The history of Rhode Island Grand Army of the Republic, Arnold Post No. 4 is an on-gong project of RI SUVCW Elisha Dyer Camp No.7.     At this time we are working to recover as much Post 4 material including Post 4 records and proceedings, as we can.     As we are able to further research the history of Arnold Post 4 and its membership we will edit this page and page 3 to include more information.     We ask all our readers and Post 4 member descendants to e-mail us copies of photographs of your Post 4 Veteran ancestors, so we can include them on this page to help tell the story of Providence Rhode Island Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), Captain William A. Arnold Post No. 4---"The Grand Old Fellows In Blue".

      The Union Steam Sloop, USS Lackawanna, a medium class war vessel, attached to the Union West Gulf Blockade Squadron: Length: 201 feet; Draft: 14 feet 3 inches; Weight: 1550 tons,
Number of Guns: 7 (3 starboard, 3 port and one pivot gun forward); Type of Ordnance: 32 pounders; Crew: 163 Officers, (Tars) Sailors and Marines; Top Speed: 11 knots; Sister Ship, the USS Kearsarge, which sunk the Confederate Commerce Raider CSS Alabama off the coast of France.     See Rhode Island's Own---RI MOLLUS War Papers, for the story about the Kearsarge and the Alabama.

      From 1877 to 1909, Post 4 had no permanent GAR Hall or meeting place.     The men met in various locations in down town Providence on Waybossette Street, Washington Street and Benevolent Street.     On February 15, 1909, the R.I. Department GAR resolved an agreement with the R.I. State Trustees of the Old Arsenal building at 176 Benefit Street in Providence.     The agreement was signed by R.I. Governor Charles Lippitt, allowing Post 4 to permanently hold its meetings and secure its property at the Old Arsenal, which was also the headquarters of the R.I. Dept. GAR as well as RI GAR Prescott Post 1, Arnold Post 4, Slocum Post 10, Rodman Post 12, Ives Post 13, Browne Post 25, the R.I. Division of the Sons of Veterans USA (RI Dept. SUVCW), the WRC, the LGAR, the DUVCW, the ASUVCW, RI SUVCW Elisha Dyer Camp No.7 and RI ASUVCW Elisha Dyer Auxiliary No.2.

      During its 53 year life as an entity of the RI Dept. GAR, Arnold Post 4 members were some of the most interesting men in the State.     For example: During the war, Captain George H. Pettis (shown above at the Battle of Adobe Walls) commanded the 1st California Cavalry Regiment, which was deployed to the New Mexico Territory to join "The Fighting Parson", Colonel John M. Chivington's 1st Colorado Infantry and 3rd Colorado Cavalry.     Together they pushed all the Rebel Forces back in to Texas and secured the entire Arizona-New Mexico region for Mr. Lincoln.     Later Chivington reformed his small Union Army and Captain Pettis became his Adjutant.     On November 29, 1864, Pettis, under Chivington, led his cavalry column of Chivington's regiments against the Cheyenne Indian Camp of Chief Black Kettle at the Battle of Sand Creek, killing 133 Indians, to Pettis, a sad and distasteful action.     Chief Black Kettle displayed an American Flag on his lodge to protect his village against the possibility of a mistaken attack by Union Soldiers.     He also displayed a white flag of truce when the battle started to try to indicate that he and his people were not hostile Indians.     Chivington hated all Native Americans and wanted to destroy as many as he could find in the territory he commanded.     The battle was in reality a disgusting massacre and Chivington was later relieved of duty for his crime against the Cheyenne at Sand Creek.     Pettis, who testified against Chivington, remained at his post in the west until the end of the Civil War.     He like several Rhode Islanders had journeyed west to California prior to the war to seek his fortune and explore the western frontier of America before it was settled.     He resigned the military and relocated back to Providence, Rhode Island in the 1870s.     In 1897, Pettis was elected Commander of RI GAR Arnold Post No.4.     You can view some of the Native American war time artifacts Pettis gave the the RI GAR/SUVCW at the Benefit Street Arsenal.

      On July 1st through 3rd, 1938, the only Rhode Island Civil War Veteran who was able to attend the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg was James C. Hubbard.     He was the only Rhode Island representative able to attend.     Hubbard was a member of R.I. GAR Lawton-Warren Post 5, located in Newport.     He was among the contingent of the Union "Grand Old Fellows in Blue" to reach across the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge to shake the hands of the Confederate Veterans as a memorial to all their comrades, and to show the people of the nation the wounds of the Civil War were finally healed between the men who actually struggled and died at Gettysburg for the cause of freedom.

      The images above left to right are: Left, RI GAR Department Commander George L. Greene, a descendant of RI Major General Nathanael Greene of the Revolution, second only to George Washington. Camp 7 Chaplain Rev. Raymond J. Ferrick is a direct descendant of Commander Greene. The middle image is RI GAR Department Commander Frederick Arnold, who served with Elisha Hunt Rhodes through all of the Civil War in the 2nd RI Volunteer Infantry. Arnold was the last commander of Company D. The Right image, is RI GAR Department Commander Charles H. Bullock. The photo was taken by the Providence Journal while Commander Bullock presided over a RI GAR Department Encampment held at the Benefit Street Arsenal in Providence. He was the last elected RI GAR Department Commander and Camp 7 Sr. Vice Camp Commander Paul F. Cairrao is a direct descendant of Bullock.