Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-06-03

brevetted a brigadier. was made depart
ment commander. The work of organic
ing in 1861 and 1868 went forward with
great enthusiasm. BY the end of 1868
there were about 100 posts in the State.
The fame of the new order in Illinois and
Wisconsin attracted the attention of
Pennsylvania. New York and several 9th
er Eastern States. and it was extended to
their borders. charters being given by the
department of Wisconsin. The chief post
in Philadelphia is working under char
ter signed by Department Commander
James Il. Proudfit. This is true of posts
in other States.
There are now over forty Grand Army
departments. and there have been as high
as 5000 posts. with a membership of near
ly half million. The birth of that order
resulted in bringing into existence the
Woman's Relief Corps. which has a mem
bership of nearly 100000. The two or
ders have expended for charity many mill
ions of dollars. They have led in patri-
otic education and demonstration; they
have led in suggesting and in agitating
for the establishment of several of the
national homes and the establishment of
all of the State homes: they have exer-
cised much influence in pension legisla-
ton, sometimes unwisely. but in the main
wisely and justly. and they have given
us Memorial Day. with its beautiful and
inspiring ceremonies.
Wisconsin is the possessor of the post
that has been in existence without inter
ruption the greatest length of time, Will
liams, No. 4. of Berlin.
From 1868 to 1879 nearly all of the
Grand Army posts in the country died Of
an overdose of politics. 1t was along in
1879 that the order began its resurrection
on n new foundation. rigdly excluding pol
itics and demanding utter non-interfer-
ence with religious beliefs. On that foun-
daton il grew more rapidly than il had
at first. 1t sprang forward like fright
ened fawn under Commanders-in-ch chief
Major Merrill of Massachusetts, Paul
Vandervoort of Nebraska. Col. X. r..
Beath of Pennsylvania. the one-legged
drummer boy. Johnny Kountz of Ohio,
Gen. s. =. Burdett of Washington. Gen.
Fairchild of Wisconsin. Capt Rea of
Minneapolis. Major William Warner of
Kansas City. Gen. X. A. Alger of Mich-
gan, Judge Veazey of Vermont. Adjutant
John Palmer of New York and Col. A. e..
Weissert of Wisconsin.
Since then the order, from natural
causes. has ceased to increase. 1t has
been growing smaller rapidly: IL will con-
time TO speedily grow smaller. A fair
sized army corps-14 .0W-will have died
by Sept 1 next. Ten years from now
there will not be one-thrd as many posts
and members as there are to-day. Fif-
teen years from now there will scarcely
be more than one post in a county. Twen-
~ years from now one or two posts in the
State will answer. Twenty-Five years
from now the Grand Army Of the Repub-
lic will be only memory.
Since Wessert. in 1892, there have been
at the head Of the national organization
Capt Jack Adams Of Massachusetts,. Col.
Tom Lawlcr Of Rockford, ILL.,. Col. Walk
er of indianapolis and Major Clarkson.
Illinois has the honor Of having had at
thehead Gen. John A. Logan two or three
years; Gen. stephen A. Hurlbut, two
years: Lawler. one. While Clarkson is
now resident of Nebraska. he was an
Illinois soldier, thus giving the State four
ommanders-in-chief.
Pennsylvania has bad three-Wagner.
Beath, Hartranft. Among those who held