Created by Major General Henry Knox, the Society of the Cincinnati formed in 1783 as a means of continuing fellowship among the officers of the Continental Army after the army was disbanded shortly after the Revolutionary War. The society also provided funds to assist the families of original Society members. Within the General Society, thirteen State Societies formed, along with a society in France. Membership consisted of leading officers of the Continental Army and their heirs (although the society only recognizes the eldest male in each generation as eligible for membership). In 1854, the Society created a membership allowance for those officers and their heirs who could have become Original Members, but did not. George Washington served as the first president of the General Society of the Cincinnati from 1783 until his death in 1799. The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia held its first meeting on August 18, 1893 at the home of Captain John Lucas. General Lachlan McIntosh served as the Georgia society's first president; other famous presidents include Joseph Habersham (1794) and Major John Macpherson Berrien (1795). In 1822, the last meeting of the original Georgia society was held; it was not until 1899 when descendants of the original members met that the society again began to flourish in Georgia. Historically, the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia has supported the Anderson House Museum and been involved in the Georgia Day celebrations.
From the description of Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Georgia collection on John Lucas and George Washington, 1784-1791. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 166506891
