The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-07-23
Women Who Have Given Aid to
The Grand Army
Has Accomplished Things Since First
II Started 10 Perform Duties
For Soldiers
ISABEL WoRRELL BALL.
Especial to The Free fress.i

Washington, ID. c, July 2l.-WOmen
will take a prominent part in the
forty ninth annual encampment of
the Grand Army OF the Republic.
which will be held in Washington,
September q TO October =. Four or
ganiZations OF women allied with the
Grand Army of the Republic will par
ticipate i'm the. encampment. These
are the Woman's Relief corps, the
auxiliary to the Sons of Veterans. the
Ladies' Of the G.. -. r.. and the Daugh-
tiers OF Veterans. Many thousands OF
members of the four organizations
will be I'm Washington during the en-
campment and the Grand Review,
which is TO reproduce. as far as pos
sible, the review OF Union troops in
Washington by President Johnson and
General Grant fifty years ago at the
close OF the civil war.
W. r. c. Is Important
or the organizations OF women con-
nected with the Grand Army the
largest and most important is the
Womans Relief corps. The Womans
Relief corps is auxiliary to the Grand
Army CT the Republic. and its only
auxiliary. The Ladies' Of the G. 4.
r. and the Daughters of Veterans are
independent bodies. auxiliary TO no or
EanizatiOn.
The Woman's Relief corps is the
largest organization of women in tho
world under one eligibility clause, and
one motto. II now numbers 167, GOO.
with department. organizations I'm
forty one states. divided among 1901
corps, as the local organizations are
known. Besides these there are thir-
ty-seven detached corps. which thrive
in ten southern and two western
states, where there are no depart
ment organizations.
Greatest Charitable Body.
The Woman's Relief corps is the
greatest philanthropic, charitable, and
patriotic organization of women in the
world. II was organized at Denver,
Col. in 1858. In RESPONSE IL the call
Of the veterans for The organization
of women that would be auxiliary to
them and which would meet with
them at national encampments. and
assist them in the tremendous work
which was becoming burdensome TO
the Grand Army. that Of helping to
care for the aged veterans and their
dependent widows and children. Pen
sions were very small at that time.
and the hardships of war were be-
ginning TO tell on the veterans who
suffered from wounds and other dis
abilities incurred in the service OF
the country. At the encampment in
Denver. the Womans Relief corps.
comprised of loyal women who never
gave aid or comfort to the enemies of
the Union" was organized and eX-
cepted by the Grand Army. which had
called IL into existence. and gave II
ternity. Charity. and Loyalty" with
the right to wear a badge with the
medallion center of the G. A. II. badge.
Expended Large Sum.
Since its organization the Woman's
Relief corps has expended in char
liable and relief work for veterans
nearly $4.000,00O. II built and equip
red an army nurses home in Ohio.
where army nurses of the Civil war
could be cared for. II has been in
strumental I'm founding state homes in
all the northern states where veterans
and their wives may go together and
spend their declining years in COM
fort. Ii instituted a patriotic curri-
culum in its regular work. and began
the incubation Of patriotic teaching In
the public schools of the country, a
work which has been taken up by
many other patriotic organizations
since then. There are now more than
1000 women whose work as Patriotic
Instructors" in corps and departments
of the wcman's Relief corps is COM
manding attention.
Some Worthy Achievements.
Beside the great sums spent in re-
lief work the organization has given
the Grand Army of the Republic about
$4,000 in cash for its permanent
fund. II gives the Grand Army of the
Republic 81 300 annually. In 1896 the
Woman's Relief CORPS accepted as a
eift from the Department OF Georgia.
G. A. r.. the old Andersonville prison
stockade grounds, near Americas, Ca.
anu thohsauuS VI ~
turning this into a park. Old Provi-
dence Spring has been canopied with
stone. and its sweet waters are as
refreshing today to travellers on the
great Dixie highway as they were to
the starving prisoners when II broke
forth in August, 1864. The park with
its neat cottage for war-worn way
farers, it's rose garden. pecan orchard
and other improvements. is now one
of the garden spots of that section oil
Georgia. In its grounds seven great
states have erected splendid monu-
ments to their dead of prison days,
and the Woman's Relief corps has
Just honored Clara Barton by erect
ing there a handsome monument to
the founder OF the American National
Red Cross, who marked all graves In
Andersonville. under government SUI
rervision.
The woman's Relief corps gave An
Continued on Page Two.