Men who had lived together, fought together, foraged together
and survived, had developed a unique bond that could not be broken.
As time went by the memories of the filthy and vile environment of
camp life began to be remembered less harshly and eventually
fondly. The horror and gore of battle lifted with the smoke and
smell of burnt black powder and was replaced with the personal rain
of tears for the departed comrades. Friendships forged in battle
survived the separation and the warriors missed the warmth of
trusting companionship that had asked only total and absolute
committment.
With that as background, groups of men began joining
together--first for camaraderie and then for political power.
Emerging most powerful among the various organizations would be the
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which by 1890 would number
409,489 veterans of the "War of the Rebelion."
Founded in Decatur, Illinois on April 6, 1866 by Benjamin F.
Stephenson, membership was limited to honorably discharged veterans
of the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service
who had served between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865. The
community level organization was called a "Post" and each was
numbered consecutivelly within each department. Most Posts also had
a name and the rules for naming Posts included the requirement that
the honored person be deceased and that no two Posts within the
same Department could have the same name. The Departments generally
consisted of the Posts within a state and, at the national level,
the organization was operated by the elected
"Commandery-in-Chief."
As I walked about the cemetery I jotted down some information
about some of the Civil War vets who had markers showing that they
were members of the Grand Army of the Republic.
- Dr. G.A. Siddons - Company K 75th NY Cavalry
- Joseph G. Walker
- George H. Whiney
- Francis A. Rogers
- F. Blanchard - 13th Illinois Infantry
- David O. Cole - Corporal Company H 156th Wisconsin
Infantry
- W.W. Tucker - 27th Massachusetts Infantry