Loyal Legion.—The official designation of this society is "Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States." On April 15, 1865, a few army officers met for the purpose of adopting resolutions relative to the death of President Lincoln. At that meeting some one suggested a permanent organization of the commissioned officers who had served in the Union army during the war, and at another meeting on May 3, 1865, the Loyal Legion was launched. In 1910 there were 21 state commanderies, with a total membership of 8,902.

The Kansas commandery had its beginning in a meeting at Leavenworth on March 25, 1886, Gen. Nelson A. Miles presiding and Col. James P. Martin acting as secretary. Capt. M. H. Insley was chosen acting recorder, with instructions to correspond with the recorder-in-chief of the grand commandery, which had been instituted the preceding year, regarding a charter. No trouble was experienced in obtaining a charter, and on April 9, 1886, the following officers of the Kansas commandery were elected: Commander, Bvt.-Col. Andrew J. Smith; senior vice-commander, Bvt. Brig-Gen. Charles W. Blair; junior vice-commander, Bvt. Lieut.-Col. James P. Martin; recorder, Capt. M. H. Insley; registrar, Bvt. Col. Thomas J. Anderson; chancellor, Capt. John D. Barker; treasurer, Capt. Lafayette B. Campbell; council, Bvt. Brig.-Gen. Thomas Moonlight, Col. Milton Stewart, Col. J. H. Gilpatrick, Capt. J. R. McClure and Capt. W. B. Stone.

The objects of the Loyal Legion are to promote good fellowship among the officers who served in the army and navy in the Civil war and to preserve historical information regarding that great conflict. At the annual meetings war papers are read, after which they are usually printed and filed away in the archives. The Kansas Historical Society has a complete collection of the war papers read before the Kansas commandery. They contain a great deal not to be found in the published histories of the war.