Joel Minnick Longenecker
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Joel Minnick Longenecker, Department Commander of the Illinois Grand Army of the Republic. In the American Civil War, Private Joel M. Longenecker, age 18 years 11 months and height 5 feet 4½ inches, joined Co. F, 5th Regiment of the Illinois Cavalry for one year on December 4, 1864 in Olney, IL. Joel had been a farmer in Robinson, Crawford Co., Ill.
After the Civil War, Joel taught school for two terms, and – after he became of age – was elected Justice of the Peace while he was studying law at Robinson. Joel married Emma Florence Fitch on August 30, 1870. In 1871, Joel was admitted to the bar at Olney, Illinois at which time he served as City Attorney. From 1876 to 1880, he was State’s Attorney serving at Richland Co., Ill. and from 1882 to 1899, trying over 35 reported decisions, was State’s Attorney in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill. He was very prominent in such trials of the anarchist and Cronin cases. In the hundred or so days of the Dr. Cronin case in 1890-1891, attracting widespread attention, the plaintiff in error was convicted in April 1890 of conspiracy to "pack" a jury favorable to the defendants upon the charge of murder of Dr. Cronin. In March 1891, Joel – for defendants in error – found, in a second trial, the judgement affirmed.
From 1899, Joel served as a Judge in Cook Co. On May 3, 1890, he was elected Department Commander of the Illinois Grand Army of the Republic. A bronze-medal bas-relief of Joel M. Longenecker is shown in the photograph. The reverse side of the ‘Representative’ bas-relief emblem reads, "35th Annual Encampment, Department of Illinois, G. A. R., Peoria, Ill’s. May 14-15-16, 1901." This medallion marked the end of Hon. Joel M. Longenecker’s term as Illinois Department Commander.
During his stay as Commander, as reported by the New York Times, "Judge Joel M. Longenecker is Chairman of the General Committee and is hosting the National G.A.R. Encampment in Chicago on August 21 through September 1, 1900." Also, as the Times reported, "This City is preparing for what is expected to be the greatest Grand Army Encampment in the history of the organization." Joel officially received President McKinley and the Governor of Illinois at the parade-reviewing stand on Tuesday, August 28, 1900. In August 1906, Hon. Longenecker’s strength failed, he went to Paw Paw Lake to recuperate, and on September 19, 1906 died from cirrhosis of the liver, probably due – in no small part – to excessive drinking. Before court cases, Joel was required to be ‘sober as a judge’! In the Chicago obituary, Joel was second in the Republican race for Governor of the State of Illinois.