SCV Camp 1524 placed two electronic billboard advertisements on boards in downtown Prattville and on Hwy 231 just south of Wetumpka for the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years. The ad campaign is an annual effort of the Prattville Dragoons and flashes a wonderful manger scene, Christmas tree and the SCV logo on a bright red background to passers-by. A message is also conveyed, "Merry Christmas. Christ's Blessings in the Holiday Season."
Although the date for the annual Vida Christmas parade conflicted with the date chosen for the Prattville Dragoons to volunteer for the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign on Saturday December 16th, a few members of Camp 1524 made it out to Vida to participate in the community's wonderful country Christmas parade and BBQ to represent the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Camp 1524. Commander Waldo with his two children drove their Dodge Charger with a couple of Confederate Battle flags waving from the back windows. Compatriot Larry Miller drove his truck to which the camp's Christmas banner was affixed across the front brush guard. Candy was thrown to children spectating along the parade route which ran from the Vida community center south on County Road 19 before doubling back. Hundreds of mini Battle flags and SCV recruiting coins were also handed out to spectators young and old along the route. The camp's entry was warmly greeted and practically mobbed for the flags which were subsequently displayed all along the roadside. Following the parade, the community hosted a BBQ lunch in the community center for all the participants and spectators which was a delicious plated of BBQ pork, beans, potato salad, cole slaw, chips, camp stew and homemade desserts from pecan pie to cakes and fudge. Always a wonderful Christmas event to ring in the holidays.
Saturday, December 16th members of the Dragoons SCV camp 1524 withstood the cool damp weather to ring the bell and wish shoppers a "merry Christmas" while manning the red kettle at Winn Dixie in Prattville to help with the Salvation Army's annual Christmas Red Kettle donations campaign. 1st Lt Karl Wade took the lead in coordinating with the Salvation Army and enlisting volunteers for the camp's effort, manning the kettle from 9am til 8pm. Participants included camp Treasurer Billy Leverette, Adjutant Wayne Sutherland, Color Sgt John Dennis, Commander Stuart Waldo, Quartermaster Bill Myrick and compatriots Bill Branch, Tyrone Crowley, Thomas Griffith, Todd Rogers, Rob Schwartz, Mike Thomas, and Louis Turner. This is an outstanding and worthwhile community service project which helps a large number of people in our area who really need it.
Members of the Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 attended the Children of the Confederacy Christmas program at Confederate Memorial Park on Saturday December 2. Dragoons' Commander Waldo as well as compatriots Bill Hamner and Tyrone Crowley with his wife attended as well as Alabama Division Lt Commander John Land. The event is sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy who provided Christmas presents for the children as well as delicious food and beverages for a lunch prior to the event start. The program was led entirely by the children of the CofC including pledges and salutes to the US, Christian, Alabama and Confederate Battle flags. Songs including the Star Spangled Banner, Faith of Our Father, Alabama and Dixie were sung in between those pledges. The flags were posted by fathers of the children. The childrens' chaplain also led prayers and responsive readings and the CofC creed. Introductions were made of the ladies of the UDC. UDC VP Bearden provided a message of the importance of diaries from the period of the War Between the States which provided first person accounts of the struggles and sacrifices made by the soldiers in battle as well as their families at home. The children participated in the decoration of a Christmas tree there in the CMP chapel. Commander Waldo and Mr. Hamner helped hand out the goodie bags, journals and ornaments as Christmas gifts. A number of them performed songs on instruments including keyboard and stringed harp and Commander Waldo's children played the French horn and snare drum for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Afterward, a Christmas wreath was placed in one of the veterans' cemeteries there at the park. It was an enjoyable and meaningful Christmas event for the children and the adults there.
But then I remember why we gather through the month of December with
friends and family. We remember that
there is no gift under the tree that is greater than the gift of the Son of
Man, Jesus Christ. He was modestly born in a filthy stable. He would eventually
go to that Cross, die, and rise again! For me! For you! For everyone! This tiny
child would bring light to darkness, smash fear and anger with love. There is
no greater love, no greater gift, than a God who loved us so much that He sent
his son to be tortured and killed so that we can enter his presence in heaven.
I could go on, but there is nothing I can write that can attest to this great
gift adequately.
It is a gift, no, the gift that you can give yourself. If you have not
already done so, open your heart to the baby in the manger. Be still, get away
from the chaos of the world. Head to the manger and give yourself the gift of
salvation.
Merry Christmas!
Luke 2:1-20:
1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the
house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her
to be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling
cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn.
