Civil War Veterans Clash with Custom House Over Flag Display
Grand Army of the Republic members in Olympia vow to hold federal officials accountable after an alleged failure to fly the American flag on Memorial Day.
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At the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) encampment in Olympia, veterans adopted a stinging resolution regarding the local Federal civil service. The resolution noted 'with mingled feelings of surprise, humiliation and indignation' the absence of the national flag at the customs district headquarters on Memorial Day. The veterans denounced this as 'unworthy of American citizenship' and an insult to the memory of the dead, demanding that the national government rebuke the offenders to forestall future repetition. The encampment, which saw 2,000 people gather for a clambake at Butler’s Cove, served as a powerful reminder of the influence the G.A.R. held over local civic life in the late 19th century.
“We denounce the failure as unworthy of American citizenship, an insult to the memory of the heroic dead.”
This dispute illustrates how veterans’ groups in the late 1800s acted as the moral custodians of civic life, particularly concerning national symbols. Today, these same debates over 'flag etiquette' and who has the right to claim patriotism remain a volatile element in American political discourse.
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