Grand Fair by Prescott Jones Post No. 32
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
AT
Jones Hall, Wilmot Flat, Dec. 11, 12 and 13, 1883

20 grand prizes were offered, as listed on the back of the ticket. This included a "Ladies Gold Watch", valued at $40. (a $1200 value in 2021 with adjusted inflation), and a "Parlor Stove" worth $12. ($360 in 2021 rates).

The Prescott Jones GAR Post was named for 2nd. Lieut. Prescott Jones of Company E, 16th New Hampshire Infantry. Born in Wilmot, NH, he had enlisted on 2 Sept 1862 and was appointed 2nd Lt. on 4 Nov. He died of typhoid fever on 11 Jan 1863, at Carrollton, Louisiana.

On 13 Jan 1876, Post No. 32 was instituted and named in his honor. Neighboring New London Civil War veterans were members of this post until forming their own in 1885.

Prescott Jones Post No. 32, Grand Army of the Republic, Department of New Hampshire, was incorporated on 24 Aug 1887.

Located in the South Cemetery in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, on Cemetery Road. Erected in 1879 by the Harvey Holt Post, No. 15, Grand Army of the Republic.

Harvey Holt, Co. I, 2nd Regt. N.H.V.
Killed at 1st Bull Run, VA, 21 July 1861
George R. Follansbee, Co. B, 8th Regt. N.H.V.
Died of disease at Ship Island, Miss., 1 May 1862
Corp. John A. Hartshorn, Co. G, 2nd Regt N.H.V.
Killed at Williamsburg, VA, 5 May 1862
Walter Chamberlain, Co. G, 16th N.H.V.
​Died of disease at New Orleans, LA., 7 May 1863

Edward P. Ross, Co. B, 8th Regt. N.H.V.
Killed at Port Hudson, LA, 14 June 1863
Jotham P. Draper, Co. E, 8th Regt. N.H.V.
Died of disease at Baton Rouge, LA, 16 May 1863
John R. Butler, Co. G, 16th Regt. N.H.V.
Died of disease at New Orleans, LA, 28 June 1863
Corp. Eben J. Palmer, Co. G, 16th Regt N.H.V.
Died of disease at Baton Rouge, LA, 30 June 1863
Serg. William Langdell, Co. A, 14th U.S. Infantry
​Died at Andersonville Prison, GA, 25 Sept. 1864

Frederick S. Manning, Co. I, 5th N.H.V.
Killed at Gettysburg, PA, 2 July 1863
Nathan S. Harris, Co. G, 16th N.H.V.
Drowned near mouth of White River, Ark., 6 Aug. 1863
John H. Karp, Co. G, 16th Regt N.H.V.
Died of disease at Vicksburg, Miss., 10 Aug. 1863
Corp. Austin Blood, Troop C, 1st N.H. Cavalry
Died of wounds at Winchester, VA, 10 Dec. 1864
Elnathan Hodgman, Co. E, 8th Regt. N.H.V.
Died of disease at Baton Rouge, LA, 9 Jan. 1865 

The Farmers Cabinet, on Tues., 8 April 1879, reported that the monument would be made of Fitzwilliam Granite, and stand 15 feet, 6 inches high, and was supposed to be dedicated that July 4th. Owing to a disagreement as to where to erect the monument, it wasn't until Christmas Day 1879 when the dedication took place. A landowner beside the South Cemetery had donated land for the memorial.

Photos taken 7 June 2022 (S. Dow), on an overcast day.

MEMORIAL SERVICE
JOHN SEDGWICK POST
No. 4, G.A.R.
​City Hall, Keene, New Hampshire
Monday, May 30, 1932
at 2 o'clock p.m.

The Post Commander was Oliver P. Murdick (1844 - 1933), veteran of the 7th Vermont Infantry. He served over twenty years as commander of the Keene GAR Post.
​
Cleon Ellis Heald (1898 - 1986), Sons of Union Veterans, belonged to Camps No. 5 (Granite State) and Camp No. 10 (Gen. S.G. Griffin), Keene. He was Department Commander in 1926, and CinC in 1950.

The Senior Vice Commander of the Sedgwick Post was Charles Case Beedle (1945 - 1933). He had served in the 8th Vermont Infantry.

Harry Lawrence Ward, in 1932, was Commander of the Gen. S.G. Griffin Camp No. 10, in Keene.

