Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Halloween Spirits Haunting the Gettysburg Battlefield

From David Myers of the Palm Beach Post.

Just in time for Halloween … Civil War Spirits

Question: Is it true that the ghosts of several Civil War soldiers haunt the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania?
Answer: More than 50,000 men were killed when the Union Army clashed with Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg in July 1863. So it’s no surprise that several buildings in Pennsylvania’s 3,000-acre national park and the battlefield itself are believed to be roamed by several ghosts.
Halloween is almost here, so I’m devoting this entire column to answering questions about haunted places — or, at least, homes and other spots that some believe to be haunted.
The ghastly vision of a headless Army officer atop his translucent horse is often spotted in an area of the park named Little Round Top. The spirits of scruffy Texan soldiers have been seen in the maze of boulders known as Devil’s Den; they’re guarding this strategic military locale in death, just as they did when they were alive. Some of those misty figures have even been captured in photographs.
One of the most credible reports of ghostly encounters was made by two administrators who worked at Gettysburg College, which briefly served as a makeshift battlefield hospital. They got in the elevator late one night and pressed the button to go down to the first floor, but the car instead went all the way to the basement.
The doors opened to reveal a frenzied Civil War operating room, replete with blood-spattered surgeons, soldiers screaming in pain, and a grotesque pile of arms and legs that had just been hacked off by the medical team.
The two women said a lifelike, blood-soaked doctor saw them and came rushing toward the elevator cab as if to ask for help. The doors closed just before he reached them: The next morning, investigators found little more than janitorial and office supplies in the room.

Monday, October 29, 2012

I-65 Confederate Battle Flag Committee Chair

After three years of chairing the Sons of Confederate Veterans Alabama Division I-65 Flag Committee, Compatriot Alan Pattillo of Verbena has passed the reins to our own Prattville Dragoons Past Commander Larry Spears.  Larry has moved to the task effectively, and in his first three or so days has renewed communication with the committee, inventoried flags, and very importantly, since this was the chief concern of late, has replaced burned out bulbs at the Flag site.  

            Committee members Billy Parker, Stan Stuckey, Alan Parker, Bill Myrick, and Tyrone Crowley have indicated their willingness to support Larry in whatever way they can.  Alan Parker is a valued member of the committee due to his expertise in landscaping and horticultural topics.  Billy and Stan are important because they live near the site and can be there in a few minutes for emergencies such as when bad weather threatens the Flag.  Dragoons 2nd Lt Stuart Waldo provided Larry with information about a large outdoor silhouette nativity scene for the committee to consider to draw attention to the flag during the holiday season and to highlight the strong Christian influence in the Confederacy and the Cause.

            Thank you, Commander Spears, for stepping forward in this very important capacity.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Confederate Mormons

With the National elections a scant two weeks away and the distinct possibility of our first Mormon President assuming office, a quick search of Confederate Mormons yielded one interesting book on the 300 or so members of the Church of Latter Day Saints who fought for the Union or the Confederacy.  Only one unit was formed comprised wholly of Mormons and it was the Union Lot Smith Cavalry Company which was formed primarily to guard the telegraph lines and western settlers from Indian raids.  Lincoln had a mistrust of Brigham Young and his Mormon followers in the Utah territory.  But Mormons fought on both sides of the War Between the States.  The following outlines a recently released publication on this little known aside to the WBTS history. 

