Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Va Flaggers: VMFA Update 4-25-2013



 
 
Like many of you, March, and especially April have been busy months for the Va Flaggers.  While we have been involved in many Memorial Services and Confederate History and Heritage Month activities, we have by no means neglected our duty at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
 
Throughout March, Flaggers were on the Boulevard AT LEAST twice a week, sometimes more, forwarding the colors and reminding museum officials that we will not go away until the Battle Flags are returned to the Confederate Memorial Chapel.  At our March monthly meeting, Flaggers Gracie and Maddie Lewis were presented with Flagger bags, just like the one Miss Susan carries, filled with Flagger ammo and supplies. The following Saturday, they were on the Boulevard, taking names and recording activity. 
 
11 Year old Gracie filed this report:
 
"Today flagging traffic was in the middle and a few people stopped to talk to talk with us and we had a good talk with a lady who had seen us out there for the last few weeks. The weather was perfect for flagging:  67 degrees and very sunny. Got lots of good honks, and also some bad honks. The people that showed up was Jack, Tripp, Judy, Barry, Jimmy, Fred, Tommy, Sid, Christian, Grace, Maddie, and Laura! We all had a great day and I love taking reports for you they are fun to write to you! So thank you so much for the note pad! " - Grace Lewis, March 30, 2013
 
 
April began with cool temperatures.  11 Flaggers were out on Tuesday, April 2nd, and a local photographer came out to take photographs and a VCU film student was on hand, recording for a documentary.  Saturday, April 6th found 9 Flaggers on duty, while another group was assisting with the Chesterfield County Confederate History and Heritage Day.  Thanks to the dedication of our Flaggers, we were able to cover both fronts!  :)
 
AND what a day it was on the Boulevard!  April 6th was Civil War and Emancipation Day in Richmond. Tourists were shuttled around Richmond to visit slavery sites, walk in the footsteps of Lincoln, tour local museums, and one such stop was right in front of the VMFA.  Our troops were spread on two fronts...  On the Chapel side, Sid and Susan Lester dressed in period attire and attracted the attention of tourists and a photographer who set up a shoot on the Chapel grounds.  Aside from being the only Confederate presence that day, we also had the chance to speak to every visitor about the VMFA and their disrespect of our Confederate Veterans.
 
On the Boulevard side, Flaggers were there to meet the buses, armed with Lincoln literature (thanks Ms. Lunelle!) and Chapel flyers.  Traffic was steady ALL DAY and many, many good conversations were held.  Pictured below is the site that greeted those who got off the bus, and a man from England who asked to pose with a flag. 
 
Many, many requests were made to pose for photos with the Flaggers, and we were glad to oblige, and to have the opportunity to share information with them.
 
One of the stops on the tour was the UDC Headquarters' Building. At one point, the Boulevard Flaggers were positioned on the sidewalk in front of the building, distributing the Lincoln and Chapel literature and sharing information with those who came to tour the facilities.  Shortly after arriving, two security guard came out of the building and told us we would have to move away from in front of the UDC building or they were going to call the police.  Of course, if there is one thing Flaggers know inside and out, it is the law about public display on sidewalks, and we, of course, informed them that the UDC did not own the sidewalk and could not have us removed. We encouraged them to call the Richmond Police, as they know us well and we have a very good relationship with them.
 
No police ever did show, and we were actually able to talk to many, many folks, including the group of folks pictured below, one of whom turned out to be a recruit for the SCV!  :)
 
 
Wednesday, April 10th saw 10 Flaggers on the Boulevard.  Traffic was light, as it has been most of this month.  It appears that the new "PoPTart" exhibit has not been drawing much of a crowd at the museum.  Still, it was a good evening, with several good conversations.
 
Saturday, April 13th was another quiet day and we had 10 Flaggers, despite the fact that we had troops at the Museum of the Confederacy's Appomattox Birthday party, Stone Mountain, and out in the Blue Ridge Mountains!  Again, traffic was slow, but our flags were flying and there was a  decidedly Confederate presence at Confederate Memorial Park.
 
 
Thursday, April 18th was a WARM day!  It was 83 degrees when 5 Flaggers took to the Boulevard. Another quiet evening, and the woman pictured below was visiting from out of state.  When she saw the flags she stopped to ask what was going on, pledged her support for our efforts, and asked to take a photo with her Grandson. 
 
Saturday, April 20th was a GREAT day!  BEAUTIFUL weather and the best conversations reported in quite some time! 
 
The young man on the left is Tyler...
"This is Tyler, he walked up with a little flag in his hand. I asked him who he was and said he was sent by Kristian, our Norwegian friend, to come Flag with us. He met him over at VCU. I gave him a big Flag to fly and he's very happy. He had never seen the Chapel before so I sent him in so David can give him a tour so he will have more knowledge before Flagging with us today:)) What a great Day in Dixie:))  - Jimmy Creech, Va Flaggers
 
Thank you for bearing with us for this lengthy update, but we didn't want any of you to miss out on the fun and excitement that has been happening on the Boulevard as we usher in spring in the Capital of the Confederacy.
 
Our fight to return the flags to the Confederate Memorial Chapel continues on many other fronts, as well.  We urge you to join us, and take a stand for the Confederate Soldiers who lived and died on the grounds of Confederate Memorial Park.  All that is needed is a Confederate heart and a desire to make a difference.  We can supply training, ammo, and even flags, if needed.
 
Our next flagging is TODAY, Thursday, April 25th, from 3:00 p.m. to dusk.  We will also be out THIS Saturday, April 27th, from Noon till 4:00 p.m.  If you cannot join us, PLEASE help support us by calling the VMFA (804.340.1506) or emailing them: visitorservices@vmfa.museum and tell them to honor American Veterans by returning the Confederate Battle Flags to the Confederate Memorial Chapel.
 
