive.org/details/grandarmyrepub00wardrich/page/546/mode/2up/search/Grant| title=Records of Members of the Grand Army of the Republic| first=William H.| last=Ward| year=1886| pages=545–547}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uP08AAAAYAAJ&dq=Ulyessess+Grant++George+Meade+GAR+Post+May+1877&pg=PA49| title=History of the George G Meade Post No. 1...| page=49| first=Joseph Ripley Chandler| last=Ward| location=Philadelphia| year=1889}}</ref>
* [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] (Brevet Major General) Became a Member of the Fremont Ohio Manville Moore GAR Post<ref>{{cite book |last=Ward |first=William H. |url=https://archive.org/details/grandarmyrepub00wardrich/page/514/mode/2up/search/Hayes |title=Records of Members of the Grand Army of the Republic |year=1886 |pages=515}}</ref>
* [[James A. Garfield]] (Major General) Possibly a member of the GAR – a GAR Post publication refers to the death of Comrade James Garfield, President of the United States<ref>{{cite book| url=https://archive.org/details/whatonegrandarm00repugoog/page/n124/mode/2up/search/Garfield+?q=Garfield++G.A.R.| title=What One GAR Post Has accomplished| location=Norwood Mass| publisher=The Norwood Press| page=85| year=1913}}</ref>
* [[Benjamin Harrison]] (Brevet Brigadier General) Became a member of the Indianapolis Indiana General George H. Thomas GAR Post<ref>{{cite book| title=Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, Twenty-Third President of the United States...| url=https://archive.org/details/speechesofbenjam00harrrich/page/484/mode/2up?q=gar| last1= Harrison| first1=Benjamin| last2=Hedges| first2=Charles| location=New York| publisher=United States Book Company| date=February 20, 1892| access-date=2021-10-13}}</ref>
* [[William McKinley]]. (Brevet Major of the 23d Ohio) Became a member of the Canton Ohio GAR Post # 25 July 7, 1880 [It was later renamed McKinley GAR Post # 25]<ref>{{cite book| url=https://archive.org/details/grandarmymemoria00gran_0/page/n27/mode/2up| title=Grand army memorial souvenir of Comrade Wm. McKinley Post, no. 25| publisher=McKinley Memorial Publishing| location=Buffalo| year=1902}}</ref>

With membership strictly limited to soldiers, sailors or Marines who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Revenue Cutter Service of the United States of America during the War of the Rebellion 1861–1865, the GAR encouraged the formation of Allied Orders to aid them in various works. Numerous male organizations jousted for the backing of the GAR, and the political battles became quite severe until the GAR finally endorsed the [[Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War]] as its heir.

The GAR, according to Stuart McConnell, promoted, "a nationalism that honored white, native-stock, middle-class males and ...affirmed a prewar ideal of a virtuous, millennial Republic, based on the independent producer, entrepreneurial capitalism, and the citizen-soldier volunteer."<ref>George McJimsey, "Glorious Contentment: the Grand Army of the Republic, 1865–1900." ''Annals of Iowa'' 52.4 (1993)  pp. 474–476, citing Stuart McConnell, ''Glorious contentment: The Grand Army of the Republic, 1865–1900'' (U of North Carolina Press, 1997) p. 222.</ref>

===Female members===
The GAR had at least three women who were members.

The first female known to be admitted to the GAR was [[Kady Brownell]], who served in the Union Army with her husband Robert, a private in the [[1st Rhode Island Infantry]] at the [[First Battle of Bull Run]] in Virginia and with the [[5th Rhode Island Infantry]] at the [[Battle of New Berne]] in North Carolina. Brownell was admitted as a member in 1870 to Elias Howe Jr. Post #3, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The GAR insignia is engraved on her gravestone in the [[North Burial Ground]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]].<ref>{{cite news| title=A female comrade of the Grand Army| date=16 September 1870| newspaper=[[New York Herald]]| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/21524988/?terms=kady%2Bbrownell| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In 1897 the GAR admitted [[Sarah Emma Edmonds]], who served in the 2nd Michigan Infantry as a disguised man named ''Franklin Thompson'' from May 1861 until April 1863. In 1882, she collected affidavits from former comrades in an effort to petition for a veteran's pension which she received in July 1884. Edmonds was only a member for a brief period as she died September 5, 1898; however she was given a funeral with military honors when she was reburied in Houston in 1901.<ref name="trust">{{cite web |title=Sarah Emma Edmonds, Private, December 1841–September 5, 1898 |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/sarah-emma-edmonds |website=American Battlefield Trust |access-date=2021-10-13}}</ref>

