The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-06
Semi-Centenary of the
 Republics Grand Army

The aged and grizzled veterans of the Union who fought in the civil war will celebrate today the semi-centen- ary of the founding of the Grand Army of the Republic. Only a com parative few of the mighty host who fought the ftboys in gray on the bloody batt1efields of the sos sur vive to tell the tale of that sanguin- ary strife, but what the '"thin blue Iine'' lacks in numbers it makes up in patriotic enthusiasm.
 It was on the sixth of April, 1S66, that the first post of the Grand Army of the Republic was mustered in at Decatur, Ill, The founder of this fraterna1 association of survivors of the civil war was pr. B. F. Stephen son, of Springfield, Ill.,, who had been a surgeon with the Fourteenth IlH- nois Infantry. He was convinced that an organization of this sort would make a strong appeal to the ex-sol- diers, and that it would be of great value by way of affording assistance to disabled and unemployed veterans. A ritual was drafted under his super vision, and the Decatur veterans were the first to organize. Other posts were organized in Illinois within the next few weeks, and the movement quickly spread to other States. In July the first state department con- vention and reunion was held in SpT1nSu01O, I11.s anu NESL- OO4AAA mer was elected commander of the Illinois department. Dr. Stephenson, as provisional chief, soon afterward sent out a call for a national convention to all the posts then organized, and in November, 1866, Indianapolis witnessed the first great gathering of the boys in blue.
 Within seven months after the for nation of the first post of the Grand Army, the organization had spread from Illinois to Indiana, Missouri, Wis constn, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York, Gen. S. A. Hurlbut of Illinois, was chosen the first regular commander-in-ch chief of the national body.
 In 1867 the Grand Army continued to grow rapidly, and posts were or ganized in practically all of the states and territories of the North and West. Early in 1868 the second national en- campment was held in Philadelphia, when the organization of the supreme body was completed. That year the Grand Army celebrated May 3Oth as Memorial Day, and that date was la ter fixed upon for the annual observ- ance in honor of the dead soldiers.
 The order suffered a setback in 1868.- when the idea gained currency that the Grand Army was a political organization. The membership fell off rapidly during the political campaign of that year, and in some of the west ern states the order was almost wreck ed. At the following national en- campment, held in Cincinnati in 1869, a peace was patched up between the warning factions, and the order again began to flourish. John A. Logan, of Illinois, afterwards Republican candi- date for the vice-presidency, was the second supreme commander of the Grand Army, serving from 1868 to 1871, when he was succeeded by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, of Rhode Island.
 The Grand Army now has more than 5000 posts, and departments in all of the states of the Union, South as well as North. On many occasions in re- cent years the United Confederate Veterans have met with the Grand Army, and this association of former enemies has always been marked by the greatest cordiality. The old ami mosities are dead and buried, almost forgotten, and "G. A. R.'' and ''U. c. V.' walk arm in arm down the short road that stretches before them.