Utah, Mormons and the Civil War

Published: Monday, Aug. 13 2012

While living on the East Coast, Kenneth L. Alford began noticing the hype and anticipation for the approaching 150th anniversary of the Civil War as early as 10 years ago.
In 2008, Alford retired as an Army officer and moved to Utah to join the Brigham Young University faculty as an associate professor of LDS Church history and doctrine. He asked around to find out how Utahns would celebrate the sesquicentennial.
“I was met with crickets chirping,” Alford laughed. “It was completely off everybody’s radar.”
Alford and BYU colleagues were curious to know how many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had served in the Civil War, as well as how the war had impacted Utah Territory, but found any existing information to be insufficient.
That’s when Alford came up with the idea for “Civil War Saints” (Deseret Book and the BYU Religious Studies Center, $31.99), 569-page book that takes a closer look at Latter-day Saints and Utah Territory during the war and includes a large appendix listing Mormon Civil War veterans.
“Utah was a minor player in the actual war, but the war had a variety of effects upon the Latter-day Saints across the United States, as well as those in Europe who were hoping to emigrate,” Alford said. “I wanted to honor the Latter-day Saints who were either soldiers in the war, both Union and Confederate, as well as those who were affected by the war.”
With the help of historians, independent researchers, countless hours of investigation by students and financial assistance from BYU’s Religious Studies Center, the book is now on store bookshelves, released in time to mark the 150th summer anniversary of the Lot Smith Cavalry Company — the only unit from Utah to be called to active duty military service during the Civil War.
In April 1862, LDS Church President Brigham Young was authorized by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln to organize a company of cavalry to protect the mail and telegraph lines along the continental route. Within two days, 106 men had volunteered for duty. Lot Smith, a frontiersman noted for his military exploits during the Utah War, was asked to serve as captain. From May to August, the Utah soldiers protected the Overland Trail, tracked down horse thieves and worked at improving relations with the Indians. The men were honorably discharged in August 1862, and collectively earned more than $35,000, a blessing for the economy in Utah Territory. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers erected a monument on the grounds of the Utah Capitol in 1961 to honor the men of the Lot Smith Cavalry Company and others from Utah who served during the Civil War.
An appendix in “Civil War Saints” lists the names of 384 Latter-day Saints who served in the Civil War. Alford was quick to say this list is not definitive, but a start. The process of identifying the individuals, which involved a small army of researchers who put in hundreds of hours during three years, included finding a name of a possible LDS veteran, confirming they were baptized, confirming the individual qualified as a Union or Confederate veteran, and double-checking that the LDS member and veteran were the same person.
“There have been some smaller efforts, but as far as we have been able to determine, this is the most comprehensive list of Latter-day Saint Civil War veterans ever researched and published,” Alford said. “We tried to turn over every rock we could. It was one of those things that mushroomed and consumed our lives, but we’re pleased with what we've found. I’m not under the illusion, though, that our list is complete or even 100 percent accurate because of inaccuracies in the records.”
Perhaps the reason why no LDS Civil War list has been previously published, Alford said, is because resources that document Latter-day Saint membership and Civil War veteran status have been largely unavailable or were difficult to examine.
“Over the last couple of years records have been digitized,” he said. “Doing this without digital records would have been almost impossible. As it was, it was still hard.”
The book, illustrated with period photographs and images, includes the stories of many Latter-day Saint veterans, both Union and Confederate, as well as new research regarding the Civil War legacy from the Utah War, an LDS/Civil War timeline, Abraham Lincoln’s connections to the Mormons, Joseph Smith’s prophecy of the war in Doctrine and Covenants 87, wartime LDS emigration, the establishment of Camp Douglas, how Civil War newspapers viewed Mormonism, and how the war’s aftermath affected Utah, among other interesting topics.
Alford hopes readers enjoy learning about these lesser-known aspects of the Civil War. The BYU professor will treasure what he has learned.
“This project deepened my sense of appreciation for the people who sacrificed tremendously to keep this country together,” Alford said. “It also gave me a new respect for the depth of conviction on both sides. This was an event that deeply divided the nation and still influences the makeup of the nation today. I’m grateful that we’re able to honor these people.”
If you have LDS Civil War ancestors not found in the book, Alford can be reached at alford@BYU.edu.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Monument to Victims of War Crimes Dedicated in Roswell GA

Press Release from the Georgia Division SCV:

It reads like something taken from the tragedies of Bosnia, Iraq, and Cambodia. An invading army entered a small town left undefended and proceeded to burn the cotton mills, which were the only industry native to the region and the only livelihood of the remaining inhabitants of the small town. Nearly 400 of the surviving women, children, and elderly men who worked in the mills were rounded up, arrested for treason as civilians, found guilty by the ranking commander of the invading army, and summarily sentenced to deportation out of their native region. The 400 victims were then subjected to a forced march of thirteen miles, where they were herded into locomotive cattle cars. Many did not survive the ensuing trip of more than 400 miles; and most of those who did were never heard from again in their native region.

