The William C. Jackson GAR Post # 332, Dale IN
The William C. Jackson Post No. 332
Grand Army of
the Republic, Dale, IN
1884-1925
The History of GAR Post # 332
Source: Dale Indiana Sesquicentennial, 1843-1993, by
Daryl Lovell and Ellen Winkler Rexing, 1993. Page 217.
Note: Men who served in the 42nd (or think they did) are in blue
font (company in which served was inserted by 42nd web author).
The post was organized in 1884, with C. W. Medcalf (Captain, Co. B) as the first commander. The post was named the
William C. Jackson (Corporal, Co. B, killed at Perryville, Ky.,
Oct. 8 1862 while
raising the flag of regiment in front of the enemy) Post, 332 with William Schwartz (Private, Co. H),
Commander and W.B. Musgrave (Private, Co. B), Adjutant. The members of the post in
1888, were W.B. Musgrave (Private, Co. B), John Elliott, Wesley Brown, Charles
Jones, Frank Herrich, Michael Heichelbech, William Jones (?Co. C,
promoted to 1st Lieutenant), Silas D. Kemp, William Schwartz (Private, Co. H), and
James Medcalf. On January 20, 1925, the W.C. Jackson Post
disbanded because of too few members. Members at the time of
disbanding were John Schaaf, Wm. Whitten, Elijiah Whitten, Daniel
S. Thompson, Patrick Doyle, Jacob Weller, George W. Wilsman (Private, Co. H),
and James A. Medcalf.
Another History of GAR Post # 332
Source: History
of Warrick, Spencer, Perry Counties, Indiana.
Goodspeed Bros. & Co. Publishers, 1885.
pp 360-361
Note: The text in brackets was inserted by the 42nd web
author for clarity.
In the spring of 1884 William C. Jackson Post, No. 332,
G.A.R. was organized at Dale with the following first officers: C. W. Medcalf,
P. C.; William Schwartz, S. V. C.; Samuel F. Johnson, J. V. C.; Wesley Brown, O.
of D.; M. Heichelbech, Q. M. ; James Farrow, Adj't; T. J. Johnson, Surgeon;
Lawrence Ofer, S. M. The Lodge was named for a soldier from the county who
was killed at Perryville (William C. Jackson, Corpl., Co. B, was killed at the
battle of Perryville, KY "while raising the flag of regiment in front of
the enemy." The source of this information is the Indiana State
Archives Civil War Enrollment Card Microfilm. William C. Jackson was from
Fulda, Indiana). It has been prosperous and now has a membership of
thirty-five. The present officers are Charles Jones, P. C.; W. B. Musgrave,
S. V. C.; William Schwartz, J. V. C; Fielding Summers, O. D.; Frank Heirich, O.
G.; Michael Heichelbech, Q. M.; Capt. Walters, Adj't; Dr. T. J. Johnson,
Surgeon; James Medcalf, S. M. The lodge meets twice a month in the public
school building.
According to the Indiana State Archives, Post # 332 disbanded in
1891 and reorganized in 1895. The post was permanently disbanded in
late 1925 or early 1926. See the letter from the last Post Commander, John
Schaaf, below (Source: Indiana State
Archives, Commission on Public Records).
Dale, Indiana Jan. 22, 1926
My Dear Comrade A. J. Ball,
Enclosed find receipt of the principal of Dale School, they
where glad to take those books, we had no more charter for many years. I
sent the Ritual and Service Books, by Parcel Post, our flag we turned over to
the World War Veterans. That was about all that was worth anything.
It was impossible to continue any longer, no one else would be coming (? hard to
read) and I can't see hardly anything and can't get no glasses to do me any good
and my hearing is so bad that I don't understand anything, and now my companion
died at 79 years, we were married 69 years and 4 months
Yours in Friendship, Charity,
and Loyalty, John Schaaf
Post Com. of
W. C. Jackson Post, No. 332 GAR
Note: The last surviving member of the William C. Jackson Post was George W.
Wilsman. He died on August 16,
1940. George also might have been
the last Civil War soldier to be laid to rest in Spencer County, Indiana.
His grave is located in the Campground Cemetery (also known as the Santa
Claus German Methodist Cemetery) in Santa Claus, Indiana. See also The
George Wilsman Biography Page
click on picture for larger image
Members of the G.A.R. (William C. Jackson Post,
# 332?) Dale, IN. Photo taken circa 1895(?). Caption reads: Members
of the G.A.R. in front of the brick stores on the west side of
Washington Street.
Source: Dale Indiana Sesquicentennial, 1843-1993,
by Daryl Lovell and Ellen Winkler Rexing, 1993. Page 216.
CAN ANYONE IDENTIFY THESE
MEN IN THE PICTURE ABOVE!
Members of the Dale GAR Post No. 332 at the Dale Cemetery, Circa 1895?
(click on picture for larger image)
Image courtesy of Daryl Lovell from the O. V. Brown Collection
Picture of the first touring car in Dale and members of the
Grand Army of the Republic
click on picture for larger image
Civil War Veterans, Dale IN, May 30,1911.
Caption Reads: Civil War veteran at the
corner of Main and Medcalf streets. The Dale State Bank (Now
Brooner Printing) is in the background. The picture was taken May
30, 1911, before their march to the cemetery. Front L to R:
Alexander Mills, William Wood, Michael Heichelbech, Elijah
Whitten, Wesley Brown, Ed Stone, and John Schaaf. Back: Ham
Cooper, John Ellis
(?Co. G), Dan Tompson, James Medcalf, and James Whitten. Flower
girls are riding in the car. Flower girls marched along the
graves where they would scatter flowers.
Source: Dale Indiana Sesquicentennial, 1843-1993, by
Daryl Lovell and Ellen Winkler Rexing, 1993. Page 338.
Envelope cover in celebration of the State of Indiana Sesquicentennial, 1966
Members of the Dale GAR Post No. 332 at the Dale Cemetery, Sometime After
1911
(click on picture for larger image)
Front L to R: William Wood, Elijah Whitten, John Schaaf, Alexander Mills. Back
L to R:
James Whitten, Wesley Brown, Michael Heichelbech, John Ellis, Ed Stone, Dan
Thompson, James Medcalf
Image courtesy of Daryl Lovell from the O. V. Brown Collection
