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Records and memorabilia, 1897-1990

Manuscript Collection 1071

• Information about the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Mildred Lee Chapter No. 98
• Information about the Collection
• Contents of the Collection

The Mildred Lee Chapter No. 98 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was organized in Fayetteville, Arkansas on October 16, 1897 by Miss Fannie Scott with twenty charter members.  A benevolent, historical, patriotic and service organization, the UDC admits adult women who are lineal or collateral descendants of men and women who served honorably in the Army, Navy, or Civil Service of the Confederate States of America.  The Mildred Lee chapter has erected at least three monuments in Washington County to commemorate Civil War veterans and events in addition to regularly contributing to local libraries, veteran's hospitals, and national UDC projects.  Crosses of Honor have been bestowed on 145 former Confederate soldiers by the chapter, and Crosses of Military Service have been awarded to Confederate descendants who served in later wars.  The Mildred Lee chapter also hosted the annual convention of the UDC Arkansas Division in 1909, 1924, and 1975.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The UDC Mildred Lee Chapter No. 98 records consist of minutes, membership applications, treasurer's books, printed materials, memorabilia, and scrapbooks which pertain to all of the chapter's activities including: the bestowal of the UDC Crosses of Honor and Military Service; the historical essays that served as program topics for meetings of the chapter and which cover a wide variety of Civil War subjects; the documentation of individual member credentials which include occasionally signed statements from Confederate veterans verifying the service record cited on the form; and charitable donations to area institutions.  The materials have been arranged in five series.

Records and memorabilia created or collected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Mildred Lee Chapter No. 98, were donated to Special Collections by Louise P. Reagan on August 23, 1990.

Processed by Kim Allen Scott, Special Collections Division, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in March 1994.

CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
 2.6 linear feet (7 containers)

Series 1.  Minutes, 1897-1983 (Boxes 1 and 2)
Series 2.  General Business Papers, 1898-1985 (Box 2)
Series 3.  Membership Applications, 1897-1986 (Box 3)
Series 4.  Treasurer's Records, 1897-1980 (Box 4)
Series 5.  Scrapbooks and Scrapbook Materials, 1898-1990 (Boxes 5-7)

Series 1.  Minutes, 1897-1983 (Boxes 1 and 2)

Bound minute books and loose sheets detailing the business transactions at the periodic meetings of the chapter.  Information includes (occasionally) members present, speakers' names, and program topics.  Arranged chronologically.  Repeating file folder years indicate loose materials following a bound volume.

Box 1

  1. 1897-1900
  2. 1901-1906
  3. 1906-1910
  4. 1911-1915
  5. 1911-1915
  6. 1916-1927
  7. 1916-1927
  8. 1926-1941
  9. 1926-1941
  10. 1945-1950
  11. 1951-1952

Box 2

  1. 1970-1972
  2. 1973-1975
  3. 1976-1978
  4. 1979-1982
  5. 1983

Series 2.  General Business Papers, 1898-1985 (Box 2)
 
Letters; annual reports; membership lists; constitution and bylaws; program essays; registrar's book.  Program essays, which cover a wide variety of Civil War topics which were presented by speakers at various meetings of the chapter, have been placed in alphabetical order by title.

Box 2

  6. Letters, 1898-1976
  7. Annual reports
  8. Membership lists
  9. Constitution and bylaws
  10. Obituaries
  11. Program essays, A-C
  12. Program essays, D-H
  13. Program essays, I-M
  14. Program essays, N-S
  15. Program essays, T-Z
  16. Program essays, no title
  17. Registrar's book

Series 3.  Membership Applications, 1897-1986 (Box 3)
 
Applications from women seeking membership in the United Daughters of the Confederacy, demit forms from those seeking to transfer in or out of the Mildred Lee chapter, and Crosses of Honor and Military Service applications.  Some of the early dated forms contain signed statements from actual Confederate veterans.  The forms have been placed in the same order as received by the chapter:  alphabetical order by applicant's maiden name (when available) or Confederate ancestor's name.  In most cases the applicant's maiden name is the same as the ancestor's.  The applications for Crosses of Honor and Military Service are incomplete, representing only a few of the nominees.  Oversize material from this series has been removed to Special Collections Oversize Box 3.

Box 3

   Folders 1-17.  Membership applications A-W
   Folder 18. Demit forms
   Folder 19. Crosses of Honor and Military Service

Series 4.  Treasurer's Records, 1897-1980 (Box 4)
 
Bound volumes and loose sheets detailing dues received and expenses paid by the Mildred Lee chapter.  Folders 1-3 are bound volumes.  Most of the papers in folders 4-8 date from 1931 to 1980 and are membership lists with dues received noted next to the names. Materials in folder 9 are a variety of financial notations.  The materials have been arranged chronologically.

Box 4

  1. 1897-1924
  2. 1925-1954
  3. 1931-1954
  4. 1930s
  5. 1940s
  6. 1950s
  7. 1960s
  8. 1970s and 1980
  9. 1954-1977

Box 5

  1. Chapter histories
  2. Miscellaneous papers
  3. Rituals and rules
  4. UDC printed items, 1898-1941
  5. UDC printed items, 1965-1985
  6. Non-UDC printed items
  7. Non-UDC printed items
  8. Newspaper clippings

Box 6

  1. Scrapbook, ca. 1960s
  2. Scrapbook, ca. 1970s
  3. Scrapbook, ca. 1970s

Box 7

  1. Scrapbook, 1985-1986
  2. Scrapbook, 1986-1987
  3. Yearbook,  1935-1936
  4. Yearbook,  1969-1970
  5. Yearbook,  1974-1975
  6. Yearbook,  1974-1975
  7. Yearbook,  1986-1987
  8. Yearbook,  1987-1988
  9. Yearbook,  1990-1991
  10. UDC tote bag
  11. Hand sewn Confederate flag