This is a list of Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) posts in Kentucky, United States. The G.A.R. Department of Kentucky was officially organized January 17, 1883.Grand Army of the Republic. Dept. of Kentucky. Proceedings of the 1st Annual Encampment (Leitchfield, KY: s.n.), 1883.
Over 100,000 Kentuckians, including 23,703 African Americans, served in the Union Army or the Union Navy during the Civil War, compared to over 40,000 soldiers who served in Kentucky Confederate regiments.Speed, Thomas (et al.). The Union Regiments of Kentucky (Louisville: Courier-Journal Job Printing Co.), 1897. The number of African American soldiers from Kentucky is second only to the numbers recruited in Louisiana.
Very soon after the war, popular sentiment in the Commonwealth turned toward the "Lost Cause" ideology, largely as a result of the return of prominent former-Confederates to positions within the state and local governments. Regardless, Kentucky had a very active G.A.R. organization and the 29th National Encampment of the G.A.R. was held in Louisville September 11–13, 1895, at a time when national membership was recorded at 357,639.Committee on the 29th National Encampment, G.A.R. Louisville ... G.A.R. 29th Encampment; Souvenir and Official Programme (Louisville: Courier Journal Job Printing Company), 1895.
Kentucky G.A.R. posts