The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-28
TABLET WILL MARK
G. A. R. BIRTHPLACE
Women of Illinois to Dedicate
House in Decatur. H.. Where
First Meeting Was Held.
POST 80. I rs NOW THERE

rrcArru. III. March e1.-Forty-nine
~ats after the Grand Army OF the
Cepuhlic Ms founded in a dingy up
stairs room or a downtown building In
Decatur. III. a tablet suitably marking
hat building will he fastened to il
.out.tiv4s of the department of Illinois
Of tho Woman's Relief Corps.
Bishop Samuel f'allows Of Chicago.
commander of tn" department OF I'LL
f.I. q :. r.. will deliver tne eddress
dcd u,Ating the tablet Robert Mann
Woods. past department commander and
The tlrst Acknowledgement John NJ.
rhurstou. the first Quartermaster-Gen-
cral many members OF old Post I and
others viii attend.
The exercises will take place in Cen,
tfal Park. across the street from the
buildings to be marked. and will be OF
historical significance equal to that of
me first recognition which the old De-
caiur post gained some years ago, when
ia name was inscribed on the M
ment IN Washington after the old MEM
hers Of the post had established hroug
t%ccorls that they were able to pro-
ducc their claim to the honor OF having
N Decatur the original post of the
Grand Army.
The founding Of the Grand Army Of
ne Republic. Post /, was primarily due
20 Dr. n. + Stephenson and Chaplain
". J Rutledge Of the Fourteenth Illi-
nois Infantry, who In February, 1854.
sonceived the idea OF its formation. Or.
stephenson lived in Springfield, ILL.,. and
enlisted May :. 1862. lie was mustered
n on the same day ana served with the
regiment a. chief surgeon with the rank
If major until June "a. 1864, when he
vss mustered out.
Or. Stephenson's idea was TO mite the
soldiers who fought for the Union into
a grand brotherhood. which would be
ss effective In preserving the peace of
The nation as the Union army had been
n prosecuting the war. His plan was
% maintain and strengthen the frater-
nal feelings of the soldiers. sailors and
marines who united to suppress the re-
hellion TO perpetuate the memory and
history of those who had died and TO
end assistance to the needy and TO their
widows and orphans.
He spent nearly two years In work.
ing out plans and drafting the ritual.
Early In 1866 DR.. Stephenson came TO
Decatur at the request OF J. W. Routh
and capt. NJ. +. kanan and placed the
manuscript in their hands. together with
T. 7 Bishop n George y. Dunniug.
TO them, 1t Is said. Is due the credit
for the name, The Grand Army of
tho Republic"
Having approved the plans they placed
them in the hands OF !. y. Coltrin and
Joseph Prior. printers who had served
In the war. The oath having been ad-
miuIstered to them. they printed the
ritual and other documents necessary to
the organization.
In q safe deposit box in the vaults oi
> Decatur bank are the papers that tell
tho story of the organization of Post l.
Notable among the papers are the orig.
nal minutes Of the meeting which
launched the O.. A. l.. There are also
an interesting lot OF letters. the certif-
cate Of membership of Old Post /. the
original ritual of the order, the Original
certincates Of membership in the first
?ost aud various other articles. The inR
VI the original minutes is Stall clear anl
!egiblc.
ON the magnificent monument IT
Washington II this inscription:
organized at
Decatur. ILL.,, April $. 1855,
BY
Benjamin Franklin Stephenson. NJ n.
Post | grew rapidly and within TIVE
wears lGhh elpntN members. iost . wa
organized in springfield, and other post
were organized in nearly every city o
consequence In the Northern states.
Then came troublous times owing q
POLITICAL difficulties. and 1t II said tina
everv post IN Illinois disbanded eXcep
hat ~ Rockford. No meetings wer
held except in Rockford for ten years
N 1874 reorganization began on
strictly nou-partisan basis. all polite
being eschewed. The posts applied 70
nane and numbers and Rockford
which alone had continued IN activ
operation. got No |. In this way Decs
tur lost IT. original number.
In So. when the Decatur post wa
-"org nized. It got the number ltl. an
took The name "Dunham' after Amo
Nuuhalu. the arst soldier from pecatu
70 law dow his lifc for his country.
III. birthplace OF the q. g.. T. wa
within 100 feet of the old Wigwau
where wa held the Republican convc
Ton AZ which the Illinois delegation wa
H-st instructed to vote for Abraham Ldn
Noln for President