April is Confederate History and Heritage month.  What better way to honor our soldiers than by defending the flags under which they fought and died.
 
RETURN the flags!
RESTORE the honor!
 
See you on the Boulevard...
 
Grayson Jennings
Va Flaggers
 

UPCOMING EVENTS: 
 
Thursday, April 25th:  Flagging the VMFA, 3-Dusk
 
Saturday, April 27th:  Flagging the VMFA Noon - 4 p.m.
 
Saturday, April 27th:   Susan will be traveling to Tampa, FL to represent the Va Flaggers and speak at the ceremony to raise the "World's Largest 3rd National Flag" by Gen. Jubal A. Early, Camp #556, SCV.   http://www.tampascv.org/3rd%20national.htm
 
Tuesday, April 30th:  7:00 p.m. at the Bedford County/City Museum on Main Street in Bedford, VA (across Court Street from the Bedford Court House)  Tripp, Barry and Susan will travel to Bedford, Virginia to speak to the BEDFORD RIFLE GRAYS #1475, Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans.
 
Saturday, May 4th:  10:30 a.m. - Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Lying in State at the Old House Chamber, State Capitol, Richmond, VA.
 
Saturday, May 11th:  11:00 a.m. - Annual J.E.B. Stuart Memorial Service at the Yellow Tavern Monument in Glen Allen, VA, sponsored by the Richmond-Stonewall Jackson Chapter #1705, UDC.
 
Saturday, May 11th:  4:00 p.m. - Confederate Medal of Honor Memorial Service, Blanford Church on the grounds of Blanford Cemetery in Petersburg.
 
Saturday, June 8th:  Annual birthday ceremony for Jefferson F. Davis, at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.  Keynote speaker will be Mr. Bert Hayes-Davis, great great grandson of Jeff Davis. 
 
Saturday, June 29th:  10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 22nd Annual Point Lookout Pilgrimage, Confederate Memorial Park, Point Lookout, MD.
 
Monday, June 31st:  6:30 p.m. - Susan and Barry will be traveling to Va Beach to speak to the Princess Anne Camp #484 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Gus and George's Spaghetti and Steakhouse, 4312 Virginia Beach, VA

Monday, April 29, 2013

Va Flaggers Update: A Flag for Oakwood




At Oakwood Cemetery in Richmond, 17,000+ Confederate dead rest in the Confederate section of the City owned cemetery.  Thanks to an agreement between the Va Div Sons of Confederate Veterans and the City of Richmond, it is now the best kept and by far most beautiful section in the cemetery.  Past C-I-C McMichael, and Past Virginia Division Commander John Sawyer all signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the City of Richmond.  This agreement does not transfer the deed or title to Oakwood Cemetery - Confederate Section to the SCV, but it gives the Virginia Division the sole authority to place upright markers for each Confederate Veteran buried there and improvements or markers of any kind. The Virginia Division also has the exclusive responsibility of maintaining the 10 acres of grounds in the Confederate section of Oakwood Cemetery. The Oakwood Committee and Va Div SCV are in the midst of an ongoing effort to properly mark the graves there, which includes pending legal action.  Details can be found here...  http://www.scvva.org/Oakwood/
I live just a few miles from the cemetery and pass it each day on my way to and from work.  I often stop to freshen stick flags, or photograph grave markers at the request of descendants and often wondered about the empty flag pole in the Confederate section.  In October of last year, I started asking around for help in getting a flag raised.  We felt strongly that the men buried there deserved the honor of a flag flying over their final resting place.  On my first attempt, I found the rope and snap hook broken, so recruited one of the Flaggers to help make repairs.
On November 12th, Veterans' Day, we brought the necessary items to repair and rig the broken rope and raised a Third National over the graves.  At this point, we had no idea how long the flag would remain, but were thrilled at the thought that at least for Veterans' Day, the soldiers were honored and left with great satisfaction.
Over the next few days, we would drive through the cemetery often at lunch time, and were pleasantly surprised that the flag was untouched, and grateful for every day it flew in honor and memory of the Confederate dead buried there.
When we got word from a friend who lives nearby that the flag was missing a week later, we immediately went back out and raised another one its place, this time a Battle Flag, as it was what I had available and since it was the flag the soldiers would most recognize.  At this point, we did not know who had taken down the flag, but we were determined to continue to replace it, as often as necessary.
Over the next few weeks, the flag was removed several more times, and each time, we replaced it with another, at one point raising  a flag with this message written so that whoever was removing the flag would understand our intentions...  "100 more will rise to take its place... DEO VINDICE!"
When that flag came down, TriPp visited the cemetery office to speak with the personnel there about the flag thefts.  The employees were very cordial and admitted that they had been removing the flags because they had instructions to do so.  When TriPp asked to see the instructions in writing, he was referred to a public relations official in the city.  A half dozen calls to that official were never returned.  The video of that visit is part of the documentary at the end of this report and is a must see.  Please take a minute to view it.
After that meeting, TriPp put his son, Jack on his shoulders and they raised the tie off of the rope so that a ladder would be needed to remove the flag. From that time, the flag flew, UNTOUCHED until a February 3rd visit found that the rope had broken away at the top of the pole and needed to be fixed.  On February 13th, a volunteer with a bucket truck came out and we were able to fix the rope and once again tie off the rope to prevent theft.
A week later, we were THRILLED to receive the news that the Oakwood Committee had replaced the old flag pole with a brand new one, with an internal lanyard system, LOCKED to prevent anyone else from removing the flag.  The Va Flaggers offered our sincere thanks and appreciation to Lee Hart and the committee for this beautiful upgrade!  Now a Confederate flag will fly 24/7 to honor our Confederate dead, without fear of theft or vandalism!  It is truly a beautiful sight to behold!
On Sunday, April 21st, "Va Flaggers at Oakwood Cemetery", a short film/documentary by VCU film student Rob. P Walker was shown at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond.  Not sure what to expect from the mostly college aged audience, we were thrilled, when, at the conclusion of the film, the crowded theatre erupted in applause and shouts of approval.
PLEASE take a minute to view the documentary and share it far and wide. 
FOLLOW UP NOTE:  Last week, TriPp went by the Cemetery Office to offer thanks on behalf of the Va Flaggers and show our appreciation for their cooperation.  The female employee with whom TriPp communicates in the video was once again very cordial, and relayed the following story:  She told TriPp that recently she had locked up and was about to leave when she decided to take a drive around the cemetery before she left.  On her way back out, she noticed a man at the office door.  Even though it was past closing time, she made the decision to stop and check on him.  The man told her he was looking for a Confederate ancestor.  She went inside and they were able to locate the plot and she volunteered to drive him over to the Confederate section.  She said when the man found the grave he was very moved and grateful and thanked her profusely.  He then mentioned the flag flying on the pole and told her how much it meant to him that the cemetery honored his ancestor by flying that flag.  She told TriPp that for the first time, she really understood what he had been trying to convey and appreciated what the flag meant to us. 
We don't know what the future holds, but as of April 22nd, 2013, and due to Va Flagger persistence and refusal to accept "leaving well enough alone",  a flag has flown over the graves of 17,000+ soldiers for over 5 months and 10 days... and, we believe, hearts and minds have been changed in the journey.
The Virginia Flaggers would like to offer our sincere thanks to the employees of Oakwood Cemetery, Lee Hart and the Oakwood Memorial Committee members, and VCU Film Student Rob Walker for his exceptional work in documenting the Va Flaggers over the last several months.
The Oakwood Documentary is just the first of many Va Flagger documentaries planned   Stay tuned for much, much more!
View the Oakwood Documentary/Short Film Here:
http://vimeo.com/58484387
Susan Hathaway
Va Flaggers

