The following is derived from
George Reeser Prowell's
History of Camden County, N.J.
published in 1886

The Grand Army of the Republic

All honorably discharged soldiers and sailors who have served in the army or navy of the United States are entitled to membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. In this respect it is the first organization of its kind effected in this country or elsewhere. Soon after the close of the Revolution, army societies were formed which were composed of commissioned officers and their descendants.

The most prominent of these was the famous Society of the Cincinnati, which still has an existence. Army and corps organizations of the War of 1812 and of the Mexican War have existed for social and convivial purposes but none of these societies named have been based on the principle of mutual aid in time of need, or comprehended purposes so exalted as those embraced in the declaration of the Grand Army of the Republic, namely, " Fraternity, charity, loyalty." This society, whose purpose is to band together the men who wore the blue during the war, originated in the West. To Colonel B. F. Stephenson, M.D., of Springfield, Illinois, is given the credit of being the first person who formulated the plans of its noble aims. The first post was organized at Dakota, Illinois, in 1866. The idea of extending the organization was communicated to many army associates. A State Department Encampment was organized in Illinois on the 12th of July, 1866, under Colonel Stephenson. In the month of November of the same year a National Encampment was organized at Indianapolis, with representatives present from nearly all the Northern States. These encampments have been held annually since then, in various localities of the Union. The State became divided into districts, and the organization of posts was exceedingly rapid. Six months after the date of the formation of the society forty thousand men through the Northern States were enrolled as members. The first department organization in the State of New Jersey was effected in the month of January, 1868. The membership of the order in this State in 1884 was reported at five thousand two hundred and seventy-nine. The entire membership in the United States for the same year was two hundred and thirty-three thousand five hundred and ninety-five. Its membership is now estimated at three hundred thousand, more than one-fourth of the survivors of the war.

Under the auspices of the order thousands of camp-fires, fairs, reunions and banquets have been held. These revive the sufferings and sacrifices and recall the unwritten history of the war. At these meetings no rank is recognized, save that conferred by the order, and any member is eligible to any position in its gift.

The history of various posts now existing in the city and county of Camden are here given, according to the date organization.

The following is derived from
George Reeser Prowell's
History of Camden County, N.J.
published in 1886

WILLIAM B. HATCH POST No. 37, of Camden, was instituted and chartered November 25, 1879, with eighty-one members and the following named Post officers:

Post Commander, John E. Grubb ; Senior Vice-Commander, Richard J. Robertson; Junior Vice-Commander, Daniel J. Fullen ; Surgeon, Thomas G. Rowand, M.D.; Chaplain, John Quick ; Officer of the Day, John A. Dall; Officer of the Guard, Edmund G. Jackson, Jr.; Quartermaster, Christopher J. Mines, Jr.; Adjutant, Benjamin J. Pierce; Sergeant-Major, William A.Tattern; Quartermaster-Sergeant, William B. E. Miller.

At the first meeting of the Post it was decided by a unanimous vote to name it in honor of the late Colonel William B. Hatch, of the Fourth Regiment. When Mrs. C. Hatch, the mother of the colonel was informed that the post had honored the memory of her son by naming it after him, she sent to the Post the following response :

Camden N. J.,
November 26th, 1879

 John E. Grubb, Post Commander

Dear Sir,
                It will afford me much pleasure to be identified with Post 37, G. A. E., named in honor of my son, William B. Hatch, by allowing me to present to the same its colors. The memory of my son is ever dear to me, and, while at the same moment I may have thought the sacrifice too great an affliction, yet I was consoled by the fact that I gave him up that this Union might be preserved. It was duty and patriotism that called him, and while I mourn him as a mother for a well-beloved son, yet I would not have stayed him, for the love of country and the upholding of this glorious Republic is what every mother should instill into her sons, as the purest and holiest spirit.

Yours truly,

C. Hatch

The following is a complete roster of this post for 1886 :

Post Commander, Benjamin H. Connelly; Senior Vice-Commander, Adam C. Smith ; Junior Vice-Commander, William Haegele; Surgeon, George Pfau ; Chaplain, Samuel Gaul; Officer of the Day, Robert Crawford ; Officer of the Guard, John D. Cooper; Quartermaster, Samuel J. Fenner; Adjutant, William B. Summers; Sergeant-Major, Stacy H. Bassett; Quartermaster-Sergeant, Otto K. Lockhart.

