Civil War creates G.A.R. Post in Dawson
This article of Civil War records was taken from the Bicentennial News written for the Dawson, Nebraska Bicentennial in 1976 by Elma Heim Griffith.
After much searching, the following records were found at the Nebraska Historical Society, Lincoln. I received a Xerox copy of all records of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Post 164, Dawson, Nebraska. Men who had served in the Civil War for the North who resided in our area were eligible to be members of this organization.
The Charter was issued July 19, 1883. Following is a list of members:
| H. L. Allen | Josiah Hoppis |
| Rollin B. Allen | B. D. Howard |
| Amaziah Ashley | Wesley G. Hummel |
| W. A. Bacon | Phillip Jenkins |
| Stephen C. Barlow | Jacob E. Johnson |
| Thomas J. Beaucham | Washington Lair |
| Hiram S. Belden | Elijah T. Libbee |
| Frank Bobbitt | Marshall L. Libbee |
| Daniel Brooks | John McManus |
| Ellis W. Buser | J. B. Messner |
| William Cade | Ben F. Miles |
| Norman Castler | Marshall Parker |
| B.S. Chittenden | Carey Pope |
| James Clancy | Michael Quinlan |
| Patrick Clancy | G. W. Richardson |
| Alonzo Cunningham | D. A. Shade |
| E. C. Dawson | Herman J. Shire |
| W. H. Day | A. R. Smutz |
| Amos E. Evans | Sam Stranathen |
| W. E. Fiesher | S. L. Umstead |
| J. P. Forsher | W. A. Way |
| J. B. Henderson | Thomas White |
| Ben Hoover | George Whitman |
The last report was made December 31, 1896. There were 46 members enrolled in Post 164, but not all were permanent residents as many moved on farther west of to other communities.
Apparently not all veterans of the Civil War joined the G.A.R. as some names were familiar in the area before the closing date of the Post. Also from the records, there seems to have been some contention among the members, which is probably normal as is the case in many groups of today’s organizations. Some of these men arrived here after the group ceased to meet yet were Civil War soldiers and veterans of that conflict. I will list those here:
| William Albright | J. W. Harbaugh |
| O. E. Bachman | Thomas E. Hosman |
| John Bacon | James K. Kelly |
| Thomas Bracelin | William L. Malone |
| Riley Bradley | David Matten |
| Robert Bradley | Lafayette Painter |
| James Brady | S. L. Redwood |
| George Casford | John Ryan |
| Thomas Coleman | Albert Schlosser |
| Jasper N. Draper | O. B. Smith |
| Lewis Draper | Frederick Stoll |
| John Fenton | W. H. Strunk |
| Thomas Guinn | Robert A. Wood |