Thomas G. Lawler (April 7, 1844 – February 3, 1908) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

soldier who served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and as the 23rd Commander-in-Chief of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

from 1894 to 1895.

Early life and military career

Lawler was born April 1844 in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to Patrick and Jane (Jones) Lawler. He moved to the United States with his family when he was a young boy. The family settled in Rockford,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and he was educated in the schools there. Lawler enlisted at age 17 on September 17, 1861 as a private in Company E, 19th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and was immediately promoted to corporal. He served with the regiment for three years and rose through the ranks, being promoted to sergeant March 1, 1863, and mustered out of the service as a 2nd lieutenant. Lawler was elected to 1st lieutenant, but never received the promotion. He is credited with being the first man of the 19th Illinois infantry over the Confederate works at the

Battle of Missionary Ridge The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought on November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces in the Military Division of ...

while carrying the regiment's colors.

Post-war service

Lawler was a charter member of Colonel Garrett L. Nevins G.A.R. Post #1 in Rockford and remained an active member for 40 years; he served Post Commander, 1868-1870, 1882, and 1907. On September 28, 1877, he joined Company B, 3rd Illinois National Guard as its

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Lawler was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

, effective October 15, 1886. He stepped down as commander in 1892 to allow younger men the opportunity to command the regiment, although he remained on active duty with the regiment until placed on the retired list January 17, 1907. He was elected 23rd Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic and served 1894-1895. During his term, Lawler worked with the

U.S. War Department The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

to help reverse dishonorable discharges of Civil War veterans whose discharges were deemed unjust. Additionally, he sought protection for Civil War veterans who were still in the service of the U.S. Army or Navy from being unjustly dishonorably discharged. He was active in civic duties in Rockford and worked to have a memorial hall built in Rockford that was dedicated to veterans of all U.S. wars. Construction began in 1901 on

Memorial Hall A memorial hall is a hall built to commemorate an individual or group; most commonly those who have died in war. Most are intended for public use and are sometimes described as ''utilitarian memorials''. History of the Memorial Hall In the aft ...

and in 1903 it was dedicated by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. Lawler's business activities included serving as president of the Rockford Lumber & Fuel Company and president of the Forest City Insurance Company. He was appointed postmaster of Rockford by President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...

and served continuously until 1893. Lawler died September 3, 1908 at his home in Rockford and is buried there in Cedar Bluff Cemetery.

References

* Grand Army of the Republic. ''Final Journal of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1866-1956'' (Washington, DC: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.), 1957. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawler, Thomas G. 1844 births 1908 deaths People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Rockford, Illinois Grand Army of the Republic Commanders-in-Chief

Early life and military career

Post-war service

See also

References