The
citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best
qualities of
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
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 to 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
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 with 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 tarnishes or distorts the image of the Confederate
soldier or his reasons for fighting.