This 537-page book lists the names of at least 33,344 Union veterans who were members of the Illinois chapter of The Grand Army of the Republic, a national organization. This was an association for Union soldiers started in 1866. In 1890, at the height of its popularity, the organization had 409,489 members nationally. The Illinois chapter was the largest with 32,984 members. To become a member, a man had to served in the Union Army between April 12, 1861, and April 9, 1865, and be honorably discharged. Beginning in 1880, the organization began publishing a roll of those who had died in the an... View More...
This 400-page book includes the names of about 23,000 Union veterans who were members of the Indiana department of the Grand Army of the Republic. The Grand Army of the Republic organization was formed in 1866 in Illinois. Other states followed. At its peak, the national membership reached 409,489 in 1890. Indiana peaked in 1889 with 25,173 members. Indiana published the first death roll in 1883 in its annual report. Information for the death roll was submitted by local chapters, known as posts, about veteran members who had died during the year. Information gathered included veteran's name, r... View More...
Dennis Northcott has ably demonstrated the importance of record interdependence in order to retrieve the most biographical information. His series of death rolls of the Grand Army of the Republic has proven its merit as a national resource tool. This volume treats the records of 36,000 ex-veterans who died in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska between 1883 and 1948. Clearly many of these veterans died prior to the existence of death records so these records may be the only record of such events. Grave markers of Union Civil War often lack dates of death so these death rolls provide positive identifica... View More...
