James C. West Post of the Grand Army of the Republic and Women's Relief Corps, G.A.R. Collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: BCA 0199 HC 24

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

These are the records of two community organizations, the Captain James C. West Post No. 171 of the Kentucky Department of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Captain James C. West Women's Relief Corps No. 48 auxiliary to the Kentucky Department GAR.

Materials of the Captain James West Post consist of minute books that supply details concerning monthly meetings, a ledger of organizational accounts and dues, and various loose minutes and reports. Materials of the Women's Relief Corps consist of minute journals, rules and regulations manuals, a national roster, various reports, and fragmentary correspondence of S. F. Steward and Mary Dodge.

Dates

created: 1890-1930

Conditions Governing Access

Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright has not been assigned to Berea College. There are no known restrictions on the collection other than federal copyright regulations. Please cite all references to this collection.

Extent

2.00 ms_boxes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Captain James C. West Post was organized on May 24, 1890 to aid and commemorate Civil War veterans who served in the Union Army. The group met monthly and performed many community duties including memorial services for the dead, and help for needy widows and families of those who fought during the Civil War. The Captain James West Women's Relief Corps No. 48 auxiliary was organized on March 17, 1906. Closely linked to the Captain James West Post No. 171, the women's auxiliary carried on many of the same community activities. In most cases the two organizations worked together and in December of 1909 began holding joint monthly meetings. The objectives of the Women's Auxiliary were to aid and assist the GAR in perpetuating the memory of their dead, to assist Union veterans in any possible way, to extend needful aid to their widows and orphans, and to promote patriotism. A lack of interest in the organization and poor attendance led to the group's demise in June 1939.

Arrangement Note

Arrangement is in series:

Series 1: Captain James West Post #171

Series 2: Women's Relief Corp #48

Series 3: General G.A.R. Pamphlets

Source of Acquisition

Ellen Hays presented these records to Berea College.

Method of Acquisition

Ellen Hays presented these records to Berea College. They came from her grandmother, Wilmoth Francis Hays, who inscribed the bound volumes that she was donating to the Berea College Library. W. Francis Hays had once been a vice president in the Kentucky Women's Relief Corps. Ellen's grandfather, Alexander Franklin Hays, claimed to have helped to raise the Union flag on Lookout Mountain when the Confederate and Union forces clashed at Chattanooga, and was also active in the GAR.

Other Descriptive Information

Collection Number: BCA 0199 HC 24

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Hutchins Library staff and the original finding aid was created by Joseph Knipp. The finding aid was updated with information from various sources by Lori A. Myers-Steele, Project Archivist, in March 2014.