On Tuesday evening, 11 June 1889, a Sons of Veterans Camp was instituted in the village of Colebrook, New Hampshire. Civil War veteran William B. Luey was chosen as the camp's namesake. He had enlisted on 21 Aug 1862 and was mustered in as a private on 19 Sept '62, into Co. H, 13th NH Infantry. He was wounded at Cold Harbor on 1 June 1864, and transferred into the 14th Veteran Reserve Corps on 16 Sept. He was mustered out on 28 June 1865. William died in Colebrook on the 4th of July, 1885, at age 53. A recent resident, he had lived most of his life in his native Columbia, NH.  

Below is the newspaper article from The Upper Coos Herald, 19 June 1889 (pg 1), announcing its formation:

The officers chosen that night were:
Captain Ellsworth D. Young (son of Hiram C., Co. H, 13th NH Inf)
1st Lieut. Edward E. Little (son of Eben, Co. I, 1st NH Hvy Art'y)
2nd Lieut. Samuel I. Bailey, Jr. (son of Samuel I. Sr, 18th NH Inf)

On the 8th of January, a Wed. evening, the Camp held an election, and a full roll of officers were elected and installed.

Captain Young and 1st Lieut. Little retained their ranks
2nd Lieut. Byron Bailey (son of Samuel Sr, and brother of Samuel Jr)
Chaplain John Bannister (son of George H., Co. H, 13th NH)
1st Sergt. Arthur Wilder Buffington (s/o Charles A., Co. I, 1st NH H.A.)
QM Frank F. Hicks (son of Elisha P., 5th Maine Light Artillery)
Color Sgt. Charles H. Tewksbury (son of Henry, Co. L, 1st NH H.A.)
Sgt. of Guard George D. Cleaveland (son of William H, 1st ME Cav)
Principal Musician Benjamin J. Abbott (son of George B., 13th NH)
Cpl of Guard Orlando E. Forristall (son of Jesse, Co. I, 1st NH H.A.)
Camp Guard Fred I. Buffington (son of Charles A, Co. I, 1st NH H.A.)
Picket Guard Claude Jordan (son of Austin A., Co. I, 1st NH H.A.)
Camp Council: Charles S. Jordan (son of Charles, Co. D, 5th NH), Orlando E. Forristall (above) and Irving Hicks (son of Levi O., Co. B, 2nd NH and Co. I, 13th NH)

The camp was still active in 1895, mentioned in The News and Sentinel on 10 Oct.

I purchased this 5" X 8" photo back in 2019, the seller having advertised it as "Ca. 1870s GAR Veterans Group Civil War Manchester NH". The photographer (on reverse) was J.C. Cutler of Manchester, NH.

This Camp had been organized on 18 May 1888 and, the following February, Col. Holt himself presented a silk flag to the Camp, with their name, number, and the Division inscribed upon it.

The location where this photograph was taken was clearly not in Lyndeborough. The neighboring towns were searched in old pictures and on Google Street View, to try and find the buildings in the background, if they even still existed (hint: they don't). The clue to solving this was the name on the building to the left: Willia-- --anders. The search was on for anyone in NH named Anders, Sanders, or Flanders who dealt in livery (also on the signage). The "Boa" on the store front, which I thought had stood for boat (and threw me way off for a year), was for boarding. 

I eventually came across a William O. Flanders of Nashua, NH, who ran a boarding and livery stable there. While he relocated several times within the city, for a time he was operating at Railroad Square. Using an 1885 Sanborn Insurance Map of Nashua, all was solved.

Railroad Square it was, with the Brothers standing on the green where a bandstand would be built soon after (blue star). Flanders (without Whitney) was here through 1891 (City Dir), and was on Thayer's Court by 1893. The date of this photo, therefore, would be placed between 1889 and 1891. Considering the fact that Nashua held its dedication for the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Tues., Oct. 15th, 1889, it seems possible this picture was taken on this day, as it was a huge event, and dozens of GAR Posts attended (SUV Camps weren't mentioned by name in the write-ups, except for the Nashua one). Other Sons of Veterans can be seen walking in the background, and many buildings adorn American flags, so there was some kind of celebration going on in town. 

None of the buildings exist today. Below is a circa 1910 postcard of Railroad Square that shows most of the  buildings still standing, except for the smaller livery/stable, replaced by the Stearns Building ca 1902.The buildings circled can be seen in the 1889 photo.