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who
is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in
swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!"
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that
the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see
this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe
lying in a manger.
17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which
was told them concerning this Child.
18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told
them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Saw a Tweet on X the other day inviting people to comment on
what one thing posters would proclaim as the truth in the face of
insurmountable opposition saying, “Yes, you all are wrong.” As we start into the Christmas season where
we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it struck me that
more than one cited their evangelistic testimony of faith and belief that God
came to Earth incarnate thru the miraculous birth of Jesus to fulfill prophecy
and deliver mankind from our inherent sin to eternal life. But truly, in today’s culture it is
increasingly in vogue to attack as deplorables those clinging to their
fundamentalist Bibles while pushing doctrinal revisionism including homosexual
marriage and clergy and espousing the virtues of a diverse culture including
world religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islamism, and paganism. Agnosticism and atheism are trumpeted as the
most enlightened perspectives.
As Sons of Confederate Veterans, we have certainly seen the
opposition to our politically incorrect Charge to honor our Confederate
forebears for their courage and fortitude in their struggle for
independence. We tend to associate and
fraternize with compatriots who share our viewpoint that our ancestors did
their duty in defense of their homes and families against a marauding invading
army hellbent on forcing capitulation to a federal government intent on
subjugating their states and people and destroying their way of life for the
profit of their central imperialistic aims.
At all turns on X, there are those who maintain that the War Between the
States was caused by the secession of the Southern states who sought only to
perpetuate slavery, as their elementary school history books have indoctrinated
them into thinking, believing their government was wholly right in a crusade to
free the indentured Africans and crush a rebellion. And the government has been wholly correct
in its prosecution of every war before and since. Truly, a government which does not seek and
employ such patriotic brainwashing risks a breakdown of citizen’s allegiance, civil
disobedience and insurrection.
But we as SCV members and many as veterans of our country’s
armed forces are uniquely qualified to stand in the face of this opposition and
proclaim what is embodied by the SCV Charge.
We know true Southern history including the “motivating factor in the
South’s decision to fight the Second American Revolution…their belief in the
rights, liberty and freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.” (scv.org) Attended
a Children of the Confederacy Christmas event at Confederate Memorial Park and
noted the similar message conveyed in their Creed which states, “Because we
desire to perpetuate, in love and honor, the heroic deeds of those who enlisted
in the Confederate Army, and upheld its flag through four years of war, we …have
united in an organization (and brotherhood) in which our strength, enthusiasm,
and love of justice can exert its influence.
We, therefore, pledge ourselves to preserve pure ideals; to honor our
veterans; to study and teach the truths of history (one of the most important
of which is, that the war between the States was not a rebellion, nor was its
underlying cause to sustain slavery), and to always act in a manner that will
reflect honor upon our noble and patriotic ancestors." Here at Christmas and always, let us boldly
proclaim Christ as the reason for the season and also boldly advance the SCV
Charge to defend the Confederate soldier's good name, guard his history, emulate
his virtues, and perpetuate those principles he loved and which made him glorious. Deo Vindice.
Dragoons Christmas Social – Friday Dec 8th starting at 6pm at Buena Vista mansion in Prattville
Santa’s Post Office at Confederate Memorial Park
– Saturday Dec 9th
1pm at CMP, Marbury AL
Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringing – Saturday Dec 16th from 9am-8pm
at Winn Dixie, Prattville
Vida Christmas Parade – Saturday
Dec 16th, lineup at noon and start at 2pm, Vida Community Center
AL Division Skeet and Trap Tournament – Dragoons’ team, Saturday Jan 13, 8:30am,
Barrett Field, Cullman AL
Millbrook Mardi Gras Festival and Parade – Saturday Jan 27th, 8am
festival and noon parade, Main St, Millbrook AL
AL Division Education Conference – Saturday Mar 16th,
9:30-3:30pm, Southern Cultural Center, Wetumpka AL
Dragoons Commander Waldo, 2nd Lt Wade and Adjutant Sutherland delivered non perishables and a check to the Autauga Interfaith Care Center in Prattville on Thursday morning November 14th as part of their annual Thanksgiving canned food drive. 275 pounds of food was received from camp members along with $460 in donations as part of the drive over the past month. The camp matched that cash donation dollar for dollar so a check for $925 was presented to Denise Brown and Josette Dudle, co-directors of the AICC, that along with the 275lb of canned and non-perishable food items. The ladies at AICC were most appreciative receiving the donation. This is another important community service effort the Dragoons perform to help those in our community less fortunate.
