An organization of Union Civil War veterans had more than one hundred posts in Arkansas. Founded in 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic first assisted survivors of Union casualties and promoted May 30 as Memorial Day to remember the fallen.
The GAR lost membership as it became more political in the 1870s, then saw renewed interest in the 1880s. The GAR’s Department of Arkansas was organized in 1883 by Judge Isaac Parker’s clerk. Posts were formed all over the state, including former Confederate strongholds in the Delta and South Arkansas, as well as areas that had shown strong Union sentiment.
GAR monuments were raised in Judsonia, Gentry and Siloam Springs. While Black veterans were among the original 1860s members, they were later relegated to segregated posts. The GAR continued decorating graves and promoting patriotism into the twentieth century. The last chapter folded in 1949 – there were no longer any living Union veterans.
To learn more, visit encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
Read the Encyclopedia entry at Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
