G.A.R.
April 27th, 2009
BRYSON POST #225, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Bryson Post, No. 225 Department of PA, Grand Army of the Republic was organized September 29, 1881 in the Odd Fellows Hall (3rd floor of Boot & Shoe) by Capt. John F. Parker, Commander of Henry Wilson Post, No. 129, Milton, assisted by a large delegation from that Post. Officers installed were: Frederick A. Reen, Commander; Jacob M. Follmer, Senior Vice Commander; Edward W. Fosnot, Junior Vice Commander; Thomas G. Caldwell, Officer of the Day; Joel R. Messinger, Officer of the Guard; George P. Straub, Quartermaster; Thomas H. Kisner, Surgeon; Rev. David Kennedy, Chaplain; Ambrose Lamm, Adjutant; Sergeant Major, Lewis C. Fosnot.
The Post rented the hall in the Hogue Building, now the property of the Farmer’s National Bank, and over its history mustered into its ranks 188 members. Primarily as a social outlet the men met every Friday evening. Each year they would arrange to hold services in eight cemeteries in the Watsontown vicinity for Memorial Day, decorating the graves of over 200 deceased comrades. Membership began to dwindle since the Union Veterans limited membership into the G.A.R. strictly to those who had served the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Revenue Cutler Service during the Civil War. Because of the limited life span of the G.A.R., a handful of surviving comrades helped establish the Sons of Veterans with the primary purpose of passing on the patriotic duty of remembering those who served their county in preserving the Union during the Civil War.
Though the organization’s focus was primarily social in nature it would become a political force that would influence the nation for more than six decades. During the first quarter of the new century, the handful of surviving comrades attended reunions and honored those from their ranks who were being called to that “eternal camp in the sky.” The adjutant who kept the record books of the Bryson Post of the G.A.R. had inscribed the dates of the current members who had died.
The name of the comrade and the date of his death are recorded here for posterity’s sake:
W.A. Fisher, September 8, 1885 A.D. Barto, August 13, 1914, aged 78 years
Austin Stull, November 2, 1886 John R. Cooner, January 5, 1915, aged 72 years
Israel Philips, November 30, 1888 H.A. Pardoe, February 21, 1915, aged 67 years
Jasper DeMott, August ?, 1890 I.W. Long, July 26, 1915, aged 77 years
H.W. Hagenbugh, July 16, 1892 S.W. Riddell, March 6, 1916, aged 79 years
M.F. Gardner, January 27, 1896 Martin Prowant, May 2, 1916 (b. December 31, 1837)
W.H. Gibson, January 30, 1899, aged 61 years John Ulrich, May 16, 1916, aged 77 years
Jos. W. Whitman, October 30, 1899 George P. Straub, November 25, 1916, aged 81 years
Jacob Sheddy, May 4, 1900 J.H. Bruner, February 11, 1918, aged 77 years
A. Rathburn, September 24, 1900 Josiah Diehl, April 9, 1918, aged 81 years
Hiram Rennold, December 20, 1900 S.P. Orwig, June 26, 1918, aged 85 years
Wm. Cunningham, February 20, 1901 Daniel Truckenmiller, November 25, 1918, aged 81 years
D.W. Denius, February 7, 1902 L.G. Heck, December 30, 1918, aged 77 years
Clinton C. Hughes, April 5, 1902 Jacob H. Wagner, February 24, 1919, aged 76 years
H. Sander, March 23, 1903 J.R. Messinger, June 10, 1919, aged 75 years
B.G. Shires, May 13, 1903 J. Harvey Nye, July 21, 1919, aged 86 years
Wm. H. Kline, May 16, 1903 George G. Killmer, August 1, 1919, aged 76 years
Wm. Reed, December 16, 1903 John Harrison, August 13, 1919, aged 77 years
Michael Ficks, January 20, 1904 Isaac N. Messinger, January 12, 1920, aged 78 years
B.F. Ketler, April 29, 1904 W.I. Wilson, February 12, 1920, aged 76 years
D.C. Hogue, February 27, 1905 Daniel Hester, February 18, 1920, aged 74 years
Henry Miller, June 19, 1905 Lew O. Fosnot, February 21, 1920
Jacob Tyson, May 15, 1905 Josiah Stewart, May 25, 1920, aged 77 years
Abram Unangst, June 15, 1905 Joseph Huff, January 11, 1921, aged 83 years
John W. Erb, April 5, 1907 John McCoy, April 28, 1921, aged 75 years
R. Hayman, July 22, 1909 Fred A. Reen, June 15, 1921, aged 82 years
Dr. E.H. Horner, January 11, 1910 John F. Meckley, September 30, 1921, aged 82 years
Jacob S. Crossley, November 20, 1910 Daniel Raup, May 5, 1922, aged 80 years
Elias Lynn, April 15, 1911, aged 68 years Wm. Ranck, May 20, 1922, aged 82 years
Daniel Stahlnecker, November 8, 1911, aged 69 years Frederick H. Knight, September 16, 1922, aged 85 years
John Huhn, October 9, 1912, aged 80 years Joseph R. Housel, July 4, 1923, aged 83 years
M.O. Eilert, March 15, 1913, aged 79 years John Seriff, May 22, 1925
James Zettlemoyer, November 10, 1913, aged 77 years Nicholas Carroll, February 14, 1926, aged 84 years
Elisha Kisner, December 28, 1913 Charles Crawford, June ?, 1926
E.F. Gold, January 2, 1914, aged 80 years Wm. L. Baker, October 18, 1929
V.S. Truckenmiller, April 26, 1914, aged 71 years Alfred Diehl, December 1, 1930, aged 91 years
A credentials report written by T.G. Caldwell as post adjutant to the 65 th Department Encampment either in late 1930 or early 1931 stated that “Commander W.L. Baker was the last commander. He passed on about one year ago. We have no one to take his place. We have 3 members living in town. 2 of them are not able to attend meetings.” The writer, Thomas G. Caldwell died in 1932 and could have been the last local survivor of the Civil War. The last soldier of the Civil War died in 1956.