Comrades: Philip Achenbach, George L. Allchin, Isaac Albertson, Joseph Applegate, John W. Barclay, Martin M. Barney, Joseph Baxter, William W. Bennett, Charles L. Bennett, Henry Bickering, Abel Biddle, George K. Biddle, John Bieri, Robert M. Bingham, Socrates T. Bittle, George W. Bittle,  Benjamin F. Blizzard, Joseph Borton, Frederick Bowers, Benjamin M. Braker, John Breyer, William H. Brians, Wm. J. Broadwater, William Broadwater, John Brown, Harris Brooks, William H. Brooks, Joseph F. Bryan, Joseph Buddew, J. Q. Burniston, George Burton,  Frederick Buser, Thomas L. Bush,  William Butcher, Isaac B. Buzby, Edward C. Cattell, Joseph Cameron,  James H. Carey, William Carey, James Chadwick, James Chafey, George M. Chester, James D. Chester, Lewis L. Chew, Henry S. Chew, John W. Churn,  Andrew B. Cline, Charles Clarke, Samuel J. Cook, Levi E. Cole, John J. Collins, John C. Cooper, John W. Cotner, Thomas L. Conly, Harvey M. Cox, Jason S. Cox, Harris Crane, Charles Cress, Joel G. Cross, O. C. Cunningham, John A. Dall, John Dalby, John H. Damon, Westley Dare, John E. Dawson, Adam T. Dawson, James L. Davis, William Davis, Amos E. Dease, Henry Deford, Lewis F. Derousse, Michael Devinney, Glendora Devo, John Digney, Joseph Dilks, William A. Dobbins, George W. Dunlap, Aaron B. Eacritt, John J. Early, Christopher Ebele, Godfrey Eisenhart, John Elberson, Charles Elwell, Charles Eminecker, John Esler, John H. Evans, Charles S. Fackler, James Fanington, James A. Farraday, John H. Farry, John Faughey, Wm. H. Fenlin, George G. Felton, George W. Ferguson, Charles W. Fish, Israel L. Fish, James Finnan, Samuel B. Fisher, Edward L. Fisher, Ephraim B. Fithian, Jacob T. Fisher, Edward Fitzer. Samuel Flock, Leonard Flor, John Fox, John S. Fox, H. H. Franks, Chas. B. Frazer, Thomas J. Francis, Samuel W. Gahan, Chas. H. Gale, James Galbraith, Thomas Garman, Harry Garren, John W. Garwood, Josiah Garrison, John B. Gaskill, Richard Gaunt, Wm. German, Christopher Getsinger, Christopher Gifney, Jacob Giffens, Albert Gilbert, James Gillen, Wm. Giffins, C. C. Greany, Charles Green, W. H. Griffin, Louis Grosskops, William Grindrod, John B. Grubb, Mark H. Guest, John Guice, Alfred Haines, Charles G. Haines, Japhet Haines, George F. Hammond, Charles Hall, Solon B. Hankinson, Samuel P. Hankinson, James Hanson, Charles Hannans, H. A. Hartranft, Mahlon E. Harden, William F. Harper, George W. Hayter, Samuel B. Harbeson, J. T. Hazleton, H. Heinman, James Henderson, William H. Heward, Franklin Hewitt, James T. Hemmingway, Charles Hewitt, Edward K. Hess, Samuel B. Hickman, George Higgens, Ephraim Hillman, C. M. Hoagland, Gaudaloupe Holl, William A. Holland, Isaac K. Horner, Count D. G. Hogan, William H. Howard, Baxter Howe, Alien Hubbs, Charles G. Hunsinger, Presmel D. Hughes, I. N. Hugg, Sebastian Hummell, Edward Hutchinson, C. Innes, Alfred Ivins, Benjamin Ivins, E. G. Jackson Sr., E. G. Jackson Jr., Thomas Jameson, George Jauss, William P. Jenkins, James L. Johnson, Alfred Jones, B. F. Jones, William Joline, Charles Joseph, Charles Justice, C. H. Kain, E. E. Kates, Benjamin Kebler, Frank Kebler, Peter Keen, Henry N. Killian, J. W. Kinsey, C. H. Knowlton, Thomas W. Krips, Joseph H. Large, John E. Leake, John Lecroy, Charles Leonhart, George W. Locke, E. J. Long, Charles L. Lukens, J. H. Lupton, Valentine Machemer, Edward Macloskey, Edward A. Martin, William P. Marsh, John Mapes, William Mead, William Metcalf, E. A. Meyer, C. Meyers, George Meilor, C. A. Michener, William B. E. Miller, Jacob Miller, W. D. Miller, Samuel Mills, William W. Mines, Christopher J. Mines, George Molesbury, William. Moran, Edward More, Richard Morgan, John F. Moore, S. H. Moyer, Jacob L. Morton, John Muir, John J. Murphy, Isaac Murray, Charles Myers, W. H. McAllister, James McCracken, Edward C. McDowell, Hugh McGrogan, H. M. Mcllvaine, W. F. McKillip, W.J.McNeir, Lewis McPherson, E. McPherson, Jacob Naglee, William Naphas, Antonio Nosardi, Robert O'Keefe, John S. Owens, Robert Owens, Edward H. Pancoast, James Pancoast, Robert B. Patterson, William Patterson, E. W. Pease, John B. Pepper, Joel Perrine, John Peterson, D. E. Peugh, Frederick Phile, Samuel B. Pine, William M. Pine, Adon Powell, John Powell, John Portz, J. B. Prucelle, John Quick, S. E. Radcliffe, I. C. Randolph, James A. Regens, Philip Reilly, Charles P. Reynolds, Alexander Rhodes, Benjamin F. Richard, Andrew Ridgway, Benjamin Robbins, Edward C. Roberts, James Roberts, Richard J. Robertson, William B. Robertson, Isaac Rogers, John Rogers, William H. Rogers, Thomas G. Rowand, Sebastian Schaub, Maurice Schmidt, Christian K. Schallers, James Schofield, George W. Scott, John E. Scott, John M. Shemelia, Edward M. Siemers, John Simmons, Benjamin F. Shinn, Thomas Sheeran, James Shield, Charles Smith, George H. Smith, William W. Smith, Charles S. Small, Adolph Snow, W. Souder, Francis Senders, Robert Sparks, David C. Sprowl, Alfred L. Sparks, Abraham Springer, George W. Stewart, William L. Stevenson, Thomas G. Stephenson, Samuel R. Stockton, Thomas Stockton, Thomas H. Stone, Henry Strick, E. J. Strickland, Charles String, George F. Stull, George W. Swaney, Crosby Sweeten, William F. Tarr, William A. Tatem, Thomas S. Tanier, G. R. Tenner, Charles L. Test, Leonard Thomas, Benjamin Thomas, Henry C. Thomas, George F. Thorne, Wesley Thorn, Thomas W. Thornely, Alexander W. Titus, Joseph Tompkins, J. E. Troth, Isaac C. Toone, Samuel Tyier, Jacob M. Van Nest, Albert Vansciver, Joseph Wakeman, Theodore F. Walker, Charles Walton, George Walton, Joseph Welsh, David Watson, George W. Wentling, Edward West, Elmer M. West, George Weyman, Wilmer Whillden, James Whittaker, Samuel Wickward, Calvin T. Williams,  George W. Williams,  William H. Williams, John Williams, Samuel Winner, Amos P. Wilson, D.H. Wilson, G.A. Wilson, Richard Wilson, George Wispert, John W. Wood, Joseph Woodfield, Walter Wolfkill, E. W. Wolverton, Elijah Worthington, C. M. Wright, George B. Wright, Henry S. Wright, Wesley T. Wright, William Zane. 

