History of the Nebraska DV
Oct 18, 1997 
  
NATIONAL ALLIANCE, DAUGHTERS OF VETERANS, USA
#2  Department of Nebraska
December 30, 1890-1904
Compiled by Dave Wells Omaha. Nebraska     

    This is a list of all known locations of the group known as the Daughters of Veterans. Eligibility was limited to direct descendants of honorably discharged Union Civil War veterans.  This made it a rival of the existing WRC, LGAR and LAS organizations.  The Nebraska Department of the GAR considered the D of V an auxilary, giving it similar status to the WRC.    
    The Nebraska Department grew quickly after mustering their first tent at Kearney in May 1890.  During the first four years 29 charters were issued,  although some of the Tents lasted less than one year.  In 1895 however, it just as rapidly declined. The 2nd bi-annual report for 1895 showed only 8 active Tents, with 6 suspended and 1 disbanded.  By 1898 there were only 4 active Tents.  The Department would struggle along at this level for the next 
5 years.  They are mentioned only once after that in the GAR or WRC records. The location or closing date of the last Tent is unknown.  The reasons for  this rapid decline are not clear.  The National Dept. appears to be doing fine during this period.  Their decline coincides with the decline of the Nebraska Sons of Veterans and the rise of the Nebraska Ladies of the GAR. In addition, the Ladies Aid Society, which was the official auxillary to the Sons of Veterans, was especially critical of the D of V and worked very hard to have them disbanded or merged into the LAS.  The Nebraska Womans Relief 
Corp had expressed doubts about the need for the D of V from the beginning, and by 1900 was discussing plans to incorporate them into the WRC.  This lack of  support from the Sons of Veterans and the other ladies organizations may explain why the Nebraska Department of the Daughters of Veterans disbanded.  None of these Tents were active when the Department was restarted in 1917.  (See next section titled "Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War").   It was not  possible to determine when most of the individual Tents closed.  The exact Tent numbers were not available on three locations.  In order to index them an  estimated number was assigned to those locations.  They are marked with the  letter "E" (E14, E15, E17).

#    Tent Location/Name

1.        KEARNEY         Mustered May 21, 1890         19 Members
           H. K. Painter - Dr. Hettie Kersey Painter; Army nurse, Eastern Theater
                        1820-1889; Niece of John Brown; Buried in Lincoln
                             See DUV Tent 2 in 1919 also

1.B      St. EDWARD      Mustered Oct. 25, 1895     
            Anna Redding - Dept. Junior Vice President 1893-94
                        Member of Lincoln Tent 13

1.C      OMAHA           Mustered Nov. 25, 1896        40 Members
            Mrs J. M. Thurston - Martha Poland Thurston                     
            1850-1898; Wife of Neb. Senator John M. Thurston; Died in Cuba while inspecting situation there
                        See Tent 18 in 1892 also                             
                        See DUV Tent 1 in 1917 also

2.        FALLS CITY          Mustered Aug. 20, 1890     
           Mystic                     
            Disbanded Feb. 1891, then rechartered as Tent 5
            (This Tent was started before Falls City had a WRC and probably lost many of its members
             when the Corp began in January 1891.)                             
                        See Tent 5 in 1891 also

2.B      YORK                Mustered June 18, 1898
            Juliet Howe - Juliet Robbins Howe; Army nurse, Eastern Theater  
                    1825-1904; known as "Mother Robbins" to troops; First President of WRC Corp 5 at York;
                     Only female member of the Nebraska GAR
                             See DUV Tent 5 in 1919 also


3.        GRAND ISLAND        Mustered Nov. 1, 1890     
           Lucy Webb Hayes - Wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes
                        1831-1889; "Mother Lucy" to soldiers
                        Charter suspended January 1897 (LGAR Circle started in 1895)
                             See DUV Tent 18 in 1924 also

                     Department mustered Dec. 30, 1890

----------------1891---------------------------------------1891---------

4.         DONIPHAN            Mustered March 7, 1891
           Emma Manchester - Nebraska WRC President 1889-90
                       1848-1923; Nat'l WRC Senior Vice President 1891


5.        FALLS CITY          Mustered April 1, 1891        20 Members
          Charlotte Cushman - Did benefits for U.S. Sanitary Commission
                        1816-1876; American Dramatic Actress
                             See Tent 2 in 1890 also


6.        DAVID CITY      Mustered May 25, 1891
           Clara Barton - Civil War nurse; Founder of American Red Cross
                     1821-1919; "Angel of the battlefield"...
                     (WRC started in 1894)
                             See DUV Tent 17 in 1924 also

7.        CENTRAL CITY    Mustered Aug. (15), 1891
            Florence Nightingale - English nurse during Crimean War
                     1820-1910; Pioneer of modern nursing
                             See DUV Tent 14 in 1923 also

----------------1892---------------------------------------1892---------------

8.        RISING CITY     Mustered Jan. 30, 1892
           Mary Logan - Wife of Gen. John Logan of GAR reknown
                     1838-1923; May have originated idea of Memorial Day


