This will be my last newsletter as the Commander of the New Jersey Department.  I thank all of the Department of New Jersey members who gave me, an Associate Member, an opportunity to serve as Commander of the New Jersey Department.  It has been an honor and a privilege to do so. 

Throughout these past two years, I have met many of the members of the New Jersey Department.  I have attended meetings of all the camps that meet on a regular basis.  I have been delighted with the enthusiasm that I have found in these camps for the tenets and beliefs of the Allied Orders.   I applaud the work done by Francine Camp 7 in the erection of a monument to the men of the 12^th New Jersey .  Their hard work and dedication to duty is one that all camps could emulate.

Much has been done, but as always, there is much to do.   We need to foster growth of our members so that they can assume the officers duties at both the Camp and Department levels.  I would like to see a time again when the Ladies of the G. A. R. attend the state encampments so that all Allied Orders meet at a single encampment.  We need to find projects to continue to foster and cement good working relationships with all Allied Orders.  There have been some preliminary discussions about the creation of a New Jersey Tent of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War.  I would like to see this brought to fruition. 

I would like to see ways in which Camp members throughout the state can meet one another and work together on projects.  I would like to see a State event supported by all camps to develop a sense of togetherness.  Some possibilities are: (1) Re-instituting the Lincoln Day Dinner as a state wide affair, bringing all camps together once a year, and hosted by one or more camps. (2) Maintenance of 13^th New Jersey’s monument at Gettysburg as a state wide project, and (3) Conducting an Annual picnic, perhaps in May, prior to the start of the Re-Enactment season.

If the National Encampment of the Allied Orders is to take place in New Jersey in 2010, we must as a Department, form an effective committee.  Every camp in the state must participate to make it a success.  If it is not presented at the National Encampment in Harrisburg this year, there is not a chance that it will happen. 

The site of the 2006 State Encampment is St. Anthony of Padua in Hammonton , New Jersey .  It will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2006.  I hope that all brothers of the New Jersey Department will attend this important event.  This meeting is where Department policy, projects and programs are established.  Your thoughts and ideas are important. 

Joseph Francis Seliga

Commander, New Jersey Department

General James A. Garfield Camp No. 4 Museum

The General James A. Garfield Camp Number 4 Museum is the official repository of the records of the New Jersey Grand Army of the Republic and the records of the Department of New Jersey Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.  It is located in the Lawrenceville Armory and is open for research of viewing of the exhibits by appointment.  On display are such items as:  The Third New Jersey Militia flag, weapons and accouterments of soldiers, photographs, original documents, battlefield and other souvenirs, replica uniforms, and model soldiers depicting uniforms worn and weapons.  The room has two dressed mannequins, a private with full replica accouterments and rifle-musket, and an officer of the 35^th New Jersey .    

Donations of Civil War items, New Jersey GAR items or Sons of Union Veterans items are always gratefully appreciated.  Anyone with information on New Jersey GAR Posts or members is asked to contact one of the officers of the SUVCW camps in your area. 

General James A. Garfield Camp 4

The elected Officers for Camp # 7 are as follows:

Commander:                                          Daniel George

Sr. Vice Commander:                            Joseph Seliga

Jr. Vice Commander:                            Stuart Foulks

Sec. / Treas.:                                         Frederick Daubert

The Camp meets at least once per quarter on Tuesday mornings at the General James A. Garfield Camp 4 museum to discuss business and upcoming activities.

Col. Louis R. Francine Camp 7

The new officers for Camp #7 are as follows:

Commander:                              Wayne Johnson

Sr. Vice Commander:                 Andrew Burnett

Jr. Vice Commander:                  Buddy Shover

Secretary/Treasurer:                   Fred Mossbrucker 

Council:                                    Doug Cawley

                                                Dave Hann

                                                Dan Lewis

Patriotic Instructor:                     Charlie Shover

Graves Registration Officer:         Andrew Burnett

Civil War Memorials Officer:        Wayne Johnson

Chaplain:                                   Alex Calabrese

Historian:                                  Dave Hann

Eagle Scout Coordinator:            John Makos

On February 11, 2006 at 12 pm the Col. Louis R. Francine, Camp #7, SUVCWNJ presided over a flag raising ceremony at the Camp Stockton Monument .  The ceremony was run by Commander Wayne Johnson in his first official act as Camp Commander .  The special speakers were the Honorable Mayor Leslie Clark of Woodbury and Angelo Romeo, Director of Veterans' Affairs.  The ceremony lasted about 1/2 hour and brought a great amount of HONOR to the men of the 12th NJ.  The flag raised was a reproduction of the 12th's battleflag.  The final 11 bricks have been placed in the monument and now await the planting of trees behind the back fence.

