Soaked in Glory: When the Grand Army Came to Saratoga
Image of the 77th New York Volunteer Infantry monument (erected 1875) on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, NY
In early September 1907, over 10,000 Civil War veterans descended upon Saratoga Springs, New York, for the 41st National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R). The thousands of “grizzled veterans bedecked with badges” and their auxiliaries (Sons of Union Veterans, Daughters of Union Veterans, Women’s Relief Corps, Ladies of the G.A.R.) represented all 45 departments (U.S. states) of the G.A.R.. There were about 230,000 members in the G.A.R at the time, and approximately every 500 members were represented by a delegate to the National Encampment.
An early 20th century postcard of the Saratoga Battle Monument (Dedicated in 1877) in Schuylerville, NY.
Souvenir G.A.R. badge from the 41st National Encampment depicting U.S. Grant, Grant Cottage and the Saratoga Battle Monument.
The papers estimated that Saratoga Springs hosted a record-breaking 35,000 visitors for the encampment. The veterans, and those who came with them, took their opportunity to make excursions to places of historic interest in the area, including the Saratoga Battle Monument, Lake George, and Grant Cottage on Mt. McGregor. The Civil War veterans weren’t the only veterans present; a delegation of Spanish-American War veterans also provided their services as ushers during the event. The National Association of Civil War Musicians provided “stirring music in the streets.”
G.A.R. hat badge.
From the Albany Argus, Sept. 8, 1907
In addition to an interest in memorial badges and other souvenirs, veterans were eager to see various war relics on display, including a drum that had been used by the Bain family in the Revolution, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War. The Dix Flag was also on exhibit, bearing the inscription “If Any One Attempts To Haul Down The American Flag, Shoot Him On The Spot," written by John A. Dix early in the war.
Flag presented to General John A. Dix in 1864.
Corporal James R. Tanner (1844-1927)
Among the distinguished guests of the event was New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes, who was born during the Civil War only a short distance north of Saratoga Springs. Another notable guest was General Nelson A. Miles, Civil War and Spanish-American War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient. Corporal James R. Tanner, who had lost both legs in the war and was present at President Lincoln’s death, was also in attendance. Tanner was also a powerful advocate for veterans’ pensions. The Ladies of the G.A.R. held a reception for Mrs. John A. Logan, widow of the Civil War general credited with establishing Decoration Day (later Memorial Day), and Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross.
From The Gordon Journal, September 20, 1907
One of the main subjects of the press coverage was the advancing age of the veterans and its effect on their participation and enjoyment of the encampments. The average age of a Union soldier during the war was about 26, making the average age of the veterans at the encampment about 70. There had already been discussions regarding the cessation of the parades and even the national encampment itself, but there was sufficient pushback from the veterans, and encampments would continue in some form until the last veteran died in the 1950s.
On September 11th, thousands of veterans gathered on the grounds of Woodlawn Park (now Skidmore College) in preparation for a parade down Broadway. The town was decked out in patriotic decorations and tens of thousands of spectators lined the parade route. As the veterans stepped off, the skies opened up and rain fell in torrents with gusty winds. Some veterans dropped out, but most held the line, perhaps spurred on by all the talk of their advancing age. As the soaked and muddy veterans plodded along, they sang martial songs which elicited cheers from the spectators. Governor Hughes described the scene as “a revelation of the courage and determination of the American people seldom seen. It should serve as an Inspiration and encouragement to us all. It was splendid, magnificent." Bringing up the rear of the parade was an oversized American flag that had draped the casket of Ulysses S. Grant 22 years earlier when his remains came through Saratoga Springs to New York City for internment.
From the Utica Daily Press, Sept. 12, 1907
Map of Saratoga Springs showing the G.A.R. parade route for the 11th of September, 1907
G.A.R. Commander-in-Chief Robert Burns Brown (1844-1916)
On the 12th, the official meeting of the G.A.R. occurred, and in the evening, a “campfire” gathering was held at Convention Hall featuring musical entertainment and speeches. Commander-in-Chief and Medal of Honor recipient Robert B. Brown remarked on the importance of the role of the veterans organization, stating: “The old army was great in war, but the Grand Army is vastly greater in peace.” He went on to note the historic importance of the Battles of Saratoga, fought nearby during the American Revolution, and how the veterans of the Union were a part of the same ongoing legacy.
A 1907 postcard image of Convention Hall in Saratoga Springs.
Early 20th century postcard image of the interior of Convention Hall in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Brown then spoke of their former commander, Ulysses S. Grant:
Detail of section of 1907 G.A.R. badge depicting U.S. Grant and inscribed “Let Us Have Peace”
“Not far away our loved Chieftain fought his last battle in this life and from the mists of Mount McGregor a great soul went back to God who gave to mankind the mightiest soldier of the ages. He was our comrade and proudly wore our badge - a distinction he prized to the end of his fruitful life. Today, in loving remembrance, we wear on our breasts as a memorial, the reproduction of the features of U. S. Grant in enduring bronze, treasuring in our hearts anew, the tender significance of his last words of counsel to his countrymen, “Let us have peace.””
Postcards of Grant Cottage from September 1907.
Though the services, amusements, and celebrations of the encampment were somewhat marred by weather issues, most veterans enjoyed their time. But as an unfortunate sign of the aging of the veterans, many of whom bore permanent physical disabilities from their service, numerous veterans ended up in the hospital, and two died during the week. Knowing the Grand Army could not last forever, Commander-in-Chief Brown explained how the veterans’ memory would be kept alive through the auxiliaries, including the Sons of the Union Veterans (SUVCW):
Early 20th-century G.A.R. postcard
“The Grand Army, not many years hence, will live only in history and the hearts of a grateful people. Our children will move up to the front line to take our places. The Sons of Veterans seek to fit themselves to administer a great trust and hope to worthily follow their sires in the discharge of a sacred duty they naturally feel must be committed in part to them. ”
As Brown had predicted, all the auxiliaries continue to exist to keep the memory of the Civil War heroes alive. Through battlefield preservation efforts and historical authorship and interpretation, their voices and acts can still be heard, seen, and appreciated. It is through these perpetual efforts that those soggy veterans of 1907 are now soaked in glory.
Sources:
When Civil War Veterans Made Camp In Saratoga by Jerome Orton
The Troy Times, Sept. 9, 12, 16, 1907