Sunday, April 28, 2013

HERITAGE ALERT!! -- Petition Circulating for the Removal of the Confederate Memorial Carving from Stone-Mountain


 
During Southern History month and a day before Confederate Memorial Day, I became aware of a movement to "remove the last black eye on the legacy of the great state of Georgia".  A petition was started on April 1st on the petition web site change.org:
 
 
Very, very sad.  Maybe in the spirit of setting things really right, a movement should be started to remove Lincoln from Mt. Rushmore?
 
Fortunately, there have only been 3 signers!  But be vigilant, friends, as this is another example that reminding us that there are some who would like
to see all monuments to the sacrifice to our gallant Confederate defenders obliterated, or at the minimum hidden away in remote obscure places, denying
their rightful place in the civic landscape.  And sometimes small voices are the loudest. 
 
Make an effort to visit your Confederate monument tomorrow, or your States Confederate Memorial Day,  showing the public and civic officials that our monuments are valued, respected and monitored, then send pictures to the newspaper.
 
Lunelle Siegel
 
Tampa, FL
 

AT THE SELMA FRONT LINES



We have won the first phase of the "Jungle Campaign" here in Zimbabwe on de Alabamy back on Mar 14...the judged ruled Todd Kiscaden, Project Engineer, of our Security & Beautification Enhancement of Confederate Circle project...INNOCENT of the charges of criminal harassment brought against him by local domestic terrorist, Rose Sanders!

Now, we begin depositions next week regarding the federal lawsuit KTK Mining of VA has filed against the City of Selma and the Chief of Police...please pray for us!  Our attorneys are very confident that we will prevail in federal court...but we still would appreciate your prayers that RIGHT will win...this lawsuit is based on NO DUE PROCESS and violation of the 1st, 5th and 14th Amendments...

I know y'all have been wondering about the cell phone that belonged to the "person of interest" Sherrette Spicer, member of Rose Sanders Board of Directors of the National Voting Rights Museum, PRIVATELY owned by Rose Sanders.... the informants said they said Sherrette Spicer holding the NBF bust AFTER she had left the cemetery with the bust..that it was taken in a residence or a business.  Sherrette lives on second floor of Rose Sanders owned Slavery Museum on Water Avenue here in Selma...the detectives got a warrant from Judge Bob Armstrong & drove to Montgomery & seized her phone.  The phone was sent to the Ala State Forensics Lab at Ala State University...they could not crack her passcode - then it was sent to the U.S. Secret Service Agency in Hoover, Ala...THEY couldn't crack her passcode...THEN it was sent to the Ala State office of the FBI...THEY couldn't crack her pass code...THEN they sent it to Quantico, VA to the FBI Hqtrs...THEY cracked the pass code....it was sent BACK to Selma Police Dept where they viewed "4000 pictures" on Sherrette's phone...NO PICS OF NBF BUST!!!!  Put on ya surprise face!!!!  Obviously, "somebody" must've tipped her off when the detectives left for Montgomery to seize her phone...sooooooo, she gave them "A phone" ....not necessarily "the phone"!!!!  Guess ole Sherrette is smarter than the average monkey!  The informants have been questioned again recently and they stand by their statement that they saw Sherrette Spicer holding the NBF bust AFTER it was taken from the cemetery....I smell a rat in Zimbabwe on de Alabamy!