This historical story is not that of some third world country but of Georgia citizens who suffered as the victims of war crimes at the hand of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman in Roswell, Georgia during his infamous "march to the sea" during the War Between the States. The incident of July 10, 1864 ignited outrage against the atrocities of Northern troops in both the North and the South during the War and nearly resulted in the entrance of England into the War on the side of the Confederacy.

In 2000, a Victorian style monument dedicated to the memory of the 400 Roswell mill workers was erected in the park on Sloan Street in Roswell; and on Saturday, September 30, 2012, a history marker which tells the story was placed near the monument as a joint effort of the local Sons of Confederate, Veterans Roswell Mills Camp 1547 and Georgia's Civil War Commission as part of the ongoing commemoration of the Sesquicentennial (150th) Anniversary of the War.

More is planned in 2014 on the 150th anniversary of the deportation of the Roswell mill workers.

For interviews regarding the historical monument dedicated to the Roswell victims or for more information, please call Jack Bridwell, Division Commander for the Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans at 1-866-SCV-in-GA or visit online at www.GeorgiaSCV.org 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Jack Hinson's One Man War by Tom McKenney

This is the jacket copy and author's bio for "Jack Hinson's One Man War".  Tom McKenney was the keynote speaker for the Godwin's Forrest Birthday Party this past July in Selma.  Terrific book offered by Pelican Publishing Company - http://www.pelicanpub.com/proddetail.php?prod=9781589806405#.UH_yYI4Qh0g .

WINNER of the General Nathan Bedford Forrest Southern History Award
AWARD-WINNING FINALIST, History, National Best Books Awards, USA Book News

Jack Hinson never planned to become a deadly sniper. A prosperous and influential plantation owner in the 1850s, Hinson was devoted to raising his growing family and working his land. Yet by 1865, Hinson had likely killed more than one hundred men and had single-handedly taken down an armed Union transport in his one-man war against Grant’s army and navy. By the end of the Civil War, the Union had committed infantry and cavalry from nine regiments and a specially equipped amphibious task force of marines to capture Hinson, who was by that time nearly sixty years old. They never caught him. Since then, the story of Jack Hinson has evaded astute historians, and until now, he has remained invisible in the history of sniper warfare.

John S. “Old Jack” Hinson watched the start of the Civil War with impartial disinterest. A friend of Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate officers alike, Hinson was opposed to secession, focused instead on his personal affairs. After a unit of Union occupation troops moved in on his land and summarily captured, executed, and placed the decapitated heads of his sons on his gateposts, however, Hinson abandoned his quiet life for one of revenge.
In this unprecedented and incredible biography, Lt. Col. Tom C. McKenney masterfully recounts Hinson’s extraordinary feats as a lone Confederate sniper. Equipped with a rifle he had specially made for long-range accuracy, Hinson became a deadly gadfly to the occupying army. An exemplary piece of historical scholarship and the result of fifteen years of research, this definitive biography includes an amazing cast of characters including the Earp Brothers, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and Jesse James, the cousin of Hinson’s wife. This breathtaking story was all but destroyed by the obliterating forces of history and is the only account in print chronicling this one man’s impact on the Civil War.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lt. Col. Tom C. McKenney, USMC (Ret.) is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was an infantry officer and parachutist in the United States Marine Corps, serving in Korea and Vietnam. A student of military history, he has contributed articles to such magazines as Guideposts, the American Legion Magazine, Military, and Leatherneck. His books and activism for veterans’ issues have had him appearing on hundreds of radio and television programs including Fox News, the Today Show, and CBS Morning News. He contributed a story on World War II sniper Bert Kemp to The Sniper Anthology, also published by Pelican.

