CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

THE UNITED STATES CIVIL WAR AND THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC IN MISSOULA AND MONTANA

Montana and the Civil War-

1861-1865 Then part of the Dakota & Idaho Territories the area provided 206 Union recruits then 8 % of the territory population. Six of these would be Killed/Mortally Wounded or Die of Disease. May 26 1864 President Abraham Lincoln creates the Montana Territory

April 10 1865 With the end of the war- Thousands of both Union and Confederate soldiers from all parts of the Nation would head west to the Montana Territory. The post war booming Mining, Farm/ Ranch, the coming Railroad and the service trades provided the lure for these soldiers. One of the best knows is Thomas F. Meagher. Meagher served the Union Army as a U.S. citizen. As acting Major he led Company K of the 69th Regiment (which would be known as the "Fighting 69th") of the New York State Militia at Bull Run (1st Manassas). He returned to New York to form the Irish Brigade and led it at as Brigadier-General. He resigned in May 1863 over the army's refusal to let him return to New York to raise reinforcements for his battered brigade: 4,000 strong in mid-May 1862, by late May 1863 the brigade had only approximately 500 combat-ready men left After the war, Meagher was appointed Secretary of the new Territory of Montana, and soon after arriving in the territory was designated the Acting Governor. In the summer of 1867 he traveled to Fort Benton, Montana, to receive a shipment of guns and ammunition sent by General Sherman for use by the Montana Militia, while there he fell off a boat on the Missouri River and drowned. Meagher's death is still considered to be suspicious, however; and as he was outspoken, there could have been numerous persons who would have wanted to murder him. He is remembered for his service to Montana with a statue on the front lawn of the Capitol grounds in Helena, Montana, and with another statue in Billings, Montana. The County of Meagher County, Montana was also named in his honor.

Many of the common Soldiers who also came west are buried in the Missoula City Cemetery. Some are marked with the White Government Memorial Stone and may also include a GAR Marking.

November 8 1889 Montana becomes the 41st State of the Union.

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)

In early 1866 the United States of America, now securely one nation again, was waking to the reality of recovery from war. Groups of war veterans began joining together, first for camaraderie and then for political power. Emerging most powerful among various organizations would be the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). This fraternal organization was founded on April 6, 1866 in Decatur, Illinois by Benjamin F. Stephenson. The organization was based partly on the traditions of Freemasonry and partly on military tradition, being divided into “Departments” at the state level and “Post” at the community level. Military-style uniforms were worn by its members. It reached its largest size in 1890 with 409,489 members. There were posts in every state in the U.S. and several overseas. The local GAR post was the Frederick Winthrop Post #11 in Missoula Montana. It was charted on March 10, 1885, with 21 Charter Members. The GAR Auxiliary Monument is located at the Missoula City Cemetery old Entrance. Its inscription reads: “ERECTED IN THE YEAR 1919 IN HONOR OF OUR HERORIC AND UNKNOWN DEAD UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE WOMENS RELIEF CORP No 7 DEPARTMENT OF MONTANA AUXILIARY TO THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC” Information provided by Sgt 1st Class Jim Sims of the 379th Battalion.