Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-09-04
|, Grand Army
; Facts and Figures.
.CCSCOSCSCSCS

The motto of the g. A. R. is: 'Frater-
nifty, Charity, Loyalty"
The present total enlistment of the
Grand Army is 2SS,000.
During the rebellion 122, 900 men were
employed in the navy of the United
States.
The Southern States pay more than
81 100000 annually to veterans of the
Confederate army.
The Union Ex-Prisoners of War As
ISOLATION was organized in Worcester,
Mass, in April, 1874.
The Loyal Legion was the first society
formed by officers of the Union armies.
1t was organized in Philadelphia the day
after the assassination of President Lin
coin.
The first organization of Sons of Veter-
ans of the Union armies was formed at
Philadelphia in 1878. There are at pres
emit 1,129 camps in existence, with to-
tai membership of 1854.
The Third Army Corps Union was the
first military order formed during the
progress of the rebellion. 1t was organ
lied March 16, 1862, and Gen. Daniel E..
Sickles was its commander.
BY Oct. 1, 1866, departments had been
formed in Illinois, Wisconsin. Indiana,
Iowa and Minnesota, and posts IN Ohio,
Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, District
of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York
and Pennsylvania.
The total number of individuals enlist
ed in the armies of the United States
during the war of the rebellion was q
800, 272. During the same time the total
enlistment in the armies of the Confed-
eracy is estimated at 100000.
At the present time Memorial Day is
legal holiday in all the States and terri
tories except Alabama, Arkansas, Flor
ida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Miss;s-
sippi, New Mexico, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Texas and Virginia
The Woman's Relief Corps as ma
tional organization came into existence
in 1888 at Denver, Colo, where the ma
tional encampment of the Grand Army
was held in that year. Mrs. E. Florence
Barker of Maiden, Mass, was the first
national president
Grand Army Post No 2 was organized
at Springfield, H., where also the first
departmental encampment of the order
was held in July, 1866. By the time Of
this encampment thirty-nine posts had
been chartered Gen. John NJ Palmer
was elected the first department conn
mander.
The first national encampment of the
Grand Army was held at Indianapolis,
Ind. Nov. 20, 1866. The first command
er.in-chief of the Grand Army was Gen.
Stephen A. Hurlburt, who was born in
Charleston, S. c., in 1915. Gen. Hurl-
burt was a resident of Belvidere, Ill,
when the war broke out. After the war
he was sent as United States minister to
Peru. He died in Chill, South America
in 1882, and his remains were brought
to his home at Belvidere for interment.
1t took more than 1000 engagements
TO decide the rebellion. many of them
mere skirmishes. but some tremendous
battles. in which many thousands of men
we're engaged ON both sides During the
continuance of the war there were one
and half engagements per day Oh the
average.
During the rebellion Ga ,05S Union sol
GteFS were httltN III nutt4cs 1OsDO- G&e1 OF
wounds and other injuries: 224. 5S6 Union
soldiers died Of diseases; q. S52 died from
causes not classified. The total death
roll in the Union armies was $50, 52S,
nearly 10000 more than the present
membership Of the Grand Army OF sur
vivors-
Benjamin Franklin Stephenson, the
founder OF the Grand Army, was born
in Wayne County. III. he studied med
icine. and in 1861 was elected surgeon
Of the Fourteenth Illinois infantry, in
which capacity he served for three years.
He died 81 Rock Greek. H., in 1911
The idea Of forming the military order
OF the Grand Army Of the Republic was
first suggested by the Rev. ". J. Rut-
ledge, chaplain Of the Fourteenth Iii
nois infantry. during Sherman's expeCi-
ton TO Meridian. Miss. in February.
1864. One son OF Chaplain Rutiedge en-
listed in the Third Illinois cavalry al the
age Of 16. and another was a drummer
boz 1T tie age Of II.