Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-04
THE OLDEST MEMBER OF THE GRAN

VNHE OLDEST MEMBER OF THE GRAND
u Army Of the Republic is a resident of this
city. Capt Fred /. Dean, who enjoys this dis
tinction, is not an old man. In fact. he is still
young and active. but at the same time he hap
pens to be one of the four men who started the
Grand Army. Capt Dean was a resident OF
Springfield, ILL.,, and intimately acquainted with
DIR. Benjamin +. Stephenson of that city, who
is recognized as the founder Of that order. DIR.
Stephenson had given good dealsf thought 10
the plan Of an organization Of veterans Of the
war, and, as Capt. Dean states. often talked
with him in regard to the matter.
The details OF the events OF the day which
gave birth to this organization are Of interest
and were related by Capt. Dean to a STAR re-
porter the other day. Capt. Deans account is
as follows: ut was on bright Sunday after
noon in the month of February, 1865 when
met DIR. Stephenson on the street in Springfield.
iii He asked me TO 60 with him TO his Office
in the Springer block, owned by Representative
Springer, to look over with him his rapers re-
latlng to soldiers organization. On arriving
at the Office we found DIR. James Hamilton. the
junior of the medical firm of Stephenson, Allen
Hamilton, busily engaged in irving TO build
fire in the old stove with only piece of board
for material; but be did not prove a success as
a ire builder, else there was a want OF mate
rial-probably the latter: 80 we shivered in the
cold all of that February afternoon. Soon after
ward DIR. Geo. I. Allen came in and the caucus
was complete
"Dr. Stephenson unfolded his plans in detail
and submitted his voluminous notes which he
had made from time to time. To meas a
newspaper man-fell the duty OF transcribing
the result of our deliberations. suggestion
was made here and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS was
eliminated-and, finally, after hours of hard
work, the details were elaborated, and there
were the rules and ritualistic work of governing
the infant but now stalwart order of which the
ex-Union soldier il so proud. Subsequently
committee on laws and ritual was appointed
and our work was greatly changed and modi-
fed.
WHEN THE GRAND ARMY WAS BORN.
Now these facts are important for the
reason that the child was actually born on that
cold Sabbath day in the Office of Stephenson
Allen & Hamilton, and there the obligations
OF the order were for the first time conferred
upon any one. Drs. Allen and Hamilton and
myself were the first to receive the obligation.
by DIR. Stephenson, and he in turn received
them at the hands of Dr. Allen Thus we three
actually antedated by few minutes in member
ship DIR. Stephenson. the author himself.
DIR. Benz. L. Stephenson died in August
1911. DIR. Geo. L. Allen was appointed by
President Grant consul to Moscow, where he
served until appointed as surgeon in charge at
Benton barracks. near st. Louis, where he sub
sequently died. DIR. Jas. Hamilton died.
think, in Philadelphia. Thus, through chain
OF fortuitious circumstances, was one of the
quartet who first instituted the noble order of
the Grand Army of the Republic, and by the
death of my three colleagues on that occasion
L remain the sole survivor and the oldest mem
Der OF the Grand Army of the Republic living
in point of membership"
A SKETCH OF CAPT. DEAN.
Capt. Dean is a member of Lincoln Post, No
g. of this city and at present holds position in
the general land Office. He was born In 0wego.
Tioga county. n. Y, March 81, 1887. His
parents removed west and settled ut Blooming
ton, Ill. and afterward at Springfield. In 1857
Capt. Dean went to st. Louis and became the
first city editor of the DAILY Express. which
paper was destroyed by the minnie men i'm
1861. Capt Dean in 1860 joined the state
troops under the command of Gen. d. VI.
Frost, and on Nav 10. 1861. he aided in the cap
ture Of Camp jackson, st. Louis.
He was active in helping to recruit the eighth
Missouri regiment, but was unable to be mus
tured in owing to disease contracted during his
first campaign with the state troops. From the
effect of this attack he has fully recovered
In 1868 he joined the Army of the Potomac as a
correspondent for several eastern newspapers.
He served the last year of the war in the one
hundred and fifty-sixth Illinois regiment. and
when that regiment was mustered out he re-
turned to his old home in Springfield. Until
within the past four yearsCapt. Dean has been iv-
ing in Arkansas and was the editor of the Border
City at Fort Smith, Ark. He has held commits
sions as aid-de-camp to Gen. Lucius Fairchild
and to Judge Rae, commander-in-chief of the
Grand Army.