ELISHA DYER CAMP No.7, Rhode Island Department Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (RI SUVCW) works closely with the following hereditary and historical organizations.    Please try all our links throughout our Website.    Click our Sidebar to see the Camp No.7 Links Page:
For genealogy assistance, Rhode Island Civil War Enlistment Records, other Civil War Organizations, and more Civil War History Links.    When you are through viewing all our Webpages please go back and click the buttons on our Website "Entry" Page for great information concerning the ELISHA DYER AUXILIARY No.2, (RI ASUVCW); The Rhode Island State Commandery of the MILITARY ORDER OF THE LOYAL LEGION OF THE UNITED STATES (RI MOLLUS); the recognized series of RI Civil War Biographies and Personal Narratives called, "Rhode Island's Own", produced by RI MOLLUS; and information concerning The R.I. Grand Army of the Republic GAR Civil War Museum, Library & Research Center (RIGARCWM), including information about the museum's Civil War historical uniformed units Battery A, 1st Regiment R.I. Light Artillery, plus the 1st R.I. Volunteer Infantry Regiment; as well as the 2nd R.I. Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company D, of the Rhode Island Civil War Re-Enacttors Assoc.(RICWRA)

Elisha Dyer Camp No.7, R.I. Department Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Inc. is a fraternal, patriotic, educational and non-profit veterans organization, that descends from the Grand Army of the Republic (RI GAR Civil War Veterans Arnold Post No. 4).    The GAR was the organization that represented the interests of all Union Civil War Veterans.    The R.I. Department SUVCW was incorporated under State Laws in 1893.    The National SUVCW was granted a Federal Charter by act of the United States Congress in 1954 (U.S. Law 605-Chapter 774).    Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7 was authorized by the R.I. Dept. GAR and Chartered by the SUVCW in 1909.    As the legal heir to the GAR, the SUVCW is entrusted to carry on for the GAR and perpetuate the memory of the GAR.

RI SUVCW Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7 normally meets on the last Wednesday of each month, September thru May, 7 p.m., at the RI GAR Civil War Museum, GAR Meeting Room, (the Governor Sprague Mansion Carriage House facility) located at 762 Dyer Avenue, Cranston, RI. 02920.    Please e-mail, US Mail or call for further information about Camp 7 and the SUVCW.
All guests are welcome.  To join Camp 7, you do "not" need to have hereditary ties with a R.I. Civil War veteran or be a R.I. residant.    For more information concerning Camp Meetings & membership email Henry C. Duquette (Camp Secretary)

R.I. SUVCW Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7 has a rich tradition.    It ranks among the oldest SUVCW Camps in the country that actually link to the Civil War through an unbroken existance.    Named after two R.I. Civil War Veterans and R.I. Governors, Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7, Rhode Island Department Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is the oldest and largest Camp in the State, serving Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Johnston, parts of West Warwick and Coventry.    Camp 7 is also the SUVCW successor Camp to R.I. GAR Arnold Post No.4.    Camp 7 today is one of only two R.I. SUVCW Camps started in 1909 by the Civil War Veterans of the former Rhode Island Department Grand Army of the Republic, (GAR Arnold Post No.4) for the SUVCW.    Therefore, Camp 7 also descends from GAR Arnold Post 4.    The GAR was the Veterans organization that represented all Union Civil War Veterans in America.    RIGAR Post No. 4, was named after Capt. William A. Arnold by the Rhode Island Civil War Veterans to memorialize the service of Battery A, First Regiment, Rhode Island Light Artillery (Arnold's Battery) which stood its ground on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, on Cemetery Ridge at the focus of Pickett's Charge, and helped to turn the tide of the Civil War; saving America from being permanently divided.    The well known skill and deadly accuracy of R.I. Battery A, as well as their coolness under fire, ranked Battery A, of the 1st R.I. Light Artillery Regiment among the very best of the volunteer light artillery units in the Civil War.

Camp 7, first began as the children and cadet corps of RIGAR Arnold Post No.4 in 1879.    Camp 7 also conducts Civil War education programs supported by the Battery A, Unit Association, of the R.I. GAR Civil War Museum.    Battery A also assists Camp 7, as a ceremonies Civil War period uniformed unit and helps with Living History Educational Visitations for R.I. Public Schools.    In this way Camp 7 carries on the patriotic tradition of the veterans of Battery A and Grand Army of the Republic Arnold Post No. 4.    Through the R.I. GAR Civil War Museum, Library & Research Center, Battery A provides members of Elisha Dyer Camp No.7 and Auxiliary No.2 the opertunity to be involved in uniformed Civil War period events.    You can also click our Website "ENTRY" Page to get to the R.I. GAR Civil War Museum, Library & Research Center, Battery A, 1st Regiment R.I. Light Artillery, Unit Association Home Pages for more information.

Today, Camp 7, accepts up to 1/3 of its membership as Associates without lineage to a Civil War Veteran and as a hereditary member, neither you nor your Civil War Ancestor have to be native to R.I. to join Camp 7.    For more information on becoming a member of Camp 7, please contact Gregg A. Mierka, Camp 7, Secretary-Treasurer.

Elisha Dyer Camp No.7, members are active in setting up and taking part in many school educational programs, actively flagging Veterans graves for Memorial Day, working on a grave registration database, documenting the GAR Post 4 Membership, history and Proceedings in R.I., hosting services remembering RI Civil War Veterans and assisting in the process of opening a new Camp 7 headquarters at the R.I. GAR Civil War Museum, Library & Research Center in Cranston.    Camp 7 is working with the Cranston Historical Society and the Governor Sprague Mansion Museum to house the Camp 7 and Post 4 records and collections at a new facility in the Sprague Mansion Carriage House and make them available to the people of Rhode Island in the near future.