PRINTA Brief History of Tiger Camp #432
The inspiration behind Truman the Tiger
Courtesy of Tiger Camp
February 4, 2010 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Ever wonder where MU’s tiger mascot came from? Back in 1864, the Missouri Tigers were an armed guard of local residents ready to defend the city from Confederate troops and bushwhackers. Today, Tiger Camp #432, a fraternal organization made up of Union Army descendants and unrelated associates, keeps the fighting spirit of those original Tigers alive by participating in parades and ceremonies to celebrate their history.
1864 — “Bloody Bill” Anderson leads a troop of Confederate guerrillas, including Jesse James, to kill 24 unarmed Union soldiers in Centralia. In the wake of the “Centralia Massacre,” Columbia residents fortify the courthouse, build a protective blockhouse at the intersection of Eighth and Broadway and call themselves the Tigers.
1866 —The Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization whose members include union veterans, is formed. It includes many Tiger Camp ancestors as members and continues until 1956.
1881 — The Sons of Veterans of the United States of America forms to continue the GAR’s mission of fraternity, charity and loyalty after the Union war veterans die. Membership is open to anyone who can prove ancestry to a member of the GAR or to a veteran.
1884 — The Missouri Division of the SVUSA roars to life.
1890 — Columbia Tiger Camp #432 is first chartered, bringing us one step closer to Truman.
1925 — The SVUSA changes its name to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
After 1940 — The Missouri Division disbands due to declining numbers.
1954 — The SUVCW is legally recognized as heir to the GAR and as the only male organization dedicated specifically to principles of fraternity, charity and loyalty. Today, it has more than 6,360 members.
1996 — The Missouri Department of SUVCM is rechartered and grows steadily to more than 200 members.
2008 — Columbia Tiger Camp #432 is rechartered under Commander Bryan Patrick Bradford, a local descendant of three Union Army veterans, as a way of celebrating Civil War history and genealogy.
2009 — The growing organization has 16 members who can trace their lineage to the Civil War and one associate with historical interest.
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