Our Congressional Charter tells us in Section 3; “The purposes of the
corporation shall be: To perpetuate the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic
and the men who saved the union in 1861 to 1865: …” The second purpose
stated is, “… to assist in every practicable way in the preservation
and making available for research of documents and records pertaining to the
Grand Army of the Republic and its members; …”
To accomplish this important task, the G.A.R. Records Project has been developed
in an effort to locate and preserve surviving Post records and other information
surrounding their operations and activities.
It is respectfully suggested that there should be a parallel track to this effort and that we should also be seeking the records of and materials relating to the Camps of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. The efforts of our Brothers over the years in the form of meeting minutes, program activities, special projects and other activities should be located and preserved. These records provide the history of our efforts to “Keep green the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic”.
In an effort to stimulate this search process, we present the following material.
1. A transcription of the Card File of Camps from the office of the National
Secretary
2. A transcription of the ledgers of Camp Applications Approved and Charters
Issued
3. A transcription of other records of Camp formations and drops from the Membership
Accounting Journal of the National Secretary and other sources.
4. Various notes and other related materials.
The presentation of this material will point to the location of the Camps. While searching for G.A.R. Post records, it is suggested that a similar search should take place for Camps that operated in the same locality. We have not always been diligent in preserving the records of Camps that cease operations. We can make up for at least some of that deficiency by conducting a search for any records that have survived, developing a list of those materials found and publishing it in this forum to aid researchers.
CAUTION
A few words of caution are offered to the reader of this material.
1. The material is presented as a direct transcription of the information found
on the original record. No effort has been made to correct the spelling of place
names or the names of persons for whom Camps were named.
2. The names of some communities mentioned have been changed over the years.
Check an appropriate source, for information of this type, for the state you
are searching.
NATIONAL CAMP CARD FILE
NOTES
On State Divider Cards
ALASKA To Washington – McGinnis Order #8 – Aug. 1912
ARIZONA To Calif. & Pacific – McGinnis Order #8 – Aug. 1912
ARKANSAS To Mo. – McGinnis Order #8 – Aug. 1912
ALABAMA &Tennessee
CALIFORNIA &Pacific – Aug. 1912 – McGinnis Order #8 – Oregon, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas – Islands of Pacific
COLORADO Transferred – Wyo. and Utah – McGinnis Order #8 Aug. 1912
To Cal. & Pac. July 1, 1920 – Sisson G.O. #7, 1920
Provisional – Report to Calif. – Col., New Mexico, Utah, Wyo. Jan’y
1, 1925 – Coffin
IDAHO To Montana – April 24, 1915 by C. V. Sherman – C. in Chief
Trans. to Calif. & Pac. – July 1, 1920 – Sisson Gen. Orders
#7 – 1920
To Washington – Jan’y 1, 1925 – Coffin
KANSAS Okla – McGuire’s Order #8 Aug 1912 – Oct. 1, 1935 - #8
OKLAHOMA T. To Kansas – McGuire’s Order #8 – Aug. 1912
54th Encampment – Oct. 1, 1935
KENTUCKY Transferred to Ohio June 1, 1920 – Sisson G.O. #7, 1920
W. VIRGINIA Div. W. Va. Charter Revoked 3/29/1905
To Maryland – Sautter 1914
MINNESOTA N. Dak – S. Dak – McGuire Order #8, Aug. 1912
MISSOURI Arkansas – McGuire Order #8, Aug. 1912
NEVADA To Calif &Pacific – McGuire’s Order #8 – Aug. 1912
NEW MEXICO To Calif & Pacific – McGuire’s Order #8 – Aug. 1912
Provisional – Report to Calif (Col., New Mexico, Utah, Wyo.) Jan. 1, 1925
– Coffin
N. DAKOTA To Minn., McGuire’s Order #8, Aug. 1912
OREGON To Cal &Pacific – McGuire’s Order #8, Aug. 1912
Division Charter Revoked Nov. 1, 1914 – Sherman
To Washington – Sherman Order No. 11 – Nov. 1914
Oregon separated from Washington and instituted June 7-8, 1923.
Gen. Orders No. 2 – March 1, 1947 – Dept. of Washington combined
with Dept. of Oregon – Dept. Oregon – Washington
S. DAKOTA Charter Revoked – Dec. 8, 1905
To Minn. – McGuire’s Order #8 – Aug. 1912
TEXAS To Calif & Pacific – McGuire’s Order #8, Aug. 1912
To Kansas Jan. 1, 1925 – Coffin
UTAH Transferred to Col. & Wyo. – McGuire’s Order #8, Aug 1912
To Calif & Pac. July 1, 1920 – Sisson GO #9, 1921
Provisional – Report to Calif (Colo, New Mexico, Utah, Wyo) Jan. 1, 1925
– Coffin
WASHINGTON Alaska – McGuire’s Order #8 Aug. 1912
Ore. Separated & Instituted June 7-8, 1923
WYOMING Transferred to Colo – Col &Wyo – McGuire Order 16 – Aug. 1912
To Calif & Pac, July 1, 1920 – Sisson G.O. #7, 1920
Provisional – Colo, New Mexico, Utah, Wyo – Report to Calif Jan.
1, 1925, Coffin
MONTANA To Cal & Pacific – McGuires Order #8, Aug. 1912
To Cal & Pac – Sisson July 1, 1920 Gen Orders No 7 – 1920
To Washington – Jan’y 1, 1925 – Coffin
To Col. & Wyo – Sept. 1939
GULF Transferred to Ala & Tenn (no date) (Note found on back of “Mexico” divider card)
December 27, 2003
MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNTING JOURNAL
DEPARTMENTS LOST
12/31/44 – ALABAMA & TENNESSEE – 3 Camps – 41 Members
6/30/47 - WASHINGTON – 2 Camps – 30 Members to Oregon
12/31/51 - NEBRASKA – 4 Camps – 63 Members
9/30/54 - MISSOURI – 2 Camps – 30 Members to National At Large
12/31/65 – MINNESOTA – 2 Camps – 18 Members
3/31/66 – MINNESOTA – Reinstated – 1 Camp – 10 Members
3/31/71 – KANSAS – 4 Camps – 16 Members
December 11, 2005
CONTACT
If you have questions, comments, additions or updates, please contact:
James T. Lyons, PDC
G. A. R. Records Officer
Department of Michigan
National Secretary 1989-94
The Camp listings are presented in Portable Document Format (.pdf) and can be printed off the Internet directly to your printer without concern as to format. However, in order for you to do this, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader existing on your computer. A copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader may be obtained for free by accessing the following link:
LISTING OF SUVCW CAMPS by STATE
For additional information, go to the following SUVCW links:
Comments to: SUVCW National Webmaster
Last Updated:
(KLF)