Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic ( GAR ) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army , US Navy , Marines and Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War . Founded in 1866 in Decatur , Illinois , it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died . Linking men through their experience of the war , the GAR became among the first organized advocacy groups in American politics , supporting voting rights for black veterans , lobbying the US Congress to establish veterans ' pensions , and supporting Republican political candidates . Its peak membership , at more than 490 , 000 , was in 1890 , a high point of Civil War commemorative ceremonies . It was succeeded by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War ( SUVCW ) , composed of male descendants of Union veterans . History . After the end of American Civil War , organizations were formed for veterans to network and maintain connections with each other . Many of the veterans used their shared experiences as a basis for fellowship . Groups of men began joining together , first for camaraderie and later for political power . Emerging as most influential among the various organizations was the Grand Army of the Republic , founded on April 6 , 1866 , on the principles of " Fraternity , Charity and Loyalty , " in Decatur , Illinois , by Benjamin F . Stephenson . The GAR initially grew and prospered as a " de facto " political arm of the Republican Party during the heated political contests of the Reconstruction era . The commemoration of Union veterans , black and white , immediately became entwined with partisan politics . The GAR promoted voting rights for black veterans , as many veterans recognized their demonstrated patriotism . Black veterans , who enthusiastically embraced the message of equality , shunned black veterans ' organizations in preference for racially inclusive groups . But when the Republican Party ' s commitment to reform in the South gradually decreased , the GAR ' s mission became ill - defined and the organization floundered . The GAR almost disappeared in the early 1870s , and many divisions ceased to exist . In the 1880s , the organization revived under new leadership that provided a platform for renewed growth , by advocating federal pensions for veterans . As the organization revived , black veterans joined in significant numbers and organized local posts . The national organization , however , failed to press the case for pensions for black soldiers . Most black troops never received any pension or remuneration for wounds incurred during their service . The GAR was organized into " Departments " at the state level and " Posts " at the community level , and military - style uniforms were worn by its members . There were posts in every state in the U . S . , and several posts overseas . The pattern of establishing departments and local posts was later used by other veterans ' organizations , such as the American Legion ( WWI ) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars ( WWII ) . In 1868 , Commander - in - Chief General John A . Logan established May 30 as Decoration Day , later known as Memorial Day . ( Numerous people and places claim this credit . ) In its first celebrations , people used this day to commemorate the dead of the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers and flags . The GAR ' s political power grew during the latter part of the 19th century , and it helped elect several Republican United States presidents , beginning with Ulysses S . Grant and ending with William McKinley . Five members were elected president of the United States . For a time , candidates could not get nominated to the Republican ticket without the endorsement of the GAR voting bloc . With membership strictly limited to " veterans of the late unpleasantness , " the GAR encouraged the formation of Allied Orders to aid them in various works . Numerous male organizations jousted for the backing of the GAR , and the political battles became quite severe until the GAR finally endorsed the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War as its heir . Although a male organization , the GAR admitted its sole woman member in 1897 . Sarah Emma Edmonds served in the 2nd Michigan Infantry as a disguised man named " Franklin Thompson " from May 1861 until April 1863 . In 1882 , she collected affidavits from former comrades in an effort to petition for a veteran ' s pension which she received in July 1884 . Edmonds was only a member for a brief period as she died September 5 , 1898 , however she was given a funeral with military honors when she was reburied in Houston in 1901 . The GAR reached its largest enrollment in 1890 , with 490 , 000 members . It held an annual " National Encampment " every year from 1866 to 1949 . At that final encampment in Indianapolis , Indiana , the few surviving members voted to retain the existing officers in place until the organization ' s dissolution ; Theodore Penland of Oregon , the GAR ' s Commander at the time , was therefore its last . In 1956 , after the death of the last member , Albert Woolson , the GAR was formally dissolved . Memorials . Memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic include a commemorative postage stamp , a U . S . highway , and physical memorials in numerous communities throughout the United States : In popular culture . John Steinbeck ' s " East of Eden " features several references to the Grand Army of the Republic . Despite having very little actual battle experience during his brief military career , cut short by the loss of his leg , Adam Trask ' s father Cyrus joins the GAR and assumes the stature of " a great man " through his involvement with the organization . At the height of the GAR ' s influence in Washington , he brags to his son : Later in the book , references are made to the graves of GAR members in California in order to emphasize the passage of time . Another Nobel Prize winning author , Sinclair Lewis , refers to the GAR in his acclaimed novel " Main Street " . Charles Portis ' s classic novel , True Grit , makes reference to the GAR . The GAR is briefly mentioned in William Faulkner ' s novel , " The Sound and the Fury " . The GAR is also mentioned in the seldom sung second verse of the patriotic song " You ' re a Grand Old Flag " . The GAR is referenced in John McCrae ' s poem " He Is There ! " which was set to music in 1917 by Charles Ives as part of his cycle " Three Songs of the War " . In Ward Moore ' s 1953 alternate history novel " Bring the Jubilee " , the South won the Civil War and became a major world power while the rump United States was reduced to an impoverished dependence . The Grand Army of the Republic is a nationalistic organization working to restore the United States to its former glory through acts of sabotage and terrorism .