SUVCW Foster Camp No. 2

News

Restoration of Cannon Carriages at Oak Hill Cemetery

The John W. Foster Camp No. 2 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is excited to announce the launch of a significant restoration project at Oak Hill Cemetery. We will be restoring two cannon carriages, an effort that preserves an important piece of our shared history.

Oak Hill

In collaboration with the University of Southern Indiana (USI), we have secured two contracts to build the first carriage. The first contract, valued at $500, covers cutting the pieces, while the second, worth $2,000, is for welding the carriage together. This phased approach ensures continuous progress while we raise the necessary funds.

Despite initial setbacks in securing donated materials, we have obtained the required metal from Wright Steel at a cost of $200. To kickstart the project, this expense has been personally covered, allowing us to deliver the metal to USI promptly. Our immediate goal is to raise $500 to begin cutting the pieces, with subsequent funds directed toward welding and assembly.

We are also applying for a $2,500 grant from the SUVCW Charitable Foundation, thanks to the efforts of Brother Tim Beckman.

We are grateful for the support already shown by our members. Brother Brian Lankford’s contribution to the CAD development for USI is highly appreciated. For those who wish to contribute financially to this worthy cause, donations can be sent to:

Eric Sprouls
5225 Valeah Dr.
Wadesville, IN 47638

Please make checks payable to “John Foster Camp #2 SUVCW” and include “Cannon Carriage” in the memo line to ensure proper allocation of funds. The estimated total cost for each carriage is around $7,000, significantly less than the $18,000 to $20,000 quoted for new aluminum carriages.

As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, donations to the John W. Foster Camp and SUVCW are tax-deductible. For further inquiries, please contact us directly.

Thank you for your continued support in preserving our heritage.

Commander’s Citation

On October 29, 2022, the Department of Indiana SUVCW held its Mid-Year Encampment at Mishawaka, Indiana. For the first time, the Department issued a “Commanders Citation” and this inaugural award was bestowed upon John W. Foster Camp #2. The certificate was awarded to the Camp for efforts in gaining access to the Farragut Post records and ensuring these records were digitally copied and properly stored. Along with the certificate, Foster Camp was issued a streamer to attach to our Camp flag. The citation reads: “In recognition of efforts to gain access to the Grand Army of the Republic room in Evansville Memorial Coliseum; and successfully working with the University of Southern Indiana to digitize, preserve, store, and make available the Post’s records to the public. Therefore, as Commander of the Department of Indiana, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, I hereby award this citation for their highest meritorious service.”

Groups Announce Partnership to Preserve Coliseum Artifacts

As part of an initiative to protect and preserve historic records, documents, and photographs pertaining to the Civil War era and subsequent Civil War veterans’ activities housed in the Vanderburgh County Coliseum, several local groups are partnering together in a collaborative approach. The effort, approved today at a vote of the Vanderburgh County Commissioners, is spearheaded by the:

(1) University of Southern Indiana and its Univ. Archives and Special Collections

(2) Veterans Council of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, Inc.

(3) Vanderburgh County Commissioners

(4) Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (Foster Camp)

The Coliseum is home to a large quantity of historic records, documents, and photographs of the Civil War era, but these artifacts are fragile and environmentally at risk of decay and deterioration.

The University of Southern Indiana (USI)—with its expertise, faculty, staff, resources, and facilities— will perform basic preservation and conservation on the materials to protect and restore them. Once completed, select materials will be scanned for online display.

The Coliseum, operated by the Veterans Council, houses a variety of military artifacts, memorabilia, documents, and photographs, particularly the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) and its allied orders. The GAR was a fraternal organization for Civil War veterans.

“Preservation of Civil War and GAR memorials is a big part of our mission,” said Dennis Hutchinson, commander for the local camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). “We were eager to prompt this collaboration and we are excited to assist in preserving these important documents for future generations.”

“For many years local historians wanted to inventory and preserve historic items in the Coliseum. Thanks to USI’s expertise and resources, we can ensure these important records will be cared for,” said SUVCW secretary Joshua Claybourn.

About the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW)
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of veteran heroes who fought and worked to save the Union in the American Civil War. Organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954, SUVCW is the legal heir and successor to the Grand Army of the Republic. The John W. Foster Camp No. 2 of the SUVCW was organized on 11 July 2014.

About the USI University Archives and Special Collections (UASC)
The UASC is committed to acquiring and preserving material about the development and operations of USI and regional history, focusing on the southwestern region of Indiana. The UASC preserves and organizes materials for research and includes 600 regional collections, over 700 audio/video tapes, and 43,000 images and documents online.