Members of the Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1425 met on Thursday evening November 9th at the Masonic Lodge in Prattville for their monthly meeting. Compatriot Rob Schwartz entertained everyone with some songs on his guitar prior to the meeting. Chaplain Brantley opened the meeting with an Invocation and Color Sgt Dennis then led everyone in the pledges and salutes to the flags followed by the SCV Charge recited by Commander Waldo. Upcoming events were highlighted including all those for the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. The camp has a number of veterans and a thanks for their service and wishes for a Happy Veterans Day was expressed by the commander.
Col. Paul Whaley, a member of Camp 1524 was the speaker who discussed medical conditions and practices during the War Between the States. Paul passed around a minie ball, a modern example and a period artifact as well as a grape shot round and a fractured piece of an artillery shell. These emphasized the size and heft of these lethal projectiles used during the War. Paul reiterated the expression "War is hell" expounding that the depravation, poor food and disease during the WBTS was terrible but if one was injured like hundreds of thousands were, it was worse. The War was the first with modern weapons but Napoleonic tactics which led to massive casualties while there was little knowledge of medicine including infection and disease prevention and few skilled surgeons. One on four soldiers would die of their wounds. Laudanum, opium, morphine and alcohol were the primary painkillers utilized for surgery and post-op but these led to an epidemic of addictions. Surgeries were more often than not performed with the patient fully awake, witnessing the removal of their arm or leg.
620,000 men dies in the WBTS but actually only 200,000 in battle or from wounds, the balance from disease. There were only a few thousand surgeons in the country at the time of the conflict. Abdominal wounds and compound fractures were almost always fatal due to infection. Fractured bones resulted in amputation of the limb. Removed limbs were thrown into piles sometimes reaching window height at the hospitals where blood stained the floors, still visible hundreds of years later. Amputations were performed in just a few minutes as surgeons moved from patient to patient, often working on their feet for up to 36 hours straight following battles. Often, subsequent amputations were necessary to remove dead bone and flesh and these resulted in even higher mortality rates, around 60%. Gangrene, rotting of the tissue followed many operations due to lack of sterilization of instruments and bandage materials. Arteries in the severed limb area would sometimes fail weeks after the surgeries and the soldiers would bleed out then. Up to 90% of surgeries resulted in eventual death. One story was conveyed of a surgeon who was injured, with his intestines literally hanging from his open abdomen; he assisted a nurse in rinsing off his intestines and sewing himself back up. He actually lived til his death decades later.
An understanding of germs and disease prevention was totally lacking and latrines were often situated in close proximity to kitchens and living quarters. Soldiers would sometimes just step outside their tents to defecate. Food was often spoiled as preservation using drying, salting or pickling was sometimes not performed properly. Decomposing meat was sometimes served to and consumed by the troops. Pork was the most common meat but it was sometimes undercooked. Bacon grease was the staple for cooking so diets were high in fat and not very nutritious. Diarrhea was common due to the poor food and many died as a result of dehydration - there were no effective treatments and the only option to foregoing poor food was starvation.
On this Veterans Day weekend, Paul reminded everyone in somber terms of the sacrifices and suffering our Confederate veteran ancestors made during their struggle for independence. He illustrated the brutality of conflict citing the casualties at Franklin TN in 1864 where over 7000 Confederates were killed or wounded in the eight hour long battle and compared that to the 3500 incurred during Pickett's charge at Gettysburg.
For generations, God,
country and family have been the foundation of the Southern culture. But today, God in America has been rejected,
prayer removed from our schools and atheism and agnosticism dictating what is
permissible in the public square. Yahweh
and Jesus Christ are no longer recognized by our leaders as He who bestows our
inalienable rights enumerated in the Constitution. The pedophile Islamic prophet Mohammed is
given equal weight. Increasingly, our
legal system views the Constitution as a living document, easily amendable and
progressively interpreted and laws formulated based on secular notions. Christianity has been replaced with diversity
and inclusion of faiths foreign to our founding fathers and our ancestors
including those in direct conflict with our “Judeo-Christian” morals and
values. Kwanzaa is recognized as a
legitimate holiday on par with Christmas and Hanukkah. Our Confederate ancestors experienced one of
the great revivals in history in battlefield encampments during their perilous
fight and upon returning to their impoverished families and devasted homes. The
country churches these Confederate veterans founded sit largely empty
now as young people migrate to mega-churches many embracing progressive values
including LGBQT leadership and pastors and teachings. As we approach Thanksgiving this month of
November, it should be remembered that the CSA was founded on Christian
principles and President Jefferson Davis even proclaimed the first national
Thanksgiving on September 18, 1862, as a day of thanksgiving prayers for the
Confederate States.
