The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-05-29
GRAND ARMY OF rpr REPUBLIC.
It's Organization, and Growth In Twenty
Eve Years.

It's Organization, and Growth In Twenty
Eve Years.
When General Grant issued that elO-
quent and r-tO-he-remembeTed Gen
eral 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 danger and alarm,
your magnificent fighting, bravery and
endurance, you have maintained the SUI
premacy of the Union and the COnsti-
tuition, overthrow all armed opposition
TO the enforcement of tine laws, and of
the proclamation forever abolishing slay-
cry, the course and preteXt of the rebel
lion, and opened the way to the rightful
authorities to restore order and inaug-
urat5 peace and permanent and enduring
basis on every foot of American soil,
your marches, sieges and battles, in
distance, duration, resolution and bril-
liancy of results, dims the lustre of the
worlds past military achievements, and
will be the patriots precedent, in de-
Tense of liberty and right in all time to
come" and babe them return to their
homes in the consciousness of having dis
charged the highest duty of patriot
and citizen, and when in the splendid,
blooming, tiowery month of June, they
came marching to their homes and dear
ones, that war-wOrn, dusty, southern
sun-browned army of battle-scarred vet
Grams, and the worlds greatest marvel
of the sudden transformation of an army
more than a million strong, into peace
full, tender loving and loyal citizens oc-
Cured, there fell peace over all the war
tTodden land, as grateful, pure and rest
full as an angels mantle. All! 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 battles carnage, can
only know. But, short year of this
quiet enjoyment and some of the boys
began to think of bivouac and battle
field again. As they met comrades who
stood shoulder to shoulder with them in
din and danger of battle, or trudged on
the dreadful marches, they felt pleas
ure and tender tie going out towards
each other that their souls could not re-
sist. There was silver cord of conf
dence and brotherhood binding these
comrades to each other that they, them
selves, could neither understand nor sub
due. There was a peculiar pleasure in
these meetings and talks with each other.
that they had never experienced before.
And so, as early as March, 1866, three
comrades, DR.. b. f. Stephenson, Chap
lain w. j. Rutledge and Major North,
met by appointment at Springfield, Hi
nOis, and conceived the idea of an asso-
citation of eX-soldiers and sailors of the
late war, for mutual, brotherly compan-
ionship, helpfulness and loyalty. They
prepared ritual and christened the
Organization the Grand Army of the Re-
public. Never was name more appro-
pirate or a noble conception more fully
realized. On April 6, 1866, at the his
toric town of Decatur, Illinois, the first
Post of the Grand Army of the Republic
was instituted by DR.. Stephenson, who
was then given the title of Department
Commander of Illinois, though there
was then no department yet organized,
and only two Posts in existence, De-
catur Post and Post No. 2 of Springfield,
Illinois, which he also organized after
appointing his staff. The first Depart
ment was organized at Madison, WiscOn-
sin. on June I, 1866. On July II, of the
same year the second department was
organized at Springfield, Illinois. And
Indiana has the honor of fostering the
| first National encampment, which was
held at indianapolis Nov. goth, 1865, and
the first COmmander-in-Chi was Gen.
IS. A. Hurlburt of Illinois, erO of
Shiloh and gallant soldier But the
organization did not grow as rapidly as
| its 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, i'll
3 60, l.
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 drudgery and
dangers of camp and field; and now
again restored to the pursuits and en-
ioyments of citizen life, they plunged
into their respective callings with zest
and resolution to make the best out of
lost and wrecked opportunities and eX-
pectatiOns, equaled only by their energy
and daring in the forefront of battle.
Consequently they had but little time or
inclination to spend the hours in social
gatherings, and for nine years the mem
bership gained slowly, and in 1880 the
total membership of the G. A. II. was
nearly 1889. But now, as the shadows
of time heightened on these stirring
came this inherent, irTepressible longing
to grasp the honest hand, look into the
honest face and hear the dear, earnest
voice of the brave companions, who,
always ready to do and dare in the hour
of danger, now in peace were drawn to-
gether by bonds of brotherhood, &C.
mented by the life blood of many be-
loved comrade, who
"DreamS of bloody fields no more,
Morn Of danger, night Of waking
These cravings for the society of old
comrades came now irresistible, and
snatching a holiday from their busy
avocations they hurried to the camp
room and again clasping the true and
trusty hand of comrades they were soon
aglow with old time patriotism and
fighting their battles over again. And
we find the ranks of the Grand Army
filling up nearly as fast as in the days of
81, and in one year, 80 to 'Sl, from
1887, the membership sprang to 60,67S.
the next year it went to S0,324, and the
next to 145, 1872, and in 1899 there was a
total membership of 1850 making the
wonderful gain of 3G0,700 in nine years.
And now, on this, its twenty-fifth birth
day, it has a membership of nearly half
a million. There are Posts and depart
ments in every state and territory in the
Union. The last annual report of the
National Encampment shows total of
COPS Posts, that give out to worthy,
needful comrades and their families an
nually 1882, 5j6.0l and have balance in
the treasury of S47j,3j0 In its ranks
are the President of the United States,
and the country's most illustriOus states
nNN
physicians, scientists and educators.
As it was the flower of our land when
stern wars alarms called them to battle
for the countTy's cause, so at the dawn
of peace it became the bone and sinew.
the life and light of Gods greatest and
faiTest country. This gathering together
of comrades, at first, simply by the i'm
pulse of the ties and endearments born
of companionship in the darkest hours
of turmoil and danger, Tipening into a
charity and mutual protection to each
other and loyalty to country, has finally |
gathered a force and influence that for |
twenty-five years has been the very
motive power of the most magnificent
Republic that ever the sun shOne upon. |
Under its fostering influence the pOpu- |
lation has more than doubled itself and |
the country more than quadrupled its |
wealth. In this one-fourth of century
there has come to us prosperity, |
wealth and power unprecedented in the
history of the world.
At the knee and around the fireside
our boys, drinking in every detail of our
war "reminiscences, have become inspired
with the high and holy patriotism of
their sires; our reunions, professions,
and our recital of heroic deeds, have
brought forth its fruits in that magnifi-
cent organization, the Sons of Veterans.
One hundred and twenty-five thousand
strong they stand ready to close up the
ranks as their veteran sires are mnstered