9.       TABLE ROCK      Mustered March (24), 1892
          Mollie Stark - Elizabeth Page "Molly" Stark
                     1737-1814; Wife of Gen. John Stark - Revolutionary War

10.     OSCEOLA         Mustered (April) 1892
          Harriet Beecher Stowe - Abolitionist
                     1811-1896; Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin
                     Charter surrendered January 1893

11.     RED CLOUD       Mustered May 17, 1892
          Mary Sears McHenry - Nat'l WRC President from Dennison, Ia. in 1890-01
                     1834-1912.; visited Red Cloud in Jan. 1891
                     (LGAR Circle started in 1891)

12.     MADISON         Mustered May 25, 1892
          Francis Parkinson - Civil War nurse in St. Louis
                     1833-1897; Member Madison WRC Corp 87

13.     LINCOLN         Org. June 1892
          Mary R. Morgan  President Nebraska WRC 1889-91
                     Died 1921...Member WRC Corp 44 at Alma...
                     (LGAR Circle started in 1896)
                         See DUV Tent 7 in 1919 also

E14.   LITCHFIELD      (1893)    per Aug. Nebr. Def. & WRC
          Eva Rouse, Laura Gray, Mrs. Demarus Stevens members
                     (LGAR Circle started in 1894) #14 still active in 1896

E15.   DANBURY         By May 1894 per WRC                     
             #15 still active in Jan. 1896

16.     GIBBON          Mustered Aug. 21, 1892
          Mary A. Lincoln

E17.   CLARKS          (1893)    per Aug. Neb. Def.
          Clara Dodge member

18.     SOUTH OMAHA     Mustered Nov. (20), 1892
          Amanda B. Tisdel - President Nebraska WRC 1891-3; Died 1904; Member WRC Corp 1 at Kearney
                     (LGAR Circle started in 1894)
                           See Tent 1-C in 1896 also

19.     NELSON          Mustered Dec. 9, 1892
          Francis Garlow - President Nebraska Dept. 1892-93
                     Member Tent 6 at David City

20.    STOCKHAM        Mustered Dec. 28, 1892
         Mrs. Sherman - Eleanor (Ellen) Ewing Sherman
                     1824-1888; Wife of Gen. William T. Sherman
                     (LGAR Circle started in 1897)

----------------1893-------------------------------------1893-------------

21.    INDIANOLA       Mustered Jan. (15), 1893      20 Members
                    Org. Dec. 10, 1892

22.    WILBUR         Mustered July 15, 1893        13 Member
         Beulah C. Davis - Nebraska Dept. President 1893-94
                     Member Tent 13 at Lincoln

23.   BELLWOOD       Mustered Aug. 3, 1893         16 Members
        Elvira Hart Hill
                       See DUV Tent 25 in 1934 also

24.   ULYSSES        Mustered Aug. 18, 1893        13 Members
        Julia Grant - Julia Dent Grant; 1826-1902; Wife of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant

25.   HUNTLEY

----------------1894----------------------------------------1894-------------

26.   CEDAR RAPIDS   Mustered Jan. 2, 1894
        Mellie C. Hards - President Nebraska WRC 1893-94
                     1838-1921; Member WRC Corp 29 at Central City

27.   GENEVA         Mustered March 7, 1894
         Myrto C. Yost - First Nebraska Dept. President 1890-91
                     Member Tent 1 at Kearney
                        See DUV Tent 12 in 1921 also

28.

29.   FREMONT        Mustered Dec. 28, 1894        20 Members
        Kate Sherwood - Kate Brownlee Sherwood of Toledo, Ohio; 1841-1914; One of the Founders of the WRC
                        See DUV Tent 9 in 1920 also

 Towns listing D of V in Memorial Day programs but not having a Tent:
HOOPER-1892    ASHLAND-1893   CULBERTSON-1897     GORDON-1894    BROKEN BOW-1898
WAYNE-1896     TEKAMAH-1894 BEE    St. Paul    SCRIBNER-1897  FAIRMONT-1897  
CRETE-1891     BLAIR-1898     Cozad    AUBURN-1894    BEAVER CITY-1894    MINDEN-1893
  Stromsburg  Tecumseh       
WEST POINT     1894 BEE      ORGANIZED 5-18-1901
LEXINGTON      1904 BEE

               STATE CONVENTIONS
1890 KEARNEY        Dec. 29-30                     3 Tent
        Myrto Yost of Kearney, President
1891 GRAND ISLAND   June 18-20                     6 Tent
        Myrto Yost of Kearney, President
1892 DAVID CITY     June 14-17                     12 Tent
        Francis Garlow of David City, President
1893 LINCOLN        June 27-29                     19 Tents
        Beulah Davis of Lincoln, President
1894 GRAND ISLAND   June 28-30
        Ida King of Grand Island, President
1895 GENEVA         June 27-29                     8 active Tent
        Nellie Baird of Lincoln, Preisdent       (1 Disbanded & 6 Suspended)
1896 FREMONT        June 24-26                     10 active tents
        Nellie Baird of Lincoln, President
1897 OMAHA          Feb. 17-18                     4 active Tents
        Cora Owens of Fremont, President
1898 OMAHA          Feb. 16-17

