HERE’S A VERY RARE & BEAUTIFUL
CIVIL
WAR GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC (GAR),
“IN
MEMORIAM” PINBACK w/RIBBON FOR
”U. S. GRANT
POST No. 5”
PHILADELPHIA,
PENNSYLVANIA
General U.S. Grant Post No.
5 was a local chapter
of the GAR located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Post No. 5 was named in honor
of General (and later President) Ulysses S. Grant.
Records, papers, and
historical memorabilia related to the General U.S. Grant Post No. 5—such as
"in memoriam" items and personal war transcripts—are preserved within
archival collections like the PA State Archives - Grand Army of the Republic
Collection and independent GAR catalog projects.
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.
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(member name: John Lissandrello). I subscribe to each organizations' code of
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