As the soldiers who fought in the Civil War returned to civilian life, many retained the bonds of brotherhood forged in battle. Several fraternal organizations of the Civil War veterans sprang up, and the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), founded in Springfield in 1866, became a leader among them. The GAR Memorial Museum collection includes tintypes by Mathew Brady, rare drawings of the infamous Andersonville and Libby prison camps and a complete list of Union soldiers held there during the war. New on display is a 34-star U. S. flag carried by Company G, 30th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which bears the scars of combat from battles including those at Shiloh, Perryville, Chickamauga, Atlanta and Kennesaw Mountain. After a long pandemic pause, the museum will reopen to the public on July 1. Scheduled open hours are from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every Thursday through Saturday. It will also be open in celebration of Independence Day on Sunday, July 4. The museum receives no federal, state or municipal funding, but is sustained by the generosity of the organizations’ members and donations of the visiting public.
Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum
Thu.-Sun., July 1-4
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
629 S. Seventh St.
522-4373
This article appears in House divided.
