Did you know that more Americans lost their lives during the "War Between the States" (commonly referred to as the Civil War), than were killed in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam combined? The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is a voluntary organization of direct descendants of those who served honorably in the Confederate Army and Navy. It is dedicated to accurately preserving the history and memory of those who fought and died defending their homes and homeland. As Winston Churchill once said: "...any people with contempt for their heritage have lost faith in themselves and no nation can long survive without pride in its traditions."
The SCV is a patriotic, historical, educational, benevolent, non-political, and non-sectarian organization. Formed as the United Sons of Confederate Veterans on 1 July 1896, the organization formed local "camps" which assisted veterans, their wives, widows, and orphans. In 1912 the name of the organization was shortened to "Sons of Confederate Veterans".
Today the SCV is dedicated to ensuring that the historical events surrounding the "War Between the States", are accurately reported, clearly documented, and safely preserved both for current and future generations.
Today the SCV is growing, not only in the South, but also throughout the nation. Today's camps may select their own projects. These projects may include:
maintaining and preserving Confederate monuments and memorials.
public education.
marking and maintaining graves of Confederate soldiers, sailors, and statesmen.
publicizing local Confederate events and holidays.
taking field trips to various battlefields and Confederate shrines.
Some members are also involved in living history re-enactments of the "War Between the States". [NOTE: The SCV is not about re-enactments it is just natural that many SCV members are also re-enactors.]
For more information about the SCV and becoming involved in the Milledge L. Bonham Camp #48, contact Dwayne Black at (864) 445-8650. You may also write to:
M. L. Bonham Camp
P.O. Box 534
Saluda, S.C. 29138-0534
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 re-enactments, 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.
All state organizations, known as Divisions, hold annual conventions, and many publish regular newsletters to the membership dealing with statewide issues. Each Division has a corps of officers elected by the membership who coordinate the work of camps and the national organization.
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 organization's 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, call 1-800-MY-SOUTH, or 1-800-MY-DIXIE. Or write to:
International
Headquarters
Sons of Confederate Veterans
P.O. Box 59
Columbia, Tennessee 38402-0059