Grand Army of the Republic
Allamakee co.

Thomas Henderson Post, No. 293
John J. Stillman Post No. 193



Postville
1884 - 1889
Originally James I. Gilbert Post
Renamed Thomas Henderson Post, No. 293, in honor of Thos. Henderson, Corporal, Co C 12th Iowa Volunteer Infantry.

Henderson was killed instantly at Shiloh, Tennessee, April 6, 1862, by a bullet passing through his heart. He was buried with other of his comrades who died in the battle, in the field where they fell. The place was marked by a board on which was carved the name of company and regiment. These marks were obliterated by fire, or otherwise destroyed, so that when the body was removed to the National Cemetery it was placed with the long list of unknown, who now sleep on the banks of the Tennessee. Among them all, known or unknown, no truer and braver, better soldier, more devoted patriot or more sincere christian comrade ever gave his life for his country than Thomas Henderson. Postville comrades have done themselves honor by giving his name to their Post of the G.A.R. ~excerpted from a longer address given at the Post Campfire in February, 1885; written by David W. Reed, Waukon and Wm. L. Henderson, LeRoy, Minnesota.


1884

James I. Gilbert Post G.A.R. was mustered at Postville, Monday eve, Feb. 25th, by Gen. Milo L. Sherman, of Fredericksburg, Iowa, special mustering officer, department of Iowa G.A.R., with twenty-one charter members, officered as follows:
Luther Brown - Commander
E. F. Douglass - Senior Vice Comander
A. L. Stiles - Junior Vice Commander
Wayne Donaldson - Adjutant
Chas. Skelton - Quarter Master
L. Minnick - Surgeon
Jas. C. Taylor - Chaplain
J. M. Lisher - Officer of the Day
J. H. Burhans - Officer of the Guard
E. H. Putnam - Serg't Major
W. A. Owen - Quarter Master Serg't
Comrade Sherman was ably assisted by Chaplain Mitchell and officers of the day, Brace, of Fredericksburg, Iowa, and Comrade Tower of Ft. Atkinson. The business intervals were enlivened with stories and songs of the Camp Fires, concluding with "The Old Army Bean", led by Chaplain Mitchell. We  feel justly proud of this muster and predict a large organization. All ex-soldiers are cordially invited to send in their names.
~Postville Review, Saturday, March 1, 1884

The name of the G.A.R. Post at this place has been changed from the James I. Gilbert Post to the Thos. Henderson Post . This makes it more of a local organization, in name at least. It was named in honor of Thos. Henderson, who formerly resided on Henderson prairie.
~Postville Review, Saturday, April 26, 1884

~contributed by Reid R. Johnson



1885
Officers Henderson Post, No. 293

A.R. Prescott - Commander
C.I. Bishop - Senior Vice-commander
E.F. Douglass - Junion Vice-commander
A.L. Stiles, Quarter Master
Luther Brown - Surgeon
W. Donaldson - Chaplain
J.M. Lisher - Officer of the Day


1889

Henderson Post, No. 293, Postville disbanded in the fourth quarter of 1889.


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Waukon
John J. Stillman Post No. 193
1883 - 1925
Named in honor of John J. Stillman, Company B, Twelfth Iowa volunteer Infantry, killed in the battle at Fort Donelson


Comrade A.R. Prescott, Postville, Iowa, writes us that on June 23, Comrade Karberg, Assistant Inspector General, mustered in John J. Stillman Post, No. 194, with ninety members, officered as follows:
Commander, David W. Reed
S.V.C., John W. Pratt
J.V.C., Jas. Ruth
Adj't, E.W. Pratt
Q.M., F.H. Robbins
Surgeon, A.R. Prescott
O.D., T.C. Medary
O.G., A.B. Connor
Chaplain, Robert Smith
S.M., J.B. Reid
Q.M.S., H.P. Lane.
Thirteen appplications are now on file awaiting muster.

~The National Tribune, Washington, D.C., August 9, 1883



Past & Present of Allamakee County, 1913; pgs 376-377

On the 30th day of May, 1883, after Memorial Day exercises, a meeting of veterans from all over the county was held in Waukon, preliminary to the organization of a Grand Army Post. G. M. Dean was chairman of the meeting, and T. C. Medary secretary. On motion of D. W. Reed, F. H. Robbins was appointed a committee to arrange for a mustering officer, and the time of assembling.