I would like to thank EVERYONE who has already contributed toward this effort...mere words cannot adequately express to you how much WE ALL appreciate each and EVERYONE of you who love General Forrest, our precious Southland and hold dear the principles of our Founding Fathers!  I would also like to thank, once again, the Alabama Div SCV for committing $5000 toward the reward to the person who can give information leading to the ARREST and CONVICTION of the perpetrator(s) in the theft of this $9000 bust of NBF...and also, the National            Hdqtrs of the SCV for committing $5000 as well to this effort...plus the private donors who contributed the rest of the reward offer.

WE have NO intention of "compromising" with the City...their options that were posted in the Selma Times Journal are totally UNACCEPTABLE...it looks like we will proceed to federal court which is set for Nov of this year....any and all contributions  toward this lawsuit will be greatly appreciated. Please make check payable to: NBF Monument Fund and mark the check in the "for" line "FOR LEGAL EXPENSES"...mail check to:

Patricia S. Godwin
Friends of Forrest, Inc.
Fort Dixie
10800 Co. Rd. 30
Selma, Alabama 36701

Other means of contributions are as follows:

Ancestor Pavers to go around the NBF Memorial - $50 ( contact me for form - will send via attachment)
NBF (Friends of Forrest) T-Shirt - $25
DVD- History of NBF Monument Story - $15
8x10 Color Collage of NBF Monument as it stood at the original dedication site (Smitherman Bldg Museum) - $10
Sponsor a period correct wrought iron park bench - $550
Sponsor a bronze plaque to be mounted on the 8-sided pedestal of the NBF memorial - $1200
Sponsor a bronze historic marker - $1500

I would like to express my deepest appreciation for the two people who have already sponsored the two flag poles....at $2100 each.  There are just NO words to express to you what is inside my heart!

Make checks payable to NBF Monument Fund - mark check" FOR CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL CIRCLE"

If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to call me at: 334-875-1690.  If I don't answer,            leave a message & I'll call ya back!

Thanks y'all for your continued faithful support of our efforts here in Selma to honor General NB Forrest and to preserve our noble Southern heritage!

Confederately yours,
Pat Godwin

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Confederate Memorial Day ceremony


Confederate Memorial service
 
 
Last Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the Confederate Memorial service sponsered by the United Daughters of the Confederacy at Forrest Cemetery. It was a very historically enlightening service which commemorated the 150th  anniversary of the crossing of Black Creek by General Forrest and his men and the exploits of Emma Sansom. But apparently due to politically  correct expediency on the part of the Gadsden Times, not one word was mentioned in this daily publication nor any on site coverage whatsoever. This has become the norm for the times and I should not have expected anything different. Also, this is also the 150th anniversary of the death of Pvt. Robert Turner of the 4th Tenn. Cavalry. He was killed at the Battle of Black Creek and buried by Emma Sansom and her sister next to her father in the Sansom cemetery which is now in the median of Meighan Boulevard across from the old high school. I placed a grave marker there for him twenty four years ago. He is the only marked killed in action on what is now Etowah County soil. Again, thanks to the Gadsden Times for their diversity and the coverage of this event.
 
I remain,
 
Hunter Phillips
 

   *****************
 

 
 
To the Editor:
                    
Last Sunday the United Daughters of the Confederacy had a Confederate Memorial Day ceremony at Forrest Cemetery in Gadsden. Why didn`t your newspaper cover this event or any events like it for that matter?
  
It was a local event in the City of Gadsden covering a part of Etowah Counties history yet, you deemed it unacceptable for print. The job of a local newspaper is to cover local news & events, in this department you continue to fail miserably.
  
One would think that your staff are former employees of the state newspaper Pravda of the old former Soviet Union. Instead of covering local news & events that are of interest to the majority of your local readers you only publish those things you deem politically correct & acceptable to a small minority of readers & follow the politically correct party line.
  
This would be great if a newspapers job was to give only your personal preferences & opinions but, it’s not, its supposed to be in business to give facts on the happenings of the day in Gadsden. Perhaps your subscription rate would be higher if you ran your paper like a business.
  
In my area there are two local deliveries of newspapers, The Gadsden Times & The Birmingham News. I subscribe to neither for the exact same reasons, you don`t report news you try to manipulate & twist facts or outright create news based on your own liberal leanings.
  
In the future if I decide to subscribe to a newspaper I think I`ll see if North Korea will deliver their state ran newspaper to my front door as it will cover more actual facts than your supposed to be local newspaper, The Gadsden Times.
 
Billy E. Price
Ashville, Al.
 

Give 'Em Hell Boys! The Complete Military Correspondence of Nathan Bedford Forrest



By Lochlainn Seabrook
List Price:  $23.95
SHNV/SWR Price:  $17.96
http://astore.amazon.com/souhernewvie-20/detail/0983818568

