Grand Army of the Republic

This medal commemorates the 100th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The inscription seen here, “With malice toward none, with charity for all” is from Lincoln’s second inaugural address and also appears on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Grand Army of the Republic, which sponsored this medal, was a fraternal organization of Union veterans established in Illinois after the Civil War and disbanded in 1956. The GAR assisted veterans’ widows and children, lobbied for pensions and housing for veterans, and inaugurated the observance of Memorial Day.