Who was Silas Gore?
Silas Gore served with the 141st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was a blacksmith and farmer by trade and hailed from Bradford County, Pennsylvania. He came from a long line of patriot soldiers.
Silas was in the Battle of Fredericksburg, where he lost a brother, Samuel Gore, who was serving in the 57th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Samuel was a medical aide who was shot through the neck by a Confederate sniper while helping the wounded on the battlefield.
Two more brothers served in the Union Army. John Gore, who was in the 150th New York Engineers, died of heat exhaustion while on the march in Beauford, South Carolina. Another brother, Hollis Gore, 150th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, was shot in the groin and suffered from this wound for the rest of his life.
And finally, another brother, Elijah Gore, had gone South before the war. When the war broke out, he joined the Louisiana Cavalry and fought for the Confederate States of America, against his own brothers.
Silas Gore was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. His regiment was part of the valiant stand of the Third Corps in the Peach Orchard. The regiment suffered heavy losses with 150 men killed or wounded out of the 204 men who took the field. This has been listed as one of the heaviest losses of any regiment, percentage wise, at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Silas Gore's body was never identified and he is presumed buried in the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. He left behind a wife, Jerusha Jane (Tuttle) Gore, and a 1-1/2 year old daughter.
Jerusha Gore married two more times and outlived all of her husbands. She died a pauper on a Civil War Veteran's pension in 1922.
Letters from Silas Gore
"During her lifetime, Alice Temperance Weed was a prodigious saver. Cached in an old metal breadbox, painted green at some point in its long life (perhaps because some kitchen chairs were getting a coat of that shade) were letters, photos, bibles, and much more that had been saved. That the material endured the heat and cold of more than a century in many attics is a wonder."
Attached here are transcriptions of selected letters that were written to Alice Temperance by her Uncle, Silas Gore; the last of which was dated April, 1863.
"... In his rough, simple letters, he told her of his life as a soldier in the Civil War..."
(Reposted from http://www.oocities.org/pentagon/1117/gore.html, with permission from Tim Traver, descendant.)
From GAR to SUV
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is a heritage organization dedicated to preserving the memory of those men who fought to save the Union in the conflict of 1861-1865. The SUVCW is descended from the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which was formed in 1866 by Civil War veterans.
A dozen years after the origination of the national group, a GAR post in Philadelphia created a Corp of Cadets in an effort to ensure the organization’s heritage would be passed on.
On November 12, 1881, a mere three years later, another organization was formed in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It was named the Sons of Veterans of the United States of America (SV). The Philadelphia Corp of Cadets was later folded into this organization and the SV functioned much as National Guard units, and actually served along with state militia during the Spanish American War.
In 1904, the SV elected to become a patriotic education society and in 1925 changed its name to what it is known by today, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). However, to keep the military aspect alive, the SUVCW created within their organization a branch to be known as the Sons of Veterans Reserve (SVR), which was carried on United States Army rolls as a reserve contingent for many years. Some SVR units actually served with the Army during World War I.
After the 1st World War, the SVR was relegated to strictly a training company of the U.S. Army. In more recent years, the SVR's mission has become historic, ceremonial, and commemorative.
Prior to disbanding and before the death of its last member, the GAR officially designated the SUVCW as its successor and heir to its remaining property.
On August 20, 1954, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War was officially incorporated by an Act of Congress by the passing of Public Law 605* of the second session of the 83rd Congress, and signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. (*bit.ly/PL605)
Although many memberships in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War are based on being descended from those men of the GAR,the order also offers Associate memberships for men who share our goals, (Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty) and interests, but who are not descended from a Civil War Soldier, Sailor or Marine.
In addition to the SUVCW, there are four other allied orders descended from the GAR. The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War are all notable byproducts of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Today, the National Organization of the SUVCW*, headed by an annually elected Commander-in-Chief, oversees the operation of 26 Departments, each consisting of one or more states, a Department-at-Large, National Membership-at-Large, and over 200 community based Camps. More than 6,360 men enjoy the benefits of membership in the only male organization dedicated to the principles of the GAR -- Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty. It publishes "The BANNER" on a quarterly basis for its members. The SUVCW National Headquarters is located in the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (*National SUVCW website)
Our Camp
The Private Silas Gore Camp was established in July of 2005 due to the commitment of a scant few locals who, because of a love of Civil War history, felt it important to reestablish a Sons of Union Veterans Camp locally. They felt taking the name of Private Silas Gore, a blacksmith from Sheshequin Township who went missing at Gettysburg, was an appropriate choice as he symbolized both the common man of the area and their willingness to give their last full measure of devotion.
Since that time, the membership has expanded at a rapid rate, so much so that the Gore Camp has twice won the Department of Pennsylvania’s Ivan Franz Sr. Award for highest percentage increase of membership. The camp first received the prestigious award in 2006 and again in 2013.
And just what has attracted such an upsurge in membership? We believe it is because we have also become extremely active in outreaching to the public, as not a year goes by that there is not a program or activity in the public eye.
Come revel in the Civil War history of our surrounding area. Join us today.