Nathan Bedford Forrest is best known for his role as a Confederate officer in the American War for Southern Independence. While most Forrest biographies discuss his military career in great detail, what they do not provide is the General's own perspective of the conflict. In his one-of-a-kind book, "Give 'Em Hell Boys!", Forrest scholar, Forrest relation, and award-winning author Lochlainn Seabrook handily remedies this situation. Neatly divided into five sections for each year of Lincoln's War, as the subtitle indicates, the book encompasses all of the General's military correspondence, from 1861 to 1865. In the 300 fascinating footnoted entries included, we find Forrest's reports, dispatches, orders, returns, letters, notes, communiques, and telegrams, as he himself wrote or dictated them, usually from the battlefield. His missives were sent out to a wide assortment of Civil War figures, from the president of the Confederacy (Jefferson Davis) and fellow Confederate officers to his Yankee enemies, most of the communications with the latter which ended with unsurprising results: immediate surrender! Through Forrest's own words, we are able to track not only the progress of the War, but his rise from private to lieutenant general (one rank shy of full general)-the only man on either side to achieve such a feat. Included along with a bibliography and an index are such extras as a historical time line of the highlights of Forrest's life, a list of all of Forrest's engagements, and a section on his recognition by the Confederate Congress. Like the author's other works on Forrest, "Give 'Em Hell Boys!" (named after one of his most famous war cries) will help destroy the many anti-South myths surrounding the General, giving him back his rightful place as a lauded American icon. Learn about both Forrest the man and the Rebel officer from the great Confederate chieftain himself, in this captivating read that is sure to become a standard in Civil War literature. Lochlainn Seabrook, winner of the prestigious Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal, is the sixth great-grandson of the Earl of Oxford and the author of over thirty popular adult and children's books. A seventh-generation Kentuckian of Appalachian heritage-who is known as the "American Robert Graves" after his celebrated English cousin-Seabrook is a Southern historian and poet with a thirty-year background in the American Civil War, Confederate studies and biography, anthropology, thealogy (female-based religion), etymology, the paranormal, genealogy, and comparative religion and mythology. He lives with his wife and family in historic Middle Tennessee, the heart of Forrest country. This is his fourth book on General Forrest, and his thirteenth on the War for Southern Independence. Seabrook's other titles include: "A Rebel Born: A Defense of Nathan Bedford Forrest"; "The Quotable Nathan Bedford Forrest"; "Nathan Bedford Forrest: Southern Hero, American Patriot"; "Everything You Were Taught About the Civil War is Wrong, Ask a Southerner!"; "Honest Jeff and Dishonest Abe: A Southern Children's Guide to the Civil War"; "Lincolnology: The Real Abraham Lincoln Revealed in His Own Words"; "The Quotable Robert E. Lee"; "The Old Rebel: Robert E. Lee As He Was Seen By His Contemporaries"; "Abraham Lincoln: The Southern View"; "The McGavocks of Carnton Plantation: A Southern History"; "The Unquotable Abraham Lincoln: The President's Quotes They Don't Want You to Know!";"The Quotable Jefferson Davis"; "Encyclopedia of the Battle of Franklin"; "Carnton Plantation Ghost Stories: True Tales of the Unexplained From Tennessee's Most Haunted Civil War House!"; and "The Caudills: An Etymological, Ethnological, and Genealogical Study."

Friday, April 26, 2013

Confederate History and Heritage Month in Georgia


Confederate History and Heritage Month in Georgia
Georgia's General Assembly, in 2009, approved Senate Bill No.27 which was signed by Past Governor Sonny Perdue, officially and permanently designating April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in Georgia. It is a time to especially commemorate the men and women of the Confederate States of America who came from all races and religions.  Examples include: Irish-born General Patrick R. Cleburne, Black Confederate drummer Bill Yopp, Mexican born Colonel Santos Benavides, Cherokee born General Stand Watie and Jewish born Confederate treasurer Judah Benjamin and Nurse Phoebe Pember who was the first female administrator of Chimboraza Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.
   
We are justly proud of such a heritage and have scheduled a full slate of local Confederate Memorial Day services:
Saturday, April 20 - 1:00pm at Mount Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church, Jones County, GA
Friday, April 26 -  6:00pm at  Stevens Street Cemetery - south of Elberta Rd. in Warner Robins and 7:00pm at Cliett Cemetery, 247 Connector across from Peachtree Baptist Church, Byron
Saturday, April 27 - 8am at Confederate Statue, downtown Macon (Cotton Ave. at 2nd Street)
- 10:00 am at Rose Hill Cemetery, 1091 Riverside Drive, Macon
- 12noon at Woodward Cemetery, Hartley Bridge Road, Bibb County
- 2pm at Byron, GA City Cemetery, 101 Murdock Lane.
- 4:30pm at Ft. Valley's Oaklawn Cemetery, Southside of Ft. Valley on GA Hwy 49
   
Hopefully, you will attend one near you. For more information, contact area Sons of Confederate Veterans or United Daughters of the Confederacy members.

John Wayne Dobson
Macon, GA

Gates Camp compatriot is Real Grandson


Compatriot Isham C. Holland, 95 years of age, Elijah Gates Camp #570, Fulton, Mo., was honored with an SCV Real Grandson medal at the Missouri Division Reunion in Jefferson City, March 23, 2013. He was pinned by his own grandson, Kurt Holland, 1st Lieutenant Commander of the John T. Hughes Camp.

Isham's grandfather was Capt. Thomas C. Holland, 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment, a survivor of a serious wound at the stone wall during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. He moved to Callaway County after the war. He attended the 50th anniversary of the battle in 1913, meeting the Union soldier who had always thought he had fatally shot the brave captain.

Isham was nine years old when his grandfather died in 1925.

At the same reunion, Camp Commander Noel A. Crowson, longtime Chaplain of the Gates Camp, was officially welcomed into the Chaplain Corps of the Missouri Division. He is also pastor of High Point Community Chapel in Callaway County.



Flag photo
Real Grandson Isham C. Holland unfurls the flag displayed at the 1925 burial of his grandfather, Capt. Thomas C. Holland, 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment, at Reform, Mo. At left is Isham's own grandson, Kurt Holland, 1st Lieutenant Commander of the John T. Hughes Camp. Photo by Don Ernst
Holland family photo
Gates Camp Commander Noel A. Crowson (standing) congratulates fellow camp Compatriot Isham C. Holland on his recognition as a Real Grandson. At left is Isham's son                  Jim, at right his grandson Kurt Holland. Photo by Don Ernst.









