Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Delaine Donaldson of the Effingham County Cultural Center & Museum stopped by the studio to explain the history of Effingham’s role in the Civil War, establishment of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic), and how County residents and officials played a part in establishing Decoration Day (later known as Memorial Day).
You can listen to the interview below.
Delaine also mentioned that any discussion of the G.A.R. would be remiss if it failed to acknowledge the valuable role played by its sister organization, the Woman’s Relief Corps (W.R.C.). Although it is deserving of a Museum page article all by itself, it can be summarized in this manner:
Membership in this group did not rest upon kinship to Civil War veterans. The only requirements for admission as a member were loyalty and the observance of the principles of the order: A member had to be willing to “aid and assist the grand army of the Republic and perpetuate the memory of their hero like dead; to assist such Union veterans as needed help and protection, and extend needful into their widows and orphans, to find them homes in employment, and assure them of sympathy and friends; to cherish and emulate the deeds of the army nurses, and of a loyal women who reaches who rendered loving service to their country in its hour of peril; to inculcate lessons of patriotism and love of country of among the children and in the communities in which a person lives; to maintain true allegiance to the United States of America; and to discountenance whatever tends to weaken loyalty, and to encourage the spread of universal liberty and equal rights to all men.”
The W.R.C.’s community involvement consisted of placing monuments on the Effingham County Courthouse square and at one of the entries to Oak Ridge Cemetery, as well as by placing numerous grave markers on the permanent resting places of Civil War vets.
Thanks to Delaine Donaldson for sharing the history of Effingham during the Civil war era. The more we look into our local history, the more we discover how much the local area was involved on the national level.
You can find more information on the museum and learn more about the County’s history at effinghamcountymuseum.org.
This is part of a monthly series of interviews that will continue next month.
This interview was conducted by Derek Warren, News Director for Cromwell Media, Effingham
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