Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), an organization formed by Union veterans of the Civil War. At its peak, in the 1880's and 1890's, the GAR was a powerful political force, with a membership of about 400,000. The GAR's basic purposes were to keep alive comradeship, commemorate the war dead, and promote legislation that would provide veterans' pensions and other benefits for members and their families. The GAR also originated Memorial Day as a national holiday, erected monuments, and helped to establish old soldiers' homes.
The GAR was founded by Benjamin F. Stephenson, a physician from Springfield, Illinois, in 1866. The last encampment (national meeting) was held in Indianapolis in 1949. In 1956 the last member died.