Part V. Military Order of
the Royal Legion of the United States
[pp. 818-820]
[Organized April 15, 1865.]
Objects.--The objects of this Order shall be to cherish
the memories and associations of the war waged in defense of
the unity and indivisibility of the republic; strengthen
the ties of fraternal fellowship and sympathy formed by companionship-
in-arms; advance the best interests of the soldiers and sailors
of the United States, especially of those associated as companions
of this Order; and extend all possible relief to their widows
and children; foster the cultivation of military and naval science;
enforce unqualified allegiance to the general government; protect
the rights and liberties of American citizenship, and maintain
national honor, union and independence. The members are of three
classes: (1) Commissioned officers and honorably discharged commissioned
officers of the army, navy and marine corps (regulars and volunteers)
actually engaged in suppressing the rebellion prior to April
15, 1865, and eldest sons of deceased officers who served as
above. (2) The sons of living original companions of the first
class who are twenty-one years old. (3) Gentlemen who, in civil
life during the rebellion, were specially distinguished for conspicuous
loyalty to the national government.
Membership, October 31, 1906, 9,028; composed of: first class,
7,868; second class, 1,144; third class, 16. Largest
Commanderies: New York, 1,223 members, New York City; Pennsylvania,
1,131, Philadelphia; the other 19 state commanderies in order
of their organization and place of headquarters: Maine 168, Portland;
Massachusetts 1,917, Boston; California 720, San Francisco; Wisconsin
202, Milwaukee; Illinois 646, Chicago; District of Columbia 817,
Washington; Ohio 853, Cincinnati; Michigan 301, Detroit; Minnesota
296, St. Paul; Oregon 65, Portland; Missouri 2,184, St. Louis;
Nebraska 104, Omaha; Kansas 175, Leavenworth; Iowa 252, Des Moines;
Colorado 221, Denver; Indiana 336, Indianapolis; Washington 128,
Tacoma; Vermont 137, Burlington; Maryland 52, Baltimore.
The present national officers are: Commander-in-Chief, Major-General
John R. Brooke; senior vice commander,
Rear-Admiral George C. Remey; junior vice commander, Brevet
Brig.-General William F. Draper; recorder, Colonel John P. Nicholson;
registrar, Major William P. Huxford; treasurer, Paymaster George
de F. Barton; chancellor, Brevet Captain John O. Feoring.
Wisconsin Commandery, Milwaukee; headquarters, 85-87 Oneida
St.; meetings, first Wednesday of each month,
October to May, excluding January; no regular meetings May
to October. Officers elected May, 1906: Commander, Major William
W. Rowley, U.S.V.; senior vice commander, Captain Joseph W. Sanderson,
U.S.V.; junior vice commander, Lieut. Ferdinand A. Wilde, U.S.V.;
recorder, Captain A. Ross Houston, U.S.V.; registrar, Volunteer
Lieut. Amos P. Foster, U.S.N.; treasurer, Captain Howard Greene,
U.S.V.; chancellor, Charles A. Pride; chaplain, Rev. Arthur R.
Bumpus; council, Captain Otto C. B. Lademann, U.S.V.; Captain
Bernard O'Reilly, U.S.V., Paymaster Justin W. Meacham, U.S.N.,
Mr. Joseph McC. Bell, Jr., Mr. Charles Carter.
The past commanders of the commandery of the state of Wisconsin
are: Colonel James H. Howe, 32nd Wis. Inf.,
1874; Colonel Charles W. Robinson, 50th Wis. Inf., 1875 and
1876; Brig.-Gen. E. W. Hincks, U.S.V., 1877 and 1879; Captain
Garth W. James, 54th Mass Inf., 1878; Major-General Chas. S.
Hamilton, U.S.V., 1880; Captain Irving M. Bean, 5th Wis. Inf.,
1881 and 1882; Colonel Chas. A. Hamilton, 7th Wis. Inf., 1883;
Brig.-Gen. Lucius Fairchild, U.S.V., 1884, 1885 and 1886; Captain
George W. Burnell, 10th Vermont Inf., 1887; Captain George I.
Robinson, Chicago Board of Trade Battery, 1888; Lieut.-Col. Chester
D. Cleveland, 2nd Conn. H. Arty., 1889; Major Charles H. Anson,
1st Vermont Arty., 1890; Lieut. Edward Ferguson, 1st Wis. Inf.,
1891; Lieut.-Colonel Joseph McC. Bell, A.A.G., 1892; Bvt.-Brig.
Gen. Frederick C. Winkler, 26th Wis. Inf., 1893; Captain George
E. Sutherland, 13th Heavy, Arty., U.S.C.T., 1894; Lieut. Henry
B. Harshaw, 2nd Wis. Inf., 1895; Major Charles H. Ross, 13th
Ind. Inf., 1896; Lieut. Cornelius Wheeler, 2nd Wis. Inf., 1897;
Captain Frederick H. Magdeburg, 14th Wis. Inf., 1898; First Lieut.
Theron W. Haight, 24th New York Inf., 1899; First Lieut. Frank
A. Anson, 1st Vermont Arty., 1900; First Lieut. Walter Kempster,
10th New York Cav., 1901; First Lieut. Albert H. Hollister, 30th
U.S.C.T., 1902; Captain Edwin B. Parsons, 24th Wis. Inf., 1903;
First Lieut. and Adjutant Arthur Holbrook, 39th Wis. Inf., 1904;
Captain Irving M. Bean, 5th Wis. Inf., 1905; Maj. Wm. W. Rowley,
28th New York Inf., 1906.
The recorders of the commandery have been as follows: Captain
Garth W. James, 54th Mass Inf., 1874 to 1876;
Lieut.-Colonel Joseph McC. Bell, A.A.G., 1877 to 1881; Lieut.-Colonel
John L. Hathaway, A.C.S., 1882 and 1883; Lieut. James R. Saville,
U.S.V., 1884 and 1885; Chandler P. Chapman, U.S.V., 1886; Captain
Charles E. King, U.S.A., 1887 and 1888; Captain A. Ross Houston,
U.S.V., 1889 to present time.
The officers of the state commandery are the commander, senior
and junior vice commanders, recorder, registrar, treasurer, chancellor,
chaplain, and a council of five.
The commandery-in-chief is constituted of the commanders,
the senior and junior-vice commanders and recorders, all
past and present, of the state commanderies. Its meetings
are held annually and every other year at Philadelphia, which
is regarded as the headquarters of the Order.