The New Student's Reference Work/Cincinnati, Society of the

Cincinnati, Society of the, a society of officers of the Revolutionary army, organized at the close of the war to keep up friendships and especially to raise a fund for widows and orphans of their comrades who had lost their lives in the war. It was named from the old Roman hero, Cincinnatus, as many of the members had similarly left their farms at the call to arms. As membership was made to descend from father to son, an outcry was made against the society by Franklin and others, who saw in it the germ of a future aristocracy. This caused some of the branches to disband. But there still are several state societies in active existence.