The Cambridge of eighteen hundred and ninety-six: a picture of the city and its industries fifty years after its incorporation
Arthur Gilman, Ed.

[288] the orphaned; the aid of such as found their places in the workshop and the factory filled by others. The men who lived to fight it out were not willing to have their comrades who had touched elbows with them in the thick of the fray finish a painful existence in the almshouse, or stand with extended palm at a street corner. They believed that a grateful country would keep its promises with these men whenever an organized movement was set on foot in their behalf. So the Grand Army of the Republic was born, and once fairly established and cut loose from all political entanglements, found its mission clearly defined and pressing for attention.

Massachusetts stands tenth in the order of States to enlist in the ranks of this organization. Perhaps no one of the earlier posts entered into the spirit of the new order more heartily than did John A. Andrew Post 15 of Boston, and no Post, it is believed, had so large a suburban membership. A natural outgrowth of this situation, as the order became popular, was the withdrawal of members from the suburbs to establish new Posts in their own towns or villages. Such a withdrawal occurred under the enthusiastic lead of the late Captain J. Warren Cotton. Thus Post 30 was founded. It took the name of William H. Smart, an estimable Cambridge soldier, the first of her long list of martyrs in the war. The preliminary meetings were held at the house of Mr. Cotton, on Austin Street, and the following names appear on the charter, which was granted October 23, 1867, by Grand Commander Austin S. Cushman: J. Warren Cotton, J. A. Hildreth, E. G. Dike, A. C. Wellington, A. M. Lunt, F. A. Lull, David P. Muzzey, H. 0. Marcy, Charles Munroe, Jonas F. Capelle. Of these, all but four had been members of Post 15. The Post was instituted at Friendship Hall on Pearl Street, where it subsequently made headquarters for many years.

The first roster of officers of the Post was as follows: Commander, J. Warren Cotton; Senior Vice-Commander, Jonas F. Capelle; Junior Vice-Commander, David P. Muzzey; Adjutant, Austin C. Wellington; Quartermaster, Frederick A. Lull; Chaplain, H. O. Marcy. The commander appointed Edward G. Dike, Officer of the Day; J. A. Hildreth, Officer of the Guard; Charles Munroe, Musician; Alphonso M. Lunt, Sentinel.

About 680 veterans have been mustered into the Post; of