The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-11-26

dress of Theodore +. Boyington, com
mander of the Fred S. Lowell Post o
the Grand Army of the Republic, Ke
nosha Civil War veterans, was de
livered before the Kenosha American
Legion recently when the cold sol
diers" turned over to the youngel
veterans the task of love to observe
Memorial Day fittingly. It show!
how the older organization and how
for more than sixty years the G. A. r
has carried on this work of loving
remembrance of their comrades fol
whom taps have sounded.
: "I am going to try, this evening, ia
give you a brief history of the Crane
Army organization, and2 some Incl.
dents in connection with Fred S
Lowell Post, which has been in exist
ence about two score years. But first
1 wish to tell you that at regular
meeting of the Fred S. Lowell Post,
there was a motion made, seconded,
and carried, that we turn over to the
American Legion all of the planning
for saa exercises of Memorial Day.
"There are but four Of us left now
that can attend the meetings, and all
live on Borrowed time" 1t is a very
hard problem to solve as to how long
we can borrow time.
Snow, the first Grand Army Post
was organized the 9Th of April, 1866.
in Decatur, III. The first National
Encampment was called by Benson F.
Stevenson, the founder of the Grand
Army, to meet in Indianapolis, Nov.
20, 1866. There were nine states rep
resented, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wis
consin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New
York Pennsylvania and the District of
Columbia.
General John L. Hurlbut was elect
ed commander in Jan. 1868, when the
Grand Army met in Philadelphia.
The First Order.
General John A. Logan was after
wards elected commander. He issued
the Memorial Day order, in which he
says: AS other eyes grow dim, other
hands slack, other hearts cold in this
sacred trust, ours shall be the one
to keep it well as long as health and
warmth of life remain with u.s.
"Since that time this day has been
universally observed and with increas-
ing interest from year to year, not
only among the comrades, but by the
general public. In 1870, this Grand
Army was languishing. They had got
politics into the Order and it was
learned on the outside that it was a
secret political order, and the public
were not in sympathy with it. They
had three grades, the recruit, the sol
der and the veteran. The recruit
could not take any part in the meet
ings until he had been in two months,
when he was advanced to the second
grade. They held their business meet
ing in the second grade, but they
were not eligible to Office, and could
not vote for any of the Post officers
until they had been in the second
grade six months. This discrimina-
tion was not pleasing to the Come
manders, and hundreds Of Posts SUR
rendered their charters and thousands
of comrades Withdrew from the Order.
Changed In 1871.
"In May, 1871, the Grand Army En-
campment was held in Boston, Gem
eral Ambrose Burnsides was elected
commander. At this gathering they
revised the rules and regulations.
They discarded the grades and poll
tics was strictly prohibited, leaving
any comrade that had an honorable
discharge, whether he was in three
months or three years, whether he
was private or a major general,
come into the Post room on an equal
footing, and eligible office in the gift
of the Post.
"Then this organization began to
flourish. Those Posts that had kept
their charters with few members,
were recruited, and others Posts were
organized throughout the east, the
west and the middle states. In 1890
this organization had to revise men,
bership."
Then Death Trimmed Ranks.
"After that, the fathers, both private
and chief,
AT Post and Encampment in numbers
grew thin;
Grim Death, the harsh Reaper, I'M
needing their grief
Thrust forth his keen sickle and
gathered them in.
His thrusting and reaping no mortal
can stay,
And swiftly the comrades are passing
away"
Until now, of the two million seven
hundred thousand that responded to
the Presidents call, there were but
one hundred twenty-five thousand left
just a little remnant of that once
mighty army that stood in the front
rank between the government and its
followers and said, This nation must
live.'
Organized Here In 1866.
''There was Grand Army Post or
ganized here in 1866. Comrade
Charles Frantz was commander. This
Post surrendered its charted after a
few years, but there was enough in
Wisconsin that kept their charter
I. L. L