The Grand Army of the Republic in Wisconsin|
Although Illinois bears the distinction of being the birthplace of the Grand Army of the Republic, the first department of the Order was officially organized at Madison, Wisconsin on June 7, 1866. At that meeting, General James K. Proudfit was elected Department Commander. Within three months' time, eight posts had been established in the state, the first being the Cassius Fairchild Post #1, chartered in Madison on June 10, 1866 with 17 members. A year later, at the Encampment held in Madison on June 19, 1867, 16 of 51 posts were represented.
Following this initial period of enthusiasm, however, the GAR experienced a general decline in membership and interest not only in Wisconsin, but throughout the nation as well. The causes for this decline have been attributed by GAR historians to the neglect of proper reports and organizational work, the use of grades or degrees of membership, participation in partisan politics, and a waning interest among some of the early members. To its credit, the Department of Wisconsin maintained its organization and held annual encampments during the lean years of 1868 to approximately 1879.
1880 National Soldiers and Sailors Reunion
In June of 1880, Milwaukee became the scene of what many observers have judged to be the rebirth of the GAR as a national organization. The call for the meeting, originally intended only for GAR members in Wisconsin, concluded with this appeal:
Dept. of Wisconsin Membership Peaks in 1889
Most of the posts in Wisconsin were organized in the decade between 1880 and 1890. A total of 280 posts were recorded in the Wisconsin Grand Army roster. The year 1889 marked the high-water point in the state with 264 active posts and 13,987 members on the rolls. Post #4 at Berlin, chartered September 8, 1866, is credited with being the oldest post in continuous existence in the nation, since it never experienced a reorganization.
National Encampments Hosted in Wisconsin
Milwaukee hosted the National Encampments of 1889, 1923 and 1943, as well as the 1880 meeting, and Madison played host to the organization in 1937. At the 1937 Encampment, 192 veterans representing 36 Departments attended the proceedings. In the parade, 122 hardy Grand Army veterans marched around the Capitol Square. Eighteen of these were listed on the Wisconsin roster. Over the years, Wisconsin was privileged to furnish the GAR with three Commanders-in-Chief: Lucius Fairchild in 1886, Augustus G. Weissert in 1892, and Frank A. Walsh in 1926.
Last Wisconsin Veteran Dies
The GAR Legacy in Wisconsin
Although officially a non-political organization, GAR members were destined to play prominent roles in the politics of the Badger State. Eight post-Civil War governors; Fairchild, Washburn, Smith, Rusk, Hoard, Peck, Upham, and Scofield; could claim membership in the Order.
As a charitable and fraternal order, the GAR has left an enduring memorial to the people of Wisconsin in the establishment of the Grand Army Home, located at King. At the Encampment held on February 15, 1887, a resolution was passed, urging the founding of a home for indigent veterans and their wives and widows. In April of that year, the Legislature enacted a bill to provide maintenance at the rate of $3.00 per week for residents of such a home. Through the efforts of the GAR, the Woman's Relief Corps and other patriotic organizations, the sum of $5388.32 was raised to help establish the home. With the cooperation of the city of Waupaca, possession of the Greenwood Park Hotel and 78 acres of land just west of the city was obtained. Early in November 1887, the first occupants of the Soldiers' Home took up residence. Although owned today by the State of Wisconsin, the Home symbolizes the resourcefulness and foresight that characterized the early members of the Grand Army of the Republic in the Badger State.
(Prepared for the GAR Centennial Observance held at Decatur, Illinois, on April 16-17, 1966. Submitted on behalf of the Department of Wisconsin, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, by Thomas L.W. Johnson, Commander, November 1, 1965)
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Department of Wisconsin