HERE’S A RARE
GRAND
ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC “SOUVENIR” 3-SECTION BADGE for the 49th NATIONAL
ENCAMPMENT HELD at WASHINGTON, D. C. FROM SEPT. 27th TO OCT. 1, 1915
This item is an original 49th National Encampment badge
pinback, issued by the GAR. The Badge is surmounted by a spread-winged
eagle. Suspended from this top piece is a medal featuring a GAR veteran’s medal
insignia, and the Lord’s Prayer on the verso.
Representing one of the
last major high-attendance gatherings of aging Union Civil War veterans in the
nation's capital, this piece is a highly prized historical collectible
(exonumia).
A VERY BEAUTIFUL & PATRIOTIC NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT GAR BADGE
Complete with its original pinback attachment.
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The GAR
The Grand Army of the Republic
(GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died. Linking men through their experience
of the war, the GAR became among the first organized advocacy groups in American politics, supporting
voting rights for black veterans, lobbying the US Congress to establish
veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates. Its peak
membership, at more than 490,000, was in 1890; a high point of Civil War
commemorative ceremonies. It was succeeded by the Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War
(SUVCW), composed of male descendants of Union veterans.
History
After
the end of American Civil War, 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 together, first for camaraderie and later for political power.
Emerging as most influential among the various organizations was the Grand Army
of the Republic, founded on April 6, 1866, on the principles of
"Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty," in Decatur, Illinois, by Benjamin F.
Stephenson.
The
GAR initially grew and prospered as a de facto political arm of the Republican Party during the heated political contests
of the Reconstruction era. The
commemoration of Union veterans, black and white, immediately became entwined
with partisan politics. The GAR promoted voting rights for black veterans, as
many veterans recognized their demonstrated patriotism. Black veterans, who
enthusiastically embraced the message of equality, shunned black veterans'
organizations in preference for racially inclusive groups. But when the
Republican Party's commitment to reform in the South gradually decreased, the
GAR's mission became ill-defined and the organization floundered. The GAR
almost disappeared in the early 1870s, and many divisions ceased to exist.
In
the 1880s, the organization revived under new leadership that provided a
platform for renewed growth, by advocating federal pensions for veterans. As the organization revived, black
veterans joined in significant numbers and organized local posts. The national
organization, however, failed to press the case for pensions for black
soldiers. Most black troops never received any pension or remuneration for
wounds incurred during their service.
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.
The
pattern of establishing departments and local posts was later used by other
veterans' organizations, such as the American Legion (WWI) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (WWII).
In
1868, Commander-in-Chief General John A. Logan established May
30 as Decoration Day, later known as Memorial Day. (Numerous people and places claim
this credit.) In its first celebrations, people used this day to commemorate
the dead of the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers and flags.
The
GAR's political power grew during the latter part of the 19th century, and it
helped elect several Republican United States presidents, beginning with Ulysses S. Grant and ending with William McKinley. Five members
were elected president of the United States. For a time, candidates could not
get nominated to the Republican ticket without the endorsement of the GAR
voting bloc.
With
membership strictly limited to "veterans of the late unpleasantness,"
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. Although a male organization, the GAR admitted its sole
woman member in 1897. Sarah Emma Edmonds 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.
The
GAR reached its largest enrollment in 1890, with 490,000 members. It held an
annual "National Encampment" every year from 1866 to 1949. At that
final encampment in Indianapolis, Indiana, the few
surviving members 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. In 1956, after the death of the
last member, Albert Woolson, the GAR was formally dissolved.
I am a proud member of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club
(UACC), The Ephemera Society of America, the Manuscript Society and the
American Political Items Collectors (APIC) (member name: John Lissandrello). I
subscribe to each organizations' code of ethics and authenticity is guaranteed.
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GAR MEDAL BADGE PINBACK