Our Confederate
ancestors fought for Southern states’ independence but largely from an
individual soldiers’ standpoint, in defense of their very homes and
families. Today, American military might
is used to project power and protect “American interests” across the globe. It can be said without debate that modern
wars and the US military buildup has been pursued in an effort to secure
capitalist markets and open trade routes especially for oil products. That and to ever increase expenditures to
support military contractors supplying the latest weaponry to ensure American
technological preeminence on the battlefields, on and under the ocean and, in
the skies. Not since a limited
incursion by Japanese forces during World War II in the Alaskan Aleutian
islands has American soil been fought on.
Our Confederate ancestors fought to defend their very Dixie homeland,
not Afghanistan sand and Kuwaiti oil.
The COVID 19 worldwide vaccination mandates, open borders and migrant
influxes in Europe and the United States, confiscatory taxation and socialist
redistribution, and the shuttering of viable fossil fuel power plants to
embrace wind and solar and electric cars to combat alleged human-induced
climate change are examples of the adoption of a one-world order and dictates
which take away our nationalism and individual freedoms and liberties as
Americans. Would you enlist or send your
sons and daughters to fight the DC elites’ latest manufactured excuse for a
war? Does the DC agenda represent the
ideals for which you would lay down your life in defense of a country to which
you can hardly identify any longer?
"Fools vent
their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.”
Proverbs 29:11 (NLT)
One of my greatest sins is my anger, my temper. I used to blame it on
being Scots Irish or having a red-headed mother. As the years have passed my
anger has grown. It has cost me relationships, interfered with success in jobs
and made life miserable for those around me. While I have never physically hurt
anyone from it, I have hurt those around me deeply with my words. I do realize
I have written on this before, but I feel it is important to discuss on some
given occasions.
One such occasion recently would be the "melted face" of
Robert E. Lee from the statue in Charlottesville. It was purposefully splashed
across social media by our enemies. I and other Southerners took the
opportunity to "strike back." While it felt good to lash out, it
accomplished very little. Our enemies got the reaction they wanted. I then
wondered how General Lee would have responded to this situation. He probably
would have told us to reflect the love of Jesus and pray for our enemies. Yet
another reason Lee was an infinitely better man and Christian than the author
of this column. And we can look to many of our Confederate ancestors who prayed
for "those people" while engaged in combat with them.
But what of us? The Bible tells us that the tongue is wicked and the
most powerful muscle in the body. Jesus even spoke in the book of Matthew
(5:21-24) that you can murder someone with your anger.
I was recently discussing this matter with my dear friend and fellow
Dragoon, Rob Schwartz. He passed along this article to me. Unfortunately, the
author is unknown.
"If you want to tame your temper, you must resolve to manage it.
You have to quit saying, “I can’t control it!” and realize that you can.
Just like love, anger is a choice. When you get angry, you choose to get angry.
Nobody is forcing you to get angry. People often say things like, “You make me
so mad!” But the truth is that nobody can make you mad without your permission.
Anger is a choice, and you must choose to control it if you want to be a loving
person. You have far more control over your anger than you may want to admit.
Let me give you an example. Let’s say you’re at home and you’re in an argument
with somebody in your family. Your voices are raised, and you’re getting
agitated. You’re upset. All of a sudden, the phone rings, and you answer
sweetly, “Hello? Oh, yes! It’s for you, honey!” What happened? You didn’t want
to be embarrassed or have to explain, so you switched your anger off real
quick. Anger is highly controllable! The Bible says in Proverbs 29:11, “Fools
vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back” (NLT). Do you want to be a
foolish person or a wise person? How you respond to a situation is your
responsibility and yours alone. Anger is a choice. The time to decide to manage
your anger is not when your blood pressure is rising, your adrenaline is
shooting into your system, you can feel the flush in your face, and your
muscles start to tense. At that point, you’ve already lost the battle. Instead,
resolve to manage your anger before you go into that meeting or walk through
that front door when you get home. Decide this: “Today, I’m just not going to
get angry. I’m not going to let things get to me.” You manage your anger by
first resolving—deciding in advance—that you’re going to hold it back."
Amen.