Gates Camp headlines Living History Day

Gates Camp headlines Living History Day
For the sixth consecutive year, teaching re-enactors from Elijah Gates Camp #570, Fulton, Mo., furnished the manpower for the annual Civil War Living History Day sponsored by the Children's Department of the Callaway County Public Library, March 16, 2013. The family-friendly program also benefited from the "womanpower" of the new Reuben H. Bullard Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who collaborated with Gates Camp in creating a month-long wall display at the library.

Group Photo #1
Re-enactors and volunteers for Civil War Living History Day, from left: front, Mary Ann Crowson, UDC; Compatriot Don Ernst; Betty McAtee, president Reuben H. Bullard Chapter UDC; back, Compatriots Bill Conner, Kevin Wenzel, Chris Crowson, Richard Houf, Bill McAtee, Noel Crowson (Commander), Wayne Sampson. Not shown: Compatriots Paul Baum, Banning Fitzpatrick.


Photo #2
Compatriots Kevin Wenzel (left) and Paul Baum were among Gates Camp re-enactors at Callaway County Library's Civil War Living History Day. Also camp Quartermaster, Wenzel was winner of the camp's 2012 Pvt. Benjamin T. Winn Outstanding Compatriot Award. Baum led public Q&A segments during the living history event. Photo by Don Ernst.









SCV Telegraph-Educational Resourse


Compatriots:
Some time ago, the McNeill Camp, on behalf of the Georgia Division put together an outstanding educational CD, A Southern View of History: The War for Southern Independence, The Other side of the Coin.  At a recent GEC meeting, this outstanding work became a topic of discussion.
  
Because the work was so thorough, the CD could be the basis of a school curriculum -- indeed, this was the original purpose.  However, it would probably do us some good to go "back to school" and review it, ourselves.
  
However you can best utilize this resource, please do so.  It can be accessed through the following link --
  
  
As always, don't "hoard a blessing" -- share this with others.
For the Cause, 
  
Gene Hogan
Chief of Heritage Defense
Sons of Confederate Veterans


Thursday, April 25, 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS



 

April 27, 2013
Raising the "World's Largest" 3rd National Flag
Saturday, April 27, 2013.
Confederate Memorial Park, Tampa, FL
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=381809315201691&id=728431623#!/events/274985565922786/
 

Saturday, April 27th:   Susan will be traveling to Tampa, FL to represent the Va Flaggers and speak at the ceremony to raise the "World's Largest 3rd National Flag" by Gen. Jubal A. Early, Camp #556, SCV.   http://www.tampascv.org/3rd%20national.htm
 

April 28, 2013 - A talk and book signing at The Graffiti House 19484 Brandy Road / Brandy Station, VA 22714 Sunday, April 28, 2013 Program from 2:00 pm William Connery Will give a presentation on his book, Civil War Northern Virginia 1861 Contact Richard Deardoff: deardoff@comcast.net
 

2013 Events At the Cannonball House, Macon, GA
Southern Heritage News & Views
http://shnv.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-events-at-cannonball-house-macon-ga.html
 

Tuesday, April 30th:  7:00 p.m. at the Bedford County/City Museum on Main Street in Bedford, VA (across Court Street from the Bedford Court House)  Barry and Susan will travel to Bedford, Virginia to speak to the BEDFORD RIFLE GRAYS #1475, Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans.  info@vaflaggers.com
 

May 1 - Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, 7:00 P.M., Sharpsburg Town Hall, 2nd Floor, 106 East Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD  21782.  Our guest speaker will be local author Mr. Stephen Recker who will be discussing his book, "Rare Images of Antietam".  The meeting is free and is opened to the public.  For more information, contact Camp Commander Michael Wasiljov at 301-992-3122-C or mike24745@aol.com
 

Saturday, May 4th:  10:30 a.m. - Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Lying in State at the Old House Chamber, State Capitol, Richmond, VA.info@vaflaggers.com
 

May 4 & 5, 2013 - “CLINTON’S WAR DAYS REMEMBERED”
Old Clinton (Georgia) 
Southern Heritage News & Views
http://shnv.blogspot.com/2013/04/clintons-war-days-remembered.html
 

May 11 - Groups to hold Confederate Memorial Day Service in Florence
FLORENCE, S.C.
SCNow
http://www.scnow.com/news/local/article_dac2d212-7d3a-11e2-96b4-001a4bcf6878.html
 

Saturday, May 11th:  11:00 a.m. - Annual J.E.B. Stuart Memorial Service at the Yellow Tavern Monument in Glen Allen, VA, sponsored by the Richmond-Stonewall Jackson Chapter #1705, UDC.info@vaflaggers.com
 

Saturday, May 11th:  4:00 p.m. - Confederate Medal of Honor Memorial Service, Blanford Church on the grounds of Blanford Cemetery in Petersburg. info@vaflaggers.com
 

May 11 - Living History Festival with working Union, Confederate encampments to be held May 11 in Athens, Alabama
The Huntsville Times
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/04/living_history_festival_with_w.html
 

May 11-12: See the Flag that Adorned Stonewall Jackson's Casket
The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia
Fredericksburg.com
http://news.fredericksburg.com/pastisprologue/2013/04/11/may-11-12-see-the-flag-that-adorned-stonewall-jacksons-casket/
 

3rd Annual Florida Youth Outdoor Experience
01 June 2013 09:00 AM till 03:00 PM
http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2138989055
 

Saturday, June 8th:  Annual birthday ceremony for Jefferson F. Davis, at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.  Keynote speaker will be Mr. Bert Hayes-Davis, great great grandson of Jeff Davis. info@vaflaggers.com
 

