SCV Telegraph- The New Bigots

SCV  Telegraph                                                             Heritage Rally 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS ACCUSE UNIVERSITY OF "NARROW MINDED PREJUDICE" "The New Bigots" A recent event at Washington and Lee University has underscored the growing phenomenon of "South-bashing" in the media and in academia. At the behest of several young law students, that school's President made a decision to remove two St. Andrews Cross battle flags from the Lee Chapel on the campus. Lee Chapel is the burial place of Robert E. Lee, who led the Army of Northern Virginia. General Lee became President of what was then Washington College after the War Between the States and is generally credited with saving the school. The Chapel is a beloved and honored place to the more than 65 million Americans who are descended from those who fought for the South in that conflict.  The law students, who call themselves "The Committee", delivered an ultimatum to President Kenneth Ruscio threatening civil disobedience unless certain demands were met. One of those demands was the removal of Confederate symbols from the Chapel, saying that the Christian Cross flags made them feel "unwelcome". On July 8th, Ruscio announced that the flags would be removed from the Lee Chapel. We cannot fathom why anyone would attend a school named after Robert E. Lee and then say they were offended by the St. Andrews Cross flag. Nor we cannot fathom how anyone could take them seriously and cave in to their threats. But in the current climate of 'South bashing', such a radical act as this seems to be accepted as some sort of litmus test for the "politically correct police". It appears that those who have a very simplistic view of American history have decided that the 150th anniversary of The Civil War is the right time to demonize the Southern culture, to intensify their vilification of Confederate heritage, and to continue to act as if their actions are some sort of moral crusade. We who are of Confederate heritage honor our ancestors for their sacrifice, their perseverance and their astonishing courage against overwhelming odds. These men were our family, our kinfolks, and their blood runs in our veins. But the new bigots of political correctness are exhibiting the same kind of narrow minded prejudice and knee-jerk bias that has always been the enemy of brotherhood and understanding. This latest example is the breaking point for us. Our patience with this new McCarthyism is exhausted. These mean spirited attacks upon us come from the same sad place as do all racial, religious, and regional prejudices. They are rooted in an ignorance combined with a sense of superiority.  Over 50 years ago, that courageous Southerner Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "I have a dream that someday on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to dine together at the table of brotherhood." And that has happened. We have done that for decades now in the South, in great part because Dr. King did not qualify that dream or put asterisks on it. He did not say that we would dine together in brotherhood only if we dishonored our ancestors or if our family could routinely be called bigots, traitors, and racists. He was a far better and wiser man than that. He meant that we would dine together by accepting our past as it is and that we would understand each other by our shared culture of work and weather and food and music and memory. That way we could strive together to heal the wounds of the past and thus build a proud and loving South, where folks are judged only by the content of their characters. Slavery was not the sin of the South, but of the Nation. Chattel slavery existed throughout every colony and state for almost two centuries. Slavery was funded mainly by the Northern banks. The greatest profits went to the North. The North built the slave ships and manned them. The cotton also went North, to the vast textile mills in New England. The North's complicity in prolonging and profiting from slavery is one of the best kept secrets of American history. The work of the slaves helped to build America, both North and South. And yet the South has long been the scapegoat of these attacks from academia and the media. The South is the fastest growing economic region in our nation. African-Americans are returning to the South in record numbers, finding a more traditional way of life here and according to many, better race relations.  It is long past the time for the new bigots of political correctness to get over their condescending sanctimony and to enter into the real world of brotherhood and fellowship. And it is time they understand that insulting our heritage is not the way to build bridges of progress. Ben Jones Chief of Heritage Operations Sons of Confederate Veterans   OFFICIAL SCVNEWS POST SCVNews and SCV Telegraph are Copyrighted 1999-2014, Sons of Confederate Veterans. The SCV Telegraph Mailing List is for Official SCV Use ONLY. DO NOT reply to this message.

