Record Group Number 27

Grand Army of the Republic
John Sedgwick Post No. 4

Compiled by Alan F. Rumrill and John W. Harris

December 1984 and January 1985

The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was the veterans' organization for men who served in the Civil War. Unlike its modern successors, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, it was a "one-war" organization, and so died out with its members. Its monuments are innumerable G.A.R. Halls in towns throughout the North.

Keene's G.A.R. post, the fourth in the Department of New Hampshire, was first "mustered" in 1868. The Post met in the Keene Light Infantry armory, and its first commander was John W. Babbitt. Enthusiasm appears to have flagged, however, and the unit had ceased to be active by 1872.

The Post was mustered again in 1880, with the same name and number and many of the same members as in 1868. This time it flourished, reaching a membership of just over 200 in the early 1890's. It continued in existence until 1945 when its last member, Frank E. Amadon, died at the age of 99.

The two naval guns in Central Square were given to the Sedgwick Post by the U.S. government in 1899.

The papers in this record group were taken from the G.A.R. Memorial Hall on Mechanic Street in the 1970's and given to the Historical Society. They are, unfortunately, incomplete.

They are arranged into six Series, as follows:
Series I - Membership Records
Series II - Financial Records
Sereis III - Minutes of meetings
Series IV - Orders
Series V - Subject File
Series VI - G.A.R. Memorial Building Association

SERIES I - MEMBERSHIP RECORDS
This series begins with a number of applications for membership (Box 1). These are filed alphabetically within each folder. The 1868 applications are filed separately because of their different size.

Beginning in 1880, the application forms provide considerable information about each applicant, including his age, address and occupation at the time of applying, and a summary of his war service.

In Box 2 (Folders 12-17) are printed annual rosters of membership, followed (Folders 18-22) by a series of over-lapping hand-kept record books. To collate these would be a worthy but time-consuming enterprise. Finally, in Box 3 and part of Box 4 there are books recording the payment of membership dues.

SERIES II - FINANCIAL RECORDS
These consist of three journals, recording cash receipts and disbursements from 1868 to 1916. They are in Box 4.

SERIES III - MINUTES OF MEETINGS
Five minute books in Box 5 seem to be a complete record of Post meetings, except for the period from June, 1880 to September, 1885. Presumably there is a missing book.

SERIES IV - ORDERS
These so-called "orders" from national G.A.R. Headquarters and from New Hampshire departmental headquarters, covering the years 1880 to 1897, were preserved in a paste-in letter book (which explains the stains at the top of each paper). Although not strictly relevant to the history of the Keene Post, these have been kept (in Box 6) as illustrating the concerns of the G.A.R. at state and national levels.

SERIES V - SUBJECT FILE
This series, as the title suggests, is a miscellany. The principal item of interest is what appears to be an autograph letter from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (later Mr. Justice Holmes). See Folder 2. The letter, dated July 29, 188 thanks the Post for the present of a "corps badge", and refers to a meeting with "the comrades of Keene". Unfortunately, owing to the hiatus in the minute books, there is no means of finding out anything further about this.

SERIES VI - G.A.R. MEMORIAL BUILDING ASSOCIATION
Having for most of its existence met in rented premises in various buildings in Keene, the Post acquired a building of its own only in 1929, by which time its ranks were thinned to a mere nine living members. The building, at the corner of Mechanic and Pleasant Streets, was however, intended for the use of other patriotic organizations as well.

These scattered records of the Association responsible for the construction and operation of the building were included with the G.A.R. papers, and are here preserved in the hope that further records may yet come to light.

SERIES I - MEMBERSHIP RECORDS

Box No. 2, Folders 12-22
Rosters, 1886-1899
Rosters, 1900-1912
Rosters, 1913-1922
Rosters, 1923-1931
Register of Members, 1868-1922
Roll of Members, 1868
Roll of Members, 1869
Roll of Members, 1869 & 1880
Roll of Members, 1880
Roll of Members, Alphabetical, n.d.
Deaths, 1891-1937

Box No. 3, Folders 23-27
Dues Records, 1868-1887
Dues Records, 1887-1891
Dues Records, 1871-1895
Dues Records, 1897-1904
Dues Records, 1904-1911

Box No. 4, Folder 28
Dues Records, 1921-1928

SERIES II - FINANCIAL RECORDS

SERIES III - MINUTES OF MEETINGS

SERIES IV - ORDERS

SERIES V- SUBJECT FILE

SERIES VI - G.A.R. MEMORIAL BUILDING ASSOCIATION