Ste. Genevieve SUVCW

06/15/2026

Lt. Col. J. Felix St. James, our Camp's namesake, was on the 13th MO Infantry's staff when it organized in the fall of 1861. Here's an advertisement for volunteers to join the 13th from the Aug. 31, 1861 St. Louis Globe Democrat. St. James was mortally wounded at the Battle of Shiloh. The 13th MO later was renamed as the 22nd Ohio after the Battle of Shiloh.

06/15/2026

Today is Flag Day in the United States. It is a time to celebrate the US Flag and all that it means to those who love what it stands for. Probably one of my favorite display of flags is at the VFW Hall in Ste. Genevieve on Memorial Day. On that day families allow the VFW to display the flag that lay upon their Veterans casket. This year there was 242 flags flying all over the place.
The second photo was taken at the VFW Hall and if you look real close you can barely see the US Army Half Track behind the flags.
The first flag photo was taken at Fort Davidson in Pilot K**b, Missouri.
When the forts powder magazine was blown up on 27 September 1864 the US Garrison Flag that was flying over the fort was torn to shreds.
A piece of that flag still exists and is located in the Iron County Museum in Ironton, MO The museum is a railroad station.
Many men and women have died serving under the flag. We should remember them when we see the flag. Many have come home in a flag draped coffin.

06/12/2026

The Lt. Col. J. Felix St. James SUVCW Camp #326 meets at 6:00 pm every second Tuesday of the month in the Orris Theatre, 261 Merchant St. in Ste. Genevieve, MO. The Camp invites anyone considering becoming a member to please come to a meeting.

Send a message to learn more

06/11/2026

You are invited to join the Lt. Col. J. Felix St. James, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, as we celebrate our Country's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. We will be set up in the yard of the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site located at 198 Merchant St. from 10 am to 2 pm. Visitors will hear about the 4th of July during the Civil War as well as seeing lists of Ste. Genevieve men who served during the war. This is a family friendly event and free to the public. It is handicap accessible on grass.

06/10/2026

Our Ceremony on Decoration Day, 30 May 2026 in Memorial Cemetery. We read the Names of 54 Soldiers of the Civil War who died while in the service in the Union Army.
These 54 men were from Ste. Genevieve, MO

Video by Ed Millinger

06/08/2026

We are sad to announce the passing of Brother William Pool, recognized as the last living Real Son of a Union Veteran of the Civil War, who departed this life on Sunday, June 7, 2026 at the age of 101.
Brother William "Bill" Pool was born on January 13, 1925, to Charles and Clara Bell Pool. His father, Charles Pool, Sr., was born on March 27, 1844, in Ritchie County, West Virginia, and served the Union cause as a member of the 6th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry.
During his service, Charles was wounded in the left leg, resulting in an amputation above the knee, and later received an invalid pension from the federal government. In 1915, at the age of 71,
Charles married Clara Bell Straw, who was 27 years old. Together they raised five children, including William, known throughout his life as "Bill."
Brother Pool's family represented a remarkable living connection to the Civil War generation. His mother, Clara Bell Pool, lived to the age of 101 and was the last Civil War widow in Missouri
to receive a pension based on her husband's Union service.
Following in a tradition of service to the nation, Bill entered the United States Army in 1944 during the Second World War. Serving in the European Theater, he distinguished himself through
extraordinary courage when he voluntarily joined another soldier in rescuing a severely wounded officer from the battlefield after others believed the attempt too dangerous. For this act of heroism,
he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.
After returning home from the war, Brother Pool married Shirley Courtney, and together they raised nine children. He worked as a mechanic and later in the construction industry, earning a reputation as a devoted husband, father, and provider. His family remembered him as a man of unwavering faith, dedication, and work ethic who never missed a day of work and ensured his family was in church every Sunday.
Brother Pool represented a direct and living connection to the men who preserved the Union during our nation's greatest trial. With his passing, an historic chapter in the legacy of the Grand
Army of the Republic and the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War comes to a close. His life served as a tangible link between the Civil War generation and the present day, reminding us of our sacred obligation to preserve the memory, history, and principles for which the Union soldiers fought.
May you rest in peace Brother Pool.

06/08/2026

Flag Day is this coming Sunday, June 14 as a remembrance of a special day in our Country’s history.
On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress officially passed a resolution stating the flag would consist of 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars on a blue field, representing a new nation.
The flag serves as an enduring symbol of courage, national unity, and the shared heritage of the country.
President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation for a national Flag Day in 1916, and President Harry S. Truman signed it into an annual, nationally recognized observance in 1949.
The folding of the flag that drapes the casket of a former service men and women is a poignant reminder of their sacrifice in the name of freedom.
Honor them and your country by flying the American Flag on Sunday.
Teach your children what each fold of the flag signifies.
The final fold is a reminder of our national motto "In God We Trust"

05/30/2026

May 30, 2026

Ste. Genevieve SUVCW
Lt. Col. J. Felix St. James
Camp #326

Held its Decoration Day Memorial at Memorial Cemetery, Ste. Genevieve, MO.

Decoration Day, which originated in the late 1860s, was established to honor the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who died during the American Civil War.

Americans would gather to decorate the graves of fallen service members with flowers, wreaths, and flags.

Over the decades, it evolved into Memorial Day to honor all fallen U.S. military personnel.The history of this cherished tradition is defined by several key milestones:
Early Roots and First Observances:

May 1, 1865 (Charleston, SC): Following the end of the Civil War, formerly enslaved people and members of Black churches organized a gathering of roughly 10,000 people to properly bury and honor Union troops who died in a Confederate prison, widely recognized as one of the earliest observances.

May 5, 1866 (Waterloo, NY): Waterloo began hosting an annual, community-wide event where businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers, later lobbying for official recognition.

Official Establishment

May 5, 1868: Major General John A. Logan, leader of the Grand Army of the Republic (a veterans' organization), issued General Orders No. 11, officially proclaiming Decoration Day as a nationwide day of remembrance.

May 30, 1868: The first large-scale national observation took place at Arlington National Cemetery, where participants decorated the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers. This date was chosen specifically because late May meant springtime flowers would be in full bloom across the country.

Evolution and Modernization:

1873 New York became the first state to officially recognize Decoration Day as a legal holiday. By 1890, every northern state had followed suit.

Post-World War I: In the wake of global conflicts, the observance was expanded to mourn and honor Americans who died in all wars.

1968 & 1971: Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, officially moving the observance to the last Monday in May. In 1971, the federal government officially adopted the name Memorial Day.

Read more about the holiday's roots via the National Cemetery Administration or explore further archival records at the National Archives.

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

The members of the SUVCW Camp in town have a list of veterans who served in the Civil War, both Union and Confederate.
We are always trying to find men who either were born, lived (during or after or born) in Ste. Genevieve.
Today I found a new one. While checking one of the names we are going to be reading this Saturday, Jesse or Jessie Gooch on Find a Grave site, I saw the name of Private James W. Gooch on Jesse Gooch's Memorial.
Come to find out according to the Memorial, James W. Gooch was Jesse Gooch's son. Jesse died 19 June 1863 of illness and James died on 17 March 1864 while a Prisoner of War in Danville, Virginia.
It is amazing where information like this pops up