The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-05-24
HOWGRANDARNY
CAME INTO BEING
Famous Organization Had Its In
ception Before the Close Of
the Civil War.
GATHERED PATRIOTS IN FOLD
TO IncuIeate Loyalty to the Nation
Which They Saved, and the Uphold.
ing Of Its Institutions, the
Foundation Stone Of the
Great Order.

"HE earliest reliable written rec
ofds of the Grand Army Of the
Republic were consumed at Bos-
ton during the great confagra-
ton on Memorial day, 1873. Fortunate
ly, however, although the early pre-
liminary history is lost to the coun-
try, enough Of printed and written rec
Ords in other locations was found to
enable the historians Of the G. A. r.
to piece out the interesting story of
its birth.
In the quaint old hall of records at
the national G. A. r. headquarters in
Independence square, Philadelphia,
the original minute-book of the nation
al encampments, beginning with the
Soldiers and Sailors convention at
Pittsburgh, September 25, 1866, may
be seen carefully preserved among 9TH
er historic G. A. r. literature.
1t is a heavy sheepskin folio in good
condition, of 780 pages, of which 1853
are written upon. The minutes cover
the story of the national enCampmentS
for the first six years, from 1857 to
1872, after which the proceedings were
printed. These records and others Of
the departments contain the history of
the Grand Army organization after it
became an embodied fact. There is,
however, because of the lost records
a nebulous atmosphere about the
movements leading up to its forma-
tlOn. But the organization, it is clear
ly known, is the evolution of the active
political and social movements among
the soldiers in the 12 months succeed
ing the close of the war.
IT SEEMS a far cry from the mod
ern era Of prosperous commercial
and industrial peace in the United
States back to the troubled days Of
'65 and 66, "when Johnny came march
ing home"
The discharged soldiers came back
to meet and conquer with soldiers
courage difficulty more complex and
intangible than that of fighting an en-
emy-the problem of his own read
justment Of the workaday world which
he had left.
Previous to the war the general
feeling had prevailed, as voiced by
Gov. John A. Andrews, speaking of
the people Of Massachusetts, that the
family Of every man who enlisted
should be fully provided for. The re-
turn of the soldier in health made it
| possible for him to resume RESPONSE
bility. All he needed was an oppor-
tunity.
THE sentiment of patriotic support
J ers of the army was that the men
who had given up their chance of
advancement at home and of support
ing their families il the many avenues
Of trade and commerce stimulated BY
the war who had returned with good
record of service, wounded or disa-
bled, should be entitled to considera.
tion in the distribution of offices un-
der the local, state and national gov
ernment. Places Of honor and profit,
1t was held, should be given to the
veterans whose services and sacrifices
had been so great. But politicians in,
trenched In Office were not willing to
retire in favor of the army men; con.
sequently clubs and societies of sol.
diers and their supporters for the pro.
motion Of their candidacy for positions
of trust and emolument sprang ur
everywhere. There was soon a great
host of organizations, among them the
Boys in Blue, Soldiers and Sailors
league, Conservative Army and Navy
Union, White Boys in Blue, Colored
Soldiers league-a vast mass of varied
tinted bodies Of assorted minds, who
were destined to form the nucleus fol
the all-embraclng G. A. r.
THE idea of the organization OF the
: Grand Army Of the Republic was
really conceived, however, before the
close Of the war; The signer Of tht
drst general order, calling the figs'