Original Items: Only One Lot of 5 Available. The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, and grew to include hundreds of "posts" (local community units) across the North and West. It was dissolved in 1956 at the death of its last member.

According to Stuart McConnell:

“The Grand Army of the Republic, the largest of all Union Army veterans' organizations, was the most powerful single-issue political lobby of the late nineteenth century, securing massive pensions for veterans and helping to elect five postwar presidents from its own membership. To its members, it was also a secret fraternal order, a source of local charity, a provider of entertainment in small municipalities, and a patriotic organization.”

Linking men through their experience of the war, the G.A.R. became among the first organized advocacy groups in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, promoting patriotic education, helping to make Memorial Day a national holiday, lobbying Congress to establish regular veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates. Its peak membership, at 410,000, was in 1890, a high point of various Civil War commemorative and monument dedication ceremonies.

This Grouping Consists of the Following:
- GAR Cap Badge: The cap badge could have been affixed to any variety of clothing attire items, but usually caps and more specifically uniform caps. These wreathed badges are seen being worn on forage caps, bell crown style caps and campaign caps, whatever was worn during their time in service. Unfortunately the eyelets on the back of the badge are completely missing.

- GAR Medal & Pocket Case: The design of the badge, in use since 1869, is one that commemorates the great struggle in many ways. The pendant of the badge is a fine pointed star, like the Medal of Honor granted by Congress, and is made of cannon bronze.

The face of the medal has the Goddess of Liberty in the center, representing loyalty, and on either side stands a soldier and a sailor clasping hands in front of the Goddess to represent fraternity. Two children are kneeling in the foreground to receive a benediction and the assurance of protection from comrades. This is the symbol of charity. On each side of this center group are the flag and eagle representing freedom and an ax and a bundle of rods for union. In the star points are the emblems of different arms of service, bugle for infantry, cannon for artillery, muskets for marines, swords for cavalry, and an anchor for sailors. Surrounding the center is the legend, Grand Army of the Republic, 1861 Veterans -1866, the later date commemorating the close of the war and the founding of the order. The badge and case are in good condition with surface wear present. The blue field on the suspended ribbon is unfortunately completely faded away.

- Women’s Relief Corps 1883 Medal: The Woman's Relief Corps (WRC) is a charitable organization in the United States, originally founded as the official women's auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) in 1883. The organization was designed to assist the GAR and provide post-war relief to Union veterans. The GAR had been created as a "fraternal" organization and refused to allow women to join up until the creation of this auxiliary. it is largely dedicated to historical preservation of research and official documentation related to the WRC and GAR. The membership badge bears the same image of the GAR medal, but in the shape of a Maltese cross with WOMANS RELIEF CORPS 1883 on each “leg” of the cross. The medal and ribbon are in good condition, without damage.

- Gettysburg Reunion “Canteen” Medal Device: These weren’t just for the reunions at Gettysburg, but was used as a device on many medals. The small US embossed canteen is in good condition and undamaged, but is missing the top suspension ring.

- GAR Postcard: The postcard features the GAR badge on the front with the words FRATERNITY, LOYALTY AND CHARITY at the top. The bottom has the following message: THE MEN WHO IN THE CONFLICT LED / AND FOR THE UNION FOUGHT AND BLED / THO’ PASSING ON ARE NEVER DEAD. The postcard is worn, stained and slightly torn but the image is still bright and beautiful. It appears to have been damaged by water.

- Civil War Discharge: The discharge is for Private Albert Tunnicliff who fought with the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery Regiment. He served from 1864 to the end of the war in 1865, being discharged at 16 years old. After the war, Tunnicliff came to the Black Hills in the legendary city of Deadwood, South Dakota, seeking his fortune. Unfortunately, he perished in a fire near Deadwood in 1883. A military headstone was placed in Mount Moriah Cemetery · Black Hills Boothill for Tunnicliff in 1959.

One article in the Black Hills Daily Times March 13, 1883, edition, describes a tragedy at a lumber camp outside of Brownsville, and the subsequent community reaction. The headline reads, “A extermination at home, eleven persons perished Saturday night by the burning of Hood & Scott’s Boarding House, and several others more or less injured while escaping from the jaws of death. A sickening scene after the fire.”

The article describes that the men, all workers at the camp that provided lumber to Homestake Mine (owned by George Hearst), were alerted by a train whistle, after an engineer on the night train saw the flames. Seven escaped, but 11 lost their lives, and the article states that “all the men had money in their trunks and clothes and undoubtedly while trying to save their valuables they perished, as all could have escaped…” According to witnesses, the house burned down in less than half an hour. Now, there’s no way to know what those men may have done in their final moments, but even the seven who escaped had burns varying in severity on their faces, feet, hands, and chests.

The owners of the boarding house, Hood and Scott “were on the scene as soon as possible and did all that human aid could do to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded and had them cared for at their own expense.” The fire was deemed accidental, with no certainty of the cause.

The men who died ranged in age from 20 to 60 and came to the area from all across the United States. Their names were Albert Tunnicliff, W.H. Andrews, Simon Haynes, R.C. Rice, Louis Hanson, Peter Hanson, Charles Hammondtree, James Chalmers, Fred Peters, Harvey Wood, and Thomas Finless.

This is an amazing grouping with great research potential. Comes more than ready for research and display!