Here’s a list of 15 Grand Army of the Republic posts in Nodaway County. The GAR was a veterans organization of Union soldiers and sailors in the Civil War. This list is compiled by the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. Names of the posts could be anybody in the Civil War and didn’t have to be local oriented (unlike the current chapters American Legion and VFW which are named for local residents who were the first to fall in World War I). Maryville’s Sedgwick Post is named for Gen. John Sedgwick from Connecticut, who died in 1864 in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.
The Posts were social functions and included reunions both locally and nationally. . GAR was active in the 1917 dinner on the Nodaway County Courthouse lawn, in which 8,000 meals were served when Nodaway County boys left for World War I.
The GAR actively looked after graves and erected numerous GAR markers at cemeteries, which were still visible everywhere into the 1960s. Unfortunately, the markers became collector items and were almost all stolen (as happened with our family markers)
The most prominent GAR figure in Maryville was Nathaniel Sisson, who stayed very active until passing in 1932 (and is buried in Miriam Cemetery). He is also depicted in a painting on the Freedom Rock in Franklin Park. Above is an image AI colorized/enhanced image of him in GAR gear. Below is an AI-enhanced view of his Civil War photo.
Post numbers are in the state order in which they were organized. There can not be two posts with the same name in a state, but the name can be used for posts in other states. There’s some funny quirks in the names such as South Blanchard (thus separating it from the community north if Iowa line at Blanchard) and Parnell City rather than just Parnell. Burlington Jct. reorganized but kept the same Nodaway name.
21 – Sedgwick – Maryville
30 – Nodaway – Burlington Jct (reorganized as 587)
56 – Reynolds – Graham
77 – Penfield – Barnard
109 – B.K. Davis – Hopkins
112 – Altoona – Skidmore
117 – Hardy Smith – Quitman
162 – Marshall – Elmo
260 – South Blanchard – South Blanchard
399 – Osterhaus – Clearmont
405 – Durbin A. Ward – Pickering
473 – L.W. Weathermon – Clyde
499 – John S. Miller – Guilford
517 – Parnell City – Parnell City
587 – Nodaway – Burlington Jct. (reconstituted after 30 charter surrendered)
