It is our sad duty to announce the passing of Department of Massachusetts Department Commander Stuart "Chip" Chambers who passed away on 3 February 2021.
Welcome to our website! We would like to show you a little about ourselves and what it is that we do, than we will show you how you can join with us and share your love for the American Civil War, History & The United States of America
Within
the pages you are about to visit you
will be introduced to the members of
our camp and their relatives who served in the American Civil War. You
will also learn
about the Sons of Union Veterans of
the Civil War and the Grand Army of the Republic.
A History of the SUVCW
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
The
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was
a creation of the Grand Army of the
Republic (GAR) which was formed in 1866. Wanting to pass on its
heritage, the GAR in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania created a Corps of
Cadets in 1878 which later became the Sons of Veterans of the United
States of America (SV).
This latter organization was formed
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 12, 1881. The SV units
functioned much as National
Guard units and actually served
along with state militia during the Spanish American War.
In
1904, the SV elected to become a patriotic
education society and in 1925
changed its name to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW).
However, to keep the military
aspect alive, the SUVCW created
within the organization the Sons of Veterans Reserve (SVR) which was
carried on the Army rolls
as a Reserve contingent. Some SVR
units served with the Army during World War I. After World War I, the
SVR was listed as
a training company of the U.S. Army.
In
more recent years, the SVR's mission
has become historic, ceremonial, and
commemorative. Prior to disbanding and before the death of its last
member, the GAR officially
designated the SUVCW as its
successor and heir to its remaining property. On August 20, 1954, the
SUVCW was officially incorporated
by an Act of Congress by the passing
of Public Law 605 of the second session of the 83rd Congress.
Please enjoy our website & let us know what you think
about the website and how we may improve it.
A History of the G.A.R.
The Grand Army of the Republic
In early 1866 the United States of
America--now securely one nation again--was waking to the reality of
recovery from war,
and this had been a much different war. In
previous conflicts the care of the veteran warrior was the province of
the family
or the community. Soldiers then were friends,
relatives and neighbors who went off to fight--until the next planting
or harvest.
It was a community adventure and their
fighting unit had a community flavor.
By the end of the Civil War, units had
become less homogeneous, men from different communities and even
different states
were forced together by the exigencies of
battle where new friendships and lasting trust was forged. With the
advances in
the care and movement of the wounded, many
who would have surely died in earlier wars returned home to be cared for
by a community
structure weary from a protracted war and now
also faced with the needs of widows and orphans. Veterans needed jobs,
including
a whole new group of veterans--the colored
soldier and his entire, newly freed, family. It was often more than the
fragile
fabric of communities could bear.
State and federal leaders from President
Lincoln down had promised to care for "those who have borne the burden,
his widows
and orphans," but they had little knowledge
of how to accomplish the task. There was also little political pressure
to see
that the promises were kept.
But probably the most profound emotion was
emptiness. Men who had lived together, fought together, foraged
together and
survived, had developed an unique bond that
could not be broken.
As time went by the memories of the filthy and vile
environment
of camp life began to be remembered less
harshly and eventually fondly. The horror and gore of battle lifted with
the smoke
and smell of burnt black powder and was
replaced with the personal rain of tears for the departed comrades.
Friendships forged
in battle survived the separation and the
warriors missed the warmth of trusting companionship that had asked only
total and
absolute commitment.
With that as background, groups of men began joining together--first for camaraderie and then for political power. Emerging
most powerful among the various organizations would be the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which by 1890
would number 409,489 veterans of the "War of the Rebellion."
Founded in Decatur, Illinois on April 6,
1866 by Benjamin F. Stephenson, membership was limited to honorably
discharged
veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marine
Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service who had served between April 12,
1861 and April
9, 1865.
The community level organization was
called a "Post" and each was numbered consecutively within each
department.
Most Posts also had a name and the rules for
naming Posts included the requirement that the honored person be
deceased and
that no two Posts within the same Department
could have the same name. The Departments generally consisted of the
Posts within
a state and, at the national level, the
organization was operated by the elected "Commandery-in-Chief."
Post Commanders were elected as were the
Junior and Senior Vice Commanders and the members of Council. Each
member was
voted into membership using the Masonic
system of casting black or white balls (except that more than one black
ball was required
to reject a candidate for membership). When a
candidate was rejected, that rejection was reported to the Department
which
listed the rejection in general orders and
those rejections were maintained in a "Black Book" at each Post meeting
place.