Saturday, June 15th, 2013 - Fairfax City, VA
33rd Annual Spring Civil War Mosby Bus Tour
Southern Heritage News & Views
http://shnv.blogspot.com/2013/02/33rd-annual-spring-civil-war-mosby-bus_6.html
 

June 21-22, 2013 - "Southern Independence: Antidote to Tyranny"
The 20th Annual LS National Conference
Wetumpka, AL
http://dixienet.org/rights/2012/league_of_south_2013_conference.php
 

June 22, 2013 - The Southern Victorian Society Cordially Invites You To a Delightful Evening of Victorian Dancing
Newberry, South Carolina
http://oldesouthball.com/ssindex.html
 

Saturday, June 29th:  10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 22nd Annual Point Lookout Pilgrimage, Confederate Memorial Park, Point Lookout, MD. info@vaflaggers.com
 

Southern Event Calendar
http://my.calendars.net/shnvcal/

Confederate Graves & Monument Registration Contest



Compatriots & Friends,
I have communicated with program coordinator Wes Frank. He's informed me the West Coast side & Central Florida is wide open as he has not received any entries from these areas.  Additionally, statewide, it appears second place might not be too difficult to grab as to toss a number out, 25-35 valid registrations could put you into a nice Genuine American Alligator wallet with a retail value of $350-450.00. Not a big number…………..
How about forwarding this message to your camp or chapter members and suggest spending a nice spring day visiting graveyards & recording a number of graves? If you can motive a couple of members to do it, the award could be a camp award (turn in the numbers as a group/camp then draw the winner from the participants). Might also make a couple of personal phone calls in support of motivating members to get out & enjoy the weather. Submissions for contest ends May 20.
Below is the contest and a few links to get you started. The attached files are all information related to the project. (Takes about 20 minutes to fully review) Remember any of the small, older cemeteries with burials prior to 1920 are great targets for a stroll. Take the family & see what you can find.
Have some fun, enjoy the weather & win some nice prizes!
Phil Walters
1st Lt. Commander/Acting Adjutant-Judah P. Benjamin camp 2210, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Commander, 9th Brigade, Florida Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sponsor: Capt. JJ Dickison "Grey Ghost" 1971 American Motors Javelin

AWARDS FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION July 17 - 20, 2013 Vicksburg, Mississippi



   Sons of Confederate Veterans
                                 
AWARDS FOR NATIONAL CONVENTION
July 17 - 20, 2013 Vicksburg, Mississippi

The Awards Manual may be downloaded from the SCV website. Previous editions of the Awards Manual are obsolete.

Awards Display
The SCV Awards Display will be set-up for the National Convention in Vicksburg near the SCV General Headquarters table by noon on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. This is the drop-off and pick-up point for all SCV awards at the convention.

Best Camp Award

Camps who wish to participate in this competition should print a copy from the SCV website or they may request one from GHQ if they have no internet access. Entry forms should be sent to:


Granvel J. Block
Distinguished Camp Competition
1604 Buckingham Dr
Orange TX 77632
granvelb@gt.rr.com


All entries should be on the new form approved effective March 19, 2013 which is available on the SCV website. Please check and make sure you have the current form. The deadline to submit best camp entry forms is June 14, 2013.

Newsletter Awards

To be entered in the newsletter competition, four (4) copies of each newsletter issued during the eligibility period must be submitted to the National Awards Committee by June 14, 2013. Eligibility period is July 2012 issue through June 2013 issue. See the Awards Manual for all details that must accompany the entry. Newsletters may be submitted in hard copy or sent electronically to:

Granvel J. Block
Newsletter Awards
1604 Buckingham Dr
Orange TX 77632
granvelb@gt.rr.com

Scrapbook and Historical Project Award

Entries for the scrapbook or historical project awards must be delivered to the awards display table not later than 5:00 p.m., Thursday, July 14, 2013. No entries will be accepted after that time. Camps must arrange to pick up their entries on Saturday, prior to the dismantling of the Awards Display Table. Entries not picked up will be discarded at the end of the convention. See the Awards Manual for requirements and details for these awards.

Best Website Award

SCV units interested in competing for the Best Website Award should submit their URL through the link on the front page of the website at www.scv.org no later than June 14, 2013. Judging will be performed by experienced webmasters outside the SCV, based on generally recognized criteria for website excellence. Judging will take place between June 14 and July 05, 2013.


Individual Member Awards

Army Commanders and Division Commanders should submit award nominations no later than May 17, 2013. The form for submitting award nominations can be found on scv.org under Forms and Documents at: Documents - in word format.

The form in PDF format is at the following address: http://www.scv.org/pdf/awardnominationform13.pdf

Information about the requirements for various awards can be found in he Awards Manual at the following address: http://www.scv.org/pdf/ AwardsHandbook2013a.pdf.org

Award nominations should be sent to Chief of Staff Rand at chuckrand3@gmail.com and Bryan Sharp at membership@scv.org. Award nominations must be submitted no later than May 17, 2013 to allow time for review, consultation with and approval by the Commander in Chief, and to allow time for GHQ to prepare the awards to include the names in the Awards Luncheon Booklet.

Presentation of Awards

All awards will be presented at the Awards Luncheon on Friday, July 19, 2013 or at the Saturday night banquet on July 20, 2013. Please pick up your awards after the luncheon as well as those of men in your camp to take them home with you. This simple process will save the SCV hundreds of dollars of postage expense.