1899 YORK           May 10-11
        Lucy (Spellman) Johnson of York, President
1900 YORK           April 18                       3 active Tents
        Clara Martin of Stockham, President
1901
        Clara Martin of Stockham, President
1902 OMAHA          May 22-23                      4 Tents active

1903 FREMONT        May 13-14                      (York-West Point-Lexington)
                    1 new Tent!
1909 YORK           May 13-14      With the GAR

     Originally, there were three organizations using the name Daughters of Veterans. The first was started in Knoxville, Iowa on Feb. 21, 1885. Masillion, Ohio organized their group May 30, 1885, and San Jose, California organized in February 1, 1886. None knew of the existence of the other until they started writing articles about themselves in the National Tribune in 1886. Only the Ohio group was successful at forming a national organization, although California did try.     
    In 1894 the L.A.S. (Ladies Aid Society) offered to consolidate with the Daughters of Veterans when they heard the DV was declining, but no formal action was taken. The Daughters denied that they were declining. (per the Nebr. Defender)  In 1900 the Neb. WRC adopted a resolution to incorporate the DV into the WRC. It was to be presented at the National Convention.. No other information on this is available.

LADIES AID SOCIETY     
The L.A.S. was the official auxiliary to the Sons of Veterans. It was started in 1887, although the first Nebraska charter is not until later. The main difference between the LAS and DV was the eligibility of wives of Sons of Veterans in the LAS.

L.A.S. #1-Dorchester         Mustered December 15, 1891    11 Members
           #2-Palisade             Mustered May 9, 1891               28 Members
           #3-Juniata               Mustered May 30, 1891             12 Members
           #4-Stanton              Mustered August 4, 1891            8 Members
           #E5-Kenesaw         per 1893 Hastings Directory
           #6-Omaha              Mustered Feb. 13, 1897 to Crook #1
         -Trenton-1898

AUXILIARY TO SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR
1.   Lincoln                  Mustered May 20, 1922             Camp #144
2.   Chadron                (1923)                                        Camp #156
3.   Hay Springs          (1923)                                         Camp #16
4.   University Place    Mustered March 1, 1922    26 Members  Camp # 22
5.   Tecumseh             by Aug. 1922                               Camp #21
6.   Omaha                                                                     Camp #1
7.   Wilbur                  Mustered Aug. 2, 1928
8.   Dewitt                  Mustered Aug. 2, 1928
     Fairmont??           (1929)

other possibles:     
Table Rock   June 1925
Hickman      1923  Officer
Humboldt     1923      
Hastings     1928      "              Camp #17

Articles in National Tribune about D of V: 
4/24/1884-J. Howe, 2/25/1886-Ohio, 3/25/86-Ia., 6/10/86 Cal., 6/17/86 Poem, 8/5/86 & 
9/2/86-WRC reaction, 11/4/86 Cal., 12/23/86 Cal. 1/20/1887, 4/2/87-Prov. Natl, 
5/12/87, 11/14/1889 Natl, etc.

 Articles in National Tribune about Nebraska D of V:
6/12/1890, 7/10/90, 7/3/90, 9/25/90, 10/2/90, 10/23/90, 10/8/1891 #7, 6/23/1892, 
7/7/92, 3/23/1893 #20, 1/24/1895 #29, 2/17/95, 3/28/95, 1/9/1896 #4, 4/16/96, 9/10/96,
1/19/1899 2-B.

Other States: 
     Indiana-#1   Connersville   Chartered July 1891
     Lucinda Morton
     #2   Brook

     New York-#1  Manhasset, Long Island  Chartered 2/25/1891
     Mrs. John Logan

     Rhode Island-#1  Providence    Chartered Feb. 21, 1891
     Mrs. Abby J. Slocum

     Pennsylvania-#1  Punxautawney   Chartered (May) 1892
     Mollie Robertson
    
     #2  Allegheny   Chartered 1894
     Carrie V. Sheriff

     Kansas- #2   Parsons    Chartered by Feb. 12, 1891
     Iuka

     Colorado-#1   Greeley   Chartered July 30, 1891
     #2   Pueblo
     Mary Logan

     Conneticut-#1   Putnam  Chartered April 3, 1894
      Caroline Scott Harrison

     New Hampshire-#2   Manchester     Chartered August 1896
     Mary J. Bunsher - only local Army nurse

     Illinois #2     Chicago    Mustered Sept. 1891
     Mrs John Logan
     #4     Oak Park (Chicago)
              Mr. Phil Sheridan
     #5     Englewood
                     Mrs. Col. Ellsworth
     #9     Aurora    Mustered Dec. 1, 1905
              Lucy Webb Hayes
    #10    Chicago   Mustered Dec. (1), 1905
              Keturah Hoover
    #12
              Julia Dent Grant

     Minnesota-#1 Minneapolis
      Mary Starkweather

     Ohio   #2      Alliance
     Mrs. John Logan