Prattville Dragoons Camp Meeting for January 2014

Camp 1524 held their regularly scheduled  monthly meeting on Thursday January 8th at the Shoneys on Cobbs Ford Road.  Our speaker, Henry Howard, was ill and undergoing treatment and could not make his anticipated presentation on Civil War Medicine and the Dragoons wish Henry a full and speedy recovery and hope to schedule him at a later date.

Chaplain Snowden opened the meeting with an invocation and closed the meeting with a benediction which included a prayer for Henry specifically.  Color Sgt Brent Jenks led everyone assembled in pledges to the US, Alabama state and Confederate Battle flags.  Commander Waldo read the SCV Charge and closing at the end of the meeting and also provided the upcoming events (which you can find on another blogpost here) and news.  

Waldo and Snowden also administered the swearing in of our newest  member, Tom Crowley, brother of Tyrone, former camp communication officer. Tom has been a stalwart worker on the Indian Hills Cemetery project and will be a fine addition to our camp.

During the portion regarding upcoming events, Benny Harris provided the latest information about the cleanup and renovation work at Indian Hills including plans to repair the broken headstones and plans for a rededication in April.  

Tyrone Crowley filled in most capably for our scheduled speaker reciting a poem written in 2007 about Robert E. Lee on the bicentennial of his birth recounting a visit Lee made to the town of Jacksonville FL after the War for Southern Independence in the last years of his life.  Lee took the trip south in the hopes of improving his health but he was met by admiring throngs everywhere he went, crowds of all ages hoping to catch a glimpse of this legend in grey.  Lee took the steamer Nick King from Savannah to Jacksonville and greeted well wishers in the salon of the ship.  But he was asked to go out on the deck to recognize the crowds lining the the banks of the port and when he did, the crowd fell into a reverent silence. The poem recalls this scene.  Tyrone did a masterful job with the poem as usual.  

Commander Waldo Presenting SCV Certificate to New Member Tom Crowley

Tyrone Crowley Presenting Poem of Robert E. Lee