Grand Army of the Republic, Duluth (Minn.) records

Collection — tube: 1

Identifier: S3017

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains correspondence, minutes, financial and membership records, service certificates, reference materials, photographs and blueprints of three Duluth G.A.R. organizations.

The collection is divided into four series: Culver Post No. 128, Gorman Post No. 13, Ladies of the G.A.R. Garfield Circle No. 4 and Reference and Organizational Materials. The two posts and Garfield Circle are well documented with minutes, membership records and some correspondence. The membership ledgers include information on the member's residence, military service record, birth place and occupation. Both posts include a small amount of Woman's Relief Corps Reports, as well as Adjutant's and Quartermaster's Reports.

Culver Post No.128, 1882 1921. The Culver Post held its first meeting in the new Veterans' Memorial Hall in the new St. Louis County Court House, November 27, 1909. Records include correspondence, 1914 1921; specifications, 1917; and blueprints, 1917, concerning the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Duluth, Minnesota. The Monument was dedicated in 1919; Cass Gilbert, architects. Also included are photocopies of manuscripts from the autobiography and reminiscence of Thomas H. Pressnell titled, Incidents in the Civil War, 1908-1915. The complete text of Incidents is held in the NEMHC books collection.

Gorman Post No.13, 1864 1934, the largest series of the collection, includes the minutes of the combined Gorman Culver Post, February 1928-May 1934.

Sherbrook Post No. 26 was formally organized at the Masonic Hall on Tuesday evening, April 4, 1871, by Albert S. Chase, Aide-de-Camp on department staff. It was named after Lieut. George Sherbrook, of the fifth Minnesota Volunteers, the first soldier enlisted from St. Louis County, and who was killed at Vicksburg. The following are the officers elected: Post Commander Maj. Albert N. Seip, Senior Vice P.C. Albert S. Chase, Junior Vice P.C. John H. LaVaque, Adjutant Henry A. Kiichii, Quartermaster Edward H. Foster, Sargent [sic] Major F. Plummer Foss, QM Sargent [sic] Earnest R. Jefferson, Officer of Day, Arno Jaehnig, Officer of Guard W.A. Greenfield, Delegate of Deparment Encampment A.S. Chase, alternate A.P. Peterson. "No officer or comrade of the GAR shall in any manner use it for partisan purpose, and no discussion of partisan questions shall be permitted at any meeting, and no nominations for political office shall be made." The Duluth Minnesotian, Saturday April 8, 1871, p. 3

Ladies of the G.A.R. Garfield Circle No.4, 1884 1928, only includes minutes, membership materials, an account book and a small amount of correspondence.

Reference and Organizational Materials, 1871-1923, includes a membership ledger, 1881‑1920, that seems to have belonged to the short‑lived Cutter Post No. 179 of Barnum, Minnesota. The ledger, which has fallen apart, does have some relationship to the Gorman posts. Also included are general orders and circulars,1881‑1919, released primarily from the Minnesota and national G.A.R. headquarters, a photograph of the Gorman Drum Corps, and miscellaneous G.A.R. pamphlets. There is a one page Order of Exercises, Commemoration of the Patriot Dead, Cemetery on Minnesota Point, Duluth, Sherbrook Post No. 26, May 30, 1871.

Dates

1864-1934

Creator

Grand Army of the Republic (Duluth, Minn.) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

The Grand Army of the Republic was an organization of Civil War veterans formed to preserve the memory of the Civil War and to promote the interests of Civil War veterans. The first major Duluth, Minnesota post was organized in 1882 as the Willis A. Gorman Post No. 13. By 1892, the Joshua B. Culver Post No. 128 had also been established within the city. Each post eventually established a Woman's Relief Corp. (Gorman W.R.C. No. 45; Culver W.R.C. No. 69) which was open to all "loyal women." A national movement toward a more selective women's group resulted in the Ladies of G.A.R., which was only open to women directly related to a Civil War veteran. By 1892, Duluth women had established the Garfield Circle No. 4 of the Ladies of the G.A.R.

Attrition eventually brought about the demise of the G.A.R. The two Duluth posts consolidated as the Gorman Culver Post No. 13 in 1926. The last formal meeting of the post was held in 1932 although one member of the post, Albert Woolson, lived to become the sole surviving member of G.A.R. (Woolson died in 1956). The Garfield Circle also disbanded sometime in the 1930s. These three organizations were survived by a Duluth unit of the Women's Relief Corps whose membership was not closed to Civil War veterans or their immediate relatives.

The Grand Army of the Republic was an organization of Civil War veterans formed to preserve the memory of the Civil War and to promote the interests of Civil War veterans. The first major Duluth, Minnesota post was the Willis A. Gorman Post No. 13, organized in 1882, followed by the Joshua B. Culver Post No. 128 which was active by 1892. The Garfield Circle No. 4 of the Ladies of the G. A. R. also was established in Duluth by 1892. The two posts consolidated in 1926 because of diminishing membership, and all three organizations disbanded in the 1930s.

Extent

4.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The collection contains correspondence, minutes, financial and membership records, service certificates, reference materials, photographs and blueprints of three Duluth G.A.R. organizations.

Physical Location

This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.

Related Materials:

NEMHC Archival Collections S3018 Albert Woolson papers

NEMHC Book Collection E601 .P7 Incidents in the Civil War, 1908-1915 by Thomas Pressnell

General

This collection is part of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, which are housed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives at the Kathryn A. Martin Library, and are on permanent loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society.

Subjects

Account books Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Certificates Subject Source: Local sources
Civil War, U. S., 1861-1865 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Correspondence Subject Source: Local sources
Financial records Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Grand Army of the Republic
Ledgers Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Membership Lists Subject Source: Local sources
Minutes Subject Source: Local sources
Publications Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Soldiers Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Veterans Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings