who was orderly Sergeant of Company S,
Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and was then at home
on a veteran's furlough. He continued in the
service of his country, returning to Washington
after his marriage ami rejoining his regiment.
His brother held the office of treasurer of Craw-
ford County, Iowa, and Mrs. McHenry was appointed his deputy. A'hen her husband returned from the war, they settled in Denison,
la., where they still make their home. Mr. Mc-
Henry is a banker and a breeder of Angus cattle.
He is interested in the Relief Corps and also in
other patriotic and charitable work in which
his wife is a leader.
He was Department Commander of Iowa G. A. R., 1886-87, ami represented that order in San Francisco at the National Encampment, G. A. R., in 1886. The local camp of Sons of Veterans bears his name, W. A. McHenry Camp, S. of v.. No. 53.
In July, 1883, at the convention in Denver, Col., of all the women's societies in the country that were working for the Grand Army of the Republic, Mrs. McHenry was an unauthorized representative from Iowa. The Denver con- vention resulted in the organization of the Na- tional Woman's Relief Corps. Upon Mrs. Mc- Henry's return to Denison a local corps was formed under her leadership. She was electetl President thereof, and was active in the work throughout the State. After serving in various other capacities, she was chosen Department President of Iowa, and later served as Depart- ment Treasurer. At the convention held in Tremont Temple, Boston, in July, 1890, Mrs. McHenry was elected National President, to succeed Mrs. Annie Wittenmyer. Her admin- istration was conducteil in an able manner, and in her travels in several States of the I'nion she gave such a favorable impression of the order that many corps and members were aiUled to its rolls. At the 'next national convention, in Detroit, Mich., in August, 1891, Mrs. Mc- Henry gave a detailed and interesting account of the year's work. "The year has been to me," she .said, "full of responsibilities hereto- fore unknown, yet I have enjoyed the work and found a rare pleasure in the ]ierformance of varied and oftentimes complicated duties. The months as I recall them seem but as days, and the time has flown too quickly for me to ac- complish all I had hopetl and desiretl to do. . . . The membership of our order has steadily in- creased in number ami influence during the year, and is represented in every State of the Union but one — Alabama — and all the Terri- tories except Indian, Idaho, and Alaska. Even Canada claims its post and auxiliary corps (Gen- eral Hancock Post and Corps of Montreal), which are attached to the Department of Ver- mont. Three liundretl and sixty-two corps have been instituted during the year, with a membership of seven thousand two hundred."
The net gain during the year was reported as twelve thousand six hundred seventeen mem- bers, and the total membership as one hundred seventeen thousand fifty-eight. Referring to work among the colored people, Mrs. McHenry stated that there were Relief Corps in Virginia, the Carolinas, in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi, auxiliary to colored posts. Seven of these were insti- tuted during the year. "Their ritualistic work may be imperfect," .she said, "but their zeal and loyalty are unabated, and they accomplish much good in their own way among their own people." Referring to Memorial Day, she stated that many appeals for this object were received from the several Department Com- manders within whose jurisdiction were located national cemeteries with their tens of thousands of Union soldiers. She ackncnvledged the liberal donations of corps in tlepartments where com- ratles sufferetl from severe drought during the past season.
A part of her address related to the National Woman's Relief Corps Home, of which she spoke in congratulatory terms, as follows : " This first year in the history of our National W. R. C. Home has been one of unwonted prosperity and success. The sympathy and co-operation of the people have been expressed in every possible manner, and their gifts for its equipment and support have been generous even to lavishness. ... A most princely gift is the appropriation by the Ohio Legislature of twenty-five thousand dollars for the erection of a cottage upon the home grounds. We asked for twenty-five hundretl dollars, and the State gave us twenty-five thousand dollars. This is