Sons of Confederate Veterans | PO Box 59 | Columbia | TN | 38402

From the Trenches: Civil War Trust August 2014

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Subject: From the Trenches: Civil War Trust August 2014

Unable to read this email? Robert E. Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg Beat the developers and reclaim some of America's most hallowed ground. Help save Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg—one of the most significant unprotected historic sites in America. Save Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg! »
From Our President August 2014 Dear Civil War Preservationist, On the first day of the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War Trust announced one of the most momentous preservation opportunities in the history of the organization—a $5.5 million national fundraising campaign to acquire the period home where Gen. Robert E. Lee made his headquarters during the battle. The 4.14-acre property on Seminary Ridge that the Trust hopes to purchase also represents the bloodiest unprotected portion of the Gettysburg Battlefield. Operated as a museum since 1921, Lee's Headquarters was passed over for inclusion in Gettysburg National Military Park. Today, a small hotel operates on the site, and when the owners decided to cease operations, they chose to work with the Trust to preserve it. If we did not move quickly, current zoning would permit a new owner to pursue a host of intense development options that would loom over the battlefield. Making this historic announcement, and declaring that we will ensure that the land will one day be the property of the American people, was a highlight of my preservation career. If we are able to raise the necessary funds—$1.1 million—we will work toward restoring this hallowed ground to its wartime appearance. Imagine the incredible transformation from commercial real estate to battlefield park! With your support, we can make it a reality. Save Lee's Headquarters at Gettysburg » - Jim Lighthizer, Civil War Trust President Secretary of the Interior Accepts Transfer of 285 Acres at Gaines' Mill On July 10, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell attended a ceremony on Virginia's Gaines' Mill Battlefield to accept the transfer of 285 acres from the Civil War Trust into Richmond National Battlefield Park. Read more » Congress Allocates $8.9 Million for Battlefield Preservation in Interior Appropriations Bill The Civil War Trust applauds the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for including $8.9 million for the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program in its Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Learn more about the bill here » Explore Our Award-Winning Magazine Praise continues to pour in for Hallowed Ground, the Trust's quarterly membership magazine—a sixth-straight Grand Award in the Apex Awards for Publication Excellence! Read the latest features and browse back issues on our new hub page. Hallowed Ground articles » National Teacher Institute Draws Rave Reviews More than 130 educators gathered in Atlanta, Ga., July 117-20 for the Trust's 2014 National Teacher Institute to share their passion for bringing the past alive in the classroom. The techniques and methods imparted over the weekend will reach 15,000 students next school year! Photos from the Teacher Institute » Save Hallowed Ground While Shopping Support the Civil War Trust every time you shop online with AmazonSmile. Visit smile.amazon.com, enter the Civil War Trust and start shopping. Amazon will donate .5% of the price of eligible purchases to the Civil War Trust. Get started » August Civil War Battles Expand your knowledge of the Civil War by learning more about some of the Civil War battles that occurred in the month of August. Access our history articles, photos, maps, and links for the battles listed below. Wilson's Creek » Cedar Mountain » Richmond » Second Battle of Bull Run/Second Manassas » Second Battle of Deep Bottom » Mobile Bay » Second Battle of Ream's Station » Jonesborough » Dispatches from the Front Lines Civil War preservation news from around the country Fighting to Find (and Protect) Historic Battlefields Binns Deal Will Save Civil War Land When the Civil War Came to Washington Anniversary Speaker Casts New Light on Monocacy Battle		Join the Civil War Trust Donate Online Gettysburg North Anna Port Republic Appomattox Court House Bentonville Mansfield Petersburg Breakthrough Glendale Mill Springs Fredericksburg Your Preservation Legacy To learn more about how you can create your own legacy of battlefield preservation at no cost to you now, please consider exploring your legacy giving options. Request your FREE Guide to Legacy Giving Instagram Twitter Flickr YouTube Join us as we continue to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War! Visit www.civilwar.org/150 for sesquicentennial events, news and features. Sept 19-21, 2014 2014 Grand Review Atlanta, GA Learn More

