Sons of Union Veterans of The Civil War - 20th Century

20th Century

Membership in the SV peaked in 1904, when it was reported at more than 200,000. This was also the height of reconciliation celebrations of white veterans of the Civil War, as noted by the historian David Blight in his Race and Reunion. Membership dramatically declined in following years, perhaps because many of the men served in the Spanish American War and preferred to be active in the United Spanish War Veterans (USWV), founded in 1902. As members of the SV were now in their 30s, they needed to devote more time to work and families. Another possible explanation is that war service had ended whatever romantic vision of military life they had.

In 1922 members changed the name to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). Sons of veterans of the Spanish American and First World wars had tried to join, but members decided their organization should be exclusively for descendants of Union veterans of the Civil War.

On February 13, 1954 Albert Woolson, the last surviving member of the GAR, deeded all remaining property to the SUVCW. He wrote:

The meaning and intent of this conveyance is to convey to said Commander-in-Chief, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, all post and department records of the Grand Army of the Republic and it is my express wish and desire that said Grantee shall use its best endeavors to return said records to the Communities where Grand Army posts were located, so far as possible, for the use and benefit of the Communities where such posts were located.

Through most of the 20th century, the SUVCW experienced a slow decline in membership reflecting a general trend in American society away from fraternal and patriotic organizations. After showings of the widely watched and acclaimed PBS television series, The Civil War (1990), membership grew in the SUVCW. In recent years the SUVCW has worked to prevent the sale to private collectors of Civil War-period artillery pieces removed from monuments erected by the GAR. As of late 2007 the SUVCW had 26 Departments (containing one or more states) and five states with a camp at large covering the entire state. Membership was estimated at approximately 7,500.