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Canadian Union Veteran's Civil War Monument Project |
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I bring greetings from "The true north strong and free; 'the "Dominion of Canada". It is a great honor to be in the company of the Allied Orders here in Louisville, Kentucky on August 15, 2009, and to be a proud member of the SUVCW.
My interest in the Civil War grew its roots when I was about 6-years old, my mother told me stories about her grandfather's service. After I retired from the Canadian oil and gas industry, I joined the SUVCW and although I had little knowledge of Canada's part in this war, it spurred me to use my retirement years to do further research. My new research astounded me and I just had to tell this Canadian story. Most Canadians and Americans are not aware and so I hope to shed some light on this amazing case of cross-border soldiering. It seems Canada supplied about the same number of soldiers and sailors for the Union as the State of Kentucky.
Some 50,000 Canada born volunteers served collectively in every branch of the Union forces and thus played
an important role in the preservation of your Union and the abolishment of slavery. These Canadian volunteers
represented about 4 or 5 divisions or about 60 regiments. The preservation and the abolishment were 2-noble
causes and in fact because of these noble causes, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and sailors gave their last
full measure. President Lincoln also gave his last full measure to ensure his Emancipation Proclamation became
a reality.
The Canadian volunteers came to the aid of the Union for lots of reasons, some came for adventure, some
came for bounties paid, some came as substitutes and so on, but most came because they were well aware of
negro slaves fleeing to Canada via the "Underground Railroad" and they wanted this terrible injustice of slavery
stopped. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was and is an important piece of America's national fabric of
liberty and I say God bless Lincoln's dedicated righteousness in this regard.
29-Canadian born volunteers were recipients of the "Medal of Honor" and at least 4 attained the Rank of
General, many held lower commissions and many more were non-commissioned officers. About 5000
Canadians gave their last full measure and thousands returned to civilian life missing limbs or had other injuries
and disorders that plagued them all their lives. These Canadians fought in a war that was not theirs, but
displayed likewise courage as their American brothers in arms.
As my research expanded, I discovered the Canadian government, gave as a gift, a beautiful monument called "The Canadian Cross of Sacrifice" to the citizens of the U.S. This monument was placed in the "Arlington
National Cemetery" and dedicated on Armistice Day, November II, 1927, to thank the 35,000 American
citizens who joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during WWI. During WWII and the Korean War,
another 30,000 Americans joined the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air
Force. The monument is a 24-foot high granite cross with a bronze sword affixed and at its base, inscriptions
can be found recognizing those American volunteers who served with Canadian Armed Forces in WWI, WWII
and the Korean War.
Now, I have come here along with my scale model of the "Canadian Union Veteran's Civil War Monument" to ask if the U.S. Government could be encouraged to provide funding for an exchange monument to hold in remembrance, these Canadian" Boys-in-Blue".
I have, as you can see, designed a proposed monument and I have titled my concept, "Angles and Heroes". I
looked at numerous pictures of Civil War Monuments and I feel my design is unique and one of a kind. The
Twin-Risers represent the 2-noble causes as mentioned earlier. Brother Charles Kuhn suggested the risers be
wider than the wings, which I have done and that the 2-noble causes be engraved on the risers which I am in
total agreement. These "Boys-in-Blue" will be embraced by both Canadians and Americans once this
monument is in place and the story told. I have spent thousands of hours doing this research, producing
drawings and blue prints of my concept and building a scale model. It is my request that should this project
come to fiuition, that my design concept be the pattern followed. I realize this sounds selfish of me and I guess
it is, but it is a dream I have worked upon as a labor of love and I hope to see my concept design standing
proudly in some honored place in south central Canada. One hundred and forty four years have passed and it is
time these soldiers and sailors are honored and remembered. I am proud to have initiated this project to have the
Canadian "Boys-in-Blue" finally recognized.
The monument should rest somewhere in southern Ontario (Canada West) because most Canada born
volunteers came from there as well as what are now the provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
The location should be very close to the Canada/USA border so that on "Memorial Day", services could easily
be attended by patriots from the USA. The monument location would be handled by the highest levels of
protocol between our two great nations and of course the official dedication would be a joint affair.
I have provided some "Form Letters" that PCinC David V. Medert and I have prepared for any of you who
would consider using to write to your respective legislators asking the U.S. Government to fund this project. I
believe this is an opportune time given that you now have the Ist African-American President who will be fully
aware of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and which I believe is why he took the oath of office holding
Lincoln's personal bible.
In conclusion, I want to close by reading a few lines of Prose that came to me one night in
a dream and I dedicate it to all those Union soldiers and sailors who served and sacrificed during your nation's
most bitter 4-years of Civil War. It is my wish that the following Prose be engraved somewhere on this
monument. "Nighttime falls, bugles sound, the living and the dead sleep. Daybreak glows, bugles sound and
war once more. Man's inhumanity changes not".
If you would like to give a donation to the building and erection of this monument, please send your donation to the SUVCW National Treasurer Richard D. Orr, PCinC, 153 Connie Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15214-1251, (412) 931-1173, treasurer@suvcw.org, please add the reference "Canadian Union Veteran's Civil War Monument Project"
God bless the men and women who serve in the American and Canadian military defending freedom around
the world, freedoms we at home, too often take for granted and that is a shame.
God bless the United States of America
and
God bless the Dominion of Canada.
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Robert E. Heath - ACM |
Comments to: SUVCW National Webmaster
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