Charles W Sawyer Post, No. 17
Dover, NH
Sawyer Post 17, G.A.R., of Dover, New Hampshire was instituted on May 17,1869 and was named after Charles W. Sawyer a Major of the 4th N.H. Volunteer Infantry. Major Sawyer was mortally wounded at the battle of Drury’s Bluff May 16,1864 and died at his brother’s home in Concord, N.H. He was a citizen of Dover and the son of the Honorable Thomas E. Sawyer.
The Post opened with 10 Charter members Charles Adams Jr., J.T.S. Libby, William H. Trickey, Moses C. Lathrop, George E. Foote, James A. Thompson, Frank Valley, George W. Littlefield, Charles F. Spurlin and Robert H. Mathes.
In 1870 the Post purchased a piece of land from Daniel Osborne near Pine Hill Cemetery, the Post laid it out into lots and sold it for cemetery purposes. The area was known as the Grand Army lot and was used for the comrades who passed and had no lot of their own.
1876 a contract was made with S.H. Foye to build a Soldiers Monument on the Grand Army lot to be 25 feet high made of marble and granite for $1,300. The monument was completed in 1877 and dedicated on the 14th of September. The dedication was a wonderful event with four bands and a drum corps, all the military of Dover and Newmarket attended, four G.A.R. Posts, the Governor and staff, the benevolent societies of Dover and thousands of citizens marched in procession to the Grand Army lot where ceremonies of dedication took place.
It was necessary in 1883 to reorganize the Post and John C. Linnehan, N.H. Department Commander did this on May 15,1883.
In 1891 the Sawyer Post was housed in the national Block on Central Ave. November 1894 there were 225 Sawyer Post members in good standing and they had a Post fund of about $3,500.
The Post opened with 10 Charter members Charles Adams Jr., J.T.S. Libby, William H. Trickey, Moses C. Lathrop, George E. Foote, James A. Thompson, Frank Valley, George W. Littlefield, Charles F. Spurlin and Robert H. Mathes.
In 1870 the Post purchased a piece of land from Daniel Osborne near Pine Hill Cemetery, the Post laid it out into lots and sold it for cemetery purposes. The area was known as the Grand Army lot and was used for the comrades who passed and had no lot of their own.
1876 a contract was made with S.H. Foye to build a Soldiers Monument on the Grand Army lot to be 25 feet high made of marble and granite for $1,300. The monument was completed in 1877 and dedicated on the 14th of September. The dedication was a wonderful event with four bands and a drum corps, all the military of Dover and Newmarket attended, four G.A.R. Posts, the Governor and staff, the benevolent societies of Dover and thousands of citizens marched in procession to the Grand Army lot where ceremonies of dedication took place.
It was necessary in 1883 to reorganize the Post and John C. Linnehan, N.H. Department Commander did this on May 15,1883.
In 1891 the Sawyer Post was housed in the national Block on Central Ave. November 1894 there were 225 Sawyer Post members in good standing and they had a Post fund of about $3,500.