JACK HINSON’S ONE-MAN WAR
By Tom C. McKenney
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical
HISTORY / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)
400 pp. 6 x 9
18 b/w photos. 11 illus. 8 maps Appendixes Notes Biblio. Index
ISBN: 1-58980-640-9
ISBN-13: 9781589806405


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Prattville Dragoons October Camp Meeting

The Prattville Dragoons held their monthly meeting at the Shoneys on Cobbs Ford Rd Thursday evening, October 11th.  Commander Chris Booth provided announcements including a reminder for the AGCA 2nd Annual Civil War Sesquicentennial Fall Gun Show and Civil War Weapons and Accouterments exhibit at the Birminghamd Jefferson Convention Center held this past weekend.  Details of the Dragoons Christmas Social were provided including information regarding Red's Little School House as the caterer of the annual event to be held on Friday December 14th at Buena Vista.  Tickets will be distributed soon and will go fast for this superb limited seating event. The Dragoons will be participating in the Prattville Christmas parade to be held on Staurday December 1st - the theme is a Blue Christmas and the Dragoons entry will follow suit as a Blue and Gray entry, slanted markedly toward honoring our Men in Gray.  The parade starts at 4:30pm and proceeds down Main Street downtown Prattville.  Brigade Commander Bill Myrick and 2nd Lt Stuart Waldo will coordinate the Dragoons entry - please contact them if you are interested in joining the procession. Larry Spears has resumed the responsibilities of camp Color Sergeant and has also assumed the role of Alabama Division Flag Coordinator and will lead the maintenance of the I-65 Battle Flag property. John Durden was sworn in as the newest member of the Dragoons and Joe Smith was introduced as having submitted his application for membership.  2nd Lt Waldo then provided a discussion recalling the 117th SCV Reunion held in Murfreesboro TN this past July.  The messages from the speakers over the Thursday and Friday business sessions was conveyed to the camp including the two main themes, growing and retaining membership and encouraging everyone to take advantage of the myriad training opportunities available throughout the SCV to become a WBTS and Confederate subject expert. A slide show ran throughout the meeting showing images from the convention as well as from the tours of Elms Springs, the Forrest boyhood home, the Rutherford County Courthouse, Evergreen Cemetery's Confederate Circle and Oaklands Plantation.  Highlights from the tour were presented and a brief summary of the Forrest Cavalry Breakfast including Rev. Shane Kastler's discussion of his book Nathan Bedford Forrest's "Redemption" were provided. 

Brigade Commander Myrick presents John Durden with his SCV Certificate.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Museum of Weaponry and Photographs from the War Between the States in Decatur AL

The Montgomery Advertiser on Monday October 15th ran a story regarding a museum in Decatur AL which has an extensive collection of weapons and photographs and artifacts from the War Between the States valued at $3MM.  Original photos include some of General Robert E. Lee, Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and Union Generals Grant and Sherman.  Weapons in the collection include examples representing supposedly 90% of those types used in the WBTS.  The Blue and Gray Musuem is a private collection of Robert Sackheim, a former NASA engineer originally hailing from NY state.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Tribute to Gen. Robert E. Lee on the Anniversary of His Death

“Duty, then is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less”—-Robert E. Lee.

Every year, the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia presents a lecture and special events commemorating the Washington College presidency of Robert E. Lee on the anniversary of his death.
On Monday, October 8, 2012, the college chapel will present a book signing beginning at 10:30 am, followed by an Address at 12:15 pm in the auditorium. A program commemorating the 142th anniversary of Lee's death will feature Jeffry D. Wert, speaking on "Lee and the Rebirth of an Army: From Seven Days to Gettysburg." See details at: http://www.wlu.edu/x56830.xml
America mourned the death of Gen. Robert E. Lee on Wednesday, October 12, 1870 and Friday, October 12th marks the 142nd anniversary of his death.
Robert E. Lee, son of Light Horse “Harry” Lee of Revolutionary War fame and Anne Hill Carter Lee, distinguished himself as an exceptional officer and combat engineer in the United States Army for 32 years and Commanded the legendary Army of Northern Virginia for the Confederacy during the War Between the States. He was also a top honored student at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he would serve as Superintendent in 1852.
General Lee died at his home at Lexington, Virginia at 9:30 AM on October 12, 1870. His last great deed came after the War Between the States when he accepted the presidency of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University. He saved the financially troubled college and helped many young people further their education. Returning home from a church meeting, Robert E. Lee sat at the supper table and was about to say grace. The general could not say a word and slumped down in his chair. It was believed that he had a stroke.
His condition seemed hopeless when a doctor told him, "General, you must make haste and get well---Traveller--- has been standing too long in his stable and needs exercise." Lee could only shake his head as he knew he would never again ride his beloved horse.
The rains and flooding were the worse of Virginia's history on the day General Lee died. On Wednesday, October 12, 1870, in the presence of his family, Lee quietly passed away.
The church bells rang as the sad news passed through Washington College, Virginia Military Institute and the town of Lexington. School Cadet's carried the remains of the old soldier to Washington Chapel where he lay in state and would be buried.
Memorial meetings were held throughout the South and as far North as New York. At Washington College in Lexington eulogies were delivered by: Reverend Pemberton, Reverend W.S. White--Stonewall Jackson's Pastor and Reverend J. William Jones. Former Confederate President Jefferson Davis brought the eulogy in Richmond, Virginia. Lee was also eulogized in Great Britain.
“Duty, then is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less”---Robert E. Lee.
The War Between the States Sesquicentennial, 150th Anniversary, runs 2011 through 2015.