About the Veterans Council of Vanderburgh County, Indiana
The Veterans Council, a non-profit dedicated to supporting the area’s veterans, leases the Coliseum from Vanderburgh County. Under the lease, the Veterans Council is responsible for maintaining the Coliseum.

About the Vanderburgh County Commission
The Commission is the executive and legislative branch of county government for Vanderburgh County. The three commissioners are Ben Shoulders, Jeff Hatfield, and Cheryl Musgrave.

Passing of brother Keith Batteiger

It is with deep regret that we report the death of a dear brother, Keith Byron Batteiger. Keith was our Chaplain in the John W. Foster Camp #2, Department of Indiana. He was born August 23rd, 1953 and passed away August 28th, 2018. His Union ancestors are Pvt. Nathan M. Newell of the 60th Illinois Infantry and Cpl. William Parker of the 2nd West Virginia. Cavalry.

Keith was a kind and friendly brother dedicated to the principles of the SUVCW which are Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty. As a final tribute here are the closing words he gave at the Tobinsport, Indiana, headstone dedication on June 24th, 2018: “May the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Ghost and the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, rest upon and abide with us forever. Amen.”

New Headstone Project

On November 5th, Dennis Hutchinson (Commander), Keith Batteiger (Chaplin), and David Hoesli (Sr. Vice Commander) installed headstones for four civil war soldiers at the Simon and Lamb cemeteries near Tobinsport, Indiana, in Perry County. Headstones were installed for James Wood, Co. “L”, 1st Indiana Cavalry at the Lamb Cemetery; Thomas Carter, Co. “C”, 12th Kentucky Cavalry; John Henderson, Co. “E”, 44th IN Infantry; and George W. Powers, Co. “C”, 10th KY Infantry at the Simon Cemetery.

Chris Cooke Helps Secure Honor for Oak Hill Cemetery

G.A.R. Memorial
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil member Chris Cooke, Superintendent of Cemeteries for the City of Evansville, announced on April 28th that the William Halbrooks Arboretum at Oak Hill Cemetery was awarded a Level II Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The designation is a substantial honor for the historic location and reflects substantial work on the part of Mr. Cooke. Level II arboreta have at least 100 species of woody plants, employ paid staff, and have enhanced public education programs and a documented collections policy.

Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville is a historic cemetery developed in 1853 and containing about 175 acres. The cemetery has preserved its original pastoral tranquility. The Victorian period concern for creating an evocative, contemplative atmosphere has been carefully maintained to the present day, making Oak Hill the region’s premier public burial ground and an important cultural statement.

Perhaps the most hallowed ground in the Cemetery contained the remains of soldiers who died in battle or in Evansville hospitals from battle-incurred wounds during the Civil War. There are 574 burials in the Civil War section (Section 24) with the majority dying from disease in the military hospitals. Six buried there died on the battlefield and were brought back to this section, although several from Shiloh and Ft. Donaldson received wounds and eventually died at Evansville. And of the 574 there are a fair number of the burials done after the Civil War by G.A.R. Farragut Post 27.

While most of the Civil War remains are Union men, twenty-four are Confederate soldiers. In about 1903, the Fitzhugh Lee Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy erected a monument in remembrance of the 24 soldiers who died for the South. Not to be outdone, the Womens Relief Corps (an auxiliary of the G.A.R.) erected an even larger memorial for local Union dead in 1909.

In addition to his duties as Superintendent of Cemeteries, Mr. Christopher Cooke is a board member of the Indiana State Board for Funeral and Cemetery Services and past President of the Vanderburgh County Historical Society.

Foster Camp Organizes Re-enactment

The Foster Camp of the SUVCW helped organize “Newburgh Remembers,” which featured a reenactment of the Newburgh Raid. The event was designed to bring back to life the sights, sounds, and tastes of Newburgh life during the American Civil War.

New Civil War Marker in Princeton

Foster Camp’s Junior Vice Commander, Scott Hurst, recently successfully applied for a new marker plaque in Princeton, Indiana, honoring and remembering African-American troops who served as substitutes in the Civil War for white Gibson County men. The sign will eventually reside in Princeton’s new bicentennial park. Scott is also working to raise extra funds that will allow for some extra markers to go with this one that will tell more of the story.

Scott has been a Civil War re-enactor of both Union and Confederate Infantry since 1998. He traces his hereditary membership in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War to Mathias Hipsher. He is employed by the City of Princeton.

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2015 Annual Department Encampment

This year on June 6th in Kokomo, Indiana, the Department of Indiana will be celebrating its 129th Annual Encampment. While the number alone is significant, the encampment will also feature National SUVCW Commander in Chief, Tad Campbell of Gilroy, California. Click here for an invitation letter from Department Commander William R. Adams. Click here for a registration form. The deadline for registration is no later than May 23rd.