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Gen. James A. Garfield Camp, No. 4 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. Lawrenceville, New Jersey
The Gen. James A. Garfield Camp No. 4, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) Civil War Museum is located in the Lawrenceville, New Jersey National Guard Armory. It is staffed entirely by volunteers who are members of Camp Number 4, which was founded in 1896. The Museum is housed in two rooms on the ground floor of the Armory and has office space and a research library off the old polo field in the attached building. The Museum has recently expanded its public display space with the acquisition of an additional 22 by 24 room.
The Museum is open to the public on Tuesday and Friday mornings at the present time. The Museum is also open for special events conducted by the State of New Jersey, the New Jersey National Guard, the 112th Field Artillery Association, Lawrence Township, Scouting and Veterans groups, and for special tours arranged through the New Jersey National Guard Militia Museum. In conjunction with the New Jersey National Guard Militia Museum, the Civil War Museum is planning to host school tours in 2007.
The SUVCW is a non-profit 501(C)(4) organization, comprised primarily of men who can trace their family lineage to a male ancestor who was an honorably discharged veteran of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The by-laws of the organization permit each camp to have a small percentage of its members to be those, while without having a Union Veteran ancestor, have exhibited a deep interest in the Civil War and its participants. The SUVCW is a nationwide organization chartered by the Congress of the United States as the lineal descendant of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), an organization which was comprised of Union Army Veterans of the Civil War. It was designated to be the final repository of artifacts, documents and memorabilia by the G. A. R., New Jersey Department, as the Civil War veterans died and G.A.R. Posts closed.
The items in the Museum fall into three distinct categories: (1) Artifacts and documents of the Civil War, (2) Artifacts, documents and memorabilia donated by members of the G. A. R. Posts located in Trenton and their families, and (3) Artifacts, documents and memorabilia donated by members of the SUVCW Camps located in New Jersey and their families. The contents of the Museum formerly resided in the Perry Street, Trenton Fire Headquarters. In July of 1998, they were packed and moved to the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville. Among the artifacts and memorabilia are: (1) Civil War era muskets, carbines, bullets, artillery shot and shells, canteens, belts, buckles, swords, bayonets, shoes, battlefield relics, uniform accouterments, prison camp relics, stirrups, cooking equipment, a National color of the Third New Jersey Militia regiment, (2)SUVCW uniform items membership medals and accouterments, (3) G.A.R. member photographs, monument photographs, G. A. R. and SUVCW group photographs, oil paintings, burial markers, G.A.R. hall furniture, (4) two mannequins with replica uniforms, ( 5) G.A.R., SUVCW and Allied Orders annual encampment and other special medals and ribbons,(6) G.A.R., SUVCW and Allied Orders encampment and anniversary souvenirs, (7) an SUVCW uniformed mannequin and (8) Indian War Carbines.
The documents at the Museum include: (1) a copy of the Medal of Honor certificate issued to Sgt. John Beech, 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, (2) G. A. R. Post and SUVCW Camp charters, (3) G.A.R. Post, SUVCW Camp and Ladies Auxiliary minute books, (4) G.A.R. Burial information, (5) G.A.R. Post, SUVCW Camp and Ladies Auxiliary membership records, (6) G.A.R. Post, SUVCW Camp and Ladies Auxiliary national and New Jersey encampment proceedings and (7) books written about Civil War topics. There are gaps in these collections, which we hope will be filled by donations by members of the public.
Our focus is multifaceted, that of: (1) conserving the documents, photographs and artifacts that the museum has, (2) identifying and cataloguing what the museum owns and has on loan, (3) constructing display cabinets, (4) preparing exhibits for display and (5) preparing descriptive panels for exhibits. Our members have painted cabinets and shelves, cleaned swords, muskets, carbines, bayonets and G. A. R. furniture. In addition, we have helped members of the public research their Civil War ancestor.
Intern Projects:
Assist in preparing a school visitation program for grammar, middle and high school students.
Completing the digital photographing of the collection.
Preparation of searchable Data Bases of the membership of the three G. A. R. Posts in Trenton.
1. Name
2. G. A. R. Activities
3. Birth and Death Dates
4. Military Service
5. Biographical information
6. Pension information
7. Burial Location
Preparation of a publicity brochure.
Preparation of captions for displays.
Preparation of exhibits.
1. Rescuing New Jersey's Civil War Battle Flags from a fire at the State House in 1885.
2. Allied Orders Encampment Badges.
3. Civil War Flag carried the 3rd New Jersey Militia
Assists in an investigation of Thomas Hamilton G. A. R. Post Number 56, Trenton, New Jersey.
1. Determine who the Post was named after.
2. Location of the Posts Documents.
3. Preparation of higher quality photographs of members using microfilmed newspaper photographs.
Preparation for a CAPES inventory.
Preparation of a plan for the acceptance of temporary loans of artifacts and memorabilia.
For additional information please contact Joseph F. Seliga, Senior Vice Commander, Gen. James A. Garfield Camp No. 4,
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War at seliga1@optonline.net
Last updated: January 31, 2007