Brother Fred Mossbrucker

Sec/Treas., Camp #7

Gen. Nathaniel Lyon Camp 10

The newly elected officers for 2006 for Lyon Camp 10 SUVCW are as follows:

Commander:                              Buzz Smithcors PCC

Sr. Vice Commander:                 Bill Cole

Jr. Vice Commander:                  Brian Wilhelm

Sec./Treas.                               Robert Wilhelm PCC

Chaplain:                                   Pat Peters

Patriotic Inst.:                            Matthew Wilhelm PCC

Color Bearer:                             Dennis Clowney PCC

Guide:                                       Dennis Sockwell

Guard:                                      Jack Myers

Camp Council :                           Robert Wilhelm PCC

                                                Matthew Wilhelm PCC

                                                Dennis Clowney PCC

The Camp web sight has had a facelift.  Most of the pages have been updated with a new look.  The GAR information section has been updated with information and new member names on several GAR Posts with more updates taking place every day.  The list will swell to over 8,000 names over the next few Months.  Please check it out.  http://www.lyoncamp.org We wish to thank Bro. Bill Cole for his efforts in establishing the web sight and Bro. Buzz Smithcors for the recent updating.  Our GAR member research is continuing.  Anyone with information about a New Jersey GAR Post or its members is asked to contact our project leader Bro. Bob Wilhelm @ 856-691-1083 or by e-mail at secondpaha@comcast.net.

Gen. Custer Camp 17

The new officers for Custer Camp #l7 are:

Camp Commander :                    Robert A. Bowell

Sr. Vice Commander:                 Jack Ensel

 Jr. Vice Commander:                 Mike Truex

  Camp Secretary :                       Daniel J. Lynch PCC

  Camp Treasurer :                       Frank McGonigle PCC

 Patriotic Inst.:                           Russell Becker

  Camp Historian :                        Clark D. McCullough PDC, PCC

  Camp Guide :                            Thomas Raskin

  Camp Color Guard :                   Richard J. McCarthy

  Camp Guard :                            Robert J. Frake

  Camp Monument :                    

 & Memorial Officer

 Asst. Camp Sectry:                  Clark D. McCullough PDC, PCC

The Custer Camp #l7 will be holding its second meeting of the year on Sunday March 26, 2006 at 12:00 noon at American Legion Post 248 in South Plainfield .  

A Brunch Buffet will be held after the business meeting.  Guest Speaker will be Jay Jorgenson Esq.

Yours in F.C. & L. Brother Clark

Abraham Lincoln Camp 100

The officers for Lincoln Camp 100 are:

Commander:                              Richard Forman
Sr. Vice Commander:                 Stanley Saperstein
Jr. Vice Commander:                  Julian "Bud" Batlan
Sec-Treas:                                David Martin

The next Lincoln camp 100 meeting will be Friday evening April 28 at 7 PM at The Peddie School. Speakers will be Bob McAvoy and Chuck Eckhardt on their forthcoming book listing 40,000 New Jersey Civil War burials. For details of the meeting contact David Martin at 609-448-6355.

Our wishes for a speedy recovery to our Department Commander Bro. Joe Seliga

While in Lancaster , PA , on Friday, March 17^th, Bro. Seliga came down with severe stomach pains. Three days later he discovered that it was a Gall Bladder attack. He was sent to Princeton Hospital for testing and wound up staying a whole week.  Although stable for now, surgery is planned for the near future.  Our prayers are with you.

Ladies Auxiliary to the Department of New Jersey Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Greetings from the NJ Dep. Aux. President Viola Smithcors,

It has been a pleasant year for me.  I was able to attend a nice array of events and represent the NJ Dept. at them. There are always a few that stand out in your mind as you look at the year past.  The presentation of the Flag at the new monument in Woodbury, what a grand job was done by Francine Camp and Elizabeth Thorn Aux. The cleaning of Civil War soldiers monuments by Lyon Camp ,Cornelia Hancock Aux. and the Girl Scout Troop from St. Mary's at the Old Broad Street Cemetery in Bridgeton , NJ .  What a task, but all were bright and shining for the Memorial Day service being done on that day.   And the finalee for the year the Gettysburg Remembrance day Parade.  Each year, it has been a pleasure to march in this parade, but this year was special for I was the President of the NJ Dept.  We had a total of 19 ladies marching, what a growth from 7 to this amount.  It was an honor as usual to represent our fallen ancestors in the march through town to the National Park. 

As my year is now coming to a close, I hope that I have done the job that you expected of me.  I would like to ask that the communication between the officers and members continue.  I had two meetings at my home this past year, which really helped to get all the officers on the right track for things that needed to be accomplished and discussed.  As the saying goes, when a selected group work together a lot more can be accomplished then one trying to do it alone.

A great year ahead I wish for the new officers and May all of your events for this year have the sun shining and may a stronger friendship develop between us all.  

Yours in F.,C., and L.,

Viola Loder-Smithcors

NJ Dept. President 2005-06

New Jersey Department Newsletter

The New Jersey Department publishes two Newsletters per year, one prior to the Annual State Encampment and one after the Annual National Encampment.  The Department hopes that by these newsletters members will be better informed about Department and National projects, activities  and events and thus be better able to participate in them and at the National and State Encampments.  Publication of the Department Newsletter is the responsibility of the Senior Vice Commander, New Jersey Department.  If you have any suggestions on what should be included in the Department Newsletter or how the Newsletter could be improved, please send them to the Department Senior Vice Commander either via e-mail or the United States Mail.

728 Plum Street

Vineland, NJ 08360

Ph. - 856-691-1083

Senior Vice Commander, New Jersey Department

secondpaha@comcast.net