The citizen-soldiers who fought for the
Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of
liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight
the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers
fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent
the foundation on which this nation was built.
Today,
the Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving the history and legacy of these
heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the
Southern Cause.
The SCV is the direct heir of the United
Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male
descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896,
the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political
organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period
is preserved.
Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans
is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the
Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either direct or
collateral family lines and kinship to a veteran must be documented
genealogically. The minimum age for membership is 12.
Proof of kinship to a Confederate soldier can
take many forms. The easiest method is
to contact the archives of the state from which the soldier fought and obtain
a copy of the veteran's military service record. All Southern state's archives
have microfilm records of the soldiers who fought from that state, and a copy
of the information can be obtained for a nominal fee. In addition, the former
Confederate states awarded pensions to veterans and their widows. All of these
records contain a wealth of information that can be used to document military
service.
The SCV has a network of genealogists to
assist you in tracing you ancestor's Confederate service.
The SCV has ongoing programs at the local,
state, and national levels which offer members a wide range of activities.
Preservation work, marking Confederate soldier's graves, historical
reenactments, scholarly publications, and regular meetings to discuss the
military and political history of the War Between the States are only a few of
the activities sponsored by local units, called camps.
Nationally,
the SCV is governed by its members acting through delegates to the annual
convention. The General Executive Council, composed of elected and appointed
officers, conducts the organizations business between conventions. The
administrative work of the SCV is conducted at the national headquarters, Elm
Springs, a restored ante-bellum home at Columbia, Tennessee.
In addition to the privilege of belonging to
an organization devoted exclusively to commemorating and honoring Confederate
soldiers, members are eligible for other benefits. Every member receives The
Confederate Veteran, the bi-monthly national magazine which contains in-depth
articles on the war along news affecting Southern heritage. The programs of
the SCV range from assistance to undergraduate students through the General
Stand Watie Scholarship to medical research grants given through the Brooks
Fund. National historical symposiums, reprinting of rare books, and the
erection of monuments are just a few of the other projects endorsed by the SCV.
The SCV works in conjunction with other
historical groups to preserve Confederate
history. However, it is not affiliated with any other group other than the
Military Order of the Stars and Bars, composed of male descendants of the
Southern Officers Corps. The SCV rejects any group whose actions tarnish or
distort the image of the Confederate soldier or his reasons for fighting.
If you are interested in perpetuating the
ideals that motivated your Confederate ancestor, the SCV needs you. The memory
and reputation of the Confederate soldier, as well as the motives for his
suffering and sacrifice, are being consciously distorted by some in an attempt
to alter history. Unless the descendants of Southern soldiers resist those
efforts, a unique part of our nations cultural heritage will cease to exist.
If you would like more information about the
Sons of Confederate Veterans, please
email
me and I will be more then happy to provide you with additional
information.
Or visit Sons of Confederate Veterans web site.