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
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