Evening star., 1915-07-16
Four Organizations to Meet
During the G. A. R. Encamp-
ment in September.
RELIEF CORPS REPORTS
MEMBERSHIP OF $4,000
Ladies of the G. A. r. and Two Other
Bodies Also Claim Big
Enrolment.

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 Sep
tember 81 to October ..
Four large organizations of women
allied with the Grand Army of the Re
public Will participate in the encamp-
ment. These are the Woman's Relief
Corps, the Auxiliary to the Sons of
Veterans, the Ladies of the G. A. R..
and the Daughters of Veterans Many
thousands of members of the four or
ganizations will be in Washington
during the encampment and will wit
ness the grand review, which is to re-
produce as far as possible the review
of Union troops in Washington by
President johnson and Gen. Grant at
the close of the civil war, fifty years
ago.
OF the organizations of women con-
nected with the Grand Army the larg-
est is the Woman's Relief Corps.
The Woman's Relief Corps is auxiliary
to the Grand Army of the Republic, and
its only auxiliary. The Ladies of the
G. A. r. and the Daughters of Veterans
are independent bodies, auxiliary to no
organization.
Organization Numbers 167, 900.
The Woman's Relief Corps is said to
be the largest organization of women
in the world under one eligibility clause
and one motto. 1t now numbers 167, 900,
with department organiza tions in forty
one states. divided among 2,601 corps,
as the local organizations are known.
Besides these there are thirty-seven
detached corps, which thrive in ten
southern and two western states where
there are no department organizations.
1t was organized at Denver. Col, in
1888. in response to the call of the
veterans for an organization of women
that would be auxiliary to them and
which would meet with them at ma
tional encampments and assist in the
tremendous work which was becoming
burdensome to the Grand Army, that
of helping to care for the aged vet
Grams and their dependent widows and
children. Pensions were very small at
that time, and the hardships of war
were beginning to tell on those who
suffered from wounds and other dis
abilities incurred in the service of the
country. At the encampment in Den
yer the Womans Relief Corps, COM
prised of loyal women who never
the Union." was organized and ac-
cepted by the Grand Army, which had
called it into existence. 1t was given
the right to use the motto of the vet
Loyalty" with the privilege of wear
ing badge with the medallion center
Of the G. A. r. badge.
Expenditures for Relief.
Since its organization the womans
Relief Corps has expended in charitable
and relief work for Veterans nearly
$4.oo0.000. 1t built and equipped an
army nurses home in OhiA where army
nurses of the civil war could be cared
for. 1t has been instrume4 tai in found
ing state homes in all he northern
states where veterans and their wives
may go together and spend their de-
clining years in comfort. 1t insti-
tuted a patriotic curriculum in its reg
ular work and began the incubation of
patriotic teaching in the public schools
OF the country, work which has since
been taken up by many other patriotic
organizations. There are now more
than 5000 women whose work as pa
triotic instructors" in corps and depart
ments of the Woman's Relief Corps is
commanding attention.
Besides 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.
IT gives the Grand Army Of the Repub-
lie $1,000 annually.
Work on Other Lines.
In 1896 the Woman's Relief Corps ac-
cepted as gift from the Department
willie prison Aockade grounds, near
Americus. Ga, and expended thou
sands of dollars in turning this into
park. Old Providence Spring has been
canopied with stone. and it's sweet wa
ters are as refreshing today to travel
ers on the great Dixie highway as
they were TO the starving prisoners
when it broke forth in August, 1854
The park, with its neat cottage for
warworn wayfarers. its rose garden,
pecan Orchard and other improvements.
is now one of the garden spots of that
section of Georgia. In its grounds
seven great states have erected spIen-
did monuments to their dead of prison
days, and the Woman's Relief Corps
has just honored Clara Barton by erect
ing there handsome monument to the
founder of the American National Red
Cross, who marked all graves in An
dersonville under government super
vision.
The Woman's Relief Corps gave An
Jacksonville to the United States, and 1t
Is now a government park.
The Ladies' of the G. A. r. work along
the same lines as the W. r. c., to some
extent. Their membership is about
$4,000, the eligibility clause depending
unon lneai descent from veterans Of