Kevin L. Martin

Commander in Chief Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

8209 Skipwith Drive

Frederick, Maryland 21702

CinC@SUVCW.org

 

General Order #6

Series 2024-2025

 

22 October 2024


Passing of Past Department of Ohio Commander James H. “Jim” Houston, Jr.


          It is with great sorrow and sadness that I have the duty to report the passing of Past Department Commander James H. “Jim” Houston on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Also known by many as “Tex,”

          PDC Houston served the National Organization of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and the Department of Ohio with distinction, notably serving as Commander of our Ohio Brothers in 2002.

          Brother Houston’s deep love for and commitment to the Order was reflected on multiple levels. Brother Jim served as Chair of the National Encampment Site Committee for eleven years from 2001 until 2012. A reliable fixture at many National Encampments, Brother Jim’s deep obligation to the Order was mirrored in his having held numerous offices in the General Lytle Camp 10 and his dual membership in the Richard Enderlin Camp 73 of Chillicothe, Ohio. Of particular note at the time of his passing, Brother Jim was the Secretary – Treasurer of the SUVCW Charitable Foundation.

          Brother Jim’s demise is not only a tremendous loss to our Order, but it leaves an enormous void in his community. A stalwart and proud citizen of great distinction, Brother Jim will be mourned far and wide. We stand with his beloved family and friends lamenting the loss of a good, good man.

          A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 12:30pm at: Sycamore Presbyterian Church 11800 Mason Road Cincinnati, OH 45249 (Of note – there will be NO visitation)

          In homage to our departed Brother it is hereby ordered that the National Website, Charters of all Department and Camps and membership badges be draped in black for a period of 30 days from the date of this General Order.


So ordered this 22nd Day of October, 2024


Kevin L. Martin

Commander-in-Chief

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War


Attest: National Secretary Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

To perpetuate the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the men who saved the Union,
 1861 to 1865; to assist in every practicable way in the preservation and making available for research of documents and records pertaining to the Grand Army of the Republic and its members; to cooperate 
 in doing honor to all who have patriotically served our country in any war; to teach patriotism, and the duties of citizenship, the true history of our country, and the love and honor of our Flag; to oppose 
every tendency or movement that would weaken loyalty to, or make for the destruction or impairment 
of our Constitutional Union; and to inculcate and broadly sustain the American principles of
 representative government, of equal rights, and of impartial justice for all.

New Paragraph

“Individuals attending events hosted by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, by virtue of their attendance, agree to the usage of their likeness in the Banner, any Camp or Department Newsletter, any SUVCW website and/or on any SUVCW Social Media outlet, promotional brochures, or any other SUVCW material”.

     In 1860, Iowa had a population of 674,913 men, women and children, living in 124,098 households. Of this number, 116,000 men were eligible for military service. Iowa sent roughly 71,500 men to fight, 10.5% of our total population. Over the next four years 13,169, or one out of six, would die in the war. 

      Iowans fought at Wilson’s Creek, Pea Ridge, Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. They were at Shiloh, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Vicksburg and Missionary Ridge.

        They marched with Sherman through Atlanta and on to the sea. They suffered at Andersonville and triumphantly marched in the Grand Review at Washington, D.C.


  Greetings from the Department of Iowa,

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

We're always happy to welcome new members.


You can contact the nearest Camp or our

Junior Vice Department Commander:


David L. Thompson

cannoneerdlt@outlook.com

      During the Civil War Iowa sent: forty-four Infantry Regiments, four Artillery Batteries, nine Cavalry Regiments and the First Iowa Infantry African Descent, which became the Sixtieth U. S. Colored Infantry.  Over 800 Iowans enlisted in the Navy and Marines, stationed on either the Mississippi River or the Atlantic Coast. And yes, Iowans wore Blue and fought for the North. Their uniforms were made of wool. Their shoes came in neither left nor right. Their rifles weighed 10 pounds and fired one round at a time. They earned $13 a month and were paid every three months. Often their rations were few: General Sherman liked the Iowa boys

 “ 'cause they knew how to forage for food and took long strides when they marched”. 