Wednesday, April 24, 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS




April 27, 2013
Raising the "World's Largest" 3rd National Flag
Saturday, April 27, 2013.
Confederate Memorial Park, Tampa, FL
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=381809315201691&id=728431623#!/events/274985565922786/

Saturday, April 27th:   Susan will be traveling to Tampa, FL to represent the Va Flaggers and speak at the ceremony to raise the "World's Largest 3rd National Flag" by Gen. Jubal A. Early, Camp #556, SCV.  http://www.tampascv.org/3rd%20national.htm

2013 Events At the Cannonball House, Macon, GA
Southern Heritage News & Views
http://shnv.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-events-at-cannonball-house-macon-ga.html

Tuesday, April 30th:  7:00 p.m. at the Bedford County/City Museum on Main Street in Bedford, VA (across Court Street from the Bedford Court House)  Barry and Susan will travel to Bedford, Virginia to speak to the BEDFORD RIFLE GRAYS #1475, Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans.  info@vaflaggers.com

May 1 - Battle of Sharpsburg Camp #1582, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Wednesday, May 1st, 2013, 7:00 P.M., Sharpsburg Town Hall, 2nd Floor, 106 East Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD  21782.  Our guest speaker will be local author Mr. Stephen Recker who will be discussing his book, "Rare Images of Antietam".  The meeting is free and is opened to the public.  For more information, contact Camp Commander Michael Wasiljov at 301-992-3122-C or mike24745@aol.com

Saturday, May 4th:  10:30 a.m. - Commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Lying in State at the Old House Chamber, State Capitol, Richmond, VA. info@vaflaggers.com

May 4 & 5, 2013 - "CLINTON'S WAR DAYS REMEMBERED"
Old Clinton (Georgia)
Southern Heritage News & Views
http://shnv.blogspot.com/2013/04/clintons-war-days-remembered.html

May 11 - Groups to hold Confederate Memorial Day Service in Florence
FLORENCE, S.C.
SCNow
http://www.scnow.com/news/local/article_dac2d212-7d3a-11e2-96b4-001a4bcf6878.html

Saturday, May 11th:  11:00 a.m. - Annual J.E.B. Stuart Memorial Service at the Yellow Tavern Monument in Glen Allen, VA, sponsored by the Richmond-Stonewall Jackson Chapter #1705, UDC. info@vaflaggers.com

Saturday, May 11th:  4:00 p.m. - Confederate Medal of Honor Memorial Service, Blanford Church on the grounds of Blanford Cemetery in Petersburg. info@vaflaggers.com

May 11 - Living History Festival with working Union, Confederate encampments to be held May 11 in Athens, Alabama
The Huntsville Times
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/04/living_history_festival_with_w.html

May 11-12: See the Flag that Adorned Stonewall Jackson's Casket
The Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia
Fredericksburg.com
http://news.fredericksburg.com/pastisprologue/2013/04/11/may-11-12-see-the-flag-that-adorned-stonewall-jacksons-casket/

3rd Annual Florida Youth Outdoor Experience
01 June 2013 09:00 AM till 03:00 PM
http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2138989055

Saturday, June 8th:  Annual birthday ceremony for Jefferson F. Davis, at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.  Keynote speaker will be Mr. Bert Hayes-Davis, great great grandson of Jeff Davis.  info@vaflaggers.com

Saturday, June 15th, 2013 - Fairfax City, VA
33rd Annual Spring Civil War Mosby Bus Tour
Southern Heritage News & Views
http://shnv.blogspot.com/2013/02/33rd-annual-spring-civil-war-mosby-bus_6.html

June 21-22, 2013 - "Southern Independence: Antidote to Tyranny"
The 20th Annual LS National Conference
Wetumpka, AL
http://dixienet.org/rights/2012/league_of_south_2013_conference.php

June 22, 2013 - The Southern Victorian Society Cordially Invites You To a Delightful Evening of Victorian Dancing
Newberry, South Carolina
http://oldesouthball.com/ssindex.html

Saturday, June 29th:  10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. 22nd Annual Point Lookout Pilgrimage, Confederate Memorial Park, Point Lookout, MD. info@vaflaggers.com

Southern Event Calendar
http://my.calendars.net/shnvcal/

CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED

Sons of Confederate VeteransApril 23, 2013    



 
PRESS RELEASE  

SCV logo  


    

CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED IN GEORGIA ON MONDAY  
 
 (April 23, 2013 - Atlanta, Ga)   Yesterday, every state office in Georgia was closed in observance of Confederate Memorial Day. This Friday is the official date for Confederate Memorial Day in Georgia, and scores of ceremonies and memorial services are planned all around the state.

Confederate Memorial Day became an official state holiday in Georgia back in 1874 and has been observed every year since. Six other southern states also celebrate it: Florida and Alabama (April 23), Mississippi (April 30), North and South Carolina (May 10) and Texas (January 19). In 2009, the Georgia General Assembly passed SB 27 which officially and permanently designated April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in the state. The actual holiday is observed every year by proclamation of the governor. In keeping with the long-standing tradition, Governor Deal issued his own proclamation this year continuing the observance of Confederate Memorial Day.

Both the memorial services associated with Confederate Memorial Day and the numerous activities taking place across the state in conjunction with the annual commemoration of Confederate History and Heritage month in April provide literally hundreds of opportunities for the public to view "living history" presentations                                                            by reenactors and hear speeches and lectures about the historical period in Georgia. With 2013 falling within the Sesquicentennial commemoration of the War,                                                            there are even more educational opportunities this year than normal. Families, homeschoolers, and classes are invited to visit the website for the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for many free resources including posters, CD's, DVD's, audio books, and even a full curriculum on the War.

For more information about Confederate Heritage events in your area,
please contact Jack Bridwell, Division Commander for the Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans at 1-866-SCV-in-GA or view information online at www.GeorgiaSCV.org.    
  
END RELEASE