Duckworth, Durbin Introduce Bill to Make City of Murphysboro the Official Headquarters of Woman’s Relief Corps

November 13, 2026 Duckworth, Durbin Introduce Bill to Make City of Murphysboro the Official Headquarters of Woman’s Relief Corps [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation to officially update the federal charter of the Woman’s Relief Corps (WRC) so that it reflects the relocation of its national headquarters from Springfield to Murphysboro, Illinois. The WRC, which has served as the women’s auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) since 1883, moved its headquarters and museum to the General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro after its delegates voted unanimously for the relocation in 2023. However, federal law still lists Springfield as the organization’s principal office and the District of Columbia as its legal home. The Senate bill is identical to the House companion introduced by U.S. Representative Mike Bost (R-IL-12), which passed the House of Representatives on February 2, 2026. “For more than 140 years, the Woman’s Relief Corps has cared for Veterans and ensured that all Americans continue to remember the legacy of the brave Union Soldiers who sacrificed to keep our country together when the Confederacy sought to tear her apart,” said Duckworth. “This relocation is fitting since this city was where General John A. Logan was born, and it was his order that gave us Memorial Day. Southern Illinois is the natural home for this organization, and this bipartisan, bicameral bill will update the law to properly reflect the Corps’ new headquarters in Murphysboro.” “I am proud to support the Woman’s Relief Corps and its efforts to officially recognize Murphysboro, Illinois, as its national headquarters, honoring the organization’s longstanding legacy of service to our nation’s veterans,” said Durbin. General John A. Logan was born in 1826 in what became Murphysboro, Illinois, and went on to serve as a Union general in the Civil War and to represent Illinois in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. In 1868, as Commander-in-Chief of the GAR, he issued General Order No. 11, designating May 30 as a day for decorating the graves of Soldiers who died in the war. The observance became Memorial Day. The WRC was founded in 1883 at the request of the GAR, the Civil War Union Veterans’ organization, and received its federal charter in 1962. The charter calls on the Corps to preserve the GAR’s memory and records and to honor those who have served in any war. Members also take part in Memorial Day observances nationwide. A copy of the bill text is available on Senator Duckworth’s website . -30- Print Tweet Previous Article