644 



PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES IN THE UNITED STATES. 



fore admitted in such military societies and their 

 proper descendants; and the proper descendant* of 



the veteran delegates to the national conventions of 

 the soldiers of the War of iM-j, held respectively in 

 the fity of Philadelphia on .Ian. '., 1854, and in the 

 city of Washington on Jan. 8, 1855: Provided, The 

 actual military or sea service of the original member 

 or propositus from whom descent is derived was such 

 as would have made him eligible to original member- 

 ship in this institution. 



There are less than 100 members, including 

 surviving veterans. The annual meeting is held 

 on -Jan. 8, the anniversary of the battle of New 

 Orleans; and the Board of Aldermen of New 

 York city have by special resolution granted to 

 this society the use of the Governor's room in 

 City Hall for such meetings in perpetuity. In 

 the accomplishment of its purposes this society 

 has collected a large number of valuable docu- 

 ments relating to the war, which it will eventu- 

 ally cause to be published. Its officers are: 

 President and Commandant, Rev. Morgan Dix ; 

 Vice-President and Lieutenant Colonel, Asa B. 

 Gardiner; Secretary and Adjutant, Henry Chaun- 

 cey, Jr. The colors of the society are red and 

 blue. Its badge, No. 5, and its rosette, No. 5a, 

 are shown in the plate. 



Aztec Club of 1847. This society has for 

 its object 



To keep alive the traditions that cluster about the 

 names of those officers of the army, navy, and marine 

 corps who took part in the Mexican War of 1846-'48. 



It was founded in the City of Mexico, Oct. 13, 

 1847, and incorporated in the District of Colum- 

 bia on Dec. 29, 1892. It admits to membership 

 The officers who inaugurated the Aztec Club in the 

 city of Mexico on Oct. 13, 1847, 01 those who were 

 eligible as officers ; and, in addition, "to provide for 

 the continuance of the club in conformity with the 

 resolution of September, 1874, each primary member 

 admitted upon personal application may nominate as 

 his successor his son or a blood relative, who during 

 the life of the primary shall be known as an associate 

 member, and entitled to all the privileges of the club 

 except that of voting, and upon the death of the 

 primary shall be entitled as his representative to full 

 membership." 



On its rolls are the names of 230 persons. The 

 Aztec Club holds annual meetings on Oct. 13 

 each year, which it celebrates with a banquet. 

 It has a large collection of photographs, maps, 

 historical facts, etc., and it also publishes his- 

 torical monographs. Its officers are : President, 

 John P. Hatch: Vice-President and Treasurer, 

 DeLancey Floyd-Jones; Secretary, Horatio G. 

 Gibson ; Assistant Secretary, Mark B. Hatch. 

 The colors are those of Mexico red, green, and 

 white and the rosette, No. 8, is shown in the 

 plate. The badge is shown at No. 8a. 



Among the survivors of the civil war there has 

 been orgaiii/cd a military society known as the 

 Military Order of the Loyal Legion, in which 

 membership is restricted to officers who were 

 actually engaged in the suppression of the rebel- 

 lion, and their eldest male descendants. (See 

 "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1887, page 445.) 

 There are also special societies of the members 

 of various armies, as the Society of the Army of 

 the Potomac, Society of the Army of the Cum- 

 berland, Society of the Army of the James, So- 

 ciety of the Army of West Virginia, and Society 

 of the Army of the Tennessee. Mention must 



also be made of the Grand Army of the Repub- 

 lic: the Union Veteran Legion (see "Annual 

 Cyclopaedia," vol. xii, page 322), composed of 

 those who " volunteered prior to July 1, 1803, 

 for a term of three years"; the Regular Army 

 and Navv Union, composed of honorably dis- 

 charged ex-members of the regular army : Navy 

 and Marine Corps of the United States'; Medal 

 of Honor Legion, composed of those who during 

 the civil war were awarded medals of honor (see 

 "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1887, page 463); and 

 the Sons of Veterans, composed of "lineal de- 

 scendants over twenty-one years of age of honor- 

 ably discharged soldiers, sailors, or marines who 

 served in the late civil war." Besides the fore- 

 going, there are two important naval organiza- 

 tions, viz., the Naval Order of the United States, 

 analogous to the Cincinnati, and the Loyal Le- 

 gion, being limited to commissioned officers and 

 their descendants and such enlisted men as were 

 decorated with the United States medal of honor 

 (its badge is shown at No. 11, and its button at 

 No. lla. in the plate), and the National Associa- 

 tion of Naval Veterans, composed of those who 

 served during the period of the civil war. 



The Military and Naval Order of the 

 United States. The following declaration 

 shows the object of the society : 



Whereas, In the providence of God, victory crowned 

 the efforts of the forces engaged in establishing and 

 maintaining the principles contended for by the 

 American colonies, and, later, by the United States of 

 America, in the conflicts known as the War of the 

 Revolution, the War with Tripoli, the War of 1812, 

 and the Mexican War, against foreign foes, the Mili- 

 tary and Naval Order of the United States has been 

 instituted to honor and perpetuate the names of brave 

 and loyal men; to keep in mind the memory of their 

 glorious deeds and the victories which they helped 

 to gain; to strengthen the ties of fellowship among 

 the companions of the order; to foster the cultivation 

 of military and naval science ; and to maintain na- 

 tional honor, union, and independence. 



It was instituted on Dec. 27, 1894. and incor- 

 porated on Jan. 15. 1895. There were 20 origi- 

 nal members representing the various wars men- 

 tioned, and since a large number have joined the 

 order. The eligibility clause is as follows: 



Any male person above the age of twenty-one 

 years, a citizen of the United States, of good moral 

 character and reputation, shall be eligible to compan- 

 ionship in this order, upon further qualifying as here- 

 inafter provided. Members shall be known as " com- 

 panions," and shall be either "veteran companions " 

 or "hereditary companions." Veteran companions 

 shall be commissioned officers in the army, navy, or 

 marine corps of the United States, or honorably dis- 

 charged therefrom, who did active field, garrison, or 

 naval duty in any of the wars hereafter designated, 

 as a soldier, sailor, or marine in the service of one of 

 the States or of the United States ; and also persons 

 who did such active field, garrison, or naval duty in 

 any of said wars as commissioned officers therein, 

 and who received their commissions by direct act of 

 either Federal or State authority and who were hon- 

 orably discharged from service. Hereditary compan- 

 ions shall be the direct male lineal descendants, in 

 the male line, of any veteran companion; Provided, 

 That in case any veteran companion has no direct 

 male lineal descendant, he shall have the privilege 

 of nominating as his representative and successor a 

 brother or a nephew of the same family name; and 

 also the direct male lineal descendants, in the male 

 line, of a commissioned officer, as the propositus, who 

 performed active field, garrison, or naval duty as a 



