Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
Lineage Society Honoring Soldiers Who Fought for the North
Oct 19, 2009
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was founded on November 12, 1881 and incorporated by Act of Congress August 20, 1954. As a lineage society, its aims are to preserve and honor the memory of the soldiers and sailors who fought to preserve the Union. The SUVCW is a patriotic and educational organization.
Organization and Membership
The SUVCW is a national organization made up of local groups called Camps. Camps are grouped by Departments, which generally correspond with states, though some departments cover more than one state. Yearly Encampments of each Department are held to elect officers and conduct business.
The SUVCW has 26 Departments and more than 200 Camps. Membership-at-large is available for those who live in states that are not yet served by a local Camp.
Membership is open to direct line male descendants of veterans of the Union Army and Navy who fought for the preservation of the Union during the American Civil War. This includes all descendants of honorably discharged from the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Revenue Cutter Service from 1861 to 1865, and those who died or were killed while serving between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865. In addition to those who claim direct decent from veterans, membership is also open to those descended from a brother, sister, half-brother, or half-sister of such a veteran. Members must be at least fourteen years old; junior membership is offered to boys six to thirteen. Members must have not been convicted of an “infamous or heinous” crime, and have not voluntarily borne arms against the government of the United States.
Like most lineage societies, applicants must provide documentation that includes birth, death, and marriage dates and places of all direct ancestors, as well as proof of relationship between the generations. In addition, documentation must be provided of the war service rendered by the individual upon whom the application is based.
National Graves Registration Database
The SUVCW National Graves Registration Project was established in 1996. Members spent countless hours researching and verifying graves of the Union Civil War dead, creating a database that was made public in 2005. Work on this project is ongoing and the database continues to grow.
Other SUVCW Activities
As part of the educational mission of the organization, the SUVCW website provides information on the Civil War for both students and teachers. Teaching patriotism and preserving documents and records of the Grand Army of the Republic are also of major important to the organization. Members participate in ceremonies honoring veterans of various wars, and the SUVCW sponsors recognition programs for Eagle Scouts, ROTC, and Junior ROTC participants.
The Society works closely with other organizations honoring those who helped preserve the union, such as the Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War; the Woman’s Relief Corp, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic; the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 and the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Those interested in U.S. history may also wish to consider joining other lineage organizations such as the General Society of Mayflower Descendants or the Huguenot Society.
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