What’s the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)?

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The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a veterans organization for honorably discharged Union veterans of the American Civil War. Founded in 1866, the GAR grew into a powerful special interest group in American society in the late 1800s, with political candidates and organizations vying for GAR endorsement, and also served as an important way for veterans to network and maintain connections between them. The organization was disbanded in 1956, with the death of the last Civil War veteran to fight on the Union side.

The American Civil War was a dramatic and traumatic event, bringing together soldiers from very different backgrounds and communities. After the war ended, as the United States began to rebuild, many of these veterans wished to keep in touch with one another, using their shared experiences as a basis for fellowship. In 1866, Benjamin F. Stephenson established the Grand Army of the Republic in Decatur, Illinois, specifying that membership would be open to all honorably discharged soldiers who had fought on the Union side.

In 1890, the GAR had over 400,000 members, organized into regional post offices. Veterans gathered periodically for annual “camps,” large parties that often lasted for several days, allowing the veterans to enjoy each other’s company while enjoying themselves by eating, drinking, and playing various sports. The GAR also provided service and assistance to veterans in need and maintained several cemeteries for Union veterans; GAR officials were also a driving force behind the establishment of Memorial Day, which was originally intended to commemorate the Civil War dead.

In the late 1800s, an organization known as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) was founded, to ensure that the legacy of the GAR would be passed on, even after the death of all Union veterans. This organization continues to be active, promoting the preservation of Civil War history in museums and reenactments. Women who are descended from Union Civil War veterans are eligible to join the SUVCW Auxiliary.

The United Confederate Veterans could be considered the equivalent veterans organization for those who fought on the side of the Confederacy. It is probably less known why its soldiers fought on the losing side, though it also contributed a variety of services to its members, ranging from burial benefits to annual reunions.

An interesting legacy of the GAR can be seen in many old American cemeteries; the organization usually marked the graves of Union veterans with a distinctive star which is known as a GAR star. The tradition of star-marking graves is also maintained by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who place their own VFW stars on the graves they maintain.

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