http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/sonsanddau_6943.mp3
Our ongoing Sense of Place series delves into the history of the Ozarks to discover why things are the way they are in our community. In the first installment of our two-part series KSMU’s Emma Wilson investigates the local chapters of Sons and Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, two organizations that are working to preserve the past and educate the public on its importance.
The Ozarks can be considered neither north nor south and during the Civil War, the region was torn in two. Friends and neighbors turned against each other and often ended up on opposite sides of the battlefield. Just as the Civil War decided the direction and governance of our entire country, the deep divisions it created in our community became a defining part of our unique Ozarks heritage. In this area, there are several organizations that work to preserve the memories of the Civil War and the soldiers who fought in it.
The Springfield National Cemetery at Glenstone and Seminole was created to bury the union soldiers who fell at the battle of Wilson’s Creek. The smooth white grave stones rise out of the mown grass, many of which are marked “unknown soldier.” A tall white monument honors General Lyon, the first fallen union general of the civil war who was killed at Wilson’s Creek. There’s also a larger monument some 15 feet away that honors all Union soldiers who fell.
“The reason we have the government and the nation that we have today is due to the sacrifices and the heroism and the service of these men”
Jeff Patrick is the librarian at Wilson’s Creek and the Senior Vice-Commander of Phelps Camp (number 66) which is the Springfield chapter of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Founded in 1994, the Camp was named in honor of John Phelps, a Union soldier and politician who lived in Springfield. As a heritage-based organization, all members must be descendants of someone who fought in the Civil War on the Union side. Patrick says that helping members of the camp with genealogical research is just one part of the group’s mission.
“…Try to tell their stories, make sure their graves are marked, preserve their records, participate in parades and ceremonies and things like that that really let people know that there are still men out there who still want to remember these veterans and what they did for us.”
There are several headstones in the cemetery that have been erected by the Sons of Union Veterans. Patrick motions to one in particular.
“These are the soldiers we reburied that were recovered. When archaeology was done at Wilson’s Creek back in the 60s they found human remains in the sink-hole and then some relic hunters, believe it or not, found some human remains and donated those to the park and we reburied those several years ago but those were actually Wilson’s Creek dead recovered more than 100 years after the battle.”
The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War are also active in educating the public about the Civil War and other patriotic traditions. Fran Black is the president of the local tent of DUVCW.
“Well one of the things that we do is go into the schools here in our area and we teach flag etiquette and we talk about our founding documents and our founding fathers and we talk about the star-spangled banner and what that means and the school kids love it.”
The Daughters also work to identify graves and put up monuments honoring Union soldiers. Black says that the group is planning to publish a book within the next month that pictures and describes all the civil war grave sites and markers--both union and confederate—in a 24 county area. She says that the most important work they do for the community is fostering patriotism through the understanding of history. John Rutherford, a local historian at the Library Center as well as a charter member of the Sons of Union Veterans, echoed Black’s sentiment and emphasized how relevant the Civil War still is.
“If you think about the end of the pledge of allegiance: those are all the principles that the union side fought for ‘…with liberty, justice, for everyone.’ That is why I joined the organization, to me it was very honorable and it’s something that I believe in today.”
The Sons of Union Veterans meet every first Tuesday of the month and the Daughters every third Saturday at the Brentwood library.
For KSMU’s Sense of Place, I’m Emma Wilson.