Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 5124 Prattville Dragoons Attend Confederate Memorial Day Event

                Dragoons Jayson Altieri, Tyrone Crowley, Jeff Jones, Bill Myrick, and Rob Schwartz attended a fine and inspiring ceremony Monday evening, April 26th at Confederate Circle in Old Live Oak Cemetery in Selma.   Before the ceremony, Tyrone Crowley sat in the Jefferson Davis Chair accompanied by Mrs. Pat Godwin, mistress of ceremonies for the event.  Since Compatriot Crowley has portrayed Jefferson Davis at previous events, he was invited to assume that persona and sit in the chair once again.  Many pictures were taken at this special occasion, for the following reason.   The Jefferson Davis Chair got particular attention this year because it was stolen back in March but thanks to a reward offered was recovered in New Orleans a few weeks later.  The whole story was told, as part of the ceremony, by Benny Austin, pictured below, who with Mr. Butch Godwin drove down to New Orleans to return the chair to Confederate Circle.   

                In addition to Compatriot Austin’s recounting of the theft and recovery of the Jeff Davis Chair, there was a slow version of “Dixie" sung by Dr. Gerald Anderson of the Selma Pegues Camp, a reading of the Dallas County Proclamation for Confederate Memorial Day by Pegues Camp Member Steve Fitts, a Roll Call of Honor whereby all present who had a Confederate ancestor called out the name of the ancestor and heard a bell chime in his memory, rung by Confederate Widow Nicki Walton, at left in picture below.  Following the keynote address by Dr. Grover Plunkett of Faulkner University on what it means to be Southern, we all sang "Amazing Grace", before a closing prayer, then finished up as usual with a rousing version of "Dixie”.  It was a beautiful and inspiring evening.  Old Live Oak may be the most beautiful cemetery in this part of Alabama, and is certainly one of the most historic.  

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Cemetery Workdays for April as Confederate History and Heritage Month

Members of the Prattville Dragoons have performed a number of workdays to effect repairs at one local cemetery and to perform lawn maintenance on two additional community historic cemeteries as part of ongoing efforts as part of the SCV Guardian program and also in recognition of April as Confederate History and Heritage Month.  Saturday April 17th Dragoons' Communications Officer Doug Butler took his riding mower to Robinson Springs Cemetery and mowed the expanse of grass on the cemetery grounds there.  A few days later, Doug along with Color Sgt John Dennis, Quartermaster Bill Myrick and compatriots Larry Spears and Rob Schwarz finished up the work by trimming closely around each of the graves and the tombstones.  Color Sgt Dennis has also single-handedly mowed the Indian Hill Cemetery thru this early spring.  Additionally, fencing which was damaged was removed and new fencing installed at the McLendon Cemetery in Ramer AL.  Over the course of a couple days, Quartermaster Myrick led crews including Color Sgt Dennis and compatriots Bob McLendon and Rob Schwarz in this great work.  McClendon Cemetery is the final resting place of James Riley McLendon, the one armed Confederate hero of Montgomery.  After the War for Southern Independence, McLendon served in the Alabama state legislature.  

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Meeting for April 2021 - BLM Marxism and Why the Confederate Battle Flag is Under Attack

The Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 held their monthly meeting for April 2021 on Thursday April 8th at the Prattville Masonic Lodge.  About 18 compatriots were in attendance.  The camp Chaplain opened the meeting with an Invocation followed by Color Sgt Dennis leading the pledges and salutes to the US, Alabama and Confederate flags.  Commander Waldo then recited the Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  Michael Thomas was sworn in as the newest member of the Prattville Dragoons.  Upcoming events including the state and national conventions and the bicentennial of General Nathan Bedford Forrest's birthday were highlighted along with other pertinent news for the camp.  The program was presented by compatriot Mayo of Gadsden who presented "Why the Confederate Flag is Under Attack": 

Many of those who have attacked and damaged historical monuments across the country are students who have been indoctrinated into Marxism at our nation’s universities. 

The Dylann Roof shooting in 2015 was seen as the impetus for the attacks on the Confederate Battle flag after images of him with the flag surfaced on social media. But, these attacks were planned and then bricks put in place long before as these Marxist militants controlled by a puppetmaster just looked for an excuse.  The globalist communists are behind this and Barack Obama is the puppetmaster.  Obama was groomed by Weather Underground terrorist (Pentagon bomber) Bill Ayers who also planned the Kent State riots where students were accosted and chased into a kill zone where they were fired on by National Guardsmen. 

Our flag represents history, local government and pride in our heritage.  We should consider it an honor that they fear us and attack the vestiges of our Southern history.  The flag is not the target.   It is the people behind it such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans who proudly proclaim their heritage. 

Black Lives Matter is organized and financed by Nicolas Madura and his socialist government in Venezuela.  The “woke” students at Chapel Hill in NC who tore down the Silent Sam monument were organized by the Confucius Institute which is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.   The Confucius Institute and this overt communist influence in our universities was outlawed by President Trump but is now permitted under the Biden administration.  The Confucius Institute is proclaimed by the Chinese to be specifically for cultural and language exchange but are suspect in espionage, propaganda dissemination and communist indoctrination. 

This is not just a recent development with communist infiltration of our nation’s institutions.  The Women Against War and Fascism in 1941 lobbied President Roosevelt to stay out of WWII as long as Hitler was allied with communist Russia.  Then, after WWII the communists took up the popular banner of anti-fascists.  There is nothing new under the sun.  These are the same communist ideas just preached to a new generation. 

These Marxists have infiltrated the media to the highest levels including the NY Times and television networks.  They attack us, traditional family values, Christianity and capitalism.  The Marxist social engineers preach LGBQT and transgenderism and pedophilia to our school children.  They preach an anti-Biblical two-spirit doctrine where people possess and exhibit both a masculine and a feminine spirit.  The atheists who fain offense at Christianity would have everyone bow down to the altar of Marxism and this LGBQT doctrine.

These Marxists seek a cultural revolution by destroying the nuclear family by destroying the patriarchy by destroying monogamy.  So they espouse a sexual revolution and promiscuity and single parent families. 

All these recent developments go back to Karl Marx who was raised a spoiled rich child, writing poems which mocked the Bible’s Mary and Joseph  before writing the Communist Manifesto.   He believed all traditions must be overthrown including the ownership of private property.  Nonetheless, he lived off other’s money and never worked for himself.  Horace Greeley, NY Times editor was a friend of Marx and of course had the ear of President Lincoln.  This elimination of private property gave rise to the Marx/Lincoln scorched earth policy.  Marx and Lincoln believed all Southerners were corrupt slave owners (the same lies repeated by the 1619 Project) and so they allowed the Union Army’s scorched earth strategy to punish the Southern populace.  They then turned this campaign on the native American Indians who stood in the way of their federal empire ambitions.   

Only religion stands in the way of the Marxist agenda.  “The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression” cites 100-200 million have been killed by communist regimes.  Today in China the CCP is torturing Christians.  Today, BLM advocates are children of doctors and lawyers who have been given everything they want like the original Marxist, Karl Marx.  But they seek your wealth in a violation of the 10^th Commandment that thou shalt not covet what others possess and have earned.  The ideals of the American dream are that of equal opportunity, not equal distribution.  Jesus said we will always have the poor.  That is another reason Trump was attached so and demonized in that he espoused returning Americans to work and reducing unemployment and government welfare in opposition to the Marxist who want your hard earned income.  But work gives a man integrity. 

This highlights the ideals of Confederate heroes like General Lee who enforced the Lieber Code amongst his troops disciplining those who pillaged civilians and requiring them to be compensated for provisions confiscated.  Lee’s memory is one of self-denial.  He did not believe in slavery nor secession but would not raise his sword against his home and state.  His Christian virtues of integrity and self-denial were forever memorialized when the Union Army buried Yankee soldiers in the front yard of his home.  After the War the home which had been confiscated during the War was returned to the Lee family but was sold to the United States government and is now known as Arlington National Cemetery and Lee’s home as “Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial”. 

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Place Battle Flags on Veterans' Graves at Confederate Memorial Park

1st Lt Harold Grooms and compatriot Tyrone Crowley placed Confederate Battle flags on all the veterans' graves at Confederate Memorial Park on Friday April 16th as part of the camp's April Confederate History and Heritage month observances.  The camp normally holds a picnic at the park which includes the flagging of the cemeteries there but as restrictions are still in place regarding capacity due to COVID, the picnic was postponed and so 1st Lt Grooms took it upon himself to get the flags out to commemorate these honorable soldiers' service for the Cause.  Rain was threatening for the weekend so Harold and Tyrone followed closely behind the mowers which cut the grass at the cemetery just that Friday morning at CMP and placed hundreds of Battle flags at each of the veterans' graves.  Always a beautiful sight to see all the flags waving in the breeze across the cemetery's lawn after the placement.  

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Compatriot Places Battle Flags on Confederate Veterans Graves

Compatriot Tyrone Crowley placed Battle flags on two Confederate veterans' graves at the Wetumpka (AL) city cemetery on Sunday April 11th having found these graves while visiting another gravesite there.  A worthwhile endeavor recognizing these brave and honorable Southern defenders during Confederate History and Heritage month.  These two immortal souls served in the Alabama Infantry during the War for Southern Independence.  

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Chaplain's Column for April

     “He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!”

 

   As you read this, we have just celebrated the resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

   I had the honor of attending an Easter Sunrise Service at the beach in Perdido Key. During the Service, Pastor Rick said two things sent Jesus Christ to the Cross. The first was God, to bridge the barrier between us and Him through sin. The Second, of course, is you and me through the sins we commit.

   Being at the beach, especially at Easter, gives one a chance at reflection and examination. I asked myself what sins of mine drove those nails through Jesus? There are too many to list here, but two are anger and lack of forgiveness on my part.                        

   Ephesians 4:30-5:2 reminds us to …”Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

   And as we further contemplate this at Easter time, the Bible goes on to remind us that “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree…by his wounds you have been healed [or forgiven of sins]” (1 Peter 2:24).

