Shawnee County Military
History of Lincoln Post #1, G.A.R., Topeka
The first steps, of late years, toward organizing a post of the
G. A. R. in Topeka, were taken by some old soldiers, while engaged in decorating graves in the Topeka cemetery, on Memorial
Day, May 30, 1881. A call for a meeting was signed by the following comrades: H. X. Devendorf, T. W. Durham, F. B. Colver,
J. G. Smith, J. D. Coddington and S. M. Wood.
A meeting was held at the City Hall on June 29th, at which
twenty-two persons were mustered in by Capt. J. G. Wiggin and
Geo. Lee Brown, aides-de-camp to Gen. Walkinshaw, department
commander.
The following are the charter members at present in good standing: Dr. S. E. Sheldon, A. McGregor, J. R. Dutton, T. W. Durham, R. P. Pay, J. W. Tobias, S. M.Wood, T. L. Sexton, J. Lee
Knight, Geo. Tauber, Wm. Irving, N. Menard, J. E. Pennick, H. X. Devendorf, J. W. Ellis.
The name chosen was "Lincoln Post, No. 1." The post was
granted special permission to take that name and number, because
at that time that number was vacant on the department records.
There had formerly been (1875) in Topeka a post having the
same name and number, which was feebly attended from the first;
and after half a dozen or so of meetings, the post failed and the
charter was surrendered, for want of interest on the part of the
members. The following comrades of the present Lincoln Post
were members of the former post: Col. Thos. Johnson (since
dead), Dr. S. E. Sheldon, Geo. Tauber, A. B. McCabe, Spencer
P. Wade and John F. Carter.
The organization was effected with much enthusiasm and a determination on the part of the members to make Lincoln Post,
No. 1, the banner post of the State of Kansas in point of numbers.
In August, owing to meritorious labor in transcribing the constitution and by-laws of the post, Miss Mollie Devendorf was
elected as an adopted daughter of Lincoln Post, No. 1, and presented with a G. A. R. badge.
In December, 1881, a charter was prepared, and the post was
regularly incorporated under the laws of the State.
The expenditures of the post for relief for the first three years
(1881� 3) averaged nearly $500 per year. The total expenditures
for 1884 were $1,933.05, of which the large sum of $822.50 was
for relief.
The winter of 18S4 was a very severe one; many were out of
employment, and there was much suffering in the city of Topeka.
To relieve a portion of this, the expenditures of Lincoln Post and
Relief Corps for relief since January 1st, 1885, averaged over
$200 per month, being between $1,100 and $1,200 up to the first
day of June. About seventy per cent, of this amount was given
to persons and the families of persons not members of the post.
Nor has relief been confined to Topeka or even to the State of
Kansas; for applications, are frequent from other States for aid for
needy old soldiers and posts, and are usually responded to in a
substantial manner.
The moneys thus expended for relief have been raised from
charity fairs, balls, socials, entertainments, flambeau displays, etc.,
in addition to the regular fees and dues of members. A fair held
in January, 1S85, netted to Lincoln Post and Relief Corps the
handsome sum of $2,641.37. Notwithstanding all this, the relief
fund is frequently exhausted, and on one or two occasions the post
has had to borrow money for a time to meet pressing appeals.
The first National Encampment that Lincoln Post attended was
at Denver, Colorado, in 1883. The post was publicly complimented, though the press made no mention of it � not even the
name of the post in the procession. The post participated in the
State reunion, at Leavenworth, October 6 to 9, 1SS3, and was
awarded the first prize of $200 for being the best drilled and most
soldierly appearing post present at the reunion. At Minneapolis
in July, 18S4, Lincoln Post was present in the grand parade, and
was greeted eveywhere along the line of march with cheers and
bouquets, and received proud enconiums from the daily press. As
an incident of the day it may be mentioned, that toward the close
of the parade, after the post had already marched two or three
miles, with the heat so great that several of the members were
overcome and had left the ranks, as they were marching down
Eighth avenue south and turning into Washington avenue, toward
the Milwaukee depot, a regiment of U. S. regulars from Fort
Snelling, resting on the platform, while waiting for a train to take
them home, were apparently listless and tired observers of the
very long procession that had already passed. Lincoln Post was
marching in sections of eight; and no sooner did the first section
wheel around the corner than it caught the eye of some of the
waiting troops near by. The appearance of the second section
caused a number of the soldiers to rise quickly to their feet. The
third and fourth sections came around more perfectly, if anything,
than the first two, and the entire regiment caught the infection
that struck the few who were nearest at first, and presently the
men were all on their feet. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth
sections wheeling around the corner in perfect line and perfect
step was more than that regiment could stand, and hundreds of
helmets went high in the air and loud and prolonged cheering bid
good bye to Lincoln Post. The post attended the National Encampment, at Columbus, Ohio, in 1888, having 100 men in line,
and were accompanied by their famous drum corps, which by its
fancy drills and movements attracted the universal attention and
won the applause of the hundreds of thousands present.
On Memorial Day, 1882, one year from its inception, Lincoln
Post had 164 members. On Memorial Day, 1883, it had 370
members in good standing, an increase of 120 per cent, over the
previous year. On Memorial Day, 1884, the membership was 524;
and June 30, 1885, the membership reached the very large number
of 605 members in good standing. The whole number that have
been mustered into the post from its organization exceeds 850.
The post, like the Grand Army of the Republic in general, is not
a perpetual institution. It has no successor. The persons who
are eligible to membership in its ranks are all living now. The
very youngest of them is at least forty years of age. The time cannot be far distant when the last available man shall be mustered
in � it is fast approaching when they will be rapidly mustered out
and laid away to rest � and it is surely coming when the kindly
offices of bearing the departing ones to their last resting place
will be performed by hands other than those of comrades; when,
finally, there will be a "last man" in each town.
When will it be? Who will he be? What will be his sensations as he climbs the rickety stairs for the last time, and, viewing
the long rows of empty chairs by the moldy wall, and the short
rows of draped chairs by the decaying altar, he drapes one more
for the last preceding comrade, and knows that surely he must answer the next call? Or will the order of the G. A. R. be abandoned long before his day, and the beautiful, sad, impressive
customs and rites be forgotten or neglected? Be that as it may,
he will be a lonely old man. Honor him! Honor all for his
sake!
Officers for 1890: Post commander, N. D. McGinley; senior
vice commander, J. W. Tobias; junior vice commander, S. M.
Lanham; quartermaster, H. Bevelle; adjutant, F. A. O'Neals;
officer of the day, T. H. Haskell; sergeant major, S. C. Garrard;
quartermaster sergeant, M. D. Bailey.
Lincoln Post, No. 1, Department of Kansas, has fulfilled every
expectation anticipated by its founders; and still promises to live
to be an honor to the State and city, and a blessing to all old soldiers within its influence.
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