This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Founding of the Grand Army in Decatur Ill and early leadership
The article recalls Decatur Illinois as birthplace of the Grand Army of the Republic, founded by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Stephenson and Rev. W J Rutledge in 1866. It describes initial chartering in Springfield, the Decatur Post No 1 formation, and early national leadership including A S Hurlbut and John A Logan who established Memorial Day.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Decatur
Ill
United States
Grand Army of the Republic
Benjamin Franklin Stephenson
Fourteenth Illinois Infantry
Stephenson
W. J. Rutledge
Sherman
Meridian
Miss
Rutledge
Springfield
Dick” Oglesby
Decatur Tribune
L W. Coltrin
Joseph Prior
John S. Phelps
Tribune
J. W. Routh
M. F. Kanan
Illinois
Phelps
A. S. Hurlbut
John A. Logan
Logan