ALTOONA SONS OF VETERANS
History of the Order That Will Lift Burdens of Grand Army of the Republic.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ORDER
Following is one in the series of articles on the history of local societies:
The Sons of Veterans, the society that seems destined to take up the work of the Grand Army of the Republic, are strongly represented in Altoona and have met with great success here. The men mainly responsible for starting the order locally were the late Dr. Hall, of post 62, G. A. R.; Edwin M. Amies, esq.; Professor W. C. Reem, principal of the Webster school, and others.
In January, 1882, the preliminary organization of the local camp was perfected into a permanent organization, and on January 21, 1882, Dr. James Harwood Closson, of Philadelphia, mustered twenty-one charter members into what is still known as Lieutenant Stephen C. Potts camp No. 12, Sons of Veterans, of Altoona.
Ever since the camp was organized it has been teeming with energy. During the first five and a half years of its existence it was a member of three divisions, the Eastern, the Western and the Provincial, but has retained its original number, 12, and has never been found delinquent in any way. In 1887, camp 12, together with the good citizens of Altoona, entertained a convention of the three divisions in Pennsylvania and at that time the three were consolidated into one grand division, Sons of Veterans, U. S. A.
In scrutinizing the history of the local camp it is found that the local society has handled vast sums of money and has used it always to help make the camp and order a success. Fifteen thousand dollars has been spent for sick and death benefits. In the last six years the camp has ceased to be beneficial but this feature is being taken up again. The financial condition is excellent. Three thousand five hundred dollars has been spent for charity, to aid in assisting the old soldiers and members of the order. Fifteen hundred members have been mustered in since the camp organized, many of them having moved to other parts of the state and having taken out transfer cards. Some have started new camps In other places. There are at present 105 members in good standing in the local camp. The motto of the camp has always been, "Lay not treasures upon earth, where moth do corrupt and where thieves do break In and steal."
The camp has frequently appeared in line in public parades. For thirty years the Sons have maintained one of the leading martial musical organizations in the state, this organization having thirty- six members. They are divided up among Altoona, Johnstown, Greensburg, Pittsburg and Braddock, and make things hum when they meet once a year at the division encampment. Altoona's branch of this organization is known as the Sons of Veterans' drum corps.
The local camp met first in the Couch block and then moved to the Roush building, next door to the old Eleventh Avenue opera house. The third place of meeting was the Sons of Veterans' hall on Eleventh avenue. This hall was built by one of the camp's members, William L. Calvert, now deceased, and was turned over to the Sons of Veterans as their home. They furnished the place and flourished in it. Finally the building changed hands and at length the camp decided to sell the furniture and meet in the hall of post 62, G. A. R., in the Hare block, Chestnut avenue near Ninth street.
Two members of the local camp have held the distinguished position of commander-in-chief of the Sons of Veterans in the United States. These men are Harry W. Arnold, who held the position in 1883, and Attorney Edwin M. Amies, who held it in 1909. Following is a roster of members of camp 12 who have been division officers:
Edwin M. Amies, judge advocate, 1882, 1883, 1884 and 1903; W. C. Reem, division mustering officer, 1883 and 1884; Harry W. Arnold, colonel, 1884; J. N. Woodburn, division council, 1885; W. C. Reem, division inspector, 1886 and 1887; W. H. Keirn, mustering officer, 1890; H. G. Detwiler, division chaplain, 1897; W. B. Fickes, division council, 1899; W. B. Fickes. division council, 1906.
Following is a list of the past captains of the camp, giving them in the order in which they held office: E. M. Amies, W. C. Reem, D. B. Yingling, J. N. Woodburn, James M. Davis, F. A. Furst, J. S. Watson, E. M. Amies, Grant Barnhart, W. H. Keirn, H. G. Detwiler, W. B. Fickes, F. A. Furst, A. G. Stains, J. S. Breeden, P. S. Estright, S. F. McDowell, T. E. Frederick, W. M. Heddinger, W. H. Stambaugh, J. P. L. Stouch, E. E. Horton, J. M. Ebright, H. R. Price, J. H. Minnigh, H. F. Mauk, Willis Horton, Ira Lafferty, Frank Fowler, Joseph M. Davis and Bruce Ebersole.
