On April 15,
1865, as word of President Abraham Lincoln's death spread throughout the
country, three Union Army officer friends met in Philadelphia to discuss
the tragic news. Rumors from Washington of a conspiracy to destroy
the Federal government by assassination of its leader prompted them to call
other officers and ex-officers together to form an organization to thwart
future threats to the national government. A mass meeting of Philadelphia
veterans was held on April 20, 1865 to pledge renewed allegiance to the Union
and to plan for participation in the funeral arrangements for the President.
The Philadelphia
officers who served as an honor guard for President Lincoln's funeral cortege
met again after the funeral to establish a permanent organization of officers
and ex-officers patterned after the Society of the Cincinnati established
after the Revolutionary War. The name they chose, The Military
Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, first appeared in a
notice calling for a meeting on May 31, at Independence Hall. By 1899, the
Loyal Legion had more than 8,000 Civil War officer members on its rosters. At
its zenith, the Loyal Legion counted practically every prominent officer
among its ranks. After much debate, the Loyal Legion ultimately adopted
provisions for hereditary membership, permitting descendants of eligible
officers to become members.
Objectives
and Activities
Although
originally organized to promote fraternal ties between Companions,
advance the interests of veterans, provide relief to widows
and children of deceased comrades, foster military and naval
science, promote allegiance to the United States government,
and further other patriotic objectives, the principal objects
of the Loyal Legion today are to perpetuate the memory of those
who fought to preserve the unity and indivisibility of the
Republic and to honor the memory of the wartime President,
Abraham Lincoln, and to promote his ideals.
We do
this by sponsoring and participating in ceremonies honoring
President Lincoln and memorializing events of the Civil War
and the men and women who were active in them; by furthering
the study of military and naval science with ROTC awards;
by promoting research and writing about Lincoln and Civil
War subjects through the presentation of literary awards;
by erecting, restoring, and maintaining plaques and monuments
commemorating events and personalities of the Civil War;
by supporting efforts to preserve Civil War battlefields
and sites; by supporting the Civil War Library and Museum,
which was established by the Loyal Legion; by publishing
a quarterly historical journal, The Loyal Legion Historical
Journal; and by engaging in other patriotic and educational
activities.
Organization
After
the establishment of the first Commandery in Pennsylvania,
other State Commanderies soon followed in Tennessee, New York,
Maine, Massachusetts, California, Wisconsin, Illinois, District
of Columbia, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska,
Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana, Washington, and Vermont. Maryland,
Connecticut, and Florida were added later. Comamanderies continue
to exist in most of these states. The National Organization
consists of the Commandery-in-Chief composed of the National
Officers with Headquarters at 1805 Pine Street, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