Camp 1524 Meeting – Thursday, November 9th, 6pm at the Prattville Masonic Lodge
26th Annual Bill Anthony Memorial Battle
for the Armory – Fri-Sun,
Nov 10-12th on Rifle Range Road in Tallassee AL
Prattville Christmas Parade – Friday
Dec 1st starting at 7pm on Court St thru downtown Main Street,
Prattville
UDC Children of the Confederacy Christmas
Party – Saturday Dec 2nd at 10am at
the Confederate Memorial Park, Marbury
Dragoons Christmas Social – Friday
Dec 8th starting at 6pm at Buena Vista mansion in Prattville
Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringing – Saturday
Dec 16th from 9am-8pm at Winn Dixie, Prattville
Vida Christmas Parade – Saturday
Dec 16th (?)
Members and friends of the Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 held their annual fall muster on Saturday October 28th with Philip Edwards and his wife hosting at their beautiful home. His property allowed for a terrific range to shoot clays out from his back yard while those spectating could sit under the shade of his back porch and canopies erected to cover seating and tables of food. It was a great turnout with around three dozen members of the camp and their significant others, families, friends and neighbors all enjoying a warm sunny late October day in south central Alabama. Members in attendance included Commander Waldo with his family, 1st Lt Suttle, 2nd Lt Wade, Adjutant Sutherland, Treasurer Leverette, Color Sgt Dennis and his wife, Quartermaster Myrick, and compatriots Bill Branch and Dede, Rob Schwartz, Tyrone Crowley, Earl Edmundson, Todd Rogers and his son, Conner Blackmon, Dale Boyles and Darrell Haywood along with a number of invited guests and neighbors of the Edwards. The ladies helped set up the food for a delicious supper which included camp stew, Conecuh sausage, jambalaya, hamburger tot casserole, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, black eyed peas and rice, corn casserole, and desserts including blueberry cobbler, cakes including Mrs. Myrick's yummy hummingbird cake, and banana pudding. Earl even brought out some bacon wrapped pigeon breasts. An abundance of delicious food. Most took the opportunity to get in some clay shooting using two electric throwers Philip set up along with a couple hand throwers. A range of shotguns including double barrel, pump and semi-automatic 12 gage, 20 gage, 28 gage, and 410 shotguns were all used to shoot clay pigeons and a couple rifles were brought out later to do some additional target shooting. Enjoyable fellowship abounded for this shoot and supper at this edition of the Camp 1524 fall muster.
Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Prattville Dragoons once again completed grounds maintenance work at historic Robinson Springs cemetery in Millbrook AL over the last week and a half. The dry weather had slowed the growth of the grass and the coming cooler weather should make this the final effort for the season. Brigade Commander Harold Grooms brought his riding mower to cut the large areas of the cemetery and the following day Quartermaster Bill Myrick mowed closer around the grave markers with a push mower. A few days later, compatriot Rob Schwartz was able to get by with a weedeater to finish the trimming and blow off the grave markers as a finishing touch. The Dragoons maintain these grounds as part of the SCV Guardian program to care for historic cemeteries where Confederate veterans are interred. In addition veterans of other wars are buried here along with loved ones of many local families including those who helped establish this area which was known as Robinson Springs and is now a part of Millbrook AL.
Members of SCV Camp 1524 manned a booth at the Autauga County Fair this past week, greeting fair-goers every day the fair was open from Tuesday thru Saturday, October 10-14th. Dragoon 2nd Lt Karl Wade led the effort getting the booth for the fair, signing up volunteers and, manning it himself every shift. Karl was also there along with Commander Waldo, Adjutant Sutherland, Quartermaster Myrick and compatriot Jeff Potts for setup on Monday afternoon the day before the fair opened. The Dragoons offered free mini-Battle flags, SCV coins and Alabama Division educational posters as well as candy for the kids. They also offered for sale flags, tags, totes, wallets, ballcaps, and mugs all emblazoned with Confederate or other historic emblems with proceeds helping the camp's treasury for all the camp community activity expenditures. But the chief purpose of the camp's booth was to provide an opportunity for members of the camp to meet and greet friends and neighbors as they passed by on their way to the midway. Three or four members were at the booth at all times and in addition to selling merchandise, there were many opportunities to speak with folks about the Cause and the true history of the War for Southern Independence. Workers included compatriots Rob Schwartz, Dale Boyles, Larry Miller, Brigade Commander Harold Grooms, Eric Davis, Todd Rogers, Darrell Haywood, Color Sgt John Dennis, Treasurer Billy Leverette, Tyrone Crowley, the camp's newest member Lee James, and others. The Dragoons were warmly received throughout the length of the fair.
