Since many of my ancestors and relatives have lived in central New York for the past couple hundred years, I love seeing old postcards and photographs from the area. My father gave me many, including these two of Civil War veterans, labeled "G.A.R. South Otselic". With this information, I spent a little time learning about them.
The Grand Army of the Republic - G.A.R., for short, was a fraternal order comprised of Union veterans of the Civil War. The organization was founded in 1866 and had over 409,000 members in 7,000 posts around the country at it's peak. It was dissolved in 1956, when the last Union veteran died.
These two postcard photos were of men in South Otselic G.A.R. Post No. 456, who we can learn quite a bit about in the local newspapers. For one, the post took on the named "Judson E. Parce" in 1885. The Utica Morning Herald, Tues., Nov. 10, 1885, announced "The name of post 456 has recently changed to Judson E. Parce, a charter member and benefactor, who died in South Otselic a year or two ago. Mr. Parce was a member of the 76 regiment and was wounded at Bull Run."
In the document below, you can see the photos as well as the newspaper clippings I found relating to men of Post #456, in chronological order, along with the two postcard photos. Feel free to download and/or print the PDF document for your own family file, if any of these men are your ancestor.
These articles provide us with a partial list of members, who may be in the group photo and/or Memorial Day parade photo:
Julius Beckwith, of Lincklaen, elected "Ser." for 1898. (Not found on 1890 Veterans Census).
Murrio M. Bronson, Sargent of Co. A. I57th Regt., was counted on the 1890 Veterans census in Hamilton, Madison County. He died Sept. 2, 1917. He is buried "at Poolville".
David Brown, of Pitcher, elected O. G. (Officer of the Guard) in 1892, died Sept. 30, 1904, age 78.
Joel Bassett, of South Otselic, elected S. M. in 1892.
John F. Button, of Pitcher, elected Surgeon in 1916, elected as alternate delegate to the State Encampment for 1916.
Frank D. Church, died Dec. 30, 1933, at his home east of Willet. He is buried in Willet. (Not found on 1890 Veterans Census).
Dr. Dewitt Crumb, "Commander Crumb", of South Otselic, enlisted as a private in Co. G, 22nd Reg., New York Vol. Cavalry, elected Q. M. (Quartermaster) in 1892, Commander for 1898 and 1904. (Bio in Book of Biographies...Chenango County, p. 30-35.)
Lewis E. Darling, of Lincklaen, veteran of the 157th Regt., died Nov. 15, 1920, and is buried in Pitcher. (Not found on 1890 Veterans Census).
Andrew Dickerson, of Pitcher, elected Chaplain for 1916.
Marsh/March Etheredge, "colored veteran" of South Otselic, elected O. G. (O. of G.) for 1898, was a Barber with a wife and child. He committed suicide in Dec. 1904.
Orrin Holmes, of South Otselic, elected O. G. (Officer of the Guard) for 1916.
F. J. Hutton, "Comrade", entertained members at his home in Jan. 1901. (Not found on 1890 Veterans Census).
Lewis V. Huttleston, of South Otselic, elected Adjt. in 1892, elected Q. M. (Quartermaster) for 1898.
Judson E. Parce, of South Otselic, veteran of the 76th Regt. New York Volunteers, the post's namesake, committed suicide in 1884.
Mitchell Sandford/Sanford, of South Otselic, elected P.C. (Commander) in 1892. Transferred to Wm H. Tarble post No. 476 in Dec. 1896.
LeRoy Soule, of South Otselic, elected S. V. C. (S. V. Commander) in 1892 and 1916.
Harvey/Harry Stearns, of South Otselic, elected Q. M. S. in 1892, elected J. V. C. (J. V. Commander) for 1898, delegate to the State Encampment for 1898, elected J. V. C. (J. V. Commander) and delegate to the State Encampment for 1916.
Elliot J. Sherman, of South Otselic, elected Q. M. S. for 1916.
Joseph Thompson, of South Otselic, elected Surgeon in 1892.
S. Dennis Thompson, of South Otselic, elected J. V. C. (J. V. Commander) in 1892, elected S. V. C. (S. V. Commander) for 1898.
Frank J. Tuttle, of Pitcher, elected O. D. (Officer of the Day) for 1916.
Lewis L. Wansey, (of Pitcher?), elected Chaplain for 1898, died in April 1909.
