he Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army US Navy US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in April 6 1866 in Decatur Illinois on the principles of "Fraternity Charity and Loyalty" by Benjamin F. Stephenson it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died. Linking men through their experience of the war the GAR became among the first organized advocacy group in American politics supporting voting rights for black veterans lobbying the US Congress to establish veterans' pensions and supporting Republican political candidates. Its peak membership at more than 400000 was in 1890. It was succeeded by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) composed of male descendants of Union veterans. The GAR initially grew and prospered as a de facto political arm of the Republican Party during the heated political contests of the Reconstruction era. The commemoration of Union veterans