Proceedings One Hundred Twenty Third Annual National Encampment Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Proceedings One Hundred Twenty Third Annual National Encampment Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

PROCEEDINGS ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR COLLINS PLAZA CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA AUGUST 12 THROUGH 15, 2004 123rd Annual National Encampment Medal PROCEEDINGS ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR COLLINS PLAZA CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA AUGUST 12 THROUGH 15, 2004 National Web site: http://suvcw.org © 2004, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, a Congressionally Chartered Corporation ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THIRD ANNUAL NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR COLLINS PLAZA CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA AUGUST 12 THROUGH 15, 2004 Table of Contents Biography of Kent L. Armstrong, Commander-in-Chief, 2003-2004………………iii National Officers for 2003-2004………………………………………………….…...vii National Committees for 2003-2004…………………………………………………viii 123rd Annual National Encampment (First Session August 13,2004)…..….…1 Opening and Roll Call of National Officers……………………………………..…….1 Introduction of Guests……………………………………………………………….....3 Rules for the Encampment……………………………………………………..……...8 Memorial………………………………………………………………….………….….9 Appointment of Encampment Committees…………………………..……………....9 Preliminary Credentials Report……………………………………..……………….10 Report of the Commander-in-Chief………………………..………………………..11 Presentation of Charter……………………………………………………………….15 Recruiting Award Presentations………………………..…………………….…...…16 Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief………………………………..……………….….17 Reading and Referral of Communications……………………………….…………22 123rd Annual National Encampment (Second Session August 13,2004)…..34 Visitation by Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War...……...…35 Report of the Civil War Heritage Defense Fund Committee………………………50 Award Presentations………………………………………………………...………..54 Introduction of “Real Son” Hiram Shouse, Department of Illinois…………..........57 Award Presentations…………………………………………….……………………59 Reading and Referral of Resolutions…………………………..……………………62 National Officer Reports.................................................................See Appendix 1 123rd Annual National Encampment (Third Session August 14,2004)…......72 Sons Memorial University……………………………………………………….……74 Report of Encampment Committee on Constitution and Regulations….……......76 Report of the SUVCW Charitable Foundation………………………..…………….84 Visitation by the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic……...……………….86 Report of Encampment Committee on Resolutions ……………………………....88 Report of Encampment Committee on Officer Reports……………………………90 Visitation by the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861to 1865…..97 New Business…………………………………………………...…………………...100 123rd Annual National Encampment (Fourth Session August 14,2004).....113 Roll Call of Delegates…………………………………………..……………………117 Nominations and Election of Officers…………………………..…………………..119 Election of Council of Administration Members………………………..………….128 Installation and closing……………………………………..………………………..129 Appendices Appendix 1 – Officer and Committee Reports…………………………………… .134 Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief…………………………..…………..135 Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief………………………….…………....138 National Secretary………………………………………………………..140 National Quartermaster………………………………………………… .141 National Councelor……………………………………………………….142 National Patriotic Insrtuctor…………………………………………...…144 National Membership-at-Large Coordinator……………………...….. .146 National Camp and Department Organizer…………………………....147 National Civil War Memorials Officer……………………………….…..148 National Graves Registration Officer…………………………….……..149 National Historian……………………………………………….………. .152 National Webmaster……………………………………….……………..154 National Liaison to Cathedral of the Pines…………………………… .156 National Washington DC Representative……………………………...157 National Chaplain…………………………………………………………159 National Lincoln Tomb Ceremony Committee………………………...162 National Constitution and Regulations Committee………………….. .164 National Americanization and Education Committee…………………170 National Fraternal Relations Committee……………………………….171 National Military Affairs Committee……………………………….…….174 National Remembrance Day Committee……………………………....175 National Memorial Grants Committee………………………………… .176 National Real Sons and Daughters Committee……………………….177 National Digest Committee………………………………………………182 National Scholarship Committee………………………………………..183 National Credentials Committee………………………………………. .184 National Ritual and Ceremonials Committee………………………… .185 National Grand Army of the Republic Post Records Committee…....198 Appendix 2 – National Council of Administration Minutes……………………… .201 Appendix 3 – General Orders, Series 2003 – 2004………………………………213 Appendix 4 – Public Speeches by the Commander-in-Chief 2003 – 2004…….255 Appendix 5 – Past Commanders-in-Chief of the SUVCW……………………….262 Appendix 6 – Past National Encampments of the SUVCW……………………. .267 ii Kent L. Armstrong Commander-in-Chief 2003-2004 Kent L. Armstrong was elected to serve as the 117th Commander-in- Chief of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) at the organization's 122nd National Encampment, held at Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky on August 7 - 10, 2003. He is the fifth Commander-in-Chief elected from the Department of Michigan since the SUVCW was organized in 1881. Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) Armstrong was born in St. Johns, Michigan on October 12, 1951, the elder of two sons (Kent and Kirk) born to Jessie E. ("Pat") Patterson Armstrong and the late Woodrow Wilson ("Woody") Armstrong. A life-long resident of DeWitt, Michigan, C-in-C Armstrong is a graduate of DeWitt High School and Michigan State University. His interest in the "War of the Rebellion" began at an early age, when the centennial observances of the American Civil War began in 1961. Some of his favorite memories are those made during his first trip to Gettysburg at age 13. Brother Armstrong learned of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) through his own community's history (the George W. Anderson GAR Post 58 having been organized at DeWitt in 1882. George Anderson was a DeWitt resident who marched off to war with the 23rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Private Anderson was taken prisoner at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee in December of 1863 and later died of starvation at the Andersonville prison in Georgia where he rests in grave number 2546 of the National Cemetery there. Thus, when 24 Union veterans who lived in or near DeWitt chartered their own Post of the iii GAR, they named it in honor of Anderson's memory in the community. George Anderson's former home in DeWitt still stands on property that is immediately adjacent to Brother Armstrong's residence. Brother Armstrong joined the SUVCW through the Governor Austin Blair Camp 7 in Jackson, Michigan in 1992. His eligibility is through his Great, Great Grandfather, John Tait, who served as a Sergeant in Company G of the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Sgt. Tait was killed-in-action on April 30, 1863 during the Chancellorsville Campaign and is buried in grave number 2162 at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. To help honor the memory of his ancestor's regiment, Brother Armstrong garnered the cooperation of his state legislature in 1993 to name Highway U.S.-12 (in Michigan) as the "Iron Brigade Memorial Highway." The legislation also directed the state Department of Transportation to provide signage along the roadway (the route of U.S.- 12 links the home states of the Iron Brigade's infantry regiments – 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin; 19th Indiana; and 24th Michigan). The States of Indiana and Wisconsin have made similar designations for U.S.-12 and it is hoped that the State of Illinois will also do so in recognition of an Iron Brigade regiment (24th Michigan) having led the military Honor Guard of President Lincoln's funeral in Springfield. Brother Armstrong submitted a design proposal for a special historical marker (honoring the Iron Brigade and 24th Michigan Infantry) to be installed at the I-94 Welcome Center near the western end of U.S.-12 in Michigan. Once approved, installation and a dedication ceremony took place in October of 1994. A similar marker was installed and dedicated in 1995 at the eastern end of U.S.-12 in downtown Detroit, on the site where the 24th Michigan Infantry received its regimental flag before marching off to war in 1862. Another 1995 project for Brother Armstrong was to gain permission to organize a new local chapter of the SUVCW to serve Clinton County, Michigan. The Camp opened in July, with fifteen Charter Members, Kent being elected as Commander. The new Camp (George W. Anderson, 58) was named and numbered in honor of DeWitt, Michigan's GAR Post. During Kent's terms as Michigan's Junior and Senior Vice Department Commander, he organized eight more Camps and was recognized two years consecutively for having recruited the most new Brothers into the Order, nationally. He also served as Michigan's first Department Civil War Memorials Officer. Brother Armstrong was elected to two terms as Department Commander and served as a co- organizer of the National Encampment that was hosted by the iv Department of Michigan in 2000. Brother Armstrong became a Life Member (#426) of the National Organization, SUVCW in 1996. He approached the National leadership that year with the idea of a special committee, tasked with the coordination of inspecting and recording the condition of GAR Monuments and other Civil War related memorials across the country. Attention would then be focused on securing repair or restoration of those memorials found to be in immediate need.

View Full Text

Details

  • File Type
    pdf
  • Upload Time
    -
  • Content Languages
    English
  • Upload User
    Anonymous/Not logged-in
  • File Pages
    280 Page
  • File Size
    -

Download

Channel Download Status
Express Download Enable

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

  • Not to be reproduced or distributed without explicit permission.
  • Not used for commercial purposes outside of approved use cases.
  • Not used to infringe on the rights of the original creators.
  • If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately.

Support

For help with questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us