Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 Records
Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised almost entirely of minute books from the Department of Illinois and various local tents throughout the state. Some president and treasurer reports and membership rosters are also included. The minute books describe the groups’ activities, including their founding and, sometimes, disbandment; election and installation of officers; finances; committee work; membership applications, increases, illnesses and deaths; communications and invitations from other organizations; convention delegate appointment, procedures and disputes; programming at meetings such as guest speakers; programming and events for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Lincoln’s birthday and other patriotic holidays; fundraising events; and charitable efforts. The Julia Dent Grant Tent #12 from Chicago is especially well documented.
Dates
- 1895 - 1965
Creator
- Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.
Biographical / Historical
The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865, is an organization whose membership can trace its lineage to soldiers who served on the Union side in America’s Civil War, 1861-1865. The DUVCW was founded in 1885 in Massillon, Ohio, and was originally called the National Alliance Daughters of Veterans. The Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, endorsed the daughters’ group in 1900 at its annual meeting in Chicago. In 1925, the organization changed its name to the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War. In 1944, the name changed again to include the dates of the war: Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865. As of 2016, its national headquarters was in Springfield, Illinois.
Groups are organized locally into “tents,” which were named for army nurses who served during the Civil War or for other women whose deeds between 1861 and 1865 were deemed patriotic and loyal to the Union cause. If a state has more than three tents, they are organized under a state-level department. The organization flourished in the first half of the twentieth century, but many tents began disbanding when those generations closest to the Civil War and its veterans aged and died.
The DUVCW supports scholarships and projects that help preserve and maintain the history and legacy of the Union soldiers of the Civil War. These include maintenance of historic monuments, battlefields, sites and cemeteries; participating in Memorial Day events and other ceremonies; maintaining a museum; and volunteering with veterans and veteran hospitals.
Extent
6.5 Linear Feet (in 13 boxes, plus 2 oversize folders.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865, is an organization whose membership can trace its lineage to soldiers who served on the Union side in America’s Civil War, 1861-1865. The DUVCW was founded in 1885 in Massillon, Ohio. This collection is comprised almost entirely of minute books from the Department of Illinois and various local tents throughout the state.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series.
Series 1: State Department of Illinois, 1895-1964; Series 2: Illinois Tents, 1905-1965
Physical Location
Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please request materials at least 24-hours prior to your research visit to coordinate access.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Found in collection, provenance unknown, but likely acquired through the Library’s relationship with the Grand Army of the Republic. It appears that at least some tents of the Daughters of Union Veterans gave their materials to the Grand Army of the Republic, which, in turn, gave everything to Chicago Public Library.
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women -- Societies and clubs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Creator
- Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865, Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Johanna Russ. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Johanna Russ, 2021.
- Date
- August 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Unit at Harold Washington Library Center Repository
Harold Washington Library Center, 9th Floor
Chicago Public Library
400 S. State Street
Chicago IL 60605 United States
(312) 747-4875
specoll@chipublib.org