Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - History, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

An organization of veterans of the Union side in the American Civil War. Established in 1866, the GAR became an important force in post-war politics.

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who had served in the American Civil War. The successor organization is the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW).

History

The organization wielded considerable political clout nationwide;

The GAR was active in pension legislation, establishing retirement homes for soldiers, and many other areas which concerned Union veterans.

In 1868, General Order #11 of the GAR called for May 30 to be designated as a day of memorial for Union veterans;

In the 19th century, there was some controversy over the fact that the membership badge of the GAR closely resembled the Army's version of the Medal of Honor, causing confusion and animosity among veterans.

The organization held an annual "National Encampment" every year from 1866 to 1949;

The GAR also generated several auxiliary organizations (National Woman's Relief Corps, Ladies of the GAR) some of which are still extant. A comparable organization for Confederate veterans was the United Confederate Veterans (q.v.).

There is a GAR cemetery on Seattle, Washington's Capitol Hill, just north of Lake View Cemetery.

U.S. Highway 6 is known as the Grand Army of the Republic highway its entire length.

A patriotic organization of American Civil War veterans who served in the Union forces, one of its purposes being the "defense of the late soldiery of the United States, morally, socially, and politically."

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

The GAR created the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) in 1881 to ensure the preservation of their own mission after Union Civil War veterans had all died.

The SUVCW is the legal successor to the GAR, and is a Congressionally Chartered Corporation headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.