At the present time the Sons of Veterans all over the United States have armed and equipped Reserves, which are thoroughly drilled in the manual of arms. They are organized into companies, regiments and brigades and every state has a division encampment, at the meeting of which the members go through the routine of army life, being organized into infantry, cavalry, artillery, signal and hospital corps. E. M. Amies, of this city, is general of the Sons of Veterans' Reserves in the United States, and if ever a foreign foe attempted to land in this country woe unto it. The Reserves are at the service of the native land. General Amies has been all over the United States in the interest of the order. Company M, S. of V. R., is the local branch of the reserves.
Major A. P. Davis, of Pittsburg, perfected a preliminary organization of the sons of union soldiers on November 12, 1881, and this was the beginning of the Sons of Veterans. The men eligible were sons of soldiers that had retired from the army with clean records. The society was formed of the children of the flower of the country - the men who fought from 1861 to 1865, and their good wives - and if there is anything in the value of ancestry the Sons of Veterans ought to have it. From the first the society was placed on a military basis and it has always tried to live up in every way to the title of which it is so proud. United States army regulation uniforms were adopted at the very first and some of the camps can now drill in a manner that puts them on par with the regular army. The order spread rapidly and is now found in every state in the union and in Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines.
The members of the order must have a firm belief in Almighty God and must have a deep love of country, with fidelity to its constitution and laws. They must discountenance anything that tends to weaken loyalty, incite to insurrection, treason or rebellion, or may in any manner impair the efficiency and permanency of our union.
The object of the society is to keep green the memories of the members' fathers and to preserve the remembrance of the latter's sacrifices for the maintenance of the union. It is also to aid the members of the Grand Army and all other honorably discharged men who fought for the union who need assistance, and to extend aid to these men's widows and orphans. The secretary also strives to perpetuate Memorial Day and Union Defenders' Day, and seeks to aid its own members and to spread patriotism among them.
Friendship, charity and loyalty form the cornerstone of the society, which aims to teach true citizenship and the highest duties of citizenship. The order believes in the perpetuity of this government and of its constitution and flag. As the sons of men who have given a remarkable exhibition of their patriotism, the society is banded together to further its fathers' principles and to teach loyalty to our native land and its free institutions. In doing this it is believed that an impregnable bulwark against treason and invasion will be erected.
The Sons of Veterans have been true to their colors in the times that the United States recently called upon her sons for aid, Cuba, the Philippines and China were the scenes of many brave deeds of veterans' sons.
In giving a history of camp 12 It is opportune that something be told of Lieutenant S. C. Potts, after whom the camp is named. He was born in Butler on July 24, 1841, and when he was 4 years old his parents moved to Hollidaysburg. He was educated in the public schools and academy of the county capital and among his school chums and playmates was known as the most daring of them all. He was particularly interested in things military. He came to Altoona to learn the trade of machinist when he was 17 years old and continued at his work in the shops until he enlisted in 1861. He became affiliated with company H, Third Pennsylvania Volunteers, under Captain Lloyd, as second lieutenant. Alter his three months' enlistment had expired he re-enlisted in company M. Sixty-second regiment, as first lieutenant. In Yorktown, on April 5, 1862, he saw the "Johnnies" for the first time. He took part in the following battles, besides several skirmishes: Yorktown and the siege of Yorktown; Hanover Court House, Mechanicsville, Savage Station, Malvern Hill, Harrison Landing, Second Bull Run, Antietam, South Mountain and Fredericksburg.
On account of his soldierly bearing and prompt action, on November 17 he was made adjutant of the regiment, although it is not thought he ever received his commission. At the battle of Fredericksburg he was shot in the right temple with a minnie ball and died on the evening of December 14, in a hospital. He was buried in a Hollidaysburg cemetery, where there is now a monument to him. The local Sons of Veterans have visited his grave each Memorial Day for the last thirty years, decorating it. Camp 12 has always endeavored to inculcate into its members the greatest attribute of the man after whom it was named - loyalty.
Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Wednesday, November 8, 1911, page 4