The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-29

and kuap~ack for the PioW ana the
throttle and the desk. Is the war drew
to a close Rutiedge and Stephenson
were saddened by the thought that
parting must soon come and they and
their comrades must - their several
WAYS possibly not to meet again. In
q reflective sort of way they discussed
the poss. billtie> Of a fraternal organ
iZation of the men soon II he veterans
If the war. fashioned along military
lines. vet with constitution approach
ing that Of the Masonic or similar or
dcr~. II : recorded that while march
ing along with sherman on his expcdI-
tlon to Meridian. Rutledge and Steph-
! cneon made solemn compact that
whichever Of them should come out of
: the war alive should proceed to enlist
his comrades IN a great society of sol
6lors. Fate decreed that both shout
survive, and with und5miniShed ardor
both set about the contamination of the
plans which they had matured afore-
time
Major Stephenson had spent some
time in preparing a voluminOus ritual
A the close Of the war he resumed his
practise Of medicine and again took
mp his considerable private affairs. but
his interest in the society for veterans
which he was planning was paramount.
and his practise and his private affairs
We're more and more neglected until fin
allv he was devoting himself unreserv-
edlv to his ritual and his plans. The
several men now living who saw that
original draft of the ritual say that it
was four times as lengthy as the Con
stitutiOn of the United States. and that
q mathematician was required to I'M
ravel its ramifcations and compiled
tons Stephenson was as quick as any
10 see the fault Of the thing, and he
and Chaplain Rutledge worked and
worked upon it until it began to as
sumo reasonable proportions and luciditv
Of provisions. Many may have aided
i'm this work. but the only names of as
si~tants which have been preserved are
those of Col John VI. Snyder. DR..
James Hamilton. Mai Robert NJ
Woods, Mai. Robert Allen. Col Martin
Flood, Col Daniel Grass. Col. Edward
Prince Capt John 8. Phelps, Capt
John \. Lightfoot. Col B. F. Smith,
Maj \. A. North, Col b F. Hawkes..
Capt Henry T. Howe Capt Fred T.
Dean The first three men obligated
by Doctor Stephenson were his part
ners. Doctor Allen and Doctor Hamil-
ton, and Captain Dean.
How Name Was Chosen.
The exact manner in which the
Grand Army of the Republic came to
have that name is not of record. Prob
ably it took the name from 1.-The
Grand Army of Progress, a minor
organization which had come into be
ing. There was never a suggestion to
change the name to anything else after
this title had been proposed.
Governor Oglesby of Illionis was
greatly interested in the new organi-
cation, and was frequently consulted
by Major Stephenson. When the ritual
had finally been revised it seemed nee
essary TO place it before the veterans
in printed form before organizing a
post. Governor Oglesby suggested two
old soldier printers, /. W. Coltrin and
Joseph Prior Of the Decatur Tribune.
Capt. John 5. Phelps, a friend and
adviser of Doctor Stephenson, went to
Decatur and obligated the two men and
they then put the ritual in type. 1t is
said by those who saw the ritual that it
81
two men are now living who saw it in
the form in which it was presented to
the first post to be organized under it.
The prime movers IN the matter Of or
ganizatIon suddenly concluded to mus
ter the first post in Decatur, where the
ritual was printed. Major Stephenson,
by common consent, constituted himself
the Commander of the Department
Of IIlinois.' and under that authority
issued the call for Post / at Decatur.
The cali was signed by Robert NJ.
Woods, adjutant- general The first part
of the minutes of that first meeting
read as follows:
The First Post Forms.
cat an informal meeting held April
s. 1866. for the purpose Of organizing
an encampment of the Grand Army of
the Republic the following named per
sons were mustered by Major Stephen
son and constituted charter members:
I. e. Pugh, George r. Steele, J. ".
Routh, Joseph Prior, J. II. NeaIe, J. T.
Bishop. G. H. Cunning. \. F. S.bIey,
NJ. f. Kanan. c. Rcibsame, J. n Col
trim and Aquilla ToIand. Upon motion
the encamPment entered into an cleo
ION Of officers with the following re
suit:
..Oficers Of the district: Brighton
J. {. Pugh. commandment district: Lieut.
oI. j. H. Neale. district quarterma~-
ter; DIR. J. W. Bouth. admtau5.
"Oficers of the post: NJ F. kanan.
post commander: G. F. Steele. post adj
mtaut; G. Ii. Dunnjng. post quarter
master: G. Reihsame. officer Of the daV: