Order of the Indian Wars of the United States
The Order of the Indian Wars of the United States (OIWUS) is a military society founded in 1896 by officers of the United States Army who served in campaigns against Native Americans from the American Revolution to the late 19th century. History The OIWUS was founded by Colonel B.J.D. Irwin at Fort Sheridan near Chicago. It was patterned after other American military societies such as the Society of the Cincinnati, the Aztec Club of 1847 and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Its primary purpose is to provide fellowship to is members and preserve the history of the Indian Wars. Objects According to its constitution the objects of the OIWUS are to Membership Membership originally consisted of veteran officers (termed Original Companions) and their male descendants (termed Hereditary Companions). Over the first fifty years of the Order's existence its membership included 300 Original Companions, 275 Hereditary Companions and 75 Junior Companions. In time, the Original Companions died out and the only members were hereditary companions. More recently, membership was expanded to include descendants of soldiers who served in wars with Native Americans dating back to the early 1600s. Currently, Hereditary Companions can be either (1)