Evening star., 1915-09-28
HOW THE SONS OF VETERANS
GREW OUT OF "CADET CORPS"
Primary Purpose of Organization Is to
Aid and Honor Members of
Grand Army.

The Sons of Veterans as an order is
unique and practically stands alone as a
society of men formed and maintained
primarily for honoring and aiding another
entirely independent society Its most
practical purposes are to assist the Grand
Army of the Republic as representing the
survivors of the civil war, to honor the
men who fought for the preservation OF
the National Union, either living or dead'
and to uphold the principles in defense
of which they offered their lives.
At the time of it's inception in all OF the
Independent organizations Of Sons OF
Veterans, which eventually became in
coroprated into the Sons of Veterans
u S. A. the military spirit prevailed.
Military and naval titles exclusively were
given to the officers and uniform was
prescribed. Drills and field encampments
were attractive features and gold trim
mings and brass buttons were plentiful.
This military spirit was not without
practical results. as shown by the large
percentage of Sons of Veterans who De-
came volunteers at the time OF the war 7
with Spain. in 1898. In fact.~so many OF
the martial minded and soldierly trained
members became identified with the
Spanish war and societies of its sur
vivors that the Sons of Veterans ex-
perienced marked falling OH III 'S
membership.
Military Reserve Is Formed.
On account of this dropping away of the
military element and the fact that the
average age of membership was ad-
vanced beyond the years when uniforms
and military evolutions are attractive tne
order gradually has been reforming on
q C.
tically a civic organization with mill
tary suborganization known as the sons
of Veterans Reserve, which Is strlctiy
military body and a credit to the oroer.
The earliest idea of any movenen.
toward organizing the sons OF veterans .s
of the civil war was brought forth IN
PHILADELPHIA in 1878. 1t had become
practice with several posts OF tne
A. r. in Philadelphia to permit .ne
sons of the comrades to join In the
parade with the posts on Memorial
day. This also was in vogue in sew
eral eastern cities, notably in Boston
and vicinity, where the youngsters
trudged out before they were IN tneir
teens Therefore, at a meeting of Anna
NJ. Ross Post, No. "a. Department OF
Pennsylvania, Grand Army of the Re-
public, Philadelphia. August q. 1sis'
on motion of James r. Holt a Sommi.i ,,,
w Shengle, Carl Frederic. Charies
Weiss and William H. Morgan, was
appointed to devise means for forming
a G. A. R. Cadet Corps
Constitution Is Adopted.
The committee submitted plan at
the meeting of the post September 1s.
1878. which was adopted. and OCTOBER
Is. 1878, presented a constitution. which
was accepted, and the committee was
instructed to receive applications for
membership in the Cadet Corps. 1t was
to be formed of the sons of Union SOL
diers, sailors or marines" of the war
of 1S61-'65. Lewis E. Vandegrift. whose
death occurred early in January, 1910:
the Cadet Corps attached to Anna NJ
Capt. P. r. Schuyler Post No. 81. De-
partment of Pennsylvania, G.. A. H.,
Philadelphia. and other posts 1oiloweo s
with the idea that these organizations
eventually would perpetuate the prin,
ciples, objects and work OF the Grand
Army of the Republic
tions were called cadet corps. and
may be designated as the Philadelphia
or eastern Pennsylvania sons OF Het-
erans Press notices undoubtedly car
ried this idea to other states. and soon
other organizations of the sons of
Union soldiers and sailors were start
ed. notably in New England. at Albany,
N. Y, and in Pittsburgh, Pa. The sons
of Veterans in New England became
owing to the activity Of Edwin NJ;
carp of Lynn. Mass. These were allied
10 the Philadelphia Sons of Veterans.
The Albany Sons of veterans were
known as the Post system of Sons OF
Veterans, in view of the fact that IN
the titles of the officers and form OF
organization it followed closely that OF
the G. A. X. The organization or1gi-
mating in Pittsburgh was known as tne
sons of Veterans. u S. A.. and was
fathered and actively promoted by
fi-st camp Davis Camp being or
ganized November IL. 1881.
Financed Young Organization.
Mai Davis was a good organizer,
with large circle of acquaintances in
the Loyal Legion and G. A. r.. whom
he induced to take active part in the
work for the young men. He never
hesitated to advance money to the
order, and did the work which soon
made the Sons of Veterans. L. s. A.,
the paramount organization. with
which all others eventually united, the
last to be brought over being the POST
System, which came in after long hego-
tiations, much the larger portion COM
a
mfnistration, in 1889, George W. Marks
of Brooklyn, N Y, being the comman-
der-in-chief of the Post System at the
time, and the balance piecemeal at va
rious times thereafter.
Past Commander-in n-Chief Joseph H.
Maccabe was the active force in win
ming the carp or New England branch
Of the Philadelphia Sons of Veterans
with the Sons of Veterans. u s. A..
bringing in thirty -four camps in Massa-
chusetts in December. 1884.
September 90. 1880, plan was adopt
ed whereby all the cadet corps were
formed into camps of Sons Of Veterans
November 26, 1880. the Cadet Corps OF
Anna NJ Ross Post became Anna M
Ross Camp. No. /. Sons Of Veterans.
and November %. 1880. the Cadet Corps
of Post 81 became Capt. =. r. Schuyler
Camp, No 2. Sons of Veterans" The
other Cadet Corps followed with the
change of name and affiliated with the
new order, the Sons of Veterans
First State Encampment.
Other corps that had been mustered
in the state of Pennsylvania followed
into the movement through the activity
Of G. A. r. posts. and early In July.
1881. about dozen camps had been
49,. Il