Garfield Camp
Civil War Museum

Collection

by Joseph F. Seliga

The Civil War Museum located in the Lawrenceville National Guard Armory is operated by the Gen. James A. Garfield Camp No. 4, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). It operates with its own bylaws and has a Board of Directors and a Director of Restoration and Preservation.

The Garfield Camp Civil War Museum is located in the New Jersey National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville, New Jersey on Eggert Crossing Road. It is open to the public every Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Members of the Gen. James A. Garfield Camp No. 4 are at the museum when it is open. Please visit the museum.

The New Jersey National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville is an Annex of the New Jersey Militia Museum located in the Sea Girt, New Jersey. Past Department and Camp Commander Charles W. Larkin arranged for permission for Camp 4 to move its artifacts to the Armory. The Garfield Camp Civil War Museum was previously located in the Perry Street Trenton Fire Headquarters. They were packed and moved to the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville in July of 1998.

The museum contains artifacts, documents and memorabilia of the U. S. Civil War, the G. A. R. and the S. U. V. C. W. These were donated by members of the G. A. R. Posts, S. V. and S. U. V. C. W. Camps throughout New Jersey, as well as people who wish to have them maintained and preserved in addition to have them displayed for the education and enjoyment of others. Donations are desired and welcomed. Your family's treasures will be cared for.

All of the items currently in the museum have been preserved by the Director of Restoration and Preservation, Brother Stanley Saperstein, Abraham Lincoln Camp No. 100, S. U. V. C. W. He is a master craftsman, skilled in the preservation of weapons, wood and leather products. A regular maintenance schedule has been implemented for all artifacts.

The Gen. James A. Garfield Camp No. 4, Sons of Veterans was designated by the Grand Army of the Republic [G. A. R.] at one of their Annual Encampments as the repository of the documents of the Posts in New Jersey as they were being closed.

Artifacts and Items

The items in the Museum fall into three distinct categories:

    (1) Artifacts and documents of the Civil War,

    (2) Artifacts, documents and memorabilia donated by members of the G. A. R. Posts located in Trenton and their families, and

    (3) Artifacts, documents and memorabilia donated by members of the SUVCW Camps located in New Jersey and their families.

Artifacts and Memorabilia

(1) Civil War era muskets, carbines, bullets, artillery shot and shells, canteens, belts, buckles, swords, bayonets, shoes, battlefield relics, uniform accoutrements, prison camp relics, stirrups, cooking equipment, a National color of a regiment in the First New Jersey Brigade

(2) SUVCW uniform items and accoutrements,

(3) G.A.R. member photographs, monument photographs, G. A. R. and SUVCW group photographs, oil paintings, burial markers, G.A.R. hall furniture,

(4) SUVCW membership medals,

(5) G.A.R., SUVCW and Allied Orders annual encampment and other special medals and ribbons,

(6) G.A.R., SUVCW and Allied Orders encampment and anniversary souvenirs,

(7) an SUVCW uniformed mannequin and

(8) Indian War Carbines.

Documents

The categories of the documents at the Museum are:

(1) a copy of the Medal of Honor certificate issued to Sgt. John Beech, 4h New Jersey Volunteer Infantry,

(2) G. A. R. Post and SUVCW Camp charters,

(3) G.A.R. Post , SUVCW Camp and Ladies Auxiliary minute books,

(4) G.A.R. Burial information,

(5) G.A.R. Post, SUVCW Camp and Ladies Auxiliary membership records,

(6) G.A.R. Post, SUVCW Camp and Ladies Auxiliary national and New Jersey encampment proceedings and

(7) books written about Civil War topics.

There are gaps in these collections, which we hope will be filled by donations by members of the S. U. V. C. W. and the public. We are in need of experts to help identify the items in the collection. Please consider donating some of your time so that the Museum can better explain its exhibits of artifacts, relics, and memorabilia to visitors.

Our focus has been twofold:

    (1) identifying what the museum has and

    (2) construction of display cabinets and shelves.

Our members have painted cabinets and shelves, cleaned sword and bayonet blades, and cleaned the G.A.R. furniture. In addition, members of the public have been helped to research their Civil War ancestor.

Each issue will contain photographs of the artifacts and memorabilia in the museum. If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact the editor either via e-mail at seliga@aosi.com or by mail. Future Issues will list the donations that have been received by the museum since its move to Lawrenceville.

Garfield Camp Civil War Museum

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© Copyright 2002 by Joseph F. Seliga.
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