Tag Archives: Grand Army of the Republic

GAR reunion

Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson founded the Grand Army of the Republic on April 6, 1866 in Decatur Illinois. The GAR was a fraternal organization for Union soldiers, sailors, and marines who served during the Civil War. Its guiding principles were … Continue reading

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“feeling of friendly union”

According to a northern newspaper 150 years ago, that year’s Memorial Day was going to be more inclusive – Confederate dead would be honored along with those who fought for the Union. The paper saw a similar spirit in a … Continue reading

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buried?

150 years ago a Southern newspaper found something to like in a Northern observance of Decoration Day. From The Daily Phoenix (Columbia, South Carolina) June 12, 1873: KIND WORDS FOR OUR SOUTHERN DEAD. Dr. Lillienthal, the well known Jewish pastor … Continue reading

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survivors still

After the Civil War the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was founded in 1866 as a fraternal organization for Union veterans. According to a web page at the University of Mississippi the Fifty-third National (GAR) Encampment took place September … Continue reading

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divergent decoration

150 years ago today a large procession traveled from Manhattan to Brooklyn to honor the memory and decorate the graves of thousands of soldiers who died during the American Civil War. From the June 19, 1869 issue of Harper’s Weekly: … Continue reading

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at last

According to History of the World War, by Francis A. March and Richard J. Beamish (1919), American commanders ordered their troops to remain all business the morning before the firing ceased on the Western Front. The last action of the … Continue reading

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decorating the mounds

Civil War general John A. Logan has been in the news a lot lately. As a Representative from Illinois he was one of seven House managers during the Impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. The U.S. Senate eventually acquitted the … Continue reading

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more to come

Back in April 1917 the United States declared war on Germany. As young American men were signing up for the draft and getting ready to be shipped to France, the country observed Decoration Day on May 30th. One hundred years … Continue reading

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Veteran’s Day 2010

Today I’d like to honor all our veterans from all our wars. I was never a member of our armed forces – I never laid it all on the line for our nation. I respect all the men and women … Continue reading

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