LOYAL LEGION. 



445 



On August 2, Col. E. W. Robertson, repre- 

 sentative in Congress from the sixth district, 

 died, and an election was ordered on Novem- 

 ber 1 to fill the vacancy. Col. R. M. Robert- 

 son, a Democrat, was elected at that time over 

 John Yoist, Republican, by 4,156 majority. 



LOYAL LEGION. This is an association of offi- 

 cers and honorably discharged officers of the 

 army, navy, marine corps, and volunteers, or- 

 ganized to commemorate the services, perpetu- 

 ate the memory, and afford relief to those who 

 served in the suppression of the rebellion of 

 1861-'65 (a roll of honor). Its official title is 

 MILITABY OEDEE OF THE LOYAL LEGION OF THE 

 UNITED STATES. It is purely non-sectarian and 

 non-political, and is not secret, although none 

 but Companions are permitted to be present 

 at business meetings. It had its inception in 

 Philadelphia, Pa., in the spring of 1865, the 

 three founders being Brevet-Lieut.-Col. Samuel 

 B. Wylie Mitchell, Surgeon Eighth Pennsylva- 

 nia Cavalry, Lieut.-Col. Thomas Ellwood Zell, 

 Third Battalion Pennsylvania Infantry, and 

 Capt. Peter D. Keyser, M. D., Ninety-first 

 Pennsylvania Infantry, who were subsequently 

 numbered, respectively, 1, 2, and 3 of the 

 Order. These gentlemen met in the office of 

 Lieut.-Col. Zell on the morning of April 15, 

 1865, and, after conferring over the awful ca- 

 lamity of the assassination of President Abraham 

 Lincoln, determined to call a meeting of all the 

 officers and ex-officers in the city, to express 

 their horror of the act and sympathy toward 

 the family and country, and to form a society 

 on the plan of the Society of the Cincinnati. 

 The meeting was called, and steps taken for the 

 formation of the society, from which the Order 

 grew. The first regular meeting, at which 

 Companions were elected, was held April 20, 

 and, subsequently, meetings were held July 26 

 and September 6, and later. The first accredited 

 body, the Commandery of the State of Penn- 

 sylvania, was instituted to date April 15, 1865, 

 and a constitution was adopted. Lieut.-Col. 

 Zell was elected Acting-Commander May , 

 and Brevet-Lieut.-Col. Mitchell, Secretary, 

 May 17, Acting-Recorder July 21, and Re- 

 corder November 1. The first Commander, 

 Maj.-Gen. George Cadwalader, United States 

 Volunteers, was elected Nov. 4, 1865. Since 

 April, 1865, Commanderies, one onlj for a 

 State, located in the principal city thereof, have 

 been instituted, making a total of seventeen, in 

 the order named, as follow : 



1. Commandery of the State of Pennsylva- 

 nia, instituted April 15, 1865. Headquarters, 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



2. Commandery of the State of New York, 

 instituted Jan. if, 1866. Headquarters, New 

 York city. 



3. Commandery of the State of Maine, insti- 

 tuted April 25, 1866. Headquarters, Portland, 

 Me. 



4. Commandery of the State of Massachu- 

 setts, instituted March 4, 1868. Headquarters, 

 Boston, Mass. 



5. Commandery of the State of California, 

 instituted April 12, 1871. Headquarters, San 

 Francisco, Cal. 



6. Commandery of the State of Wisconsin, 

 instituted May 15, 1874. Headquarters, Mil- 

 waukee, Wis. 



7. Commandery of the State of Illinois, insti- 

 tuted May 8, 1879. Headquarters, Chicago, 111. 



8. Commandery of the District of Columbia, 

 instituted Feb. 1, 1882. Headquarters, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



9. Commandery of the State of Ohio, insti- 

 tuted May 3, 1882. Headquarters, Cincinnati, 

 Ohio. 



10. Commandery of the State of Michigan, 

 instituted Feb. 4, 1885. Headquarters, De- 

 troit, Mich. 



11. Commandery of the State of Minnesota, 

 instituted May 6, 1885. Headquarters, St. 

 Paul, Minn. 



12. Commandery of the State of Oregon, in- 

 stituted May 6, 1885. Headquarters, Portland, 

 Oregon. 



13. Commandery of the State of Missouri, 

 instituted Oct. 21, 1885. Headquarters, St. 

 Louis, Mo. 



14. Commandery of the State of Nebraska, 

 instituted Oct. 21, 1885. Headquarters, Omaha, 

 Neb. 



15. Commandery of the State of Kansas, in- 

 stituted April 22, 1886. Headquarters, Leaven- 

 worth, Kan. 



16. Commandery of the State of Iowa, insti- 

 tuted Oct. 20, 1886. Headquarters, Des Moines, 

 Iowa. 



17. Commandery of the State of Colorado, 

 instituted June 1, 1887. Headquarters, Denver, 

 Col. 



Commandery-in- Chief, instituted Oct. 21, 

 1885. Headquarters, Philadelphia, Pa. 



These Commanderies have had such eminent 

 Commanders as Admiral David G. Farragut, U. 

 S. N.; Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, U. S. A. ; Gen. 

 William T. Sherman, U. S. A.; Maj.-Gen. 

 John M. Schofield, U. S. A. ; Maj.-Gen. Henry 

 W. Slocum, U. S. V., and Ex-President, Brevet- 

 Maj.-Gen. Rutherford B. Hayes, U. S. V. At 

 the institution of the Order, the Commandery 

 of the State of Pennsylvania was constituted 

 the Acting Commandery-in-Chief, and had as 

 its only Commanders 



1. Maj.-Gen. George Cadwalader, U. S. V., 

 elected Nov. 4, 1865. 



2. Maj.-Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, U. S. A., 

 elected June 5, 1879. 



This observance continued until Oct. 21, 

 1885, when a National Commandery was or- 

 ganized, known as the Commandery-in-Chief, 

 which has had as its only Commanders 



1. Maj.-Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, U. S. A., 

 elected Oct. 21, 1885, and upon his death, 



2. Lieut.-Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, U. S. A., 

 elected Oct. 20 T 1886. 



This is the chief executive and supreme judi- 

 cial body, and is composed of the Commanders, 

 Senior Vice-Commanders, Junior Vice-Corn- 



