The Union Veterans Legion was incorporated on February 5, 1885 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Legion was comprised of soldiers, sailors, and Marines of the Union Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the Civil War, who had volunteered for a term of three years, and were honorably discharged for any cause after a service of at least two continuous years, or were at any time discharged by reason of wounds received in the line of duty. Individuals who had been drafted or had borne arms against the United States were not eligible for membership.
Encampment No. 1, also known as Headquarters Encampment, conducted their business at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall.
The records of the Union Veterans Legion consist of the charter, rules, regulations, membership roll books, death records, and minute books. This collection is divided into four groups. The first contains the charter, rules, and regulations for the year 1885.
The second contains the membership roll books for Encampment No. 1 (Pittsburgh), Encampment No. 2 (Philadelphia), Encampment No. 3 (Youngstown, Ohio), and Encampment No. 4 (Beaver Falls). The membership rolls books provide name, age, birthplace, occupation entry into service (month, day, year, rank, company, regiment), final discharge (month, day, year, rank, company, regiment, length of service, cause of discharge, date of muster in the Legion, discharge from Legion,, and when and what engagement wounds were incurred. Some of the membership roll books contain black lists.
The third, Records of Deaths, are only for Encampment No. 1. The records contain brief military service biographies and date of death. These records are arranged chronologically. The fourth contains the minute books for Encampment No. 1. for the years 1884-1920.
No restrictions.
The collection was a gift of Western Pennsylvania Geneaological Society in 1987.
Originals are held by Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Union Veterans Legion, Encampment No. 1, Pittsburgh, Pa. Records, 1884-1939, AIS.1987.08, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh
Union Veterans Legion, Encampment No. 1, Pittsburgh, Pa. Records, 1884-1939, AIS.1987.08, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Union Veterans Legion, Encampment No. 1, Pittsburgh, Pa. Records, 1884-1939, ais 87:8, Archives of Industrial Society, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
This collection was processed by Archives Service Center Staff in 1987.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Julie Aher in September 2003. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 1381977.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.