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Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 Records

 Collection
Identifier: spe-w00051

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

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.

Related Materials

American Civil War Documents, Manuscripts, Letters and Diaries and Grand Army of the Republic Collections

American Civil War Photographs and Images and Grand Army of the Republic Photographs and Images

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

Contact:
Harold Washington Library Center, 9th Floor
Chicago Public Library
400 S. State Street
Chicago IL 60605 United States
(312) 747-4875