Many organizations were founded in the later part of the 19th Century that required the prospective members demonstrate that their ancestors had been in the United States before a certain date or that their ancestors had served in a war.  Examples of these organizations are Sons of the American Revolution (1889), The Daughters of the American Revolution (1890), The Daughters of the War of 1812 (1892), The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America (1896), The National Society, Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century (1896), The Mayflower Society of Descendants (1897), and The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America XVII (1915).

The National organization of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861 – 1865 (DUV) was founded May 30, 1885, by Olive Howard, Harriet Knapp, Eva Merwin, Frank Merwin, and Bertha Martin.  On June 3, 1885, the first meeting was held at the home of Eva Meerwin, 419 First Street, SE Massillon, Ohio, with the purpose of preserving the history of the Civil War.

The organization accepts all females, eight years or older, who can document lineal descent from an honorably discharged soldier or sailor who served in the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Revenue Cutter Service during the Civil War (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. The organization maintains a museum and library dedicated to preserving the history of the war at their headquarters at 503 S. Walnut, Springfield, Illinois.

The Daughters of Union Veterans organization’s motto is, “Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty. Their mission is, “To spread widely the teachings of patriotism, that those who dwell in this broad of ours will so live that, in peace or in war, there shall be no stain on “The Flag Our Fathers Saved”.

The metal marker is a replica of the organization’s insignia, a laurel wreath, surrounding the intertwined letters D U V. The laurel is a traditional symbol of victory and military glory from as far back as the times of the Romans.

Just as the women of the North had founded an organization to honor the service of their soldiers, so did the women of the South.  The organization was founded in 1894, by two women, Caroline Meriwether Goodlet and Anna Davenport Raines.  The purpose of the UDC is to preserve the history of the Confederacy, honor the memory of those who served, and to preserve and mark historical locations.  Their motto is, “Love, Live, Pray, Think, Dare.”

Any female 16 years of age or older who can document direct lineal or collateral descent from a soldier who served honorably in the Army, Navy or Civil Service of the Confederate States of America is eligible to join.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy maintain a library at their headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.  They preserve and house a collection of rare books, letters, diaries, and other papers relevant and important to the history of the war.  The UDC also awards a scholarship for original research about Confederate history.

The metal marker is a replica of the emblem of the UDC.  A laurel, gathered together with a ribbon with two dates 61 and 65, the beginning and ending of the war, surrounds a Confederate flag and the intertwined letters U D C.