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Monday, October 28, 2013

Military Monday - Grand Army of the Republic records index

As I have written about here, my third great grandfather Philip Kuhn was an active participant in the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veterans' organization. He was a founding member of the Seneca, Kansas chapter and active in two other chapters in the state.
My ultimate goal is to find a photograph of Philip. To date I have found no descendants that have photographs so I am looking to other methods to locate one. In Philip's case it seems obvious to look to his G.A.R. connections. It's possible that he was photographed for a chapter photo or during a parade or local veterans' celebration. I googled G.A.R. records and came across a great link. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), the legal heir and successor to the G.A.R. has created a database of each of the G.A.R. posts and where records for that post are maintained.
A screen shot of the SUVCW G.A.R. records database.
The database is set up by state and lists the chapter number, name, city and where the records for that chapter are held. It's a fantastic research tool for learning more about G.A.R. members. It's still a work in progress, so if you are aware of a G.A.R. resource not listed, be sure to let the SUVCW know here.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi. I'm a new blogger, new to Geneabloggers. I stumbled on your blog through the Geneabloggers site. You have a terrific blog. I'm a new fan. Looking forward to reading your upcoming posts. (Love the blog name!)

Warm regards,
Deb

"A LIFETIME LEGACY State of Mind" blog: http://ALifetimeLegacy.blogspot.com
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Heather Kuhn Roelker said...

Thanks, Deb, for the sweet comment! Best of luck in your new adventure!

Wendy said...

A perfect entry for Military Monday but doubles as a Tuesday Tip. I hope you find a parade photo or group photo -- that would be exciting.

Unknown said...

What wonderful information! Isn't it funny how things work out in genealogy. You stopped by my blog and left a comment which peaked my curiousity about your blog, where I discovered this post about the GAR. I just discovered my 2nd great-grandfather was a member of C.C. Wheeler Post in Indiana. I'm excited to check out the webpage you linked to in your GAR post. Thanks so much for the info!

Heather Kuhn Roelker said...

Thank you, Wendy. I'm crossing my fingers. I reached out to the local historical society about photos of the GAR, but no response. Guess I'll have to travel to Kansas and check myself! ;)

Heather Kuhn Roelker said...

Dannell, thank you for stopping by! It is a lucky break that you happened on my tip. It's still a work in progress, but I hope you are able to find information on your ancestor.

Mr. Nutt said...

I have 2 Civil war letters from a Phillip Kuhn to a Bertha Kuhn.
You may be a relative.

Heather Kuhn Roelker said...

Mr. Nutt, thank you for your comment. Yes, I am related to Philip and Bertha Kuhn. Would love to hear more about your find!