Having just come through the highly successful Iraqi Freedom military campaign, it is important at the beginning of these General Orders to pause and give thanks to our dedicated armed forces personnel. As our ancestors preserved our American Union, today’s military are on duty night and day preserving freedom throughout the world. Let us never forget those who bravely serve our country – today and yesterday.

As I head into the last two months as Commander of the Ohio Department, I look back on an exciting and rewarding year. Fortunately I have had the opportunity to attend numerous events throughout the State and beyond. At each one I have been especially impressed by the volume of work being done by our Brothers and Camps in preserving the memory of Union veterans. You should be justifiably proud of your accomplishments.

In obedience to GAR C-in-C Gen. John A. Logan’s General Order No. 11 of May 5, 1868, I call on all Camps and Brothers to once again commemorate those who defended our country and "whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land". Gen. Logan stated that " no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances permit". While this year the day designated for Memorial Day is May 26, please remember that the true date set by Gen. Logan for Memorial Day is May 30 and we should all work toward restoration of that date on a national basis.

In G.O. No. 1, I requested that all Camps review their data on each Brother so that we can have up-to-date contact and mailing information. Secretary/Treasurer Dick Greenwalt included a copy of the current National listing for your Camp in his 2003 reporting instructions. If you did not yet return this to Dick, please do so without delay. We are working hard at the Department level to reconcile differences. As you probably know, if a Brother is not on the National list he is not officially recorded as a member and will not get a copy of The Banner.

Mark you calendars and send in your reservation now for the Ohio Department Encampment at Alliance. As I noted in the last General Orders, this is always a great event in a wonderful setting at Mt. Union College. And, you can’t beat the price. The entire weekend is just $80 – that covers all meals from Friday night dinner through Sunday lunch, including the Saturday night banquet, and lodging for Friday and Saturday nights. One night lodging with meals is $55. Individual meal reservations are as follows: breakfast, $4.25; lunch, $6.00; Friday dinner, $7.75; and Saturday banquet $10.75. Reservations should be mailed and check made out to: PCinC Richard L. Greenwalt, 2449 Center Ave., Alliance, OH 44601. Deadline for reservations is: June 1. For questions, Dick’s phone is: (330) 823-6919. (Registration fee is $4.00 payable upon entering the SUVCW meeting room on Saturday morning.) [Encampment headquarters at Mt. Union is Bica-Ross Residence Hall off Rt. 62 (W. State St.) in Alliance. See College Map on last page.]

The Department Encampment is where you can see how Department decisions are made and officers elected. You can be part of that process. As a reminder, each Camp is entitled to one voting delegate, whatever its membership, and one additional delegate for every ten members, or fraction thereof, based on the last official report to the Department Secretary prior to the Encampment. In addition, voting members also include sitting Camp Commanders, PCCs, PDCs, PCinCs, and the current Department Commander. To be admitted to the Encampment’s business meetings, all Brothers must present a paid-up dues card.

Activities start with registration Friday afternoon, then Campfire after dinner. Business meetings during the day on Saturday are topped off by an Allied Orders Banquet in the evening. On Sunday morning the Allied Orders Memorial Services takes place followed by additional business session, if needed.

• Proposed Ohio Encampment Resolutions---Proposed resolutions from Camps for presentation at the Encampment
   should be submitted, in duplicate, by mail to PDC David V. Medert, Chrm. Resolutions Comm., 69 W. Main St.,
   Chillicothe, OH  45601 preferably by June 1.  In any case, please bring copies with you to the Encampment.

• Department Officer Reports –Annual reports of elected and appointed Department officers should be submitted to me no later that June 7.

• Special Recognition Recommendations

The annual wreath-laying ceremony for the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Buffington Island will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2003, at 12:30 p.m. All camps of the Sons of Union Veterans are urged to participate. No advance sign-up is required. Wreaths may be re-claimed after the ceremony if desired. Remarks limited to one-minute are given each presenter and must be made directly concerning the event. A free lunch to participants will be provided afterward by Brooks-Grant Camp No. 7 and the Maj. Daniel McCook Circle No. 140 Ladies of the G.A.R. The nearest motels are 30 minutes from the battlefield, which is located on State Rt. 124 at Portland, Meigs County, Ohio. The Meigs Motel at Pomeroy is recommended. There are also motels at Ripley, WV, on I-77 across the Ohio River. Questions may be directed to Keith Ashley, 34465 Crew Road, Pomeroy, OH 45769-9715 (phone: 740-992-7874).

