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As indicated by the SUVCWwebsite's Confederate Cousinspage, our national body takes great pride in positive relations with the Sons of Confederate Veterans organization. This philosphy is manifested on the local level by the Edward Lea Camp and its harmonious relationship with SCV camps in the greater Houston area. Such fellowship has been mutually beneficial for members of both groups as we celebrate our heritage. To do otherwise, it could be stated, would forsake the inspiring precedent set by our veteran ancestors in the aftermath of the Civil War.
In the decades that followed the Civil War, both Union and Confederate veterans met in joint reunions proudly displaying both the flags under which they served. In the spirit of reconciliation, each veteran demonstrated their mutual admiration and respect for their former opponent. This spirit was best displayed by a poem written in 1913 for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg:
No North, No South,
No Alien Now;
Firm for One Cause, One Flag We Stand.
Hearts melted into Second Flame;
For God and Home and Native Land.
As members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, we cherish our ancestors. Yet we also admire the dedication and resolve of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who hold their ancestors in equal high regard. While we recognize the historic differences in our collective past, we also see the need for solidarity in our mutual future. In a 1995 address delivered at the 100th Reunion of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Military Order of the Stars and Bars at Chattanooga, then SUVCW Commander-in-Chief, Keith G. Harrison, expressed that...
Several common interests transcend the differences of our Orders. These include a deep respect for all soldiers who fought during our AMERICAN Civil War; a strong desire to ensure that they and what they fought for are never forgotten; a need to ensure that their graves and memorials are maintained; and a desire to ensure that the history of our United States is related to successive generations as it actually happened rather than in terms of what is currently in vogue or politically correct.
As descendants of the men who wore the Blue, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War hold a deep and abiding respect for the men who wore the Gray. For while we revere our own ancestors who fought to preserve this country's unity, we also acknowledge the honor and courage with which the Confederate servicemen fought for their cause. Furthermore, we condemn the actions of revisionist historians and political activists who have sought to remove the flags, regalia and memorials of the Confederacy. It was a proud and unique moment in 1996 when, at the 115th National Encampment of the Sons of Union Veterans, our membership adopted a Resolution of Support favoring the continued flying of the Confederate Battle Flag over the South Carolina State House.
Mutual Respect has been a two-way street; the Sons of Confederate Veterans are on record as desiring to work with us in the advancement of our common goals. Speaking on behalf of the SCV in 1995, John Britton Wells made one of the strongest appeals on record for solidarity between our two groups. In his More Hands Across the Wall address, Mr. Wells demonstrated the mutual problems facing both our organizations and prophecized the disheartening consequences of not supporting each other. His speech was so well-received that it was reprinted for distribution to all the members of the Sons of Union Veterans via our official publication, The Banner (Volume 100) in 1995.
In keeping with the spirit of solidarity nationally, the Edward Lea Camphas endeavored locally to cooperate and support our fellow Sons of Confederate Camps in the greater Houston area. Many of our members, due to their family heritage, hold membership in both the SUVCW and SCV. Such dual memberships have fostered close-knit ties between our respective groups and resulted in several joint ventures. In recent years, the Lea camp has worked with several camps in the Gulf Coast Brigade of the SCV's Texas Division Examples include Memorial Day services with the Ike Turner SCV Camp of Livingston at the site of Camp Groce, a former Confederate POW camp near Hempstead, TX; and Veterans Day services with the Dick Dowling Camp of Houston for the many Union and Confederate veterans buried in Houston's Washington Cemetery.
The Lea Camp is most proud, however, of its close relationship with the SCV's John B. Hood Camp in Galveston. Each January, our two camps hold a joint memorial service commemorating the Battle of Galveston in which we salute all those who died in that 1863 engagement. In so doing, we honor to the two men whose names have become synonymous with the battle, Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder CSA and our namesake, Lt. Comdr. Edward Lea, USN. Both men are buried in Galveston's Episcopal Cemetery and, in the spirit of reconciliation, the Confederate heirs place a wreath on Comdr. Lea's grave as we, the Union scions, place a wreath on Gen. Magruder's grave. It is a service almost reminiscent of Edward Lea's original funeral service when, under Gen. Magruder's authority, he was laid to rest with full military honors. It has never been the purpose of either the SCV or the SUVCW to refight the Civil War. On the contrary, both groups seek to promote the heritage of the war and to remember the men who served so valiantly in that long ago conflict. Through activities such as those mentioned above, both the SCV and the SUVCW fulfill this goal for the benefit of generations yet to come. The Edward Lea Camp is honored to be a part of this legacy.