The G.A.R. structured itself after the army organization its members had known as young men. This is a commission signed by John C. Black as Commander in Chief of the G.A.R. appointing Isaac Dyer as Aide-de-Camp. Black had commanded the 37^th Illinois during the war, was made a brevet brigadier general, and in 1893 was awarded the Medal of Honor for his wartime actions at Prairie Grove. He served as National Commander 1903-1904. Dyer, too, was a brevet brigadier general, having commanded the 15^th Maine during the war and very active in the G.A.R.

Dyer (1820-1913) was a native of Skowhegan, joined the 15^th Maine as Lt. Colonel in late 1861, became Colonel in September 1862 and commanded it to the end of the war. The regiment took part in Butler’s expedition against New Orleans in early 1862, transferred to West Florida later in the year, and then returned to Louisiana in mid-1863 for Banks’s campaign along the Texas Coast and his Red River Campaign of 1864. In mid-1864, as part of the 19^th Corps, they moved north, part of the regiment going to Bermuda Hundred and part to Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, where they were reunited in August at Monocacy Junction, Maryland. Posted for a time at Martinsburg, the reunited regiment, reorganized as veteran volunteers went to Washington in April and on to Georgia and South Carolina for occupation duty until 1866.

Dyer mustered out in September 1865. He received a brevet to Brigadier General as of March 1865, and reportedly had actual command of a brigade at Martinsburg in late 1864. The regiment took part in several active campaigns and expeditions, seeing action at Fort Esperanza, Sabine Crossroads, Pleasant Hill, Cane River Crossing and Mansura Plains. Dyer was well liked and very active in the G.A.R. and the regiment’s veteran association. We are proud to offer a large archive of his wartime and postwar effect preserved by the family. This has never been mounted and is in excellent condition with no tears and clear printing and graphics. Measures 23" x 18".  [sr]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!