Plans continue to move ahead full speed for the National Encampment. The Encampment location in suburban Cincinnati is the closest that members of the Ohio Department will get to a National

Encampment in the next several years and we encourage your attendance. In addition to being able to see how the SUVCW works at the National level, you can experience the many attractions of the greater Cincinnati area. Two of the many highlights of the Encampment itself are:

• A special Thursday night Civil War Memorial Service and Tour at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati – burial site of over 2,000 Union veterans, including 41 General Officers (among them Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker and the fighting McCooks of Ohio) plus GAR CinC Elias Monfort.
• The Annual Encampment Banquet on Saturday night will feature Saxton’s Cornet Band of Lexington, KY. Saxton’s is a premier Civil War brass band, having played at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, St. Louis Gateway Arch, and the inaugural reception for Pres. George W. Bush. The Band is the triennial host of the National Civil War Band Festival and is currently on a 12-day, 8-concert tour throughout Taiwan.

Rooms for the Encampment are $69 and $79 per night and can be made directly with the Drawbridge Inn – (800) 354-9793. Be sure to note that you are with the Allied Orders of the GAR. In the last Banner and on the SUVCW website you will find coupons for Encampment Registration and for Banquet Reservations.

I especially call your attention to the notice at the bottom of the reservation page announcing the Encampment Program Book. Advertisements in this Book are a primary means of funding your National Encampment. As the host Department for this event, I would hope that each Camp and Brother in the Ohio Department would consider placing an ad in the Book this year. We need your support!

Other Encampment questions? Send email to: Encampment2003@cinci.rr.com.

Let’s not forget work on this important long-range project. We have done a great job here in the past and I urge you all to continue your high level effort. Graves Registration Officer Wayne Lowery continues his yeoman effort in entering and tracking Department performance. Ohio submissions as of our Mid-Winter Meeting totaled nearly 40,000.

Many Camps are moving forward on determining and locating the burial site of the last Union veteran to survive in the counties in their areas. However, much work still remains in appropriately recognizing those veterans. More information of this Project can be seen on the National Website at: http://suvcw.org/last/lastsoldier.htm.

I do want to specially recognize the efforts of Brother Tim Ward of Garfield Camp #142 who has researched the last Union veteran in 42 counties in the State. If you have determined the last Union veteran in your county, be sure to forward that information to: Dept. Memorials Officer Don Grant (614 Franklin Ave., Lancaster, OH 43130-3259; email: grantdon@hotmail.com).

It has been my privilege during the year to attend various events in a number of Camps in the Department. I want to extend my thanks to all those Camps for the warm reception I received. If I have not visited your Camp, I would like to do so between now and the Ohio Encampment in June. Just let me know the dates of your upcoming events. (As of this date, I am already committed to the following dates: May 3, 4, 24,26 and June 7.)

JVC Brad Tilton has produced a detailed, handy, folded 8 ½" x 11" sheet, which gives the following information on each Camp: Name of Camp; Camp Location; Meeting dates, times, location; and Contact phone and email. This is a tremendous aid in recruiting and communication. You can get a copy at the Ohio Department Encampment, or if you need one before then by emailing Brad at batilton@richnet.net.

On January 18, Mrs. Gertrude Janeway, last Union widow, passed away at her home in Blane, TN at the age of 93. I want to thank Brothers PDC Keith Ashley and Gerald Crawford of Brooks-Grant Camp #7 for voluntarily representing the Department at the memorial services. At the services, they presented a wreath on behalf of the Department, fired a military salute, performed as bugler, and acted as pallbearers.

In a special December email order, I communicated our great sadness and profound regret at the passing of PDC Forest "Frosty" Altland in his 96^th year. Brother Altland answered his last roll call on December 12. He served as Ohio Dept. Commander in 1978. "Frosty" was a Life Member (No. 96), a member of McLaughlin Camp #12 in Mansfield, and for many years a member of the National Credentials Committee. Brothers and friends joined in a final farewell to "Frosty" in Wooster on December 17. Services were conducted by the McLaughlin Camp with cannon salutes by the Given Camp.

In closing, let me thank you for your excellent cooperation and support during this past year. The work of the Department continues at a high level and could not have been accomplished without the great efforts of so many active Brothers.

By Order of: Attested:



James H. Houston Richard L. Greenwalt
Commander Secretary/Treasurer