SCV Confederate Memorabilia Show at BJCC

Sons of Confederate Veterans - Entire Division Invited
What:  Alabama Gun Collectors Association Gun Show
When:  Saturday 13 October (starting 9am) -Sunday 14 October, 2012
Why:    The largest accumulation of Confederate Memorabilia ever accumulated in a concentrated area including:
Alabama State Archives: Original Regimental Confederate Flags
National Civil War Naval Museum
Beauvoir/Jefferson Davis Museum

Where:  BJCC, Birmingham, AL
             2100 Richard Arrington Blvd, Birmingham AL
            Park for free under I-20

The Fighting Joe Wheeler Camp will sponsor a Recruiting Table and other camps are welcome to participate.   

Saturday, 13 October, 1:00PM CDT, Bill Lockridge, originally from Selma, lately from Charlotte, NC will present:  The Selma Gun Works/The Brookes Gun at the BJCC Room A.

This event is free and open to the SCV Alabama Division and the public.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Prattville Dragoons October Camp Meeting

The Prattville Dragoons will hold their monthly camp meeting on Thursday October 11th at the Shoneys on Cobbs Ford Rd in Prattville.  Many gather starting at 6pm to partake of the Shoneys dinner buffet and the meeting agenda starts at 7pm.  Everyone is encouraged to attend for fellowship and to hear news for the camp.  The speaker this meeting will be Dragoons 2nd Lt Stuart Waldo who will report on his attendance at the SCV National Reunion in Murfreesboro in July.  Other Dragoons and Montgomery and Selma compatriots were also in attendance.  The general themes of the speakers over the first two days of the convention included growing the SCV membership thru retention and recruitment including Vision 2015 which seeks to double SCV roles.  Also, education and activism of the membership was stressed with leadership conferences, on-line courses, the Confederate Veteran magazine, the Sam Davis Youth Camps, Confederate Heritage Rallies, and the Stephen D. Lee Institute lectures highlighted as examples of the wealth of educational opportunities available to the SCV membership.  There were outstanding tours including those of Elm Springs, N.B. Forrest's boyhood home, the Murfreesboro Courthouse, and Oaklands Plantation providing great information on the historical importance of the area to Confederate heritage.  Please join us for what is sure to be another enjoyable evening. 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

SCV Prattville Dragoons EC Meeting Items of Interest

Annual SCV dues are due by October 28th.  It is vitally important to the Charge to retain members so encourage everyone to renew.  It appears all but two current members look prepared to or have already renewed and these two members have prohibitive illnesses and should be in our prayers.

John Durden was announced as a new member by Adjutant Wayne Sutherland.  His certificate is needed before his swearing in.   An application from Joe Smith was received and his genealogy reviewed; his application was approved and signed by Commander Booth and 2nd Lt Waldo.  Congratulations to these two new members of the Dragoons and we look forward to their participation in the camp.