As of 1886, the Hatch Post met every Thursday evening in their own G. A. R. Hall, on Stevens Street, below Fifth Street. This same building had been used in the late 1870s as the original home of the congregation that formed the Tabernacle Baptist Church. The Hatch Post was affiliated with Hatch League No. 2, of the Loyal Ladies League, their auxiliary, which met at the Post Hall.

Thomas W. Thornley, 89, of 4315 Volney Avenue, Merchantville, is shown drinking the "last man's toast" for the William B. Hatch Post No. 37, Grand Army of the Republic. The only other member to survive until Sunday was Frederick K. Phile, 88, of 618 North Connecticut Avenue, Atlantic City, who died then. Thornley sounded the gavel, called the roll, lowered the flag, drank the toast and became a member of the G.A.R. at large yesterday. The books of the club go to the Sons of Veterans unit of the post. 

Last Name

First Name

Mid.

Regt.

Birth 

Death 

Buried

Rank

Achenbach

Phillip

Adams

Theodore

F.

Albertson

Isaac

Allchin

George

L.

Allen

E.

L.

Applegate

Ashley

Aurther

D.

Barclay

John

W.

Barney

Martin

M.

Barrett

George

Bassett

Stacy

H.

Bateman

Frank

Bauer

Frederick

Baxter

Jos.

Bennett

Chas.

L.

Bennett

William

Bickering

Henry

Biddle

Abel

Biddle

George

K.

Bieri

John

B.

Co L 4 NJ Vol

09/30

Pvt

Bingham

George

A.

Bingham

Robert

M.

Bittle

George

W.

Bittle

Socrates

Blizzard

Benjamin

F.

Borton

Joseph

Bouden

John

Co E 1 NJ

12/18

Pvt

Bowers

Frederick

Braker

Benjamin

M.

Breyer

John

Brains

William

H.

Broadwater

William

Broadwater

Wm.

Brooks

Harris

Brooks

William

H.

Brown

John

Bryan

Joseph

F.

Buddew

Joseph

Burnett

Chas.

1891

Burniston

J.

Q.

Burton

George

Buser

Frederick

Bush

Thomas

L.

Butcher

Samuel

T.,

Butcher

W.

A.

Butler

Thaddeus

P.

Buzby

Isaac 

B.

Cameron

Joseph

Carey

James

H.

Carey

William

Carter

Daniel

A.

Cattell

Edward

C.

Cavanaugh

Benj.

Chadwick

James

Chafey

James

Cherry

John

Chester

George

M.

Chester

James

D.

Co K 4 NJ

01/06

Pvt

Chew

Henry

S.

Chew

Lewis

L.

Chum

John

W.

Clark

Charles

Cline

Andrew

B.

Cole

Levi

E.

Coles

Joseph

Collins

John

J.

1891

Collins

Oliver

K.

Co F 4 NJ Vol

09/05

Pvt

Conly

Thomas 

L.

Connelly

B.

H.

Cooper

John

C.

Co A 71 PA Vol

11/05

Pvt

Cooper

R.

J.

Cotner

John

W.

Cox

Harvey

M.

Cox

Jason

S.