Do you have an ancestor who served in the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Cutter Service during the Civil War?  If you have a Union Civil War ancestor who qualifies you for Membership in our organization, or if you're interested in honoring the memory of the "Boys in Blue" through an Associate Membership, please consider joining the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

Currently, our number of those who served in Iowa Regiments and Iowans who served in other units, during the Civil War stands at:

71,534


The Department of Iowa has identified the graves of 41,719 Union Civil War Soldiers buried in Iowa, who are listed on the

SUVCW National Graves Registration Database.


Applying for a Veterans Headstone Video 

with Brother Mike Rowley


Unmarked Graves



As of June 30.....


In addition to the 74 veteran graves you all have worked on in 2024


The real progress of the Project 2024 is the experience and passion of the expanding number of individuals now researching, documenting, ordering, taking delivery of, cleaning, posting on findagrave.com to honor veterans.


Some recent results of the work of Nettie Hendricks and Kevin Ira in New Hampton, Iowa. (Reset a sunken stone).


Tony Townsend and Steve Hanken are working on identifying vets in Linn County.


John Goode is awaiting approval and delivery of 8 veteran stones in Albia.


Randy Lyon is working in Dubuque


Roy & Linda Linn have spearheaded placements in Sioux City area


Joshua Dyer got us a placement in Jefferson, Iowa


Mr. Larry Luhring of Parkersburg, Iowa has offered to help correct a Union soldier with a confederate stone


I know there are many more of you I have not mentioned so keep the stories coming


Mike Rowley

Camp Commander, Dodge Camp # 75


Earlier this year, the Grenville M. Dodge Camp #75 started the Dodge Camp Project 2024 Grave Marking Initiative. By researching those Veterans found on the Department’s “Iowans in Unmarked Graves” page Iowans in Unmarked Graves they have now been able to remove over twenty-three of those listed.


Dodge Camp Commander, Mike Rowley states: “We have had great cooperation from members of Dodge, Kinsman, Mitchell and King Camp brothers and Sister Linda Linn, so far with the Dodge Camp Project 2024 Grave Marking initiative. Apologies if I left out any camps (I don't always remember who is with what camp)”.

Steve Holmes of Kinsman Camp and Dodge Camp Commander Mike Rowley saw to the research, documentation, submission of application, receiving delivery and installment of VA grave monuments for two Civil War soldiers in Linwood Park Cemetery, Boone, Iowa on April 10. Our goal of which is to not only mark Veterans' Graves, but also expand the markings across the entire state of Iowa while at the same time teach and encourage others how to do the process. So far it is working on all measures with new folks installing in Sioux City, Madrid, Boone, New Hampton, Drakesville, Davis City, Des Moines and soon Jefferson, Lohrville, Council Bluffs....


Two more stones were installed and two more arrived on April 25. Results to date are:


14 - Veterans' Stone installed this year.


12 - Applications submitted and awaiting review.


 2 - Applications approved and awaiting delivery


 2 - Stones delivered awaiting installation


On Sunday April 21, Dodge Camp members traveled to New Hampton, Iowa to install military gravestones from the VA for three Civil War Veterans that had never been marked. They were assisted in the markings by Air Force Veteran and New Hampton resident Nettie Hendricks who along with Cemetery Sexton Kevin Ira.



Earth Day 2024



At Noon, Monday, April 22nd several members of Dodge Camp #75 took part in an Earth Day tree planting at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, Iowa. Hoyt was a brother of William T. Sherman. The trees were grown from cuttings of osage orange (hedge apple) trees planted in 1865, in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Those trees would have witnessed the funeral procession of President Lincoln.

141st Annual Encampment of the Department of Iowa, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

The 141st Annual Encampment of the Department of Iowa, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was held Saturday, April 22, 2024, at the Gold Star Museum, Damp Dodge, Des Moines, Iowa. Bob J. Welch, National Quartermaster was in attendance and served as Installation Officer.