Larry Spears announced he has accepted the role of I-65 Confederate Flag Coordinator for the Division.   It was suggested that a clean up day was needed to shape up the property.  2nd Lt Waldo suggested that a nativity scene for the flag area would be a good looking attention grabber for the holiday season and provided information for a recommended silhouette set.

The Christmas Social was discussed - the Dragoons will hold the Social at Buena Vista on Friday Dec 14th.  Couples will be $35 and singles $20 which is the same price as last year.  The menu was finalized and will include baked ham, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole and green beans with fried cornbread, desserts and beverages.  Door prizes will be raffled, music provided by Mrs Ruth Graham and Chaplain Snowden and the officers will make presentations. 

Commander Booth will mention the Friends of Forrest fundraisers which are meant to raise money to help continue the Confederate Circle renovations including repair of the Forrest monument in Selma's Live Oak Cemetery.  T-shirts, pavers and donations are encouraged to support the work of UDC Chapter President Pat Godwin who is sacrificially spearheading the effort. 

Monday, October 8, 2012

Race Baiters, Race Haters, and the Gullible Public, White and Black

Email letter received in Prattville Dragoons camp distribution from an anonymous contributor. 

"Race Baiters, Race Haters, and the Gullible Public, White and Black"
or 
"How to Make an Easy Buck From Stupid People"

