The Source

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States: War Papers (MOLLUS)

By Michael K. Shaffer · Originally published April 2018 · p. 10

“The flag of the 93d had passed through many battles and only a remnant remained, but it was more precious to us than when it was first intrusted to our keeping. The morning after the battle…I found that but a single star remained of the flag.” Captain Joseph T. Patton, formerly of the 93rd Ohio Infantry Regiment, recounted his unit’s participation in the May 27, 1864, Battle of Pickett’s Mill. Patton, along with many other companions in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, discussed various wartime experiences during the monthly meetings of their respective state commanderies.

What eventually grew to number the second most extensive organization for Federal veterans (behind the larger Grand Army of the Republic), the Loyal Legion traced their roots to April 15, 1865, in Philadelphia. Three former officers assembled the day following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and decided to serve as an honor guard for the fallen president. After their first meeting about a month later, the group began formalizing the foundation of the organization. Three classes of individuals could gain membership in the Loyal Legion. Officers who had served honorably during the Civil War, either in the Army, Navy, or Marines Corps. A secondclass designation allowed the first-born sons of each officer to participate, and a third-class opened membership to civilians who had worked tirelessly to support the Northern war effort. During their monthly meetings, various members addressed their local commanderies, often sharing accounts of their involvement during the war. Most of the veterans geared their comments for a general audience, as they recollected events, in most cases, many years after they occurred. Despite the passing time, and the intended audience, the collections in the MOLLUS Papers provide insight into various battles not found elsewhere. Initially, the commanderies published the better lectures as individual pamphlets. Eventually, as the collection grew, the consolidation of talks over the years produced bound-volumes. Known commonly today as MOLLUS or the MOLLUS Papers, this source provides unique accounts from the war, and many volumes contain maps to accompany the narrative. In the 1990s, Broadfoot Publishing reprinted the entire set and added a four-volume index. The first two volumes of the Broadfoot set, unnumbered, consist of ‘Biographical Sketches of Contributors,’ and ‘Companions.’ The second volume offers hundreds of photographs of the various members. (See the sample.) The collected papers from the commanderies appear in the following order. Ohio, volumes 1-9; Illinois, 10-13D; Missouri, vol. 14; Kansas, 15; Maine, volumes 16-19; New York, 2023; Indiana, 24; Nebraska, 25; Minnesota, 26-31; Rhode Island, 32-41; District of Columbia, 4245; Wisconsin, 46-49; Michigan, 50-51; Massachusetts, 52-54; Iowa, 55-56; Vermont, 57; Pennsylvania, 58-59; California and Oregon, volume 60; and a four-volume index completes the Broadfoot set. This month, beginning with Ohio, and continuing into the future, this column will provide the table of contents for each volume in the MOLLUS collection. Hopefully, this will assist researchers with a listing of the valuable material available in this source. Digitized-versions exist online at the organization’s website: http://suvcw.org/mollus/ warpapers/warpapers.htm (also check http://suvcw.org/mollus/ molid.htm) and at the Internet Archives, http://bit.ly/2EVfpPC. Those researchers wishing to purchase the MOLLUS set may do so at Broadfoot Publishing, http://www.broadfootpublishing. com. Remember to check WorldCat http://www.worldcat. org for help in finding the Papers in a local library; search ISBN 1568370016. Although somewhat scarce, a few libraries in the U.S. hold this collection. Historian William Marvel noted in his 1991 introduction to the Broadfoot set, “Devotees of Bruce Catton and Bell Wiley will find old friends and familiar stories here, and the resurrection of the Legion library cannot fail to reinvigorate the subject for another generation.” Please enjoy this source and continued success in researching the Civil War!

MOLLUS Title Page.

Sample Illustration Page from MOLLUS.

Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author, lecturer, and instructor, who remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians. Readers may contact him at [email protected], or to request speaking engagements via his website www. civilwarhistorian.net. Follow Michael on Facebook www. facebook.com/michael.k.shaffer and Twitter @michaelkshaffer.