Show jaff y ne released leased by western newspaper union founding of the G A R S SEVENTY FIVE years ago the city of decatur ill became the birthplace of an organization which for nearly a half century was to play an important part in the political history of the united states that was the grand army of the republic composed of veterans of the union army in the civil war founder of the G A R was dr benjamin fr franklin anklin stephenson who had enlisted in the fourteenth illinois infantry in 1862 and served in it through to the end of the civil war stephensons tent mate and bosom compa companion alon was the chaplain of abw the regiment rev eis W 3 rutledge dur sy tog ing general sher mans expedition against meridian miss in february 1864 rutledge suggested to ilat that men who had been so closely bound together by the hardships of war would when mustered out of service naturally want to form some sort of association to keep alive their friendships after the war ended the two men corresponded with each other frequently and in march 1868 they met by appointment in springfield ill there they spent considerable time working on a ritual for the organization which they named the grand army of the republic finally they had their pl plans a ns tor for the G A R completed wh when e n they were ready to have the ritual 1 pr printed nt gov dick oglesby another veteran whom they consulted au suggested 9 that to in order to secure secrecy it be set up and printed in the lie office of the decatur tribune since the owners of that paper 1 I W coltrin and joseph prior and all 41 L U a DR BENJAMIN F stephenson of their printers and pressmen were union army veterans accordingly capt john S phelps went to de adur atur and sought the operation cooperation co of at his old comrades on the tribune meanwhile dr J W routh of de adur atur a friend of stephensons went to 0 o decatur to make some inqui inquiries ries i about his work and interested capt M P F kanan in the idea next they called upon dr stephenson and urged him to found a grand army post in decatur without delay he promised to do so if they could secure a certain number of signatures to a PC petition for a charter they had no difficulty in doing this and hurried to the illinois capital to be the first to present their application for a charter the result was that dr stephenson assisted by captain phelps on april 6 1868 1866 organized decatur post no I 1 of the grand army of the republic immediately other posts were founded throughout the state mainly through the evangelical zeal of dr step stephenson henson who was neglecting his practice as a physician to build up the G A R so it was a great disappointment to him when his bis comrades in in the new society meeting I 1 e e t in springfield a little later to organize the illinois department of the G A R passed him by and selected another man as departmental commander during the next few months the G A R grew into a national organization and plans were being made for a national encampment at indianapolis in november its founder felt reasonably certain that he would be chosen the first national commander but again he was disappointed for that honor went to a fellow veteran from illinois A S hurlbut although stephenson was me made de adjutant general the second national commander of the G GA A R was gen john A lo 10 gan the black ack jack of union army tame fame it was general lo 10 gan who issued the famous general order no 11 on may 5 lau which resulted in the establishment of a national memorial day tor for decorating the graves of the civil wars vars honor honored ed dead |