Georgia SCV Division News

Sons of Confederate Veterans July 28, 2014         GEORGIA DIVISION NEWS           ACTION REPORT FOR THE GEORGIA DIVISION        Men of the Georgia Division and friends, Thanks to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the battle to preserve our Southern Heritage is alive and well!  Like the Georgia Division, our compatriots in other Divisions are engaging the enemies of our heritage in their own efforts.  It is, indeed, a good day to be a member of the SCV! 1. Washington & Lee University.  Most of you undoubtedly have already heard that the current president of W&L ordered the removal of the Confederate flags from Lee Chapel in response to the "demands" of six students who hate Southern symbols.  Initial investigations indicate that the students may have enrolled at W&L for the express purpose of soliciting attacks upon Confederate connections with the school.  This weekend, the SCV sponsored a rally at the University with plenty of Confederate flags to protest the removal and to demand that they be restored.  The call has also been put out for those who wish to see the flags returned to call and email the leadership at the University; apparently school officials have commented that they expect the disapproval to die out and go away shortly.  If you'd like to voice your opinion to the contrary, below are the contacts that would like to hear from you as often as you have time to communicate with them. 2.  Texas SCV License Plates.  In case you missed our press release from this past week, the Texas Division was denied their request for their own specialty plate like we have here in Georgia by the Texas DMV; and a federal judge handed down a decision against them in their court case. Fortunately, though, a judge on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the federal district judge's decision and has ruled in favour of the Texas SCV.  The current attorney general in Texas has said that he intends to appeal the appeal (yes, that's right); he is a Republican candidate for governor and seems to believe that it will win him votes with minorities who hate Southern heritage in Texas.  Nevertheless, the outcome of the appeal court decision means that the SCV has won the right to have a specialty plate in every single state where a court battle has ensued.  Rebel yells to the Texas Division! 3.  Ringgold Battleflag Lawsuit.  It has been six long years ago since the Georgia Division and local then-commander Tom Poteet filed suit against the City of Ringgold to have the Confederate battle flag returned to the Depot as part of the memorial to the soldiers from the War, just as it was originally designed and put in place at its inception.  The city had voted to replace the battle flag with the Hardee Corp flag, which was one of the flags at the Battle of Ringgold Gap, after some of the usual suspects complained about our battle flag. The case was scheduled to have been heard this past Friday but has been delayed likely until the first week of November.  I joined Tom Poteet at the city council meeting two weeks ago as he proposed a settlement agreement that was both reasonable and should have been acceptable to both parties; he proposed that since the 34-star federal flag flies opposite the Confederate flag pole at the memorial, the Second National flag of the Confederacy (our national flag at the time) should fly.  I spoke on behalf of the Division after Tom and stated that it is the desire of the Division to have the battle flag of the common soldier, represented by the St. Andrews Cross, returned to the memorial but that we felt that Tom's suggestion was something that we could accept if the City agreed as well.  The City Council may still decide to accept the proposed settlement before our court date; otherwise we will be going to court to demand the return of the battle flag.  After making a Freedom of Information Act records request, we discovered that the taxpayers of Ringgold have now been forced to pay in excess of $45,000 in legal fees for the decision of the city council.  It is quite possible that once enough taxpayers in Ringgold find out how much of their money is being spent in legal fees to defend an already unpopular act anyway, the city council may change their mind.  Hats off  and many thanks to SCV member and attorney Martin O'Toole for the many hours that he has spent on this case on behalf of the Division, most for which he has never even billed us.  Thanks to the efforts of our local camp commanders near Ringgold, I have had the opportunity to conduct two media interviews for us this past week, one with the Catoosa Times and one with the Chattanooga Times. 4. Online Grave Registry.  Our Division online grave registry is now up and ready for us to add the graves of your Confederate soldiers in the counties served by each of our camps.  Please email your date, preferably in an Excel spreadsheet to your brigade commander or directly to myself at RayMcBerry@aol.com.  Since getting our registry online, we have received an offer from a compatriot in another Division to possibly build a website for our data which is more appealing to the eye; we hope to have something new for you to see soon.  5. Communications.  Camp commanders and adjutants, please begin at once preparing a spreadsheet to send your brigade commander which will include a roster of all your members, plus their phone numbers and email addresses for everyone that has one.  We are working to modernize and make more efficient our ability to communicate with all of our members. Your help is essential in this effort to make us a more effective organisation in the fight for our Southern Heritage. 6.  Renewal Time.  You should receive your renewal forms sent out in the mail within the next week or two.  Please assist your camp adjutant by getting them turned in as soon as possible.  Division Adjutant Tim Pilgrim has spent a great deal of time making sure that these go out to help with our retention; let's make good use of it.  The Georgia Division is working hard for the Cause of our heritage; it is impossible to continue without YOU! 7. Georgia Division Youth Camp.  The EC will begin comparing potential sites for next summer's youth camp here in Georgia at our meeting in September.  We are inviting ALL MEMBERS to send the names and locations of potential camps for us to rent for a week to Brigade Commander Don Newman who is collecting and collating the information.  Please let him know of any possible camps near you even if you don't have any details about them.  Don's email address is donnewman0601@comcast.net There are a lot of positive things going on in your Division.  I challenge everyone to jump in and find something to do!  For Georgia First, Ray McBerry, Division Commander Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans

Ray McBerry Enterprises | P.O. Box 1263 | McDonough | GA | 30253

You Can Save Harpers Ferry!

