Collection M 076: Grand Army of the Republic records inventory

Years this material was created: 1883-1979 (bulk 1883-1928)
Quantity: 1.75 linear shelf feet (in 4 document cases)
 © 1998-2002 by Fort Lewis College Foundation, Center of Southwest Studies account

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Links to contents  

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Introduction/ Scope and contents

COLLECTION M 076
Grand Army of the Republic records
1883-1979
Bulk 1883-1928
1.75 linear shelf feet
(approximately250 items, in 45 folders in 4 document cases)

This collection contains the historically significant records retained from the operations of the Grand Army of the Republic in southwest Colorado.  It consists of records and printed materials pertaining for the most part to Sedgwick Post No. 12, (Durango, Colo.).  Two items are from McRae Post No. 43 (Silverton, Colo.).  Both posts were part of the Department of Colorado and Wyoming, Grand Army of the Republic.  The predominant records are minutes and membership documents.  The collection also includes some printed materials of the G.A.R. in general.  The organization of the materials is basically chronologically within the four record series.

These materials are especially useful to genealogists, Civil War history buffs (on the Northern/ Union side), and persons studying the early history of Durango.  Researchers are asked to exercise special care in handling these documents due to their fragility.  Most of the paper in this collection is very acidic and has become brittle, thus must be supported well during use.

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Historical note

According to a one-page carbon copy typescript by C. L. Russell (in Box 1, Folder 16), the Grand Army of the Republic was organized in the State of Illinois in April of 1866.  Originally, Grand Army of the Republic members were men who had seen service on the Union side during the Civil War, 1861-1865.  Separate posts were formed rapidly, including the Sedgwick Post No. 12 in Durango, Colorado, on about May 1, 1883.  (The page lists the names of the Civil War veterans who signed as petitioners for the Durango chapter's charter.)  1883 was also the year in which the rules and regulations and rules of order of the National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic were issued (Box 1, Folder 2).  According to the historical note, "one of their main objects [was]…to preserve and strengthen those kind and fraternal feelings which bind together the soldiers, sailors and marines who united to suppress that late rebellion, and to perpetuate the memory and history of the dead."  According to Russell,

From records obtainable it has been ascertained that Sedgwick Post No. 12, G.A.R., enjoyed prosperity for a number of years; at one time having listed on their rolls 180 members.  As time passed along and the material available for membership rapidly decreased, Father Time continually taking its toll, it was not too long until this Post was compelled to and did tender its charter.  This disbanding took place prior to the death of Wm. H. La Count, July 19, 1920, apparently the last surviving member of the Post.  The widow, Eliza G. La Count, then became possessor of the flag (see photo in Box 1, Folder 13) and retained possession of the same until December 28, 1932 when she presented it to San Juan Basin Camp No. 40, United Spanish War Veterans.  On the 7th day of July, 1950, the Spanish War Veterans presented the flag to Post 4031, Veterans [of] Foreign Wars.

It is, however, apparent that Post No. 12 was not disbanded by 1920, as the minutes carry on through December 10, 1923 (Box 3, Folder 3) and other records are dated 1927-1928 (Box 2, Folder 13).

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Administrative information

Acquisition of this collection:  The collection, which was maintained by various officers of the Sedgwick Post No. 12 through the years, was acquired prior to 1979 through donation by the Fred Kroeger family.

About the organization of this collection:  The series and boxes are numbered consecutively.  The lower levels of organization is folder titles (only for the container listing, next section).  Because we do not expect to add to this collection, the boxes are numbered in one single numbering scheme starting with 1.

Processing information:  This collection was processed by Center of Southwest Studies' archival student assistants and Todd Ellison, Certified Archivist, in the fall trimester of 2000.  Nothing was deaccessioned or sent elsewhere during processing.  This inventory was prepared by Todd Ellison, December 19, 2000 (last edited October 2005).  Student archival assistant Haley Sladek produced the hyperlinks from the index to the folder lists, October 2005.

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Series descriptions

Note regarding the organization of this collection:  Materials in this collection are arranged by series.  The series are numbered consecutively.  Because we do not expect to add to this collection, the boxes are numbered in one single numbering scheme starting with 1.

Folder numbers start with 1 in each box.  Items within each series (e.g., correspondence, reports) and within each folder are arranged chronologi­cal­ly, unless noted otherwise.

The series are organized from highest hierarchical level to lowest; from most general to most specific.

Series 1:   Handbooks, manuals, and other printed materials, 1883-1919 (1979).  16 folders.  Includes Post bylaws, GAR rules and memorial service rituals, songbooks, etc.  Arrangement is chronological.

Series 2:   Reports, records and correspondence, 1888-1928.  14 folders.  Includes the post's quarterly reports and ledgers, etc.  Arrangement is chronological.

