Committee Formed to Protect Civil War Trees

 The Union Veterans Union and the Elk Grove Civil War Round Table joined forces to form The Civil War Trees Memorial Committee. The group will oversee the memorial and will make recommendations for preserving and maintaining the living, award winning memorial.  Plans are already underway to provide an informational marker for the site located at 1000 Broadway in Sacramento. Discussions are also underway to replace the four trees that have died in the past several years. (Feb. 22, 2008)

GRAND ARMY MONUMENT GETS ANNUAL CLEANING

Members of the Union Veterans Union gathering on Presidents Day 2008 to clean the Grand Army Monument. The annual event takes place at Grand Army Plot#1 in Historic City Cemetery. (See Grand Army Monument Page)

HISTORICAL MARKERS TO BE REPLACED

 The Civil War Trees Committee is working to present a plan to the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery to replace the historical information markers at G.A.R. Plot #1, General Cosby (CSA) gravesite and the Spanish-American War site. All of the markers are in bad shape with the wooden posts rotting out and the informational tablets badly weather damaged. The groups will meet at G.A.R. Plot #1 on Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 to clean the G.A.R. Monument and to photograph the damaged markers. In addition, the groups will propose a new informational marker be placed at the Civil War Trees Memorial at G.A.R. Plot #3. The Tree Memorial was the recipient of the Sacramento Tree Foundations 2007 Legacy Award. (see below)

MEMORIAL DAY 2008

The Memorial Day Committee met the end of January to discuss plans for this years event at Historic City Cemetery. It was decided to conduct a special Memorial Day Cemetery Tour, "Sacramento's Civil War Heros". This tour will be about an hour in length and will include stops at all three G.A.R. plots, Women in the War stops, the Civil War Tree Memorial and the graves of Gen. George Wright (USA) and General George Cosby (CSA). Civil War flags will be flown at each of the G.A.R. sites.

 CIVIL WAR TREES MEMORIAL AWARDED

The Sacramento Tree Foundation has awarded its 2007 Legacy Award to the Civil War Trees Memorial at Historic City Cemetery. Founded in 1997 by Chuck Davis, Steve Von Bima and Bob Bundy along with the late John Bettencourt, the grove of trees consists of those trees brought from Civil War Battlefields and planted around the graves of our Union heros at GAR Plot #3. Bob and Jacque Bundy, caretakers of the trees along with the groundskeepers of City Cemetery, accepted the award on behalf of all who have volunteered their time to help in this project. The nine trees in the grove were brought from the battlefields of Gettysburg, Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Appomattox and the homes of Robert. E. Lee, Clara Barton and President Andrew Johnson. We are all greatly honored that this living memorial to our Civil War Ancestors was given this award.

 HISTORIC TREES NOMINATED

 The Union Veterans Union has nominated the eight remaining Civil War Memorial Grove trees in Captiol Park for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Trees. Sponsored by American Forests of Jacksonville, Florida, the list will bring attention to historic trees that still survive throughout the country. Bob Bundy, past National Commander of the UVU, filled out the necessary paperwork and supplied American Forests with articles, photos and background information on the 1897 Tree Grove. The local UVU is also working with the groundskeepers at Capitol Park to have proper markers made for the trees.

HISTORIC TREE GROVE TO GAIN MARKERS

The historic Civil War Tree Grove, first planted in 1897 in Capitol Park in Sacramento, will receive new markers soon. Several of the original trees still survive in the Grove. These trees were brought to the California Capitol from Civil War Battlefields. Originally, 44 trees were in the grove. Today, only a handful survive. None of these historic trees have markers to show their historic nature. The Union Veterans Union approached the superintendent of Capitol Park with a proposal to provide markers for all of these historic trees.  Stay tuned!

NEW BOOKLET NEARING COMPLETION

The UVU's new booklet on exposing the lies and distortions of the Neo-Confederate movement is nearing completion. The publication covers various topics including States' Rights, Blacks in the service, treatment of prisoners of war and the slave holding generals Lee and Jackson among many other topics. We felt it was time to expose this movement for what it is---a fraud. The UVU, unlike most Neo-Confederate groups, always shows it sources for any statements and claims it makes. More on this excellent and well researched publication soon.

(Update-January 2008---This booklet is completed and will be printed up by April 1st, 2008)