On Friday March 1st, Prattville Dragoons Communications Officer Tyrone Crowley again portrayed Jefferson Davis as he did for the Sesquicentennial observance of the inauguration as President of the Confederate States of America at the Alabama state capital. This time, Tyrone had a smaller audience in number and stature as he addressed the 6th grade history class of Mrs. Pastorelli at Victory Baptist School in Millbrook Alabama. Tyrone was accompanied by 2nd Lt Stuart Waldo's wife Kerri who was also dressed in period clothing, a red bustled hoop skirt and portraying Davis' daughter Margaret, the only one of his children to marry and have children of her own (Margaret's grandson Bertram Hayes-Davis is the current director of Beauvoir, last home of Jefferson Davis). Kerri's daughter Brooke is a student in Mrs. Pastorelli's class. Tyrone did a wonderful job of entertaining the children including a story of Davis' childhood when he mistook a local carpenter who resided in the woods as a hermit for an antlered deer. Tyrone provided highlights of Jefferson Davis' life including attending the Catholic school of Saint Thomas in Kentucky as the only Protestant and after his formative education, serving as a Mississippi Senator and Secretary of War for the United States of America before serving as the only President of the Confederate States of America. The long and distinguished career and life of Davis was unfortunately only touched upon briefly in the interest of brevity but Tyrone was able to convey the primary cause of secession as the Confederacy sought to pursue the true constitutional promise of liberty, self-determination and states rights as he displayed the flags of the Confederacy including the First National, the Stainless Banner and the Battle Flag. Tyrone recruited a Color Sargent from the class and the young man did an exemplary job of folding the colors ensuring they did not touch the ground. Kerri brought some period treats, bags of ginger bread cookies which the children enjoyed following their lunch period. The feedback from Brooke was that the class and teacher very much enjoyed the presentation. The principal of Victory Baptist actually provided a tour of the school to Tyrone and they snapped some photographs of Tyrone and Kerri in their period attire with Mrs. Pastorelli's class for the school yearbook. This school presentation was a tremendous success and will hopefully serve as the first of many future educational outreach initiatives which the Dragoons can pursue to further the Cause as the Charge directs us.
 |
| Jefferson Davis and Margaret with Victory Baptist 6th Grade Class |
 |
| Jefferson Davis, Teacher |
 |
| Jefferson Davis Displaying the Confederate First National Flag |
 |
| Tyrone Crowley and Kerri Waldo as Jefferson and Margaret Davis |
No comments:
Post a Comment