Series 3:   Minutes, 1883-1923.  4 folders.  Of meetings of Post No. 12.  Arrangement is chronological.

Series 4:   Membership records, 1883-1922.  11 folders.  Pertaining to members of both the Durango and the Silverton post.  Arrangement of folders is chronological; within folders, loose pages are arranged by name of member.

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Container list

Box 1:  Series 1: Handbooks, manuals, and other printed materials:

Folder 1:      Sedgwick Post No. 12, Department of Colorado and Wyoming, Grand Army of the Republic (Durango, Colo.), by-laws, undated, 2 volumes (14 pages each).  (See additional copies of this in Box/Folder 1/6, 3/3, 4/6, and amendments in 2/14.)

Folder 2:      Grand Army of the Republic rules and regulations and rules of order of the National Encampment, rulebook, 1883 42 pages.  (See additional copies of this in Box/Folder 1/6, 3/3, 4/6.)

Folder 3:      Service manuals, 1883-1897, 5 volumes.  These are orders of service and rituals for Grand Army of the Republic events and ceremonies.  32 to 72 pages each.

Folder 4:      Grand Army tactics service book, 1884, 1 volume (223 pages + unnumbered pages of advertisements at the back).

Folder 5:      America’s National Songs, songbook published by Parkview Publishing Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.), 1903, 1 volume (48 pages).

Folder 6:      Grand Army Blue Book of rules and regulations published by J. B. Lippincott Company (Philadelphia, Pa.), 1904 edition, 1 volume, hardbound (190 pages).  Taped into the front of this book are 2 booklets: the bylaws of the Sedgwick Post No. 12, undated, and rules and regulations of the Grand Army of the Republic and rules of order of the National Encampment, 1909.

Folder 7:      Commander-In-Chief Robert B. Brown's address to the 41^st National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1907 September, and other material, 1906-1907.  (Retained together to preserve provenance.)

Folder 8:      Department of Colorado and Wyoming, Grand Army of the Republic, rosters of posts, 1909 January and 1910 January, 2 items.  (See Box 3, Folder 3 for two later rosters of posts: 1915 March 1 and 1917 March 1).

Folder 9:      Service manuals, 1911-1919.  4 volumes.  64 to 71 pages each.

Folder 10:     The Good Old Songs We Used to Sing, ’61-’65, songbook published by O. H. Oldroyd (Washington, D.C.), 1911, 1 volume (32 pages).

Folder 11:     Soldier's target practice record book of Private Anderson, Company G, 3^rd Regiment of cavalry, undated, 1 volume.  "Loaned by Len Anderson of Ignacio."

Folder 12:     Army Song Book, U. S., issued by the War Department Commission on Training Camp Activities and compiled with the assistance of the National Committee on Army and Navy Camp Music (Washington, D.C.), 1918, 1 volume (90+ pages).

Folder 13:     Popular Songs of the A.E.F., songbook, compiled by the Bureau of Libraries and Periodicals, A.E.F. Y.M.C.A. (Paris), 1918.  "For free use of the soldiers in France…"

Folder 14:     Catalog of official A.E.F. photographs taken by the Signal Corps, U.S.A., prepared in Historical Branch, War Plans Division, General Staff, U.S.A., War Department Document No. 903, Office of the Adjutant General, 1919, 1 volume (577 pages).

Folder 15:     Grand Army of the Republic, photograph of flag .

Folder 16:     Sedgwick Post No. 12, history of the Post, undated, and history of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1978.  Also, a letter from Mrs. Don S. (Virginia C.) Marmaduke of Denver to Dr. Robert W. Delaney re: the enclosures, 1979 July 16.

Box 2:  Reports, records and correspondence:

Folder 1:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 Adjutant’s quarterly reports , 1888 June 30 and 1892 April 13 - 1899 June 30.  Includes (on the one side), a muster roll and (on the other side) a roster of officers names of members gained and lost during the period, and a recapitulation of the muster roll.

Folder 2:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 Quartermaster’s reports, 1892 December 31 - 1895 August 22.

Folder 3:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 Quartermaster and Assistant Inspector's financial reports, 1893 July 13, 1896 Nov. 12 - December 24, 1898 January 12, and 1900 March 7.  6 items.

Folder 4:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 Quartermaster's financial receipts, 1893 - 1903.  Bulk 1893 May - July.  Includes letterhead of the Durango Transfer Co. , Gallaway and Cobb, Graden Mercantile Company, Henry H. Strater, and other Durango businesses and businessmen.  16 items.

Folder 5      Sedgwick Post No. 12, Quartermaster’s reports, 1896 September 24 - 1899 December 28.

Folder 6      Sedgwick Post No. 12 Board of Trustees bond for $100, 1896 February 27, 1 page.

Folder 7:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 bonds of office, etc., 1897-1904, 8 items.

