Monday: People

LAKE LIFE
L E B R AT I N G T H E P E O P L E O F T H E F I N G E R L A K E S Monday, November 10, 2008 C3

GAR strong political force

Army surgeon Dr. Ben-
jamin Franklin Stephenson, at
Decater, Ill. in 1866, founded
the Grand
Army of the
Republic,
often
referred to as
the G.A.R.
Membership
was limited
to honorably
discharged
Dawn veterans of
Roe the Union
Army, Navy,
Marine Corps
or the Revenue Cutter Ser-
vice who served between
April 12, 1861 and April 9,
1865.
The Revenue Cutter Ser-
vice was the equivalent to
today’s U.S. Coast Guard. Its
founding principles included
fraternity, charity and loyalty.
Veterans desiring member-
ship to the GAR applied at a
local post. Membership
approval used the Masonic
system of black and white
balls for casting votes. If
more than one black ball was
cast, the candidate was reject-
ed, and it was recorded in the
general orders.
All rejections were main-
tained in a “black book” at
each post, banning a candi-
date from joining the organi-
zation. All posts adopted the
same rituals.
The GAR became a strong
political force, becoming
involved with the pension
lobby to aide soldiers with
benefits. Members were
active in social work, encamp-
ments and founding of sol-
diers’ homes. By 1890, when
at its peak, it had more than
400,000 members.
The final encampment was Photos provided
held in 1949, and the last six This monument, located in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Port Byron, was dedicated in 1893 and the
surviving members perma- reverse side is engraved in large bold block letters G.A.R. It also serves as the meeting place for Memorial
nently closed the GAR. The Day celebrations.
last member died in 1956 at
109 years of age. gunshot wounds sustained in C.A. Davis of Weedsport
Today their work is car- an escape attempt from a rail- made the monument. The
ried out by the many allied road train in route to Ander- grand event filled both the
orders that formed such as sonville Prison as a prisoner Howard House and National
the Sons of Union Veterans of war. He is buried on the Hotel with guests.
and similar groups. family plot at Mt. Pleasant The Port Byron cornet
The Woman’s Relief Corps Cemetery. band, assisted by the Clyde
(WRC) was the official auxil- The Lockwood Post was cornet band and the Jordan
iary to the GAR and another very active. They traveled Drum Corps, along with 600
allied order, the Ladies of the often to neighboring towns veterans, the Port Byron Fire
Grand Army of the Republic for events as well as attended Department, 400 school chil-
(LGAR), is the oldest encampments. In the late dren and the superintendent
woman’s hereditary society in 1880s, the boys from Port of schools marched the
the United States. Byron traveled by boat to parade to dedicate the monu-
Port Bryan’s Lockwood Montezuma to help decorate ment.
Post No. 175 was chartered veteran graves. The monument continues
July 20, 1880. Its name was in They also chartered the to be the meeting place on Illustration provided
honor of Capt. John W. Lock- steamer Milton S. Price of Memorial Day for services to Capt. John Lockwood, of Co. F.,
wood, son of Oliver Lock- Syracuse to attend an event at honor our nations veterans at 11th NYS Vol., died in an
wood, a shoemaker, and Wells College in Aurora. Port Byron. attempted escape as a prisoner
Sophia C King. Their most lasting contribu- The Grand Army of the of war. Port Byron’s Lockwood
Capt. Lockwood was a tion would be the installation Republic was responsible for Post No. 175 is named in his
great grandson of Philip King, of the soldier’s monument at May 30 becoming a National honor.
the first white settler of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. It was Holiday, being Memorial Day.
Tribes to Nineteen Twenty-
Mentz. He enlisted at the age purchased by the Lockwood two” by E.H. Kerns and online
of 18, serving Co. F. 111th Post and citizens of Port — Sources: Grand Army newspapers and Internet
NYSV, was wounded at Get- Byron and was dedicated in Museum & Library http://gar- searches
tysburg and at the Wilder- 1893. More than 5,000 people muslib.org/GARhistory.htm,
ness. He was promoted to and 20 GAR Posts attended Ladies of the Grand Army Dawn Roe is historian for the
captain in June 1864 and cap- the ceremony, and the digni- http://suvcw.org/LGAR/histo- village of Port Byron. She can be
tured at Ream’s Station in tary list included Gen. ry.php, “History of Port Byron reached at 776-8446 or e-mail
August 1864. He died from William H. Seward of Auburn. and Mentz From Indian beatatune@tds.net