The Elected Officers for 2024/2025 are:


Charles Boeck - Department Commander

John Pregler - Senior Vice Department Commander

David Thompson - Junior Vice Department Commander

Daniel Rittel - Department Secretary/Treasurer

Don McGuire, Danny Krock, and Karl Geesman - Department Council Members

Last Union Soldier Project

           The purpose of the Last Union Soldier Project is to locate and appropriately mark the final resting place of the Last Union Civil War Soldier buried in each county and in each state of this great country. The Last Union Soldier project marries the efforts of the SUVCW's Grave Registration and Monuments Restoration programs. 
        These Iowa men are listed by the County they resided in at the time of their death. Some are buried in other Counties and other States.
         Kossuth County was the first to lose their Last Union Soldier, when John Grover passed away on March 1, 1932.  James Martin of O'Brien County was the Last Union Soldier in Iowa, passing on September 20, 1949.  Ira Wheeler, Howard County, was the youngest, passing at the age of 87 years, 8 months and 12 days.  Ebenezer McMurray, Johnson County, was the oldest, at the age of 103 years, 9 months and 24 days.  Iowa has 99 Counties, but, 100 Last Union Soldiers.  Robert Killen and William Humphreys, both of Lucas County, died the same day, January 25, 1941.
        Harrison Ray Crecelius was the Last Union Soldier of Ringgold County.  His brother Clark Franklin Crecelius was the Last Union Soldier of Floyd County, Indiana. 

Iowa's Last Union Soldier Project Completed


 Iowa has completed its project to identify and mark the Last Union Soldier in each of the 99 counties in the state. On June 18, 2022, we marked the final one, James P. Martin of O’Brien County in northwest Iowa. We held a special ceremony as Mr. Martin was also the last living soldier in Iowa. He passed away in 1949, only a short time before his 102nd birthday. His funeral was a huge event attended by 800 persons including the Governor and many dignitaries from Veteran Organizations.

 

     He grew up in Wisconsin, enlisted in the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery at age 16 and moved to Iowa after the War where he farmed and raised a large family. He was active in the GAR, attended National Encampments, and served as Department Commander the last two years of his life when he was the only member alive in Iowa. About 25 relatives of Mr. Martin attended our ceremony on June 18. Danny Krock, PDC led the program and the Kinsman Camp Guards performed a moving ceremony. A last soldier plaque was added at his gravesite.

 

       There is a story to be told about each of the last soldiers. For example, the last soldier of Lee County was John Drain, an escaped slave from Missouri who served in the U. S. 67th Colored Infantry. He died in 1940 at age 96 but was heathy enough to attend the 75th Anniversary Reunion at Gettysburg in 1938. James W. Willett was the last soldier (or sailor in this case) from Tama County. He was a Boatswain’s Mate on the USS Springfield, a gunboat on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. He was very active in the GAR and served as National Commander-in-Chief from 1921-22. He also served terms as Judge Advocate General for the GAR.

 

The most unusual situation was in Lucas County where there were two last soldiers. They died on the same day, January 25, 1941. Both were born in 1844 and were age 96 at death. Robert Killen served in the 37th Kentucky Infantry and William Humphrey in the 119th Ohio Infantry.

 

      We were fortunate to have Ron Rittel, PDC do the research to identify the last soldiers. He spent hundreds of hours in the State Archives in Des Moines to develop this information. The last soldiers tended to be young at enlistment – at least 4 were age 15. The average age at death was 96 – 15 were age 100 or over.

 

       This was a rewarding project for our Department. There were many compliments from relatives of James Martin after the ceremony on June 18.  More information about the project, can be found on this site The Monument website - iowacivilwarmonuments.com - has a photo at gravesite and information about each last soldier.


Sons of Union Civil War Veterans Honoring James P. Martin Iowa's Last Civil War Soldier - YouTube


courtesy of Richard R. Radtke, O'Brien County's Bell-Times-Courier


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