News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-05-14
Grand Army of the Republic.
ITS ORGANIZATION, AND GROWTH IN
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS,

IT'S ORGANIZATION, AND GROWTH IN
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
When General Grant issued that
eloquent and ever to be remembered
General Order to the soldiers of the
armies of the United States, in which
he said, By your patriotic devotion
to your country in the hour of dam
ger and alarm, your magnificent
| fighting, bravery and endurance, YOU
have maintained the supremacy OF
! the Union and the Constitution, over
thrown all armed opposition to the
enforcement of the laws, and of the
proclamation forever abolishing slav-
cry, the course and pretext of the
rebellion, and opened the way to the
rightful authorities to restore order
and inaugurate peace and perman-
ent and enduring basis on every foot
of American soil. Your marches,
sieges and battles, in distance, dura-
ton, resolution and br1lliancy of re-
suits, dimS che lustre of the worlds
past military achievements and will
be the patriots precedent, in defense
of liberty and right, in all time to
come, and babe them return to
their homes in the consciousness of
having discharged the highest duty
OF a patriot and citizen, and when in
the splendid, blooming, fowery
month of June, they came marching
to their homes and dear ones, that
war-worn, dusty, S o u h + MS n
Drowned army of battle-scarred vet
Grams, and the worlds greatest mar
vel of the sudden transformation of
an army more than a million strong.
into peaceful, tender, loving and 10y
al citizens occurred, there fell a peace
over all the war trodden land, as
grateful, pure, and restful as an an
gels mantle Ali how we enjoyed
that return to our dear old homes,
and how fondly we basked in the
sunshine of peace and plenty, only
those who toiled on the weary march
endured the relentless elements and
dared in the fire and smoke of bat
ties carnage, can only know. But,
a short year of this quiet enjoyment
and some of the boys began to think
of bivouac and battlefield again. As
they met comrades who stood shout
der to shoulder with them in din and
danger of battle, or trudged on the
dreadful marches, they felt pleasure
and a tender tie going out towards
each other that their souls could not
resist. There was a silver cord of
confidence and brotherhood binding
these comrades to each other that
they, themselves, could neither I'M
derstand or subdue. There was pc
culiar pleasure in these meetings and
talks with each other, that they had
never experienced before.
And so, as early as March, 1865,
three comrades, DR.. B. F. Stephen
son, Chaplain W. j. Rutledge and
Major North. met by appointment
at Springfield, ILL.,, and conceived the
idea of an association of ex-soldiers
and sailors of the late war, for mutu-
al, brotherly companionship, help
fulness and loyalty. They prepared
a ritual and christened the organiza-
ton the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie. Never was name more appro-
pirate or noble conception more
fully realized. On April 6, 1866, at
the historic town of Decatur, ILL.,, the
first Post of the Grand Army of the
Republic was instituted by DR.. Ste
phenson, who was then given the I'll
tie of Department Commander of H.
linois, though there was no depart
ment yet organized, and only two
Posts in existence, Decatur Post and
Post No. 2 of Springfield, ILL.,, which
he also organized after appointing
his staff. The first Department was
organized at Madison, Wis, on June
z, 1866. On July II of the same
year the second department. was or
gained at Springfield, Ill. And In
diana has the honor of fostering the
first National Encampment, which
was held at Indianapolis Nov. Goth,
1866, and the first Commander-in-
Chief was Gen. S. A. HurIburt of ILL.,,
a hero of Shiloh and a gallant sol
der. But the organization did not
grow as rapidly as it's originatOrs
had fondly hoped. At the first sound
of the Charlestown guns the bulk of
the magnificent army of nearly two
million veterans, were mere boys, in
the factories, at the desk or counter,
or in the school-room, and springing
to their country;s rescue they gave
up all bright future prospects and
spent the best of their lives in the
1rudgery and dangers of camp and
field and now again restored to the !