National Graves Registration Project

The SUVCW National Graves Registration Project was established in 1996. Since then, hundreds of dedicated people from within and without our Order have graciously devoted thousands of hours of their time and energy visiting cemeteries, recording, verifying, researching and entering the final resting places of Civil War veterans. From the beginning, one thing was missing - the means for the SUVCW and general public to search and view the results of our labor on the Internet. As the number of registrations grew, it was also apparent that duplication of effort and waste of time was reaching an unacceptable level, without knowledge of what was completed and what needed further investigation.

The SUVCW National Graves Registration Project was established in 1996. Since then, hundreds of dedicated people from within and without our Order have graciously devoted thousands of hours of their time and energy visiting cemeteries, recording, verifying, researching and entering the final resting places of Civil War veterans. From the beginning, one thing was missing - the means for the SUVCW and general public to search and view the results of our labor on the Internet. As the number of registrations grew, it was also apparent that duplication of effort and waste of time was reaching an unacceptable level, without knowledge of what was completed and what needed further investigation. The National Graves Registration Database is now available to all. The database was activated February 22, 2005. This will make all original registrations available for viewing by the general public, as well as allowing for new registrations to be entered through our online program. For the time being, only new graves registrations will be entered through the "submitter" area. Updated or additional information concerning previously submitted registrations should continue to be submitted to the National Graves Registration Officer. Naturally, submissions for those without computer access or preferring not to use this tool will be accepted through regular mail or email by Department Graves Registration Officers or, in their absence, the National Graves Registration Officer.

There are two sections/areas in the online program:

• Public Area (for viewing/searching only)
• Submitter Area (for those with approved accounts and allowed to enter registrations)

Regarding the "submitter area":

1. An individual, Camp, Dept. applies for an Account, which is either approved or disapproved by the National Graves Registration Officer (Nat'l GRO)
2. Approved submitters enter a grave registration(s), it is automatically checked for duplication. If passed, it is allowed to be submitted, but is not entered in the main database
3. The submitted record(s) goes to a "holding location", where it is reviewed and either "approved" or "disapproved" by the Nat'l GRO
4. Records passing the above criteria still are not part of the main database until the Nat'l GRO or designee enters one additional area and inserts it/them into the database

It is our hope that this online database program will promote increased interest in the SUVCW National Graves Registration Project and take us to an entirely new level of achievement. Depending on the source referenced, there were between 4.2 and 4.8 million Union Civil War Veterans. Due to mass burials, unreported battlefield losses, burials at sea and other circumstances, we can never expect to register all Union graves, but with your assistance we will succeed in honoring the "boys in blue" to the best of our ability.