   In other words, God, through Jesus on the Cross, cancelled our debt of sin. When I think about that cost, as the old Hymnal goes, “I tremble.”

   Trust me it is easy to be angry right now. Especially when you see what is being done to our beloved land and heritage. It is hard to even fathom how I could forgive our enemies and the things they do. But notice I did not say forget. Our Pastor at Highlands, Chris Hodges, frequently reminds us that forgiveness does not mean reconciliation. You don’t have to hang out with them on Friday night, but you must move on from anger and hate.

   Why? Imagine if there was no Christmas and no Easter? No Cross, no resurrection. In other words, you are not forgiven. God makes you carry your sin and you wind up in hell.

   I think of that now every time I get mad, get indignant, or someone wrongs me.  I get on my knees and thank Him for paying my debt and forgiving me my many sins and faults. You should, too!

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is Risen indeed!

May God continue to watch over you and your families and protect you all. And may God save the South!

Prattville Dragoons Commander's Column for April

April is Confederate History and Heritage month.  I hope everyone makes an effort to observe this special time of the year in remembrance of their Confederate ancestors.   I was enthused listening to 93.1FM on the radio on the way home yesterday when a caller to the program wished all the listeners a happy Confederate History month.  On Twitter there are many on the camp’s feed who are also recognizing this and of course a couple of detractors.  Unfortunately, a special event our camp observes, our annual picnic must again be postponed due to the COVID restrictions.  But, a number of camp members met at Oak Hill cemetery in downtown Prattville to place Battle flags at all the Confederate veterans’ graves there as an observance for Confederate History and Heritage month.  Compatriot Schwartz sent an email sharing his special feelings at the event which are related in the column further in this newsletter.   We are planning to place flags at other area cemeteries including at Confederate Memorial Park, even if we can’t enjoy the fellowship of our picnic at the same time.  We should all really pause and reflect on the great sacrifices our ancestors made in defense of their homes and families and in an effort to create a nation to propagate our founders ideals of liberty and the proposition of states’ rights and sovereignty. 

While Twitter has infringed on many users’ constitutional right of freedom of speech including banning our nation’s 45th President, it is still represents a venue to reinforce the Charge of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, to defend “the Confederate soldier's good name, (guard) his history, (and present) the true history of the South to future generations.”  A Tweet posted of our April billboard advertisement drew a huge positive reaction.  I commented to another recent tweet from an individual (a former VP for Deloitte) who said, “We need to give States the right to make their own laws ! Federal Government should be in charge of funding the Military regulating the Banking Industry and the Social Security system! Everything else should be handled by States!”  I replied that states rights was defeated in 1865 at the end of the Union muzzles when Lincoln supplanted that founding ideal with an imperialist omnipotent central federal government.  There is a super Twitter account we are following (and who follows us) Jefferson Davis, @Jeff_Davis1808 whose profile states, “Congressman and Senator from Mississippi, United States Secretary of War, President of the CSA, West Point Graduate and Veteran of the Mexican-American War”.  Along the lines of educating the public (on Twitter) he provides photos of Confederate monuments including the inscriptions invariably with the comment that these don’t proclaim any racism or odes to slavery but rather honor the Confederate soldiers and their defense of their homeland.  He has also shown monuments from Northern states which invariably fail to mention abolition on their inscriptions and instead proclaim a memory of their soldiers and preservation of the Union as their cause.  

Unfortunately, being out on these social media platforms served to put a spotlight on certain of our camp’s and the SCV’s politically incorrect positions which some perceive as discriminatory.  The SCV is an historical organization rooted in an historical political movement (the secession and defense of the southern states) and espousing a traditional way of life and values.   We know our Confederate ancestors experienced a revival during the War for Southern Independence and many returned home to create houses of worship which transformed the Southern states into the Bible Belt where we still “cling to our Bibles and guns”.  As the Charge also implores us, we are tasked to emulate our Confederate ancestors “virtues, (and perpetuate) those principles he loved and which made him glorious and which you also cherish.”  The definition of emulate is to “match or surpass (a person or achievement), typically by imitation”.  We should all hope that our actions and the stances we make on every platform, the walk we make in our lives reflects well on our Southern heritage and our faith in God.  Happy Confederate History and Heritage month.

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

 

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

Prattville Dragoons March Camp Meeting – Thursday April 8^th at 6:45pm at the Prattville Masonic Lodge

Flag Placement at CMP and Cemetery Workday at Robinson Springs – Saturday April 10th, 8am

AL Division Reunion – Friday-Saturday June 4-5th, Prattville AL hosted by the Dragoons SCV Camp 1524

SCV National Reunion – Wednesday-Saturday July 21-24th, Metairie-Kenner, LA hosted by the Beauregard Camp 130

Bicentennial Forrest Birthday – Saturday July 31st, 3pm til, hosted by Butch and Pat Godwin at Ft.Dixie

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Electronic Billboard Ad for Confederate History and Heritage Month of April