Folder 8:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 miscellaneous correspondence, 1897-1909, 18 items.

Folder 9:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 Post Chaplain's Memorial Day report, 1898 May 31, 1 item.

Folder 10:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 general ledger, 1899-1921, 1 volume (300 pages).

Folder 11:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 burial records and correspondence, 1900-1920.  Topics include the cemetery, headstones, and services on Memorial Day/ Decoration Day.  12 items/pages.

Folder 12:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 general cash ledger, 1909-1910, 1 volume (mostly blank).

Folder 13:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 receipt book, 1927-1928,1 volume (mostly blank).

Folder 14:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 amendments [to the Post's by-laws], undated  2 pages.

       Minutes.

Folder 15:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 minutes, 1883 March 31 - 1888 December 12, 1 volume (labeled "record and order book").

Box 3:  Minutes, continued.

Folder 1:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 general records (including minutes), 1892 April 13 - 1897 January 14, 1 volume (280 pages; pages 142-end are mostly blank).

Folder 2:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 general records (including minutes; roll call record, etc., are at end of ledger book), 1897 January 14 - 1911 May 28, 1 volume (600 pages).

Folder 3:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 general records and printed materials (including minutes; roll calls of officers and members, etc., are at end of ledger), 1911 May 30 - 1923 December 10, 1 volume (400 pages).  Four booklets are glued into the front pages: rosters of posts, 1915 March 1 and 1917 March 1; bylaws, undated; Grand Army of the Republic rules and regulations, 1914.  A report of the death of a member was reported on a loose piece of handwritten paper, 1923 December 10 next to the final minutes on page 352.

Box 4:  Membership records:

Folder 1:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 descriptive book, 1883-1913.  Columns of data include: the member's name, age, birthplace, residence, occupation, data (date, rank, company and regiment) upon entry into the service, and the same categories of data upon final discharge, length of service, cause of discharge, date of muster into the G.A.R., when honorably discharged, when suspended, when dropped, when dismissed, when reinstated, nature of wounds received, when and in what engagements wounded, and remarks.

Folder 2:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 descriptive book, 1883-1922.  Contents as in Folder 2.  Name index inside front cover.

Folder 3:      McRae Post No. 43 (Silverton, Colo.) descriptive book, 1883-1894. Contents as in Folder 2.  This ledger only lists 27 men, on 4 pages at the front of the book; the remainder of the book is blank.

Folder 4:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 discharge papers, 1864-1865.  Arrangement is alphabetical.

Folder 5:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 muster rolls-rosters and rolls of honor ("comrades deceased"), 1865-1910.

Folder 6:      Sedgwick Post No. 12, roll of members, 1884 August 2 - 1916 January 29.  Begins with member # 53, then a newly numbered reorganized list effective 1892 April 13.  Two pamphlets are attached in the ledger volume: the G.A.R. rules and regulations of 1894 and the Sedgwick Post's by-laws, undated.  A loose partially completed page of records is inside the back cover.

Folder 7:      Sedgwick Post No. 12, discharge papers, 1885-1911.  Arrangement is alphabetical.

Folder 8:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 membership certificates (transfer cards, etc.), 1886 March 1 - 1913 December 29.  21 items.  Arrangement is alphabetical.

Folder 9:      Sedgwick Post No. 12 membership candidates’ ballots and applications, 1890-1914: A-L.  Arrangement is alphabetical.

Folder 10:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 membership candidates’ ballots and applications, 1890-1914: M-Z.  Arrangement is alphabetical.

Folder 11:     Sedgwick Post No. 12 membership dues ledger, 1899-1917.  An index of names is at the front of the volume, the front cover of which has become disattached from the spine.

Oversize:  (2 items, in 1 folder in flat file drawer 5.3)

McRae Post No. 43 (Silverton, Colo.), Department of Colorado, charter, 1883 June 1.

Colorado Adjutant General's certificate of service by Royal L. Denison, private in Company I, Second Regiment, Colorado Volunteers (cavalry), 1900 June 6.

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Container list index

   (click on hyperlink to move to folder description)

Doing your own research: This description of a portion of the collections at the Fort Lewis College Center of Southwest Studies is provided to inform interested parties about the nature and depth of the repository's collections.  It cannot serve as a substitute for a visit to the repository for those with substantial research interests in the collections.

This collection is located at the Center of Southwest Studies on the campus of Fort Lewis College.  Researchers wanting more information about using this material at the Delaney Southwest Research Library at the Center may email the archivist at archives@fortlewis.edu or click here to use our E-mail Reference Request Form (or phone the archivist at 970/247-7126).  The Center does not have a budget for outgoing long-distance phone calls to answer reference requests, so please email if you wish to receive a response from the Center.  To request reproductions/copies, click here for instructions.

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