The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-08-12
RANKS OF C. A. R.
FAST THINNING
Drop Of 10,103 in Number OF Vet.
eranS of Civil War IN the
Past Year.
Ohio Has the Largest Quota, With
Pennsylvania Second and New
York Third = Organized in
Illinois in Spring Of 1866.

= indianapolis. - When the Grand
Army of the Republic holds its annual
reunion this year more than 10000 of
the Civil war veterans who attended
the encampment of 1920 will be count
ed among the missing, as the ranks
have been depleted to- this extent
through the last year.
The total membership Of the G.. A
X. today is $3.50, while is member
ship in 1920 was 103.25s.
The total membership is scattered
among 4.445 posts in every state. Ohio.
with lO,241, has the largest member
ship. with Pennsylvania second with
9.122; New York third. S,795; Illinois
fourth, 6S6S; Indiana fifth. 5,949;
Massachusetts sixth, $3.50. No other
state has 5000 or more members.
Property owned by all posts is
valued at S2,O75,O27.. including real
estate worth $50, 81.
Members In the old. Confederate
states total approximately 200.
The G.. A. II. was organized in Illi-
nois i'm the spring of 1866. Who It's
originators were is a matter of tradi-
tlon, rather than Of record, says the
report made TO the national encamp-
ment In 1860 by n. +. Chipman, then
adjutant general of the national or
gafriZation.
First Post in 1866.
There can be no doubt that the
late Col. Il. +. Stephenson of Deca-
.stur. ILL.,, was one of the prime movers"
says Chipman's report. Being recog-
nized as such. he organized the first
post at Decatur. H."
BY July. 1866, there were 40 posts
I'm Illinois. representatives of which
met In convention and organized the
state department.. Stephenson was
by common consent the provisional
commander i'm chief and posts were
organized i'm other states, resulting in
the first national encampment being
held at Indianapolis, November 20
1866 After the Indianapolis conven-
tion Chapman records that posts seem
To have sprung up as if by magic in
all parts of the North but he adds
there was no record of progress. Ten
states were represented at the In
danapols encampment. 81 states in
1867, 81 I'm 1868. 81 in 1S69-having
2.c50 posts.
At the 1860 encampment a mutual
life insurance scheme was proposed
IL being said that the G.. \. II. had
10000 members. In 1861 it had been
said that the state departments
claimed 10 represent a constituency
of over 100000" But there is no au-
tl,entic record of the number for the
early years. the insurance proposal,
containing an estimate, it is thought,
and the 1867 estimate being regarded
as the number of Union soldiers liv-
ing In the jurisdiction Of the state de-
partments represented at the conven-
tion. For instance the adiutant gem
erals report at the 1870 encampment,
when there were 80 departments, says
II is absolutely impossible for me to
furnish anything like a correct report
of the present membership"
Decline Constant Since 1890.
In 1890, however, reports taken as
authentic state that the membership
was 409, ,4S9 the highest mark record
ed. From 1878 10 1890 the growth
was rapid. being from 1900 to 5000
annually. Since 1890 the decline has
been constant except for a 1900 gain
I'm 1906. said 10 be due 10 prospects
of favorable pension legislation. Sub
sequent enrolment figures from the
time the c.. A. X. reached its zenith
TO the present time follow: