Aristocrats and the Rise of the Common Man

At the close of the eighteenth-century, the Southern aristocracy of merchants, planters and lawyers was established as a small, but superior group of gentlemen, educated and of high character – it was they who helped establish the American Union.  The common people of the South were accustomed to aristocratic leadership and tradition for leading families to provide the political representatives of county and State. Rather than money or lust for power over others, "The love of honor, the tradition of family, and noblesse oblige were the dominant motives" in accepting public office.  This was to change.

Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman

North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission

"Unsurpassed Valor, Courage and Devotion to Liberty"

www.ncwbts150.com

"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial"

Aristocrats and the Rise of the Common Man

The conservative reaction in political theory of the South . . . was countered by in 1828 by the election of Andrew Jackson to the Presidency.  His inauguration symbolized the rise of the common man to power, and it was the votes of the South and West that won the victory.

In a letter to William Gilmore Simms [of South Carolina, Beverly Tucker declared that Virginia] "had sunk into the slough of democracy, which has no sense of honor." James Monroe was the last President to wear the knee breeches and silk stockings of the eighteenth-century aristocrat.  A generation later, in 1860-61, three of the most important Southern States were led by men of distinctly plebian origins.

The rise of the common man to political power in the South was a serious threat to freedom of thought and of speech.  The essence of preserving freedom of thought and of speech is the protection of minority rights – the safeguarding the right to express opinions odious to the majority.  The masses can seldom endure any divergence from the majority opinion on matters of deep emotional content.

Lord Acton has observed that toleration is secured with more difficulty in a government controlled by the masses than in an aristocracy.  "For there is a reserve of latent power in the masses," he points out, "which if called into play the minority can seldom resist.  But from the will of an entire people, there is no appeal, no redemption, no refuge, but tyranny."

The cardinal doctrine of liberals, held by them from the time of Milton to the recent days of Justice Holmes, that error of opinion can be eradicated only by truth, and not by force, is unsatisfactory to the multitude, impatient for immediate results.  Since the common man is easily swayed by propaganda and the skilful manipulation of pressure groups, the laws and the courts are less important in suppressing free thought than is the power of social disapproval or ostracism."

(Freedom of Thought in the South, Clement Eaton, Duke University Press, 1940, pp. 28-29)

The Cotton Was in the South, the Action Was in the North

From: bernhard1848@att.net

Not only did Eli Whitney's invention revolutionize the labor-intensive cultivation of cotton, but Massachusetts textile mill owner Francis Cabot Lowell's vision of extreme wealth and financial empire fueled the need for African slave labor to till Southern plantations essential to his industry.  Karl Marx observed in 1846, "Without slavery there would be no cotton, without cotton there would be no modern industry," and he saw clearly who and what was perpetuating African slavery in the United States.

Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman
North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission
"Unsurpassed Valor, Courage and Devotion to Liberty"
www.ncwbts150.com
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial"

The Cotton Was in the South, the Action Was in the North:

"The explosion of raw material from the South that followed [Eli Whitney's invention] soon enriched New England's textile aristocracy whose mills were partially responsible for driving up the number of slaves fivefold between 1800 and 1860. In that year close to four million slaves accounted for nearly 40 percent of the South's population. Seeking new arable cotton acreage, Southern growers by then had relentlessly expanded westward into virgin territories that would become Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Missouri.

In the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, England and the United States agreed to suppress the slave trade. So much for policy positions. In reality, Baltimore builders designed faster clipper ships to carry and deliver cargoes of slaves for Liverpool's thriving slave traders. Slave-produced cotton created many of England's most prestigious banks, including the giants Barclay and Lloyds. Liverpool's towering skyline of massive Victorian commercial buildings stands as a monument to [slave-produced] cotton supremacy.

[New England] cotton mills were well on their way to producing $115,000,000 worth of cotton by 1860, or three times as much as the country imported, and every ounce of it relied wholly on slave labor. A US Census in 1790 counted nearly 697,124 slaves, with almost as many in New York (21,234) as in Georgia (29,264). Despite the Constitutional ban on further importation in 1808, by 1820 there were 1,533,086 slaves, almost all now in the South, and Virginia alone accounted for 425,757.  By then the South produced an astonishing 2.275 billion pounds of raw cotton, and the crop accounted for 60 percent of the country's exports. The South now supplied over 80 percent of the cotton manufactured in Britain, two-thirds of the world's total supply, and all the cotton used in New England's mills. 

Cotton was New York's leading export; the South depended on New York as well as for European home furnishings and high-quality imported fabrics including silks and linens. The irony in all this was that although a New York stopover required ships to travel 200 miles out of their direct lane between Liverpool and Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans, there was no logistical reason for its involvement. "The combined income from interest, commissions, freight, insurance, and other profits were so great that, when Southerners finally awoke to what was happening, they claimed that New Yorkers with a few other Northerners were getting forty cents for every dollar paid for Southern cotton," one historian reported. Southern States that had fought to win their independence from the British crown now relinquished it economically to the North. 

New York did more than ship Southern cotton; it provided much of the funding for it. Hundreds of Yankee cotton factors from New York blanketed the South every year, working with Manhattan banking houses that had the capital to make loans. Acting as independent intermediaries, the factors advanced long credit at high interest against next year's crop, usually from 7 to 12 percent, and took their cut. Southern banks played a minor role. [Planter] Debt was chronic. 

It resulted primarily from the growers' need to expand their acreage and buy more slaves. That in turn gave financiers from England and New York the power to monitor their operations, squeeze out higher interest rates…bales became payment; they quickly turned into cash as New Yorkers sold that raw cotton to Liverpool to supply Lancashire's mills. The cotton fields were in the South, but the action was in the North for speculators and businessmen."

(Cotton, Stephen Yafa, Penguin Books, 2005, excerpts pp. 121-136)

Confederate Monument at the courthouse in Chatom, Washington County, Alabama

         

Please post this to the list. I think it would be an encouragement to "our" people who fight these heritage battles every day. I realize I'm over 2 years late getting this on, but I consider it GOOD NEWS, even late.
        
On August 21, 2010 the Pvt. Gibeon Jefferson Sullivan Chapter 2662, United Daughters of the Confederacy dedicated a NEW Confederate Monument at the courthouse in Chatom, Washington County, Alabama. This is the first and ONLY CSA MONUMENT in Washington County. We had people there from 9 counties in Alabama and some Mississippians. NEVER GIVE UP. IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO RAISE MONUMENTS TO OUR BELOVED VETERANS. We used the following text on the front which is taken (I believe) from the CSA Monument in Columbia, SC:  For these were men whom power could not corrupt; whom death could not terrify; whom defeat could not dishonor.
                      
Ellen Williams, Leroy, AL

The Battle of Mount Zion Church

By Gary Stevens, Missouri Civil War Museum

The Christmas spirit in mid-Missouri didn’t always last very long during the Civil War. The Battle of Mount Zion Church was fought on December 28, 1861.

The Battle of Mount Zion Church took place in Boone County near Hallsville, north of Columbia. Boone County and the other counties along the Missouri River in the central part of the state were largely pro-Confederate territory and were fertile ground for Rebel recruiting efforts.

About 900 Rebels under the command of Col. Caleb Dorsey of the Missouri State Guard were encamped at Mount Zion Church. Many of them were new recruits, some of whom were unarmed.

Upon learning from Union spies about the Rebel camp at Mount Zion Church, approximately 400 Federals marched out of the town of Sturgeon at 2 a.m. on December 28th. A force of five companies of the 3rd Missouri Cavalry under Col. John Glover and five companies of Birge’s Sharpshooters under Col. John Birge went looking to break up the Rebel camp. Both units were under the command of Brig. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss.

Around 8 a.m., the Federal cavalry and sharpshooters encountered one company of Rebels on the road from Hallsville to the church and drove them back onto the main body of troops. The Federals then approached the main Rebel battle line and were repulsed. A second Union charge was also beaten back. During the third charge, the Rebels ran low on ammunition. This third Union charge was successful, and the Rebels were driven from the field, leaving their dead and wounded behind.

Accounts of the battle consider it lasting anywhere from a half-hour to three hours, although most lean towards the three-hour time frame. Precise records of the battle are sketchy and sometimes vary considerably, but all accounts agree that the Rebels suffered higher casualties than the Federals. A reasonable estimate seems to be that the Rebels suffered in the range of 150-175 casualties, while the Federals suffered about 70 casualties. The Federal forces also captured 90 horses and a large supply of weapons and equipment.

This Union victory, along with several other actions in the area, limited Confederate recruitment in central Missouri for a while. After the battle, Dorsey and his command retreated west of Hallsville. In early 1862, Dorsey and the rest of his troops crossed the Missouri River and headed south to join up with the Confederate army.

In a final postscript to the battle, Mount Zion Church did not survive the war. A detachment from an Iowa regiment burned the church to the ground in September of 1862.

Mt Zion Church and Cemetery, Hallsville, Boone County, Missouri

The Civil War battle at Mt Zion occurred in the vicinity of Mt Zion Church on December 28, 1861.  It began early in the morning while Confederate officers were having breakfast with the William P Robinson family, who lived near the church.

Confederate soldiers numbered with 350 (by their account, mostly recent recruits, inexperienced and not all armed) or 900 (by  Union estimate) under command of Col. Caleb Dorsey; A combined force of 470 Union cavalry and infantry commanded by Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss.

Sever dead soldiers left behind at Mt. Zion had to be buried immediately though there was identification for only one.  It was somehow known, perhaps because he lived long enough to tell them, that one was named Brandenburg.  Mrs Arthusa Turner, in feelings of grief for the nameless boys, some of whom, for all she knew, might have been from her native area, brought her finest linen tablecloth to the cemetery and spread it over the bodies in their common grave.  
The site is now marked with a marker.

http://mtzioncemeteryboonecomo.webs.com/

The Battle of Mount Zion Church

Brig. Gen. Benjamin Prentiss was making a sweep through Boone County looking for rebels. He found them just outside the town of Hallsville on December 27, where a company of his cavalry came across a much larger force of the enemy and had to beat a hasty retreat, leaving their captain and a private in the hands of the rebels.

Prentiss set out with his entire force of 440 men at 2am the next morning, 150 years ago today. He marched 16 miles in the predawn darkness and passed through Hallsville, heading west. At 8am his vanguard encountered a company of rebels guarding the road.

Prentiss tried to surround this force, but the move was spotted and the rebels withdrew. Some prisoners told him the main rebel body was at Mount Zion Church, one-and-a-half miles further on, and numbered about 900 under the command of Col. Caleb Dorsey. Prentiss immediately moved forward and a lively battle ensued. The rebels enjoyed good cover in some woods near the church and the Union troops had trouble dislodging them. After much firing the battle descended into a hand-to-hand fight for half an hour before the timely arrival of the rest of Prentiss’ troops, who seem to have been delayed in their maneuvers, made the rebels quit the field around 11am.

Read more at: http://civilwarhorror.blogspot.com/2011/12/battle-of-mount-zion-church.html

THE CONFEDERATE ACCOUNT OF THE FIGHT at Mount Zion

.

Neither Col. Dorsey nor any other confederate officer published an of- ficial account of the Mount Zion fight, otherwise it would be given here. But an intelligent gentleman, who was one of his command, and who was present during the engagement, informs us that on December 24, 1861, Col. Dorsey left Pike County, and on the 27th, at Grandview, in Boone County, which is near and west of the church, organized his forces, consisting of six companies, of about 350 men, not all armed. The officers in command were Col. Caleb Dorsey, Lieut. Col. Cole Kent, Maj. Thomas Breckinridge and E. W. Herndon, (now a citizen of Columbia), Surgeon. About 2 o'clock, P. M., of the 27th, this force took up the line of march, intending to camp at Mount Zion church. About a half a mile northeast of the church, the Federals came up and fired on their rear guard, wounding two of Dorsey's men, and then fell back. Dorsey pursued them, and three miles from the church overtook the retreat- ing force, and fired upon them. A ten minutes' skirmish ensued, in which one Federal was mortally wounded, and Capt. Howland (Fed- eral), was wounded in the thigh, and taken prisoner. Dorsey's sur- geon, Dr. Herndon, extracted the ball. None of Dorsey's men were killed or wounded. On the morning of the 28th, 'the engagement was renewed, the force under Dorsey being about 100 yards east of the church, in the brush and timber. The Federal charge upon them was with both infantry and cavalry, but was repulsed. They again charged, and were again repulsed, after which they made a third charge. The ammunition of Dorsey's command being exhausted, he determined to fall back to his wagons. The Federals advanced upon him, and took some ten pris- oners. They then marched on to the church, and seeing soldiers in the building, fired on it, whereupon two of the prisoners who were in the church, ran out and said: " There are no fighting men here; this is a hospital;" hearing which the Federal fire ceased

More at: http://law.missouri.edu/bowman/Mount_Zion_Church/MountZionChurchHBC.html

TRAITORS?

TRAITORS?

From: waynedobson51@yahoo.com

Apparently the Macon Telegraph is a willing partner to writers defaming our Southern heritage. A Few days ago they published a letter of mine about Jeff Davis (THEY entitled it "Inaccurate Prediction" slapping at Davis' sound belief that the North and South would never be one country (only the misguided feel we are one today) North and South reunited by constraint, only.  Today Macon.com published another attack by our ol' buddy Jim Sandefur of Lizella, Georgia and you can see for yourself (below) what title THEY put on it - shows what side this Macon, GA publication clearly takes. As I have said before, I care nothing for what they say about me, but when they call honorable men who gave their all in defense of the Southland "traitors", well, I believe we should give our best effort to the fight, too. We do not have to stand for this - at least not silently. Please distribute news of this continuing attack to all that you will. Merry Christmas.

Faithful to his oath

John Wayne Dobson takes the 124th anniversary of Jefferson Davis' death to show how hard it was for Davis and Jackson and Lee to become traitors. Well, in a few days we will be able to celebrate the 149th anniversary of Virginia'€™s greatest general'€™s victory at the Battle of Nashville. That general'€™s name was George Thomas.

Like Lee, Thomas was a plantation class Virginian. As a child he played with his families' slaves and illicitly taught some of them to read. When Lee was superintendent at West Point, Thomas was an artillery and cavalry instructor. He and Lee were friends.

Also like Lee, Thomas swore the following oath to become a United States Army officer when he graduated from West Point: "I, George Thomas, appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, do solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and observe and obey the orders of the president of the United States, and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according the rules and articles for the government of the armies of the United States."

Unlike Lee, George Thomas was not able to betray his solemn oath as a gentleman and officer. Thomas loved Virginia and his family living there, so his decision to not break his oath and not betray his country was probably harder than Davis'€™ and Lee'€™s decision to join the crowd and fight for one of the worst causes in the history of war -- the preservation of slavery.

At the Battle of Chickamauga, Thomas earned the nickname 'Rock of Chickamauga' by saving the Union Army from being completely routed. Later, the army he built in Tennessee was never defeated and he was considered by some to be the best general in the Union Army, but he was never fully trusted by Sherman and Grant because he was a Virginian and they were jealous of his abilities. Some modern historians point out that had Thomas joined Lee, that lethal combination could very well have led to victory for the Confederacy.


So, instead of celebrating the anniversary of Jefferson'€™s death on Dec. 6, I'€™ll celebrate the greatest general from Virginia who attacked, routed and destroyed the Confederate Army of Tennessee at the Battle of Nashville on Dec. 15-16, 1864.

Jim Sandefur

Lizella

~~~~~~~~~

RE: TRAITORS?

From: Scroggins.Steve@mccg.org

It'€™s evident that Sandefur reads Esquire magazine.  See this article and note the similarities:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/what-an-oath-means

Written by a Lt Col. Robert Bateman, it is dated Aug. 14, 2013.  I had not seen this before today, or I would have responded already.

I'€™m working on my response to Sandefur, though obviously not with any hope of persuading him.

--Steve

~~~~~~~~~

Sandefur's silly nonsense

From: Scroggins.Steve@mccg.org

Jim Sandefur never fails to slander Confederate soldiers as 'traitors' or to falsely define their cause, which in truth was self-defense and independence. He applauds Union Gen. George Thomas of Virginia, who is more aptly deemed the traitor.

Thomas, Gen. R. E. Lee and Jefferson Davis were all West Point graduates.  Honest people of the time had honest differences on secession and which duties and allegiances were paramount.  Each acted according to his conscience.

Many West Point cadets were familiar with a text book used there, 'A View of the Constitution of the United States of America,' written by William Rawle.  The 2nd Edition (1829) can be read  online at www.constitution.org.

In Chapter 32 entitled, 'Of the Permanence of the Union,' Rawle writes that each state 'depends on itself whether it will continue a member of the Union.  To deny this right would be inconsistent with the principle on which all our political systems are founded'€¦'   He added that,   'Allegiance [to the Union] would necessarily cease on the dissolution [of the Union].'

Though not the only Constitutional reference text at West Point, it'€™s well documented that many graduates of the            pre-war period were familiar with Rawle'€™s views --- views that are entirely consistent with those of Madison and the Framers.

Sandefur is as wrong now as the US government was then to slander Davis, Lee and others.  Treason charges against Davis and others were dropped in 1869.  US prosecutors knew that the facts didn'€™t support their charges.  US Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase wrote in July 1867, 'If you bring these [Confederate] leaders to trial it will condemn the North, for by the Constitution secession is not rebellion. Lincoln wanted Davis to escape, and he was right. His capture was a mistake. His trial will be a greater one.'

Sandefur'€™s nonsense notwithstanding, it'€™s well documented that the invasion and blockade of the south were NOT launched to abolish slavery.  It was Lincoln and his yankee horde who committed treason as defined in the Constitution.

Steve Scroggins

Va Flaggers: Flagging Lexington 2014: Lest We Forget!

From: info@vaflaggers.com

In September of 2011, the City Council of Lexington, VA voted to ban ALL flags from the flag stands on city light poles, rather than allow the Sons of Confederate Veterans to display the flags of Lee and Jackson on the flag stands for the week leading up to the Virginia State Lee-Jackson Holiday.

As we have done each January since, the Va Flaggers invite ALL to join us as we head to Lexington for the Virginia State Lee-Jackson Holiday, Friday, January 17th, 2014.  We will spend the day on the sidewalks of Lexington, forwarding the colors, honoring our Confederate heroes...and showing town officials that their actions will not be forgotten!

Plan to meet at Stonewall Jackson Cemetery Friday, January 17th at 10:00 a.m. to receive literature, instruction, and maps. We will be flagging all day.  Lunch on your own (OUTSIDE of Lexington). Supper together at 5:30 (location TBD - OUTSIDE of Lexington) and back to town for a Confederate Picture show after dark. ;)

Saturday, we will attend the memorial service at Stonewall Jackson Cemetery (meet at Cemetery at 9:30 a.m.) and then march as a unit in the parade (11:15 a.m.), and attend the RE Lee Memorial Service (12:00 p.m.) at Lee Chapel. Lunch (OUTSIDE of Lexington) and then back to town for MORE FLAGGING!

ALL Confederates are welcome to join us in the parade or ANY or all of the activities! All that is required is a Confederate flag, a desire to honor our ancestors... and a smile!

Hotel reservations (OUTSIDE of Lexington) can be made at a discount using the rates negotiated by the Stonewall Brigade.  Reservations need to be made by January 3rd to receive the discount.  Details here:  http://leejacksonday.webs.com/lodgingsponsors.htm

More information available on our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/227559140750614/

RETURN the flags!
RESTORE the honor!
See you in Lexington!

Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers

The American Heritage Series by David Barton

I am presently on a journey to create a course titled Christianity and the Founding of this Nation!  In that journey I have been led by God to watch a 10 CD set titled The American Heritage Series by David Barton.  This series is so startling, so revealing a story you do not know concerning the creation of the United States that it will literally rock your world.  We are so misled by the supreme Court, by our universities and professors and by the main stream media that when you see this you are going to get angry.  Our heritage has been stolen.

Now, if you are of the Southern persuasion I ask you to understand that no man can be perfect in his understanding of history.  Clearly Mr. Barton is a Unionist.  But that Unionist sentiment is easily identified and is a very small portion of the over all story.  What he says is so important, and so vital to our future I strongly urge you to consider his words.

Where Barton is so valuable is his understanding and telling of the relationship between the greater Christian church, God and the people who settled and created the original United States.  This story is so widely wrongly taught that our nation and our people are blind to our own history.  It is vitally important because Barton's history, heavily documented, could not do a better job of illustrating the Christian nature of the concept of America and our governing system.

The information provided by Barton is strategic in terms of the Culture War raging within the United States.  We are losing.  We are on the verge of losing the second greatest idea - reality ever.  Barton's work provides and intellectual arsenal for the Culture War.  One great asset of Barton's work is his providing books and places for you to go to further your knowledge of the Christian nature of this nation.  Over and over, through ten CD's and probably 30 hours of instruction he shows you where to go.  This is not the end, it is the beginning of the journey to rebuild, REVIVE America.

We, our nation, needs this.  We will lose a tremendous gift given by God if we don't act.  Our children and grandchildren will suffer, they will live in a Third World nation if we don't get a handle on this.

I know, Kelly says I rant.  God gave me my sight, I tell you this is important.


Barton has an organization Wall builders, and a website http://www.wallbuilders.com/

God Bless you, Mark

Merry Christmas from Hughes Camp #614!

Merry Christmas! 

http://hughescamp.org/
http://blog.hughescamp.org/
https://www.facebook.com/JohnTHughesSCVCamp614
https://twitter.com/HughesCamp
http://about.me/BrigadierGeneralJohnTHughesSCV

Christmas Tree in Macon, 1861

The first time a Christmas tree was raised in Macon, was in 1861 for the benefit of Confederate soldiers. The Macon Telegraph reported, "Germans have a beautiful custom each Christmas of decorating a tree with a variety of presents for their friends. The tree is displayed on Christmas Eve at each return of the anniversary of our Savior's birth. It is proposed to revive this custom in our approaching holidays, to please the young people and at the same time make a fund for the relief of our beloved soldiers. The entire community, especially the little girls, is invited to furnish articles of handiwork or beautiful, useful ornamental presents for this purpose.  Contributions may be left at Mrs. Dessau's store." On the night before Christmas the same newspaper advised the children of the City to attend the Christmas tree ceremony instead of hanging up their stockings.  The managers of the Christmas tree event secured beautiful and commodious rooms on the second story of the Ayer's Building.  Ladies of the area were asked to send pieces of evergreens for decorating the rooms. A telegram from Santa Claus said that the jolly ol' soul had been "filled with patriotism this Christmas but due to the consequences of War he would not be visiting firesides and adding that sliding down chimneys would greatly soil his suit of clothing.  Instead, Santa would drive directly to the Christmas tree at Ayre's to deposit his presents."

Nathan Bedford Forrest High School Jacksonville, Fla.

From: hk.edgerton@gmail.com

As I made my way to Jacksonville, I would be made aware of the hate filled rhetoric that the NAACP had launched the night before to members of the alumni, staff, and community about the Honorable General Nathan Bedford Forrest as they lobbied to have his name removed from the High School.

I would arrive Wednesday morning at 5 AM, December 11, 2013, change into the uniform of the Southern soldier, and because of the high volume of traffic and members of the Forrest staff already arriving; I would phone the Honorable Henry Russ, and post the Colors in the Public Easement at the front of the school at 5:45 AM.

I have posted the Colors in many places over the past decade, but nothing and nowhere I have ever done so would prepare me for the onslaught of hate filled rhetoric that would come my way from the members of the public who would pass me by on this dark morning.

By the time Mr. Russ would join me, the lights from the Police Traffic Officer were already flashing and the Vice Principal and another Black male would approach us. The Vice Principal would tell me that I would have to leave, and that he didn't care about me being in support of not changing the school name, but my Flag had to go. I told him he could forget it, and that and I was in the Public easement expressing my First Amendment Rights. He said we are going to see about that as he crossed the street and approached the Police Officer to help him with his demands to forcibly have me removed. Failing to secure help from this officer, he demanded that the Officer take his request to a higher ranking person, and came back to inform me that he was working on my removal.

I wish that I could spell the name of the young Black female who would come and hold dialogue with us alongside a Black man and the other members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who had also now joined Mr. Russ and myself. It was a spirited debate that would last for more than three hours about not only the man who had been a true friend to the African people before, during, and after the War for Southern Independence,  but also about the Southern White man who had tried so very hard to do the same. God bless them both for their decency and willingness to hold meaningful dialogue.

We would be interviewed by several members of the press. I could not help wondering how the Principal and his Vice as Black men could take a position at Forrest High and not know or want to know about the man himself who was loved by the people of his time, be they White, Black, Red, Brown, freed or indentured, or the forty plus Black men who would ride by his side in honor during the whole duration of the war.

The NAACP brings a new meaning to hate as they have accepted the monies from the very people whose ancestors derailed the African people from the path of social vertical mobility already taking place in the South as the whole of the country moved toward the industrial revolution. The NAACP has now moved the Dream of King to the back of the bus as he had forewarned them and his own lieutenants would happen if they attacked the Confederate Flag; a Flag that belongs to the Southern people and their ancestors who are left to protect it and those who served under it.

The only reward for this treason will go to the poverty pimps and scant for their organizations, and for those who put them up to it just like their carpetbagger ancestors, a clear path for more stealing. Black folks duped again as time will show very soon for those who commit this sacrilege. God bless you.
                                         
Your brother,
                                              
HK

Re: U.S. Army War College under fire after portraits of Confederate Generals removed from halls

From: DixieCol@aol.com

Even though my entire schooling took place in Florida during the 1950s and 1960s, we never really spent a great deal of time studying the "Civil War" other than the usual Yankee version that the South wanted to keep the institution of slavery, so they attacked Fort Sumter and started the "Civil War", and ultimately got their butts kicked by the Federal troops.

During the "Civil War Centennial" (1960-1965), I started doing more independent study after I discovered that I had ancestors who fought in the war, but I never really did any in-depth study until after I retired from the Army in 1992. When I was in the Army, most of the in-depth study I did was on World War II because we were still looking at our primary adversary as being the Soviet Union, so we spent a lot of time dissecting the battles and tactics used by the Germans against the Soviet Union because of the similarities in the area where it was anticipated the next battles would occur (Western Europe) in the event of a Soviet attack, and the fact that NATO forces would be greatly outnumbered by Warsaw Pact forces, as the Germans were by the Soviets.

In 1992, I began to really start delving into the "Civil War" again, and that was when I learned the real truth about the causes of the War, the Big Government agenda of Lincoln and the Republicans, the destruction of Jeffersonian-style government (States Rights) by the Hamiltonian-style North, the contents of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and particularly the rights that were protected under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments. I might add that many of the books I purchased to study the various major battles of the War, I purchased at the bookstores on military bases/posts such as Fort Benning, Fort Hood, and MacDill, and the books I purchased were studies of the battles written as textbooks by the U.S. Army War College, the very institution that is now trying to do away with any sort of honors for Robert E. Lee and T. J. Jackson.

It was after this revelation that I became a Constitutional Conservative, and realized that it was actually the South that fought for the same values the Founders had fought for, and that it was actually Lincoln and the Republicans who destroyed the original intent of the Union.

Anyhow, I am so frustrated when I read passages by U.S. Army officers who took the same Oath of Office I took,  "....to support and defend the Constitution of the United States...", and then proceed to talk about American patriots like Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson as though they were anti-American traitors who fought against the U.S. for nothing more than the preservation of African slavery.

In this particular case, this article quotes a U.S. Army War College spokesperson as saying, "[Lee] was certainly not good for the nation. This is the guy we faced on the battlefield whose entire purpose in life was to destroy the nation as it was then conceived." This is absolute historical ignorance and blatant historical revisionism.

Robert E. Lee's father, "Light Horse" Harry Lee, was George Washington's cavalry commander. Robert E. Lee himself attended the U.S. Military Academy, was #2 in his graduation class, and is the only West Point Cadet to this day who graduated with NO demerits. Robert E. Lee served in the Mexican War on Gen. Winfield Scott's staff, and was cited for bravery in battle as an engineer officer.

Robert E. Lee remained in the U.S. Army, serving in the Western Territories (Calif), and as the Commandant of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In 1861, the aging Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Winfield Scott under whom Lee had served in Mexico, recommended Lee--a U.S. Army Colonel at the time, to take over the position of Commander-In-Chief of the U.S. Army, and Abraham Lincoln himself offered that post to Lee. After much consideration on Lee's part, he finally turned down Lincoln's offer when it became obvious that Lee's State of Virginia was going to secede from the U.S. and return to being a sovereign and independent nation.

Regarding his decision to resign from the U.S. Army rather than accept the promotion to Major General and assume command of the Federal Army, Lee said, "With all my devotion to the union and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relatives, my children and my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the army, and save in defense of my native state ... I hope I may never be called on to draw my sword."

After Lee resigned from the U.S. Army, it was his intention to return to his home in Virginia (Arlington) and live out his years as a gentleman farmer on his wife's estate, but the governor of Virginia offered him command of the Virginia State Militia in the event of war, and Lee believed it was his duty as a Virginia to accept.

The true story of "Stonewall" Jackson was somewhat similar in that he also graduated from West Point, served in the Mexican War, served in the U.S. Army in California, and then left the U.S. Army to serve as an Instructor of Artillery at Virginia Military Academy (VMI). He was still an instructor at VMI when he was called by the Governor of Virginia to serve in the Army of the State of Virginia as a Brigade Commander in the Shenandoah Valley.

Another important factor is the fact that on May 23, 1958, the U.S. Congress passed legislation, which was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower which stated that Confederate veterans were afforded status equal to that of United States veterans in accordance with Public Law 85-425, thereby amending the Veterans' Benefit Act of 1957. This is one of the reasons why to this day, the V.A. provides government grave markers for any Confederate veterans who do not already have a grave marker.

It is also noteworthy that we have U.S. Army posts such as Fort Lee, Va., Fort Bragg, NC, Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Gordon, Ga. Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Polk, La., Fort Hood, Tx., and others I have failed to name, that are named after Confederate generals, so obviously this anti-Southern movement is just more evidence of political correctness.

If Congress declared, and President Eisenhower endorsed, a law entitling Confederate veterans to the same benefits and honors as U.S. Army veterans, how can the Federal government and its agencies now turn around and declare Confederate soldiers as being traitors to the United States, and unworthy of any accolades or honors for their service?

Dave

EDITING HISTORY

The U.S. Army War College, in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania has begun discussing whether it should remove its portraits of Confederate Generals, including those of Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall Jackson. The College is conducting an inventory of all its paintings and photographs with an eye for re-hanging them in historical themes to tell a particular Army story. During the inventory, an unidentified official asked the administration why the college honors two generals who fought against the United States. One faculty member took down the portraits of Lee and Jackson and put them on the floor as part of the inventory process. That gave rise to rumors that the paintings had been removed. It is the kind of historical cleansing that could spark an Army-wide debate. In 1975, Congress enacted a joint resolution reinstating Lee's U.S. citizenship in what could be considered a final act to heal Civil War wounds. The resolution praised Lee's character and his work to reunify the nation. It noted that six months after surrendering to Grant, Lee swore allegiance to the Constitution and to the Union. "This entire nation has long recognized the outstanding virtues of courage, patriotism and selfless devotion to duty of General R.E. Lee, the joint resolution stated. President Ford traveled to Arlington House, Lee's former home in Virginia, to sign the resolution into law on Aug. 5, 1975.

From: waynedobson51@yahoo.com

Treason

In regards to the paintings being removed, it seems the obvious is not pointed out. It was the USA president Lincoln and his defacto congress that was unlawfully convened who were the ones that committed TREASON, NOT any of those on the portraits they wish to remove. It was ALL the union generals that committed treason in conjunction to this. So I ask; are any of their portraits still hanging there? You can basically start the charges of treason with the US Constitution Article 3 Section 3.

Michael-- Deo Vindicabamur

Va Flaggers: Jeff Davis Memorial, Ft. Monroe

From: info@vaflaggers.com

This past Saturday, we took a short drive down to Ft. Monroe to attend the Jefferson Davis Memorial Service, held in the Casement room in which he was imprisoned after the War. The ceremony was held by the Magruder-Ewell Camp #99, and Commander Ken Wood and his men did a wonderful job in conducting a moving and meaningful service.

I was honored to be asked to light the memorial candle, and felt humbled to perform the duty in the very room where our President languished so long, unlawfully and unjustly kept shackled and confined under lock and key. It was my first visit to Ft. Monroe, so we took some time to explore the grounds.

After the ceremony, we were pleased to witness the swearing in of officers for the 13th Virginia mechanized cavalry, Camp #9, Sons of Confederate Veterans, who were gracious enough to invite us to lunch with them. It was a pleasure to meet many new friends! Many thanks to Jeff Barbour for his gracious hospitality, and to Ken Wood and the Magruder-Ewell Camp#99 for the warm welcome and all of their hard work! :)

More photos here:  https://www.facebook.com/susan.f.hathaway.7/media_set?set=a.10152129973749274.1073741851.698334273&type=3

Susan Hathaway

Va Flaggers

Va Flaggers Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, January 7th, 2014:  Susan will be traveling to Lynch Station, VA, to speak at the January meeting of the Campbell Guards, #2117, Sons of Confederate Veterans.  7:00 p.m.  Lynch Station Ruritan Club, 677 Powell Road.  More information here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/564428446959652/?ref=br_tf

Friday, January 17th - Saturday, January 18th, 2014:  Lee-Jackson State Holiday/Flagging/Memorial Events, Lexington, Va.  The Va Flaggers will be flagging Lexington all day Friday, for the Lee-Jackson State Holiday, and participating in the Memorial Services and parade on Saturday, with more flagging Saturday afternoon.  We invite all to join us!  More details soon. Event Page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/227559140750614/  Info from the Stonewall Brigade here:   http://leejacksonday.webs.com/

Saturday, February 1st, 2014:  Susan will travel to Statesboro, GA to speak at the Lee-Jackson Banquet, held by the Ogeechee Rifles, Camp #941, SCV.  RJ's Restaurant, 454 South Main St. (US 301 S.) @ 6 pm for the meal, preliminaries @ 7 pm and the program immediately following.  Seating limited to 125.  Ticket information forthcoming at a later date.

Saturday, February 22nd, 2014:  Susan will be speaking at the February meeting of the Rev. Beverly Tucker Lacy Camp #2141, SCV, Fredericksburg, VA.  4:00 p.m., Perkins Restaurant, 10 Simpson Rd.

Tuesday, March 4th, 2014:  Susan will be speaking at the March meeting of the R.E Lee Camp #1589, SCV.   Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant, 2401 Colony Crossing Place, Midlothian, VA 23112. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. and meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 20th, 2014:  Susan will be traveling to Columbia, SC to speak at the March meeting of the Lt. Gen. Wade Hampton Camp #273, SCV, Columbia SC. Seawell's Banquet Hall, 1125 Rosewood DR. Dinner at 6:00, Meeting at 7:00.

April 19, 2014:  Susan will be traveling to Quincy, FL to speak at the Confederate Memorial Day Service at the Soldier's Cemetery, sponsored by the Finley's Brigade, SCV.

Saturday, April 26th, 2014: Susan will be speaking at the Delaware Confederate Memorial Ceremony, Marvel Carriage Museum, 510 South Bedford Street, Georgetown, Delaware, Time: 11AM - 2PM

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7ulWxMH175_eIex20mnLlJ7US58CqLm1nmX3Mr-jVBJV4W3_1Q001PRx1fqUoPrp4QZD9kBaN1gBG8klzy1KFFqi9Fgn387cNHZ5mj_pqRrt_fvM2uTg-NOKK4LRZgwr05B5mOrv-ew/s1600/1005248_10201964390895232_248600652_n.jpg

Contributions to the I-95 Memorial Battle Flag projects may be mailed to:

Va Flaggers
P.O. Box 547
Sandston VA 23150
Payable to Va Flaggers
or through PayPal:
http://www.vaflaggers.com/i95flagdonate.html

Va Flaggers: VMFA Update 12-20-2013

From: info@vaflaggers.com


At our CHRISTmas celebration last Friday night, it was decided that due to the VERY rainy forecast for Saturday, we would postpone our weekly Saturday flagging to Sunday instead, and it turned out to be an excellent idea.

The weather was gorgeous Sunday, and over a dozen flaggers gathered on the sidewalk from 2-5 outside of the VMFA and were able to greet visitors attending the museum AND and open house at the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  Once again, we welcomed first time flaggers, several of whom joined us after worship.

We had many conversations with passers-by and distributed literature detailing how the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts desecrated the Confederate Memorial Chapel by forcing the removal of Confederate Battle Flags from the portico.  As is usually the case, most folks agreed that the flags should be returned.

After posing for a few photos at the Chapel, one of our flaggers was approached by VMFA security guards who warned that if he went on the grounds of Confederate Memorial Park carrying a Confederate flag again, he would be arrested for trespassing.

Video here: http://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=d4FLIpgRY-4

More photos from flagging here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.294739223984703.1073741992.186485551476738&type=1

Thursday evening found the weather a bit cooler, but still 7 Flaggers made their way to the Boulevard to stand for the veterans of the Old Soldiers' Home.  Traffic was very light, but there was no shortage of Confederate flags on display.  A few months ago, one of our flaggers designed a 20 foot pole that is portable and secured to automobiles.  Several flaggers now have the set up, and 5x8 flags can be seen all around the VMFA while we are flagging!  ;)

2013 may be winding down, but the Va Flaggers are looking ahead to the New Year with renewed strength and determination to continue this vigil until the flags are returned to their rightful place on the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  Even in our third year of flagging the VMFA, support continues to grow, and as much as you see us on the sidewalk, there is much more going on OFF of the sidewalk in our efforts to continually find new ways to engage the public and fight AND WIN the battle on new fronts.

