Chi Phi counts a long list of patriots among its members. Today we honor the hundreds of Chi Phis that are currently serving in the armed forces and the thousands that have come before them. The first major conflict in which Chi Phis saw battle in service to their country was the American Civil War. By the start of the war in 1861 there were about twenty men’s social fraternities in existence, Chi Phi was not only one of these groups, they were the sole fraternity to have men fight for both the Union and the Confederacy.
The Princeton Society and the Southern Order sent nearly their entire active membership to fight. Below is a list of these courageous Chi Phis:
Princeton Society
- Charles Smith DeGraw, Princeton Society 1857, USA, Major in Army, Naval Medical Corps, Surgeon. Died in San Francisco 1882. Unknown which regiment in army or navy and unknown if death was in battle or a cause of one.
- Abraham DePue, Princeton Society 1858, USA Record unknown. Died in Mississippi in 1878.
- Henry L. VanDyke, Princeton Society 1858, USA Record Unknown.
- Charles Cossit, Princeton Society 1859, CSA killed in battle at Milton, TN. Record Unknown.[de1]
- Sylvester Woodbridge, Princeton Society 1859, USA naval surgeon. Record Unknown.
- Edwin DeGraw Conover, Princeton Society 1860, USA navy, Record unknown.
- Lucius Henry Warren, Princeton Society 1860, army, USA Brigadier General. Record Unkown
Southern Order
- Agustus Moore Flythe, (Alpha) Chapel Hill 1859, CSA, Private, Record Unknown.
- Thomas Capehart, (Alpha) Chapel Hill 1861, CSA, 1st regiment North Carolina Volunteer Infantry, 3rd lieutenant, action at Big Bethel Virginia, 1862 promoted to Captain of artillery in 3rd North Carolina Battery, action at Seven Pines, 1864 Calvary assignment commission, Captain, served until end of war.
- John Calhoun Tucker, (Alpha) Chapel Hill 1861, CSA, 39th Mississippi Infatry, Private, later commissioned as Captain, Died at home from illness in 1862.
- William Green, (Alpha) Chapel Hill 1862, CSA, 5th Alabama Infantry, 2nd lieutenant, served until surrender at Appomattox, wounded at Sharpsburgh.[de2]
- Fletcher Seymour, (Alpha) Chapel Hill 1862, CSA, 6th Tennessee Infantry, Private, after eight months commissioned as 2nd lieutenant, served until discharged due to a disability in October 1862, saw action in battles at Columbus and Mumsfordville.
On two separate occasions the records of the Southern Order were buried to conceal them from the advancing Union Army, also on two occasions the Chapel Hill Chapter (Alpha) was reduced to just one active member.
In the Southern Order 55 members of Alpha were in the Army, including all charter members, 45 of the first 47 initiated, 6 losing their lives in the conflict. Beta(Centenary): every living member entered, 3 being killed. Gamma(Davidson): contributed practically all her members, 9 being killed. Delta(UVA) lost 1. Epsilon(HSC) lost 5 of her 6 members in the war.
On Monday, Veteran’s Day, lets not just remember those courageous men who have sacrificed everything in our defense, lets also remember the Chapters who surrendered, in many cases, the very existence of their organization to pick up the burden of the able to protect those who could not protect themselves.
been moving and shaking this year! The Chi Phi Chapter at the Florida Institute of Technology made their mark at the 148th Congress this year, when they received the Thomas A. Gehring Award for Best Chapter! On top of that, Xi Delta was awarded Accreditation with Distinction for Two Consecutive Semesters and the Outstanding Alumni Newsletter Award! Way to go, Brothers!
