“The following information was obtained through the assistance of Comrade Fred Diehl, late Commander of the Post”, “ Dr. John L. Hostetter Post, No. 785 was organized at Chadwick, Illinois, August 18th , 1897".

“Captain W. . Widley, P.C., of Mount Carroll, with authority from the Department Mustering Officer, assisted by Captain E. T. E. Becker, mustered the following named ex-soldiers and they selected their first officers as follows: Commander, M. H. Judd; Senior Vice Commander, D. N. McLaughlin; Junior Vice Commander, Conrad Frederick; Chaplain, Henry Sack; Quartermaster, J. R. Lamb; Surgeon, Adam Koehler; Officer of the Day, Henry Hohnadel; Officer of the Guard, John Schreiner; Adjutant, Harrison Keckler; Quartermaster Sergeant, Nicolas Miller; Sergeant Major, Henry Dambman”.

“Other charter members: Fred Diehl, P. C.; Samuel Nettleton, John Davis, John Schleining, Jesse Hill, J. H. Green, Balser Appel, David Wressell, Henry Traum, Charles D. Camp, David H. Grim, Christian Bauchman, Henry Hartman, Peter Rahn, W. B. Delano, R. H. Foster, John Everhart, George Bittner, Jerry George, Robert Graham, Conrad Schleining”.

“Past Post Commanders: M. H. Judd, Henry Sack, Harrison Keckler, Charles D. Camp, and Fred Diehl”.

“The Post was named after the late Dr. John L. Hostetter of Mount Carroll, Surgeon of 34th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in which regiment many of the comrades served through the war”. “Dr. Hostetter afterward became surgeon of the Brigade”.

“This the youngest post in the country, has had regular monthly meetings for many years, but as their numbers have decreased and the infirmities of advanced age have prevented some from attending, the meetings are held quarterly, on the fourth day of the months of January, April, and October”. “Special Meetings are held in anticipation of Decoration Day, which is always fittingly observed with appropriate services”. “Ten survivors are all that are left of the original thirty seven members”.

Membership statewide in 800 Posts in this staunchly Republican organization peaked at more than 409,000 in 1890. There were at least seven Posts within Carroll county; # 80 Mt. Carroll, # 85, Lanark, #406 Savanna, #575, Milledgeville, #597, Thompson, #646, Shannon, # 785, Chadwick. The last member from Illinois died in 1955, and the G. A. R. was discontinued in 1956.