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"And first of ye occasion and indusements thereunto; the which that I may truly unfold, I must begin at ye very roote and rise of ye same. The which I shall endevor to manefest in a plaine stile, with singuler regard unto ye simple truth in all things, at least as near as my slender judgmente can attaine the same.” — Bradford's History "Of Plimouth Plantation.”

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CHAPTER I

THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC. ITS ORIGIN AND GROWTH. MAJOR STEPHENSON AND CHAPLAIN RUTLEDGE. OBJECTS AND AIMS. ELIGIBILITY TO MEMBERSHIP.

THE

THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

HE Grand Army of the Republic is a voluntary association of men who served in the army or navy of the United States between the years 1861 and 1865, during the Civil War, and were honorably discharged therefrom.

Its organization consists of a central or supreme body, denominated the National Encampment, composed of delegates chosen from each State or Territory of the Union by a Department Encampment consisting of delegates elected by the individual Posts acting under charters issued by such Department organizations. The National Encampment and the several Departments and Posts choose suitable executive officers annually.

The government of the organization is modelled after the existing political governments of the United States, i.e. the National and Department bodies being representative in character, while the several Posts conform to the democratic town government. The first Post in Massachusetts was Post No. 1 of New Bedford, chartered October 4, 1866. The permanent Department of Massachusetts was organized at New Bedford, May 7, 1867. Major Austin S. Cushman, Department Commander. The first parade of the Order was held in Boston in the fall of 1867, upon the occasion of the visit of General Philip H. Sheridan.

As a fitting introduction to the subject we are to consider, a brief sketch of the parent body is subjoined.

ORIGIN OF THE GRAND ARMY

As early as February, 1864, it is said the idea of a grand association of Veterans was conceived by Major Benjamin F. Stephen

son, Surgeon, and Rev. W. J. Rutledge, Chaplain, two officers of the 14th Illinois Infantry, while in the United States Service, and to them is generally and probably truthfully ascribed the credit of being the real founders of the Grand Army of the Republic. After they were mustered out of service the subject was ever in their minds; they corresponded upon the matter extensively until March, 1866, when a conference between fourteen Union volunteer ex-officers was held in Springfield, Illinois, which resulted in the formation of the Order.

The first Grand Army Post was organized April 6, 1866, at Decatur, Illinois, by virtue of a charter issued by Major Benjamin F. Stephenson, as Department Commander, with a membership of twelve Veterans, M. F. Kanan, Post Commander, and was assigned the Post of Honor as "Decatur Encampment No. 1," from which beginning has grown the grandest Order of Veterans the world has ever known.

At first there was a prejudice in the public mind against a secret order having, as was feared, a political object in view, and it was some time before the feeling of antagonism was

overcome.

The Order, by its rules, early and wisely abolished all discussion of a political nature. The Grand Army as we have known it and as its constitution and declaration of principles now state, is non-partisan in politics, and unsectarian in religion.

After its true aims and purposes had become better understood, its growth until the year 1868 was almost magical. It had then reached a membership throughout the country of 240,000, but a day of trial was yet to come. The blighting effects of internal dissension, caused chiefly by inherent defects in its organization and the ambitions of factions, all too quickly sapped its lifeblood, and a rapid decline set in which, within three years, reduced the total membership to about 30,000. In 1871 Comrade Stephenson, whose life was wrapped up in the organization, passed beyond, without seeing the fruition of his hopes and labors.

In many States, Departments disbanded, and everywhere large numbers of Posts surrendered their charters; even in Illinois the Department maintained only a nominal existence, and there was hardly a Post in active operation. In the East,

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