Harpers Ferry is one of the most historic places in the United States. In 1783, Thomas Jefferson stood in awe of its beauty. Abolitionist John Brown raided the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859, only to be captured by U.S. Marines led by Col. Robert E. Lee and Lt. J.E.B. Stuart. In 1861, General Thomas J. Jackson occupied Harpers Ferry, then returned in 1862 as "Stonewall," bringing about the largest mass surrender of U.S. troops of the Civil War. Today, the Civil War Trust has the opportunity to save 13 acres at Harpers Ferry. This tract—the site of the historic Allstadt's Ordinary—played a pivotal role in John Brown's raid and was at the heart of the battlefield in 1862. Now, thanks to a phenomenal $19.41-to-$1 match, we can protect this crucial piece of American history and preserve it for future generations. You Can Help Save Harpers Ferry! »

Video: Allstadt's Tavern and the Civil War »

"Stonewall Jackson's Triumph at Harpers Ferry" »

Harpers Ferry Gallery »

Harpers Ferry: September 13-15, 1862 »

The Cockade Column ~ A Blood Red Field

http://www.creativecockades.com/ A Blood Red Field No one felt the cold on January 9, 1861 as the Star of the West approached Charleston Harbor. South Carolina had seceded from the Union just a few weeks before, but Fort Sumter remained stubbornly in Union hands. Major Robert Anderson resolved to hold out as long as possible in his lonely, dangerous position in the harbor, but he needed support. That support was now steaming towards him. But the South Carolina Citadel cadets stationed at Morris Island were likewise prepared to defend their position. As the ship rolled in closer, they fired the first shot of the Civil War across her bow. And over the heads of the cadets flew "Big Red," a flag that would not only become famous in its own right but its colors would also start a Confederate tradition. The Colors of the Confederacy. Contemporary sources tell us the flag had a “blood red field” on which was sewn a “remarkably executed white palmetto tree.” The Charleston Mercury noted just four days before that the flag was presented to the cadets by the ladies in the family of flag maker Hugh Vincent. Eyewitness reports tell us that flags at Fort Johnson and Castle Pinckney looked similar. Shortly thereafter, red and white flags with stars or palmettos began appearing across the state. As the color scheme caught on, it became associated particularly with secession and the Confederacy. Years later as the United Daughters of the Confederacy were organizing, they wanted to choose en emblem for their organization. Their records state that, "Only one flower was considered by the committee, this one flower belonging exclusively to the South, giving the clear white and red of the Confederacy. The white for truth, the red for sacrifice, and again the white of a transcendent purity." Thus the cotton boll became the UDC's national emblem, and red and white became the organization's official colors. But of course, what grabbed my interest was the cockades! Shortly after South Carolina seceded, striking cockades appeared across the South of red, or red-and-white. Fannie Beers wrote in her memories of the war, "Hats and bonnets of all sorts and sizes were made of straw or palmetto, and trimmed with the same. Most of them bore cockades of bright red and white (the "red, white, and red"), fashioned of strips knitted to resemble ribbons. Some used emblems denoting the State or city of the wearer, others a small Confederate battle-flag." I love this sharp looking color combo! I've been inspired to re-create several of these gorgeous cockades, such as this one. Artist's rendition of the firing on the Star of the West in Harper's Weekly. Note the palmetto flag. And what became of the flag that started it all? After analyzing it's construction, design and history, experts finally agreed that a flag in the Iowa Historical Society collection is likely the original "Big Red" of Morris Island fame. The famous flag was captured at the fall of Fort Blakeley, AL in April 1865, shortly before the war ended. In 2010, "Big Red" came home to the Citadel, on loan for the four years of the War's sesquicentennial. And the design of Big Red lives on in the Citadel's flag today. If you need a red and white cockade, check out the ones in my shop! Nothing says southern patriotism like these fiery beauties. Back issues of the Cockade Column are now available on my Pinterest site. Enjoy reading the ones you missed! If you are reading this online and want it to come right to your inbox, you can sign up on this form. Thanks for reading... see you next week! Regards, ~Heather Sheen Owner, Creative Cockades Every Cockade Has A Story To Tell! Click on the icons below to connect with me via your favorite social media!

W & L Poll on Confederate battle flags

Gentlemen,

Please cast your vote!


http://cwcrossroads.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/poll-the-lee-chapel/