C. R. Warner, elected Adjutant and Q. M. (Quartermaster) for 1916.
L. L. Warner, elected S. M. for 1916.
Daniel M. Webster, of South Otselic, elected O. D. (Officer of the Day) in 1892 and 1897, was an alternate delegate to the State Encampment for 1898, received a commission as aide-de-cap to Department Commander, Oscar Smith of the Department of New York, G.A.R. in Nov. 1912, elected Commander in 1916. He died April 10, 1920, at the age of 80, and is buried in Valley View Cemetery.
There were a few other men mentioned in the articles who may or may not have been members:
W. H. Sullivan, speaker for Memorial Day services in June, 1898.
J. J. Woodley, marshal of the day Memorial Day festivities in May 1899.
Jay Rorapaugh, of Cincinnatus, gave the Memorial Day address in 1904, and read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Milton Thompson, of South Otselic, gave the response to the welcome on Memorial Day 1904.
Alonzo DeVolson Brown, Civil War veteran, born Oct. 30, 1849, enlisted at Cortland into the 76th Regt. Co. A., New York Volunteer Infantry, and died at Oxford, Chenango County, New York on May 3, 1925. He was a member of the Georgetown Post, G.A.R., and of the South Otselic Lodge of Masons, but doesn't appear to have been a member of Post 456.
The following were the veterans counted on the 1890 Veterans Census in South Otselic, Pitcher, and Lincklaen. Some of these men may have also been members and may be in the photo:
(Those who were known members of GAR Post 456 are indicated with asterisk*)
Veterans named on the 1890 Veterans Census in South Otselic
Barkley, William
Barr, Alonzo D
Barr, Howard
Bassett, Joel F*
Briggs, Lyman
Campbell, Jonah
Coyt, Dwight M
Crumb, Dewitt C*
Davis, Austin
Dike, Lewis M
Eastman, Wordal
Etheridge, Marsh*
Fisher, John
Holmes, Orrin*
Huttleston, Lewis*
Kinney, Silas E
Newton, Albert
Nourse, Clinton K
Richer, Albert
Rickard, Adam S
Rickard, Robert H
Sanderson, Alpheus
Sanford, Mitchel*
Sherman, Elliot*
Sherwood, Delos
Soule, Eber
Soule, LeRoy*
Stanton, Freeman C
Stearns, Harvey*
Taylor, Zechariah
Thompson, Stephen D
Thompson, Dennis*
Thompson, Joseph*
Thompson, Milton
Turner, Eugen R
Webster, Daniel*
Soldiers whose widowed wives lived in South Otselic in 1890:
Newton Benson's widow, Jane A. Benson
Joseph L. Breed's widow, Orinda
Samuel Church's widow, Susannah
Elisha Cross's widow
John Kingsley's widow, Martha
James McKee's widow, Sarah
Dwight Moore's widow, Harriet J. Moore
Noah Preston's widow, Deidamia Preston formerly
Henry Tyler's widow, Olive
Veterans named on the 1890 Veterans Census in Pitcher
Blackman, Theron
Brown, David*
Button, John*
Cooper, Robert
Coye, James R
Crozier, William
Davis, Hudson
Dickerson, Andrew*
Ellwood, Wilson
Fox, Lewis H
Geer, Dwight
Gustice, Henry
Gustice, Hiram
Harvey, Albert
Hoyer, Arthur
Hyde, Reuben
Jordan, Wallace
McLune, Joseph
Purslow, Uri
Sherman, Wasley
Tuttle, Frank*
Wansey, Henry*
Soldiers whose widowed wives lived in Pitcher in 1890:
Merritt Bolt's widow, Susan
Amos Miner's widow, Emeline
Veterans named on the 1890 Veterans Census in Lincklaen
Bacon, Truman
Beckwith, Julius*
Coats, Amaziah C
Darling, Charles H
Darling, Lewis E
Eaton, Benjamin
Marble, Horatio G
Miller, William H
Miller, Ambrose H
Murray, Charles
Parce, Daniel
Parker, Almon S
Phetteplace, LeGrand
Sherman, Sanford W
Shufelt, Lorenzo
Stanton, Leroy
Steele, Cornelius
Vedder, Sherman S
Wells, John R
Wilcox, William A
Soldier whose widowed wife lived in Lincklaen in 1890:
Robert Champion's widow, Hannah
If you can identify any of these men, please comment below to let me know. Also, if you'd like a copy, check this out:
Stay tuned for more!