On the 23d of June following, the veterans of Allamakee county to the number of eighty-nine, assembled at Barnard Hall in Waukon, and Comrade Herman Karberg of Hyde Clark Post, Dubuque, proceeded to muster in the following named charter members, under special order No. 199, from department headquarters of Iowa: Geo. W. Sherman, John Toole, E. B. Raymond, D. W. Reed, John W. Pratt, Wm. T. Stull, T. W. David, Geo. D. Greenleaf, Thos. B. Wiley, Isaac Mickey, David Hawthorne, John Dowling, Thomas Dowling, John Sines, Robert Boyce, T. J. Hawthorne, Frank Klees, Julius Nelson, Geo. O. Potter, John Griffin, Wm. Niblock, Wm. J. Miller, James B. Rudd, D. W. Douglass, John H. Hale, Geo. Robertson, Leroy Butts, E. W. Pratt, Peter Griffin, John F. Pitt, Martin Hoffman, O. A. Ross, S. L. Rush, Daniel Ryan, T. J. Hancock, Wm. Raymond, John D. Nesmeier, Henry Allpress, L. Ferris, Jas. A. Langford, John Hartley, A. R. Prescott, John T. Robinson, E. A. Swan, c. T. Granger, Heber, Robinson, F. H. Robbins, T. C. Medary, Geo. M. Dear, Jas. M. Barr, A. B. Conner, Cornelius Ward, Henry P. Lane, Isaac Woodmansee, E. B. Bascom, M. G. Wood, Oscar Collins, John A. Decker, John Crawford, Wm. H. Crouch, M. F. Sanner, Frank Van Amberg, Robert Smith, Henry Graham, C. B. Jordon, James McClintock, James Ruth, L. W. Irwin, Hans Simonson, Geo. Schroda, A. M. May, John A. Rupp, J. J. Jennewine, Nick Betzinger, Wm. H. Graham, Archibald McClintock, B. G. Stanley, James Briar, Geo. W. Miller, Alonzo Thornton, Levi N. Green, P. I. Pierce, C. A. Robey, Geo. P. Bellows, John W. Barlow, A. F. Loomis, John Pixler, Hugh McCabe, Robert Wampler.

Immediately after muster the following officers were elected and installed: Post Commander, D. W. Reed; Senior Vice Commander, J. W. Pratt; Junior Vice Commander, James Ruth; Officer of the Day, T. C. Medary, Surgeon, A. R. Prescott; Adjutant, E. W. Pratt; Quartermaster, F. H. Robbins; Chaplain Rev. Robert Smith; Officer of the Guard, A. B. Conner; Sergeant Major, J. B. Reid; Quartermaster Sergeant, Henry P. Lane.

The name chosen for the Post was Nathaniel P. Baker, the adjutant general of Iowa in the dark days of the rebellion; but upon ascertaining that the name was already adopted by the Post at Clinton, on the 21st day of July this post unanimously adopted the name of John J. Stillman, the first man from Allamakee county killed in action at Fort Donelson, and it has since been known as John J. Stillman Post, No. 194.

From the time of organization the principal officers, commander and adjutant, have been as follows:
Commander: D. W. Reed, 1883-88; F. H. Robbins, 1889-97; R. Wampler, 1898-1903; G. M. Dean, 1904-05; F. H. Robbins, 1906; R. Wampler, 1907-10; G. P. Bellows, 1911-13.
Adjutant: E. W. Pratt, 1883; N. H. Pratt, 1884; T. C. Medary, 1885-86; A. M. May, 1887-1913.

The present officers are: Post Commander, G. P. Bellows; Senior Vice Commander, James Briar; Junior Vice Commander, John F. Pitt; Adjutant, A. M. May; Quartermaster, Geo. W. Sherman; Surgeon, George Cummins; Chaplain, R. Wampler; Officer of the Day, D. W. Douglass; Patriotic Instructor, A. M. May; Officer of the Guard, George Schroda; Sergeant Major, Hugh McCabe; Quartermaster Sergeant, Jacob Minchk; Delegate to State Encampment-A. M. May.

Waukon Relief Corps, John J. Stillman, No. 123, organized August 7,1887, with the following officers: Mrs. E. E. Stevens, president; Anna Granger, senior vice president; Jane Dean, Junior vice president; Henrietta Hale, secretary; Ellen Reed, treasurer, Margaret David, chaplain; Adelia Conner, conductor; Cynthia Robinson, guard. The present officers are: Mrs. Althea Robbins, president; Alice Daulton, senior vice president; Dina Reynolds, junior vice president; Phoebe Walker, secretary; M. A. R. Bellows, treasurer; Eliza Colgrove, chaplain; Mary Passmore, conductor; Sarah Briar, guard.



1916
Officers of John J. Stillman Post, No. 194

P.C. - G.P. Bellows
S.V.C. - W.B. Cowan
Adjutant - A.M. May
Chaplain - R. Wampler
Delegate to department encampment - A.M. May

Waukon Relief Corps

President - Mrs. Althea Robbins
Chaplain - Eliza Colegrove
Secretary - Phoebe Walker



1925
John J. Stillman Post, No. 194 Charter Surrendered

O.S. Bailey, of Waukon, tells abut the disbanding of the Grand Army Post at that place. Only five old soldiers were able to be present at the joint meeting of the W.R.C., Spanish-American veterans and World war veterans, called for the purpose of surrendering the charter of John J. Stillman Post, G.A.R.

The post was named after the first soldier who fell in battle from that community - at the charge at Fort Donelson, February 15th, 1862. The flag belonging to the Post was turned over to the American Legion. A number of souvenirs that had accumulated through the passing years were distributed. A section from a stockade at Andersonville, rebel prison where thousands of union soldiers were starved to death, was given to G.P. Bellows, commander of the Post. A gavel made from wood taken from the church that stood on the battlefield at Shiloh, 1862, also went to Mr. Bellows. The Post charter, signed by Gen. John A. Logan, was deposited with the adjutant. The roster of Iowa soldiers was given to the Allamakee county Historical Society.

The disbanding of Grand Army Posts all over the state but marks the passing of the great army that fought the battles of the Republic, that "a government of the people, by the people and for the people should not perish from the earth."

~The Chronicle, February 12, 1925

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