The meeting rituals and induction of members
were similar to the Masonic rituals and have been handed down to the
Sons of
Union Veterans of the Civil War.
The official body of the Department was
the annual Encampment, which was presided over by the elected Department
Commander,
Senior and Junior Vice Commanders and the
Council. Encampments were elaborate multi-day events which often
included camping
out, formal dinners and memorial events. In
later years the Department Encampments were often held in conjunction
with the
Encampments of the Allied Orders, including
Camps of the Sons of Veterans Reserve, which at the time were
quasi-military in
nature, often listed as a unit of the state
militia or national guard.
National Encampments of the Grand Army of
the Republic were presided over by a Commander-in-Chief who was elected
in political
events which rivaled national political party
conventions. The Senior and Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief as well as
the National
Council of Administration were also elected.
The GAR founded soldiers' homes, was
active in relief work and in pension legislation. Five members were
elected President
of the United States and, for a time, it was
impossible to be nominated on the Republican ticket without the
endorsement of
the GAR voting block.
In 1868, Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan
issued General Order No. 11 calling for all Departments and Posts to set
aside
the 30th of May as a day for remembering the
sacrifices of fallen comrades, thereby beginning the celebration of
Memorial
Day.
With membership limited strictly to
"veterans of the late unpleasantness," the GAR encouraged the formation
of Allied Orders
to aid them in its various works. Numerous
male organizations jousted for the backing of the GAR and the political
battles
became quite severe until the GAR finally
endorsed the Sons of Veterans of the United States of America (later to
become the
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War) as
its heir. A similar, but less protracted, battle took place between the
Womans'
Relief Corps (WRC)and the Ladies of the Grand
Army of the Republic(LGAR) for the title "official auxiliary to the
GAR." That
battle was won by the WRC, which is the only
Allied Order open to women who do not have an hereditary ancestor who
would have
been eligible for the GAR. But in this case
the LGAR retained its strength and was made one of the Allied Orders.
Coming along a bit later, the Daughters of
Union Veterans of the Civil War, similar to the SUVCW but for women,
also earned
the designation as an Allied Order of the
GAR. Rounding out the list of Allied Orders is the Auxiliary to the Sons
of Union
Veterans of the Civil War, which is open to
women with hereditary ties to a veteran or who is the spouse, sister or
daughter
of a member of the SUVCW.
The final Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic was held in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1949 and the last member, Albert
Woolson died in 1956 at the age of 109 years.
Submitted by:
Glenn B. Knight
Past Department Commander
Department of Pennsylvania
Sons of Union Veterans of
the Civil War
Major Sullivan Ballou Camp#3, Chartered in Coventry, RI
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2005 - 2018
Within the pages you are about to visit you will be introduced to the members of our camp and their relatives who served in the American Civil War. You will also learn about the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Grand Army of the Republic.
A History of the SUVCW
The
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was
a creation of the Grand Army of the
Republic (GAR) which was formed in 1866. Wanting to pass on its
heritage, the GAR in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania created a Corps of
Cadets in 1878 which later became the Sons of Veterans of the United
States of America (SV).
This latter organization was formed
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 12, 1881. The SV units
functioned much as National
Guard units and actually served
along with state militia during the Spanish American War.
In 1904, the SV elected to become a patriotic education society and in 1925 changed its name to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). However, to keep the military aspect alive, the SUVCW created within the organization the Sons of Veterans Reserve (SVR) which was carried on the Army rolls as a Reserve contingent. Some SVR units served with the Army during World War I. After World War I, the SVR was listed as a training company of the U.S. Army.
In more recent years, the SVR's mission has become historic, ceremonial, and commemorative. Prior to disbanding and before the death of its last member, the GAR officially designated the SUVCW as its successor and heir to its remaining property. On August 20, 1954, the SUVCW was officially incorporated by an Act of Congress by the passing of Public Law 605 of the second session of the 83rd Congress.
Please enjoy our website & let us know what you think about the website and how we may improve it.
A History of the G.A.R.
The Grand Army of the Republic
In early 1866 the United States of America--now securely one nation again--was waking to the reality of recovery from war, and this had been a much different war. In previous conflicts the care of the veteran warrior was the province of the family or the community. Soldiers then were friends, relatives and neighbors who went off to fight--until the next planting or harvest. It was a community adventure and their fighting unit had a community flavor.
