CCHSM
Presentation
August 15, 2021
By Kent M. Melcher
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War presentation
A Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War program will be
presented Sunday afternoon August 15 by Kent Melcher. The program will be held
at 2:00 at the Cowley County Historical Society Museum, 1011 Mansfield,
Winfield.
When the Civil War ended, thousands of soldiers who fought
in that devastating conflict migrated to Kansas from virtually every state in
the Union. Most of them arrived during
the early 1870s, just at the time that Cowley County was being settled. Those soldiers had a natural affinity for one
another, having fought for the same cause, sometimes in the same battles, and
even in the same Regiments. Grateful for
the opportunity of banding together in the newly formed veterans’ fraternal
organization called the Grand Army of the Republic, they soon formed G.A.R.
Posts in Cowley County.
Kent Melcher, who
serves as Commander of the newly formed Private John N. Eckes Camp Number 10,
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) will tell the story of the
G.A.R. in Cowley County and of its successor organization, the SUVCW. He will also talk about the recent formation
of the new SUVCW Camp and about its namesake Medal of Honor Recipient, Private
John N. Eckes.
Kent Melcher has previously served as Commander of Old Abe
Camp #16 in Topeka, Commander of the Department of Kansas, SUVCW, and
Parliamentarian for the SUVCW National Encampment.
The program is free
and open to the public. Kent will be
available to answer questions and provide additional information following the
presentation.