CALL TO ACTION:

SATURDAY, December 21st:

9:00 a.m. - NOON Flagging the Museum of the Confederacy, 1201 East Clay Street

NOON - 4:00 p.m.:  Flagging the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Boulevard

JOIN US...and be a part of those taking a stand for our Confederate heritage!  If you can't be there, please take a few minutes of your time to call in support of the Flaggers.  Call the VMFA at (804) 340-1405 and ask them to return the Confederate Battle flags to the Confederate Memorial Chapel.

RETURN the flags!

RESTORE the honor!

Tommy Clinger
Va Flaggers

Portraits of Lee and Jackson removal

To: usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.atwc-cpa@mail.mil 

Major General Cucolo, and all concerned persons;

Greetings.

Thank you for your service and dedication to America.

I awoke on Wednesday to news of portraits of Robert E Lee and Thomas J Jackson being 'removed'. Before I responded, I read the open statement by MGen Cucolo, and other media pieces, to discover the items in question were relocated.

The media is now abuzz with such stories, and for myself, a cause of concern. General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson is a distant cousin of mine, so the story makes it personal in effect.  On a more intimate level, resting under the Arlington National Cemetery headstone #54-5669 are the eternal remains of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. CWO3 William E Bearden, who gave 48 years of his life to the US Army. A three war veteran, their plot is located between (Stonewall) Jackson Circle, and the (R.E.) Lee home of Arlington House.

The quotes from Carol Kerr " 'This person was struck by the fact we have quite a few Confederate images, [Lee]  was certainly not good for the nation. This is the guy we faced on the  battlefield whose entire purpose in life was to destroy the nation as it was  then conceived' " INSTANTLY reminded me of an almost identical quote made on August 1st, 1960, by a Dr. Leon Scott:

"The most outstanding thing that Robert E. Lee did was to devote his best efforts to the destruction of the United States Government, and I am sure that you do not say that a person who tries to destroy our Government is worthy of being hailed as one of our heroes. "Will you please tell me just why you hold him in such high esteem?"

Dr. Scott's question was directed to President Dwight D Eisenhower, over his curiosity as to why the U.S. President had a portrait of Robert E Lee in the Oval Office. President Eisenhower answered the Scott query on August 9th, 1960 thusly:

Dear Dr. Scott:

Respecting your August 1 inquiry calling attention to my often expressed admiration for General Robert E. Lee, I would say, first, that we need to understand that at the time of the War Between the States the issue of Secession had remained unresolved for more than 70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing and unquestioned loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted.

General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his belief in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history.

From deep conviction I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee's calibre would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the nation's wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained .

Such are the reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on my office wall.

Sincerely,

Dwight D. Eisenhower

To the 'dialogue' that is said to be forthcoming, I wish to offer the above historical data for sincere consideration, and with it, the following items as well.

A partial transcript of the statements made at the decommissioning of the US Navy's U.S.S. Robert E. Lee SSB (N) 601 can be viewed here:

http://www.ssbn601.com/lastdays.asp The reason I offer this is the fact the US Navy had named a submarine after General Lee, and the words spoken on it's last day is very inspiring. There was also the U.S.S. Stonewall Jackson SSB (N) 631.

During the D-Day landings at Normandy in WW2, on June 6th, 1944, in the 1st wave on Omaha Beach was the 116th Infantry. They suffered over 800 casualties in the assault. They are known then as now as the "Stonewall Brigade"

The United States Congress granted in 1956 that Confederate Veterans were equal in status to all U.S. Veterans. A U.S. Congressional Gold Medal was given to the last 2 remaining Confederate Veterans in 1958.

In MGen Cucolo's statement http://www.carlisle.army.mil/banner/article.cfm?id=3289 he mentions a "George S. Patton Room". History shows that the young George Patton received his first education as a soldier from Confederate General John S. Mosby.

I could go on for a week with such facts, but shall pause here. I strongly and respectfully request the portraits of General Lee and General Jackson be retained, and forever displayed openly at your facility, that all this information be included in the upcoming dialogue, and shared with the individual whose musical painting maneuver has instigated the late media ruckus.

I appreciate your time and consideration of this important matter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

God Bless

Billy Bearden

Carrollton, Georgia

Proposed Removal of Confederate Officers Pictures

From: tandpam@frontier.com
To: usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.atwc-cpa@mail.mil 

Sirs:

I am writing to you in regards to the proposed removal of pictures of Confederate officers from the US Army College.

Before taking a knee jerk reaction to appease the wishes and supposed sensitivities of a small minority, I would ask that you first consider the following actions of two former US Presidents in regards to Confederate soldiers, as well as my personal thoughts (as a member of a minority), that being an American Indian.

Firstly   " Every soldier's grave made during our unfortunate civil war [sic] is a tribute to American valor… And the time has now come… when in the spirit of fraternity we should share in the care of the graves of the Confederate soldiers… and if it needed further justification it is found in the gallant loyalty to the Union and the flag so conspicuously shown in the year just passed by the sons and grandsons of those heroic dead." …President William McKinley, 14 December 1898.

Secondly   On the 23 of May 1958, the Eisenhower administration made Confederates full U.S. citizens with all the privileges & benefits as all American Veterans with Public Law 85-425: Sec 410.

Lastly   I come from a lineage of military veterans that began before the American Revolution.  I have three ancestors (documented) that served in the Colonial forces of the American Revolution, and have had at least one ancestor who served in every war and/or police action up to and including the War in Afghanistan that goes on to this very day.

Having said that, I would like to be a bit more specific by relating the fact that I have (documented) near two dozen ancestors who fought in the WBTS. Like much of this nation's populace at that time, my family split and fought on both sides. So tragic was that war; pitting fathers against sons , brothers against brothers, Americans against Americans. It simply is wrong to honour one side and not the other as well and equally.

As a mix blood American Indian, my heart is weary that there are pictures of some of the Federal officers at the Army College, either ordered, or who personally turned their weapons on innocent women and children, during the so called Indian Wars of the plains. Yet, you hear no request from me to remove said officers' pictures, for as I said earlier, honour all represented sides equally.

I make a slight apology for the length of this communication yet, I assure I could find no way to condense my words considering the seriousness of this subject.

With Reserved regards

T Warren
Bridgeport IL.

Revisionist history would remove portraits of Confederate legends

From: cscitizen@windstream.net
To: usarmy.carlisle.awc.mbx.atwc-cpa@mail.mil

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/17/robert-e-lee-and-stonewall-jackson-tributes-face-a/?page=1

Dear Sirs,
             
I am writing to you about the U.S. War College considering removing the portraits of all Confederate officers from the college. Before you do this to appease modern-day political correctness I would like to remind you of a few things.

Were there no Southern troops to defeat & demoralize the British at the battle of the Cow Pens & Kings Mountain in the Carolinas there would have been no victory at Yorktown & no American independence. Had Southerners not defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 there would be no America.

This list of major Southern contributions on keeping America free goes on & on however, you can fill in the rest of these contributions for yourselves. Not only will such an action hinder your efforts on further Southern participation in America's military but, I just wanted you to remember that Southerners have always served in America's military in disproportionate numbers. If you removed all Southern support from this equation America would have ceased to be free long, long ago.

So remember before you take any rash actions that an attack on one of our heroes is an attack on all of them. Reconsider your position on removing the portraits of our confederate heroes, they mean as much to us as the rest of them.

Billy E. Price
Ashville, Al.

Opportunity at Cold Harbor The men of the Union Eighteenth Corps troops formed into line near the Old Cold Harbor crossroads on June 3, 1864. In front of them, their gray-clad adversaries had erected a substantial network of earthworks, a deadly precursor to the trench warfare of the next century. These boys in blue were now being called upon to assault those works. As they waited for the order to advance, they were subjected to intense artillery fire; 800 of them became casualties in the first few minutes of an attack Gen. Ulysses S. Grant would later regret. The Civil War Trust is now working to preserve a six-acre portion of the Cold Harbor battlefield--the very ground where the men of the Eighteenth Corps formed for their assault on June 3, 1864. This is truly blood-soaked ground and its fate hangs in the balance. With all of the development pressures now facing the battlefields around Richmond, it is imperative that we act quickly to save this important piece of the American story for future generations. Help add to land preserved at Cold Harbor! »

Battle Map: Cold Harbor - June 3, 1864 »

Ten Facts About Cold Harbor »

Photo Gallery »

Video: Bobby Krick »

Civilwar.org

Confederate Archives Update

Every day, we are forced to wade through an internet filled with articles and information about the War Between the States from the perspective of those who would rewrite history to fit their Anti-Southern agenda. Almost a year ago , Va Flaggers TriPp and Jack Lewis had an idea to try and do something about it and we launched the Confederate-Friendly search engine www.confederatearchives.com

The site is family friendly, and has fast, free access to facts and information that has been screened and streamlined to make searching for information about the War Between the States faster and more productive.

Why use www.confederatearchives.com instead of google or other search engines?

(1) We only index one topic: Southern History and Heritage from 1828 to present. (Type "Lee" on google and see how many results come up for LEE JEANS instead of General Lee... Then try ours.)

(2) We have quicker updates to our listed sites.

(3) We offer another place to locate information should google ever decide to censor the content in their search engine.

(4) We will allow only accurate information in our search engine. Hate pages, and sites with inaccurate and false information will be removed.

(5) No Pornography.

(6) With this new site, WE can start cataloging and documenting OUR Heritage and History for generations to come and REMAIN in CONTROL of this database when other search engines come and go.

We asked everyone to help us improve the search engine by doing the following:

(1) USE IT! Use it when you're researching the WBTS, ancestry, or any search related to the CSA. The more it is used, the better the results will be when people search in the future.

(2) Add your favorite websites using the link on the front page of the search engine.

Type of websites we would like to add to www.confederatearchives.com :

- Confederate Cemeteries

- Confederate Soldiers Lists

- Museums with Confederate Artifacts

- Newspapers collections from 1828 thru 1941

- Current day news articles concerning Confederate History

- Current day news articles on heritage violations.

- Historical Documents between 1828 to present day.

- UDC Websites

- SCV Camp websites

- Heritage defense websites

- Art work and pictures

- Maps

- Genealogy pages with family tree information

- Love letters and letters to family members...AND MUCH, MUCH MORE

-Pro Confederate Blog Sites

(3) If you see a link with inaccurate information or a link that should not be included, report it on the home page by copying and pasting the link from your address bar into the space provided on the website.

So...how's it going...?

We are 11 months old now with over 1.3 million links in our database. Our content database is over 600 million records. We have had over 11,000 searches which is pretty good considering the only advertising we have done is on Facebook through different Confederate Heritage pages. The search engine has been shared through different home schooling website and pages, as well.

One of the reasons we created the website was to be able to have access to information when other sites fail or disappear. The recent government shutdown allowed us to test this.  When the Govt took down websites with maps and other historical information,  we were still able to provide cache copies of these pages to users who were searching for them.

We are currently working on two projects to expand on build on www.confederatearchives.com :

*The first one is a database of Confederate Soldiers, in which users enter their ancestors' information.  Folks will then be able to login and instantly pull up all links related to their ancestors, as well as be notified when new links have been added.

*The other project is we will be attempting to data mine and identify descendants of Confederate soldiers for the purposes of recruiting new members to the OCR/UDC/SCV and other organizations, as well as possible help meet the new VA requirement regarding the need to have next of kin request headstones.

WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP!  Please continue use the search engine for research, and add links that you find that would be useful. 

You can enter these links here http://www.confederatearchives.com/add_url1.php.

MANY, MANY thanks to TriPp and Jack Lewis for the COUNTLESS hours they have dedicated to this project!

~~~~

More TECHNOLOGY updates:

FACEBOOK:  We have made some changes in our FB pages/groups.  The GROUP, "Confederate Flaggers - Stand, Fight, and Never Back Down" will continue to be a gathering place for active Flaggers to share experiences, thoughts, ideas, and information, but we have changed it to a "closed" group, so that only member can see the posts.  Our new page, "The Virginia Flaggers" will be our public FaceBook vehicle. We had outgrown the previous set up and believe this will be best for all, as we try to keep up with the demand for information, and help facilitate other groups as the Flagging movement spreads across the South...and BEYOND!

Find the new page here:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Virginia-Flaggers/378823865585630

Give us a "like"...and share!

Finally,  we are still looking for help in creating a website.  We realize that while social media is a fantastic way to share information, there are many folks who are not a part of it, and we need a website to expand our reach and better disseminate information.  We have the domain...all we need is someone to design the site and set it up for us!  Please contact us if you are interested in donating of your time and talents. 

As always, thanks for your encouragement and support!

Susan Hathaway

Va Flaggers