By the end of the Civil War, units had become less homogeneous, men from different communities and even different states were forced together by the exigencies of battle where new friendships and lasting trust was forged. With the advances in the care and movement of the wounded, many who would have surely died in earlier wars returned home to be cared for by a community structure weary from a protracted war and now also faced with the needs of widows and orphans. Veterans needed jobs, including a whole new group of veterans--the colored soldier and his entire, newly freed, family. It was often more than the fragile fabric of communities could bear.
State and federal leaders from President Lincoln down had promised to care for "those who have borne the burden, his widows and orphans," but they had little knowledge of how to accomplish the task. There was also little political pressure to see that the promises were kept.
But probably the most profound emotion was emptiness. Men who had lived together, fought together, foraged together and survived, had developed an unique bond that could not be broken.
As time went by the memories of the filthy and vile environment of camp life began to be remembered less harshly and eventually fondly. The horror and gore of battle lifted with the smoke and smell of burnt black powder and was replaced with the personal rain of tears for the departed comrades. Friendships forged in battle survived the separation and the warriors missed the warmth of trusting companionship that had asked only total and absolute commitment.
With that as background, groups of men began joining together--first for camaraderie and then for political power. Emerging most powerful among the various organizations would be the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which by 1890 would number 409,489 veterans of the "War of the Rebellion."
Founded in Decatur, Illinois on April 6, 1866 by Benjamin F. Stephenson, membership was limited to honorably discharged veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service who had served between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865.
The community level organization was called a "Post" and each was numbered consecutively within each department. Most Posts also had a name and the rules for naming Posts included the requirement that the honored person be deceased and that no two Posts within the same Department could have the same name. The Departments generally consisted of the Posts within a state and, at the national level, the organization was operated by the elected "Commandery-in-Chief."
Post Commanders were elected as were the Junior and Senior Vice Commanders and the members of Council. Each member was voted into membership using the Masonic system of casting black or white balls (except that more than one black ball was required to reject a candidate for membership). When a candidate was rejected, that rejection was reported to the Department which listed the rejection in general orders and those rejections were maintained in a "Black Book" at each Post meeting place. The meeting rituals and induction of members were similar to the Masonic rituals and have been handed down to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
The official body of the Department was the annual Encampment, which was presided over by the elected Department Commander, Senior and Junior Vice Commanders and the Council. Encampments were elaborate multi-day events which often included camping out, formal dinners and memorial events. In later years the Department Encampments were often held in conjunction with the Encampments of the Allied Orders, including Camps of the Sons of Veterans Reserve, which at the time were quasi-military in nature, often listed as a unit of the state militia or national guard.
National Encampments of the Grand Army of the Republic were presided over by a Commander-in-Chief who was elected in political events which rivaled national political party conventions. The Senior and Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief as well as the National Council of Administration were also elected.
The GAR founded soldiers' homes, was active in relief work and in pension legislation. Five members were elected President of the United States and, for a time, it was impossible to be nominated on the Republican ticket without the endorsement of the GAR voting block.
In 1868, Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan issued General Order No. 11 calling for all Departments and Posts to set aside the 30th of May as a day for remembering the sacrifices of fallen comrades, thereby beginning the celebration of Memorial Day.
With membership limited strictly to "veterans of the late unpleasantness," the GAR encouraged the formation of Allied Orders to aid them in its various works. Numerous male organizations jousted for the backing of the GAR and the political battles became quite severe until the GAR finally endorsed the Sons of Veterans of the United States of America (later to become the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War) as its heir. A similar, but less protracted, battle took place between the Womans' Relief Corps (WRC)and the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic(LGAR) for the title "official auxiliary to the GAR." That battle was won by the WRC, which is the only Allied Order open to women who do not have an hereditary ancestor who would have been eligible for the GAR. But in this case the LGAR retained its strength and was made one of the Allied Orders.
Coming along a bit later, the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, similar to the SUVCW but for women, also earned the designation as an Allied Order of the GAR. Rounding out the list of Allied Orders is the Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, which is open to women with hereditary ties to a veteran or who is the spouse, sister or daughter of a member of the SUVCW.
The final Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic was held in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1949 and the last member, Albert Woolson died in 1956 at the age of 109 years.
Submitted by:
Glenn B. Knight
Past Department Commander
Department of Pennsylvania
Sons of Union Veterans of
the Civil War
Major Sullivan Ballou Camp#3, Chartered in Coventry, RI
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