Eligibility

All daughters, granddaughters and all great granddaughters [etc.] of honorably discharged soldiers, sailors and Marines who served in the Union Army, Navy or Marine Corps and Revenue Cutter Service during the Rebellion of 1861-1865, and those who died or were killed while serving in the armed services of the Union between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865, and who have attained the age of eight years, are eligible for membership.

Eligibility is through lineal descent only and not through adoption. The eligibility can never be changed. You must furnish a complete war record of your ancestor.

The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865 is the only Civil War women's organization based on lineal descent.

Every woman, descended from a Union Veteran will welcome the opportunity to preserve her Civil War Heritage for posterity, while honoring and revering her Civil War ancestry by affiliating with this Order.

Organization

Local groups, called Tents, are named for Army Nurses who served in the Civil War or any loyal woman of the Civil War era whose patriotic deeds during the years 1861-1865 were recorded.

States with three or more Tents have a State Department and may have Members-at-Large.

The National Organization consists of all the State Departments and also National Members-at-Large and Detached Tents. Detached Tents are Tents in States with less than three Tents.

Forms of Membership

National Member-at-Large, State Member-at-Large or affiliation with a local group (called a tent) in cities and towns where they are organized. Members will register their Civil War heritage with the National Headquarters through any form of membership. Affiliation with a local Tent affords one the privilege of knowing and associating with women of common heritage. Tents meet regularly to carry out various interesting activities. Members in Tents may hold office and qualify to serve as a delegate at the annual State and National Conventions.

For further information and to obtain an application, please contact a Tent in your area. A list of members who will help you is on the Contacts page.

Documentation

Birth Records

Complete Birth Certificate	Birth Record
Delayed Birth Certificate	Newspaper Announcement
Doctor/Midwife Record	School Record
Church Record	Baptismal Certificate
HMO Record	Social Security Application
Census – Federal, State	Job Application – Federal, Local

Marriage Records

Complete Marriage Record	Marriage Certificate
Bond/Bann	Newspaper Announcement
Divorce	Tombstone/Cemetery Record

Death Records

Complete Death Record	Church Record/Notice
Cemetery/Tombstone Record	Obituary
Commercial Cemetery Record	Mourning/Funeral Card
Funeral Home Record	Professional Organizations
Insurance Policy	Fraternal Organization Records
Social Security Death Record

Classic Sources

Census – State, Federal	Probate Records
Land Records	Bible and Family Records
Military and Pension Records	Church Registers and Records
Tax Records	Encounters with the Law
Genealogies (use with caution)	County Histories (use with caution)

Contemporary Sources

Telegrams	Church Personnel
Passports and Visa Applications	Mortgage or Loan Applications
Letters from Town Clerks and Town Historians	Employment Record – Private Industry
Institutional (Military homes, prisons)