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War and a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. She treated soldiers from both sides of the conflict, as well as civilians, and was captured by Confederate troops in 1864. Prior to her death in 1919, she was admitted to the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mary Bostwick Shellman was made an associate member of the Wilson Post No. 1 of the Department of Maryland Grand Army, circa 1899,<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 June 1920 |title=Memorial Exercises |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/348165197/ |access-date=10 Oct 2024 |work=The Democratic Advocate (Westminster, Maryland) |pages=1}}</ref> for her lifelong work caring for soldiers and veterans, first as a teenage volunteer nurse and later for creating and continuing to lead one of the nation's oldest Decoration Day Parades in Westminster, Maryland.  She made remembering and caring for veterans her life's work and saved at least five Union soldiers from having "pauper burials."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashcroft |first=Mimi |date=2008 |title=Mary Shellman's Veterans: Finding the Forgotten |url=https://www.crossroadsofwar.org/wp-content/uploads/Mary-Shellman.pdf |access-date=10 Oct 2024 |website=crossroadsofwar.org}}</ref>

It is possible that other women were members of the GAR, as well.
<gallery>
File:Kady Brownell CDV.jpg|Kady Brownwell
File:Sarah Edmonds.jpg|Sarah Emma Edmonds
</gallery>

===Later years===
[[File:Grand Army of the Republic Encampment, Blue Earth County, Minnesota - DPLA - f42b9c2f83869dfb53d9a4c16a0863f2.jpg|thumb|Grand Army of the Republic Encampment, Blue Earth County, Minnesota]]
The GAR reached its largest enrollment in 1890, with 410,000 members.<ref>{{cite journal| title=Beginning the Welfare State: Civil War Veterans' Pensions| url=https://mises.org/library/beginning-welfare-state-civil-war-veterans’-pensions| date=June 19, 2019| first=Murray N.| last=Rothbard| journal=[[Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics]]| volume=22| number=1| pages=68–81| doi=10.35297/qjae.010019| s2cid=197810818| doi-access=free}}</ref> It held a "National Encampment" in 1866 and then every year from 1868 to 1949.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://guides.loc.gov/grand-army-of-the-republic/national-encampments | title=Research Guides: Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies: A Guide to Resources in the General Collections of the Library of Congress: National Encampments }}</ref> Interesting anecdotes from the war were told around the many campfires at these reunions and compiled in a book of campfire "chats", including descriptions of the festivities at the 1884–1886 encampments in [[Minneapolis]], [[Portland, Maine]] and [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{cite book| last=Davis| first=Washington| year=1888| title=Camp-Fire Chats| publisher=Lewis Publishing Co.| location=Chicago| url=https://archive.org/details/campfirechatsci00davigoog/page/n13| access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> At the final encampment in [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]], in 1949, the few surviving attendees voted to retain the existing officers in place until the organization's dissolution. Theodore Penland of [[Oregon]], the GAR's Commander at the time, was therefore its last.<ref name="suvcw"/> At the time of the last national encampment, 16 members were still living and six were able to attend, including [[James Hard]], the last combat veteran, who had fought at First Bull Run, Antietam, and Chancellorsville.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stilwell  |first=Blake |date=2022-09-03 |title=The last Union combat veteran of the Civil War lived to see the Cold War |url=https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/combat-vets-of-civil-war/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=We Are The Mighty |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1956, after the death of the last member, [[Albert Woolson]], the GAR was formally dissolved.<ref name="suvcw">{{cite web |title=Brief History of the Grand Army of the Republic |publisher=suvcw.org |first=Glenn B. |last=Knight |access-date=2011-01-18 |url=http://suvcw.org/gar.htm |archive-date=January 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107150904/http://suvcw.org/gar.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>