The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-04-10
SILVER ANNIVERSARY.
MeCook Post Fittingly Celebrates The
Twenty-Fifth Birthday of the Grand
Army of The Republic.

Probably 800 people were present
Grand Army Hall last Monday evel
ing when Commander Moore took hi
station and asked the audience I
unite in singing America" Afte
the singing of the anthem Adjutan
Slower was called upon to read Gen
eral Order No. Is, from National head
quarters, and the order transmittin
it from Department headquarters
calling upon all the Posts to obsery
the anniversary and suggesting tn
nature of the exercises. This was fol
lowed by the reading of the circula
letter from National Headquarters o,
j. E. Henderson. The reading of thi
letter was begun at exactly $50 and i
was read simultaneously in every
Post in the world, in accordance witt
previous orders. The audience arose
and remained standing during the
reading of the letter, which was fol
lowed by prayer by Rev. Sumner. A
brief but interesting history of the
Grand Army of the Republic was
then presented by w. HI. Mcclure, its
organization in Illinois by Chaplain
Rutledge and Surgeon Stephenson, its
early struggles and difficulties, its ap-
parent death at one time, and then its
revival, its wonderful growth, and the
great good it has accomplished. AT
the conclusion q Mr.. McCIure's paper
Capt. Sto"er was called upon and read
the following:
HISTORY OF McCoOK POST.
In the spring of 1882 steps were tax
en- to organize in lola Post of the
G. A. r.
Application was made and on the
10th of April that year. the Post was
organized.
w. g. Allison eth Ind, J. w. Me-
Clure 18th Ohio Bat, James Burns
S9th Ind. 18th Cav.l, Samuel McClar-
an 4Srd Ohio, ]. III. Vannuys and VIM
Davis 9TH Ind, j. s. Walters 9th Ks,
Henry Strong Goth Ill, w. III. Mcclure
list Ohio, L. Nj. Eekley 14th Mo-, T.
3. Slower 3lst Me-, David Robinson
SS Mo-, w. j. Ihrig 18th Pa. and L. T.
Strickland 1Srd Ill. or End Z. S. En-
gineers, being present, appear as char
ter members.
They were mustered in by Com
rades Pond, Stokey, Haines, Stanley
and others OF. VIM H..Lytle Post No. 80
at TT. Scott.
The name of "McCook" was adopted
and the Charter dated April /, 1882
was delivered and the number 81 be-
slowed upon the Post.
This post is not named for any bar
ticular member of the celebrated fam
lily OF MoCooks but for the family en-
tire.
w. G. Allison was the first Post
Commander with James Burns s. V,
j. w. Mcclure J.V., J. III. Vannuys
q NJ, J. III. Walters o. D., Z. NJ.
Eckiey o. e., VIM Davis chaplain,
Il. :. Slower 1st Post adj't, Henry
Strong chaplain, w. H. Mcclure Sergt |
Major, David Robinson @. NJ. SsrgSt. |
The Post was organized at a very
propitious time. The order was very
popular and comparatively new in |
this department. At the close of the |
year we had mustered 81 members, at |
the end of the year 1888 it had l19
members, 1854, $50 members, 1855, IT2
members, 1887, is members, 1888. a07
members, 70 the present time, a2s.
In our membership roll from first to |
last there have been represented the
Regular Army and Volunteers from Is
States and the Indian Territory.
III. has IS regiments represented.
Indiana SS, Ohio p, Kansas Il, Pa. l.
No. 10, n. 4. Z, Mich. {, Iowa ). w.
v ), Maine :, Md. 9, Wis. ,, Regular
Army :, Neb- Mass. Mimi. Nv. y. J
Ind Ter, | each. Making 1Ta regi-
meDts and batteries that have from
time to time been represented in our
We have been engaged in every
battle Of note fought during the war.
and have followed every general
known to the history of the war.
There have been mustered and re-
ceived on transfer Is OF this hum-
Der there have been. transferred to other
Posts and discharged 80. Died, II
and dropped for various reasons, 50.
leaving now 106 in good standing. II
The comrades who have died are as
follows. David +. Thompson, MAY
1885, j. ID. Hays, July 1885; Thos, W. Il
Mckenzie, Aug. - 1885; ID. W. Nc
Henry, May 10 1856; John A. Hart, I
May 1857; VIM Riley, Sept q 1887; q
las. w Christian, May II lSSS; Louis I
sankey, Aug. 1855, he had previously {
been transferred 10 Post Ypsilanti. |
Mich & NJ ChOllett, Feb. p 1889; I.
IL Cassidy and Edward Joslyn OF L
which the date is not given t
Other comrades that have been G
discharged and dropped I
nd moved beyond the Jurisdiction of q
ms post may be and probably are {
lead but We have no evidence OF that {
act I
The second commander of the post t
vas l.. NJ Sawyer elected Dec. > 1852 {
/. :. Slower Was elected Dec. u lSSS. a
md resigned July 1884, being absent {
rom the department, aud Aug. , 1854, 9
:. NJ. simpson WIS elected in his a
lace Jan Is 1885, W. H. Mcclure =
sss elected, and Dee. IS 1885, In
lawyer was again elected but for b
ONE informality the election was de- Y
Jared mall and void, and dispensatien Z
ras granted to hold an election Jan 10 Y
$50. ut which t. :. Slower was elect e
d. Dec. lSS6, Z. J. Thayer was elect q
Z. G. Dec. 81 1857, J 3 Turner z
fas chosen. and Dec. Is 1888, he was :,
acceeded by E NJ Eckley, who was 4
ncceeded by J. w. Delplain who was "
Iected Dec 1853, and Dec. - 1890, -
ar present Commander, R. 5. Moore, G
IS elected. ii
The first few meetings were held IN II
Ne court room, aftef which the Post Il
ct IN the Odd Fellows Hall. Il
Oct - ISIS, Comrades slower, Nc G
lure, Scott, Walters and Miller were as
,poiHfed committee to take charge al
; -;fsir- 10 be held during the boil H