  Well PT Barnum way back in the 1860's was once supposed to have said: "there's a sucker born every minute." Actually, it was said by his rival David Hannum, but that's another story. However, it seems that we still have folks 150 years later who make their living by taking advantage of the ignorance and gullibility of their fellow man. A case in point is the recent non-controversy created by the race hater and race baiter Rose Sanders of Selma, Alabama. 
  It seems that there is a group of white folks in Selma who are just as proud of their history and heritage as Ms. Sanders seems not to be of her own. Several years ago the white folks, formed a non-profit historical honor society, and through a lot of hard work in honest fund raising, managed to raise enough money to have a sculptor fashion a statue of the famous military genius and Confederate War hero Nathan Bedford Forrest. (last defender of Selma in the late unpleasantness) The finished life-sized Bronze Bust of Gen. Forrest was placed on a 5-1/2 ton granite pedestal in an obscure side courtyard of the Confederate museum in Selma ( A former Confederate Hospital during the War between the states) 
  Ms. Sanders, a known racist and Martin Luther King wannabee, saw an opportunity to create divisiveness between her race and white Southerners. The same game that Morris Dees, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton, among others are so adept at playing to gain sympathy from the ignorant and gullible of both races, and get them to hand over donations for a fictional cause that they created.  Ms. Sanders on the day before the dedication of the bust railed against the bust and succeeded in getting news coverage of her outrageous and totally of-base claims about Gen. Forrest and his war record. Her influence on other uneducated and ignorant people (or perhaps money paid to them?) prompted a group of Black agitators to show up at the dedication the next day whom were shot on video during the dedication of the monument harassing the speakers and emptying sacks of garbage on the statue, and generally making a nuisance of themselves while showing their ignorance.
  Eventually, she created such a furor that the Selma City Council and Mayor at that time voted to have the statue removed from the museum grounds to the Old Live Oak Cemetery. Then, the City of Selma without permission from the owners of the bust, and without any of the, required by law, survey work that is necessary to erect a monument in a historic cemetery, used a tow truck to lift the nearly 6 ton granite monument and transport it to what is known as Confederate Circle in the center of historic Old Live Oak Cemetery. This piece of ground was given to the Ladies Memorial Association (which is now the UDC) by the City of Selma in 1877 and has numerous graves of known and unknown Confederate soldiers that were interred there after the war.
  The United Daughters of the Confederacy were never asked by anyone for their permission to use their land for the monument either! However, because Gen. Forrest is one of their own heroes, and because they are gracious well-mannered Southern Ladies and did not want any more controversy, they just accepted it, and made no fuss about it.
  The bust of  Gen. Forrest reposed there as a tribute to the great General for his efforts to save Selma from the Yankee invaders in 1865 and as an additional tribute to the Confederacy within Confederate Circle. For nearly twelve years it was visited by hundreds of tourists and spectators and reenactors attending the annual "Battle of Selma" reenactment each spring, until the spring of 2012, when Racist Rose began a series of tirades on her racist radio station railing against the bust, and implying that some of her ignorant followers should remove it. 
  Apparently one or more of her audience took her up on it, for the bust mysteriously turned up missing in March of 2012. A $20,000.00  reward has since brought forth a name, and circumstantial evidence, in the criminal investigation, pointing towards one of Ms. Racist Rose's close acquaintances, (imagine that!!)
  Meanwhile the "Friends of  Forrest" historical honor society, have had another Forrest bust cast from the original artist's mold (costing nearly $9000.00) and have hired a contractor who jumped through all the legal hoops in the way of necessary permits from the city and state and local historical commissions, and with permission, this time, of the UDC who owns the property, began a beautiful enhancement of Confederate Circle to restore some of the older artifacts and make it into and even nicer tribute to the Confederate War dead, Gen. Forrest, and even some WWI Vets who are honored there. The plan for the enhancement was to make the entire Confederate Circle even more attractive than it was before the theft of the bust occurred., and also to make the area handicapped accessible, and the new bust more secure from vandalism and theft.
  Just before the contractor was finished pouring the necessary concrete foundations for the project, Racist Rose showed up with a crew of about 14 un-educated, ignorant, and very militant Black agitators who even used their children and babies, putting them in potentially dangerous places on the construction site, in an effort to harass the crew and keep them from completing the work. 
  The local police were called, and were ordered by the Selma Chief of Police to stand by and  watch as the criminal activity continued. There was absolutely no action taken by local law enforcement to prevent the racist agitators from obstructing the work of the contractor and terrorizing his crew.  For those who want to see this ignorance in full living color it may be watched on youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG_JytzBXV8
  The contractor was told by more than one of the terrorists that they were hired and paid by Racist Rose to come from other states to terrorize the construction crew. One even told the contractor that if he would pay him he would leave! Aside from Racist Rose, and her equally racist family, the terrorists were not rank and file Selma Folks. 
  It is also worth noting that Racist Rose's Husband, an Alabama state senator, was equally culpable in this criminal activity and made more than one appearance spouting racist hate and bringing shame upon his stature as a senator, and shame on the state of Alabama for allowing such ignorant and criminal activities to continue and go unpunished. 
  Which brings us to the two prime questions that must be asked: If Racist Rose and her entourage were busily engaged in the construction of a monument to the communist womanizer, and plagiarizer, Martin Luther King, on private property, and a group of White Folks tried to interfere and terrorize the construction crew, what would the local or state authorities have done?? and....How much money can we suppose has been sent in the way of donations by equally ignorant Whites and Blacks to the coffers of Racist Rose and Company who have been sucked into the ridiculous and ignorant Non-Cause that she has created. 
  The Civil Rights of minorities were won, over 50 years ago, and we have had laws on the books that go far beyond protecting them for over 50 years. There is no Civil Rights issue at the cemetery in Selma, Alabama, except in the mind of an ignorant black woman who claims to be a lawyer, and who has found a way to fleece equally ignorant folks who are too dumb to know any better. It's way past time for some Civil Rights for Whites!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Wreaths in Selma's Live Oak Cemetery Confederate Circle

Letter distributed by Pat Godwin, President of the UDC chapter 53.

Gentlemen:

It is my contention that as President of Selma Chapter 53, it is my honor, duty and privilege to answer the statement of purpose of the UDC...to defend & protect the good name of the Confederate soldier; to educate the masses the TRUE history of our noble cause...and to decorate the graves of our beloved Confederate Dead with WREATHS, garlands, flowers &  tributes.  On Monday, 01 Oct, 2012 I placed two identical WREATHS...made of grapevine and adorned with our Southern Magnolia Blossoms...with a BIG white bow attached at the top...these WREATHS were placed at the TWO mass graves of the 156 soldiers that lie under the CSA marble pedestal & urn...located at the SouthEast corner of Confederate Circle and the NorthWest corner of Confederate Circle...I have not been to town yet today...but they were untouched on late Tues...I went to Prattville yesterday so I did not go into the Kingdom...I will check on them today...

