HR1206 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1206 LRB099 21621 MST 48065 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, John A. Logan was born in Jackson County in what is now the City of Murphysboro on February 9, 1826; and

WHEREAS, During the course of John Logan's lifetime, he served in the Illinois General Assembly, the United States House of Representatives, and in the United States Senate; and

WHEREAS, John Logan gave a speech in Marion on August 19, 1861, after which General, and later President, Ulysses S. Grant declared that John Logan "saved Southern Illinois for the Union"; and

WHEREAS, John Logan raised the 31st Illinois Volunteer Infantry and, as Colonel, commanded it at the battles of Belmont and Fort Donelson, during which he was seriously wounded; and

WHEREAS, John Logan rose to the rank of Major General and commanded General Sherman's 15th Corps; and

WHEREAS, After the death of General McPherson, John Logan led the Army of the Tennessee to victory at the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864; and

WHEREAS, John Logan's role in the victory at the Battle of Atlanta is honored by both the Atlanta Cyclorama and a grand equestrian statue in Grant Park in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, John Logan is considered by many historians to be the best of the Union's volunteer generals in the Civil War; and

WHEREAS, The General John A. Logan Museum honors one of the most noteworthy 19th century Americans, whose legacy includes modern veterans benefits, and being an early advocate of equal rights for African Americans and women - well ahead of his time; and

WHEREAS, John Logan is named, along with President Abraham Lincoln and President Ulysses S. Grant in the state song "Illinois"; and

WHEREAS, On May 5, 1868, as Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, John Logan issued General Order No.11, which established Memorial Day as a national holiday; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the United States Postal Service to commemorate the life of John Logan with a postage stamp to be issued in time for the 150th anniversary of Memorial Day becoming a national holiday in 2018; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to United States Postmaster General, Megan Brennan.