Major Jarvis Post, No. 12 - Claremont, NH

A picker found this rough looking charter, contained in a  21" x 26" wood frame, in a Claremont, New Hampshire barn attic and put it up for auction on Ebay, in July 2022. This damaged document once belonged to the Major Jarvis Post, No. 12, in Claremont, and bears the date of 3 Dec 1888, the third charter issued to this Post. 

First organized on 7 July 1868, they ended up disbanding after May of 1872, due to financial problems in collecting dues (even though they had 110 comrades at that time). They reorganized on 29 June 1880, the charter members being those written on the above document. A fire in Brown's Block, on the night of April 1st, 1887, wiped out the GAR Hall, along with their furniture, books, muskets, flags, etc. They built another Hall when a new block was constructed.

The NH GAR Department issued the Jarvis Post a new charter, apparently on the 3 Dec 1888 date written on the paper (instead of copying their chartered date, as many other replacements had done).

This Post was active through 1933, when it was down to only four members. They disbanded between that date and 1936.

The following twenty names were written on the charter (names as written in bold):

Hiram G. Sherman - Co. D, 35th MA INF; Co. B, 29th MA INF
J. H. (James Henry) Perkins  - Co. L, 1st NH Cavalry
William H. Ellsworth - not clear
W. H. Redfield - 16th CT INF
Cyrus E. Baker - Asst. Surg., Dept. of VA & NC
Martin V. B. Knox - Co. E, 118 NY INF; Capt., Co. E, 23rd USCT
H. H. (Harvey H) Sargent  - Co. G, 9th NH INF
John M. Southwick - Co. L, 1st NH Cavalry
H. P. (Harlan Page) Hunter  - Co. I, 14th NH INF
Jotham S. Toothaker - Co. F, 3rd NH INF; Co. D, 5th NH INF
Samuel Crowther - Co. G, 5th NH INF
H. R. (Henry R) Whipple  - Co. D, 9th VT INF
Ira Gerrey (Gerry) - Co. G, 14th NH INF
Mitchell Oliver  - Co. I, 14th NH INF 
Henry T. Freeman (middle initial actually V) - Co. E, 13th NH INF
William Judd - Co. E, 6th VT INF
T. L. (Truman L) Heath  - Co. H, 1st NH HA
William M. Whipple - Co. D, 9th VT; B, 17th US INF; B, 1st NH HA
E. S. (Elijah S) Carlton (Carleton) - Co. G, 5th NH INF; B, 10th VRC 
George W. Barnard - Co. A, 9th NH INF; 18th Co., 2 Batt'n, VRC

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This tintype of a Civil War soldier was tucked into the corner of the framed charter. Unknown who it was, but perhaps he was the Post member who last had possession of the charter.

The following clipping is from Claremont's National Eagle, dated 11 April 1891 [link to paper], and was part of an article on the GAR's 25th Anniversary. It gives in detail the 1880 reorganization of the Jarvis Post, and its elected officers.