The following comrades have served the Post as Commanders:
1881 Frederick A. Reen 1898 William L. Baker 1915 William L. Baker
1882 Lewis C. Fosnot 1899 Lewis C. Fosnot 1916 William L. Baker
1883 Orlando F. Benson 1900 Joel R. Messinger 1917 William L. Baker
1884 James Cummings 1901 James Zettlemoyer 1918 William L. Baker
1885 William H. Kline 1902 Frederick A. Reen 1919 William L. Baker
1886 Jacob H. Wagner 1903 Israel W. Long 1920 William L. Baker
1887 Joseph R. Housel 1904 M. Oliver Eilert 1921 William L. Baker
1888 John R. Cooner 1905 Samuel B. Morgan 1922 William L. Baker
1889 William L. Baker 1906 Samuel B. Morgan 1923 William L. Baker
1890 Thomas H. Kisner 1907 George G. Kilmer 1924 William L. Baker
1891 Simon G. Stadler 1908 John P. Zimmerman 1925 William L. Baker
1892 William D. Moyer 1909 Nicholas Carroll 1926 William L. Baker
1893 Isaac N. Messinger 1910 S.Wilson Riddell 1927 William L. Baker
1894 George P. Straub 1911 Wm. Rank 1928 William L. Baker
1895 Samuel B. Morgan 1912 G.W. Lowry 1929 William L. Baker
1896 Alfred Diehl 1913 James Batdorf 1930 —
1897 Stewart R. Averill 1914 Henry Berger 1931 —
| Post Commanders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick A. Reen | 1881 | S.R. Averill | 1897 | 1913 | |
| Lewis C. Fosnot | 1882 | William L. Baker | 1898 | 1914 | |
| Orlando F. Benson | 1883 | Lewis C. Fosnot | 1899 | 1915 | |
| James Cummings | 1884 | Joel R. Messinger | 1900 | 1916 | |
| William H. Kline | 1885 | James Zettlemoyer | 1901 | William L. Baker | 1917 |
| Jacob H. Wagner | 1886 | Frederick A. Reen | 1902 | 1918 | |
| Joseph R. Housel | 1887 | I.W. Long | 1903 | 1919 | |
| John R. Cooner | 1888 | M. Oliver Eilert | 1904 | William L. Baker | 1920 |
| William L. Baker | 1889 | Samuel B. Morgan | 1905 | 1921 | |
| Thomas H. Kisner | 1890 | Samuel B. Morgan | 1906 | 1922 | |
| Simon G. Stadler | 1891 | George G. Kilmer | 1907 | William L. Baker | 1923 |
| William D. Moyer | 1892 | John P. Zimmerman | 1908 | William L. Baker | 1924 |
| Isaac N. Messinger | 1893 | 1909 | William L. Baker | 1925 | |
| George P. Straub | 1894 | S. Wilson Riddell | 1910 | William L. Baker | 1926 |
| Samuel B. Morgan | 1895 | 1911 | 1927 | ||
| Alfred Diehl | 1896 | 1912 | 1928 |
Last Modified: 12.27.22
September 11th, 2017 at 7:32 pm
This is a great site with wonderful local information! I acquired a few items this week that connect to this pages focus. I have acquired William Bakers Civil War discharge paperwork, along with this GAR meeting place ledger book! Both are in original condition and also contain names of 201 members. Along with a few pages that have battle overviews and eyewitness accounts. If these items could be of use to the Watsontown GAR historical society contact me.
May 20th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
There is now a Watsontown Historical Assoc. that would be interested in these materials. I do not know what has transpired since your posting but I do know that the Assoc. would be desirous of obtaining this material.