The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
On September 1, 2025 by Elle R.Recently some dear friends embarked on an extended road trip, and their itinerary took them through Cincinnati, Ohio. My curiosity was piqued and I decided to research the name Cincinnati to see if it was a Native American name. It was not, but the story behind it both surprised and warmed my heart. I relayed what I had learned to my friends and thought that was the end of it.
My ‘random’ curiosity was God’s timing, as I would soon find out. I took my son Noah on a belated birthday outing and we whiled away a rainy afternoon exploring the nearby American Independence Museum. The museum’s collection is home to 3,000 artifacts related to colonial and revolutionary history. This is one of the huge perks of living in New England, there is a vibrant connection to the birthplace of the nation.
As I navigated parking in the rain, I realized I had no idea where the entrance to the museum was. The museum is comprised of two buildings, stationed on a hill. The first building was the home of Nicholas Gilman, Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The other building is Folsom’s Tavern. I wandered about the sidewalk, looking for a way up the hill. Dripping wet and feeling foolish in front of Noah was not how I had imagined our outing. He is a true gentleman and not only took it in stride, but also found the walkway that would take us up the hill. I was happy to follow his lead, as I was eager to get out of the rain. Until I spotted something that made me stop in my tracks.
Completely ignoring the rain dripping off my nose, I stood in front of a bronze plaque built into the retaining wall of the hill.
It read, “Society of the Cincinnati.”
God now had my full attention.
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who, having won a war as a Roman dictator, stepped down and returned to his farm. The founding fathers drew a comparison between the civic duty of Cincinnatus and George Washington. Washington had refused payment for his military service in the Revolutionary War, rejected the suggestion he become king of the newly formed United States and turned down a third term as President.
The society was founded by officers of the Continental Army and their French counterparts who served together in the American Revolution. They changed the name of Cincinnatus ( singular) to the plural Cincinnati. This was to be a society to remember the bonds of brotherhood forged through bloodshed, preserving what was hard won, and providing financial aid where needed, as many of the members had left behind their businesses to fight in the war. More than 2,200 officers joined the Society. George Washington became the Society’s first president general, leading his officers from war to peace.
I dug deeper and read the entire original document that formed the Society of the Cincinnati. One line really warmed my heart, in a personal sense.
“Monies at the pleasure of each member may be subscribed in the Societies of the districts, or the State Societies for the relief of the unfortunate members, or their widows and orphans, to be appropriated by the State Society only.”
The Bible says in James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
This league of extraordinary gentlemen wasn’t just collecting funds to take care of their brothers in arms, now brothers in peace – they were extending their resources to the widows and orphans of their compatriots.
Long before crowdsourcing websites became popular, there was The Society of the Cincinnati, which by the way, still exists to this very day. Membership is exclusive. You must be a direct descendant of a soldier, or invited.
These men took the James 1:27 principle and incorporated it into a club few could join. They included it because many of these men were members of a ‘club’ that all could join – through the bloodshed of Jesus Christ on the cross.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12.
This league of extraordinary gentlemen were Christians first and foremost, warriors second, Cincinnati third.
For the record, it was totally worth getting drenched outside the museum to hear from God.