I felt that if the City of Selma was going to issue such a threat to the UDC and violate our Constitutional rights...then I must  meet their challenge by placing these WREATHS at the graves of the 156 Confederate Dead...as those valiant ladies did in April 1866 in Raleigh NC...by rising to the challenge of forming a processional in the town square to march to the cemetery to lay their WREATHS, garlands, & flowers on the graves of their beloved Confederate dead...under the threat of the reconstruction military rule...to be fired upon with bayonetted muskets...the ladies marched on....NOT A SHOT WAS FIRED...NOT ONE BAYONETTE THRUST  INTO THE BODY OF ONE SOUTHERN LADY!

Deo Vindice!

Confederately yours,
Pat Godwin, Pres
Selma Chapter 53, UDC

Friday, October 5, 2012

Alabama Gun Collectors Association Gun Show

Sons of Confederate Veterans - Informal Meeting-Entire Division Invited
What:  Alabama Gun Collectors Association Gun Show
When:  Saturday 13 October-Sunday 14 October, 2012
Why:    The largest accumulation of Confederate Memorabilia ever accumulated in a concentrated area including:
Alabama State Archives: Original Regimental Confederate Flags
National Civil War Naval Museum
Beauvoir/Jefferson Davis Museum

Where:  BJCC, Birmingham, AL
            Park for free under I-20

The Fighting Joe Wheeler Camp has been sponsoring a Recruiting Table for several months and we welcome the participation of more camps.

Saturday, 13 October, 1:00PM CDT, Bill Lockridge, originally from Selma, lately from Charlotte, NC will present:  The Selma Gun Works/The Brookes Gun at the BJCC Room A.

This event is free and open to the SCV Alabama Division and the public.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Northerner's Fiction on Confederate POW Prison Raises Questions

Our own Prattville Dragoons Charlie Graham again posted an outstanding letter to the editor of the Prattville Progress/Montgomery Advertiser supporting our true Confederate heritage.  His editorials always succinctly capture the essence of the argument and support the truth and honor of our Confederate ancestors and the Cause.


Why did northerner, Harriet Beecher Stowe, who had never been on a southern plantation, elect to write the fiction novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” about how bad slavery was in the South? Why didn’t she write about factual slavery conditions in the north where she had some experience?
Articles such as the recent one by Al Benn concerning a book by Northern writer David Rothstein, of a fictional scenario at the Confederate POW prison at Cahaba, Ala., provoke similar questions.
Why do we have a historic marker at the main gate of Riverwalk Stadium that essentially says that the most atrocious Confederate POW prison was located down the street? Why wasn’t the marker put down the street?
The distinction between the Northern and Southern prisons is that the starvation, freezing and unsanitary conditions in Union prisons were imposed upon the Confederate soldiers by choice.
The Federal Blockades and Sherman/Lincoln scorched earth policy purposely starved every man, woman and child in the South for the duration of the war. There was little medicine or food for the people, soldiers or the prisoners of the Confederacy.
The Feds make a fabulous memorial park to the prisoners of Andersonville, Georgia, and hung the commander after the war’s end. The United Daughters of the Confederacy were allowed to place a little marker at Elmira, New York. That’s about as equitable and factual as things have ever been in this regard.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Upcoming Alabama Statewide Events of Interest for Confederate Heritage for October 2012

A perusal of the Alabama Tourism Department Sweet Home Alabama statewide Calendar of Events for September include some events of interest for Confederate heritage supporters. 
  • Confederate Memorabilia and SCV Presentation on Selma Gun Works/Brooke Gun
Birmingham | Oct 13, 2012
Confederate Memorabilia and SCV Presentation on Selma Gun Works/Brooke Gun at the Alabama Gun Collectors Association Gun Show, Saturday 13 October 2012 - Entire Sons of Confederate Veterans Division is invited.  Confederate memorabilia from State Archives, Columbus Confederate Naval Museum, and Beauvoir will be on display all day; the presentation on Selma Gun Works/Brooke Gun will be at 1 p.m. in BJCC Room A.  Location is Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) and you can park free under I-20.  For more info email SCV AL Division Webmaster Mike Williams at gwilli5413@knology.net