About 28 members and friends of the Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 met on Thursday evening February 8th for the monthly camp meeting at the Prattville Masonic Lodge downtown. Chaplain Brantley opened the meeting with an Invocation followed by Brigade Commander Grooms leading everyone in the pledges and salutes to the flags. Commander Waldo then recited the SCV Charge and welcomed the guests including two prospective members. The upcoming events were then enumerated and a business portion of the meeting was conducted taking nominations for the camp officers' positions which will be voted on at the next march camp meeting for men to serve in the coming year.
Army of Tennessee Commander and past Alabama Division Commander Jimmy Hill was the guest speaker and he provided updates including photographs of the SCV National Museum at Elm Springs TN. He began with a slide of General Robert E. Lee and a quote of his, "The education of a man is never completed until he dies." The quote emphasized Jimmy's point that the SCV National Museum is an educational museum not simply showing artifacts but telling the true history story of the Southern states thru a timeline, a concept envisioned first by past Commander in Chief Chuck McMichael. The museum started as an empty building but it now contains permanent and loaned displays throughout with an entrance welcoming visitors with a display including a cannon donated by the Alabama Division and the photo of a young anonymous Confederate soldier.
The timeline begins at 1607 with the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The timeline is displayed with dates along with top of the walls in a maroon strip above the displays. Carl Jones article "Forming the Country" is displayed in this area; QR codes are found throughout the museum providing a way for visitors to get additional information about specific displays. In 1819 Alabama entered the Union and the timeline shows a portrait of John C. Calhoun there at that timeline spot. Important events which shaped the nation and the south are mentioned along the timeline including tariff crises and the nullification crisis and western expansion. One interesting and perhaps controversial display is that of Harriet Beecher Stowe whose book (an 1852 edition of which is on display), "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was said to have caused the War Between the States. Slave stories/narratives are related - some tell stories of slaves who fondly remember their masters and felt they were part of the family.
From the War period, the anchor from the Star of the West is on display - this was the Union ship sent to resupply Ft. Sumter and which was seeking to sneak 200 Union troops in to reinforce the fort. A carriage from one of Gen. Pendleton's cannons, the Mathew gun is on display - he had four artillery pieces which he names Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. A number of Confederate uniforms are on display including a vest worn by Gen. Forrest which has a blood stained bullet hole in the back. One display is entitled Our Confederate Heroes and shows photographs of a couple of heroes identified by each Division of the SCV - those for Alabama include Capt. Jefferson Falkner who founded the Confederate Veterans Home in Marbury following the War and "The Gallant" John Pelham, horse artillery officer under Gen Stuart who was cited by General Lee for his "unflinching courage" during the Battle of Fredericksburg.
A religious section of the museum tells the story of the Great Revival of the Southern Army with photos of Gen Stonewall Jackson and his pastor on display there. A section on Reconstruction shows actual carpet bags which were emblematic of the Yankee's who tormented the Southern families following the War. Actual restored/conserved battle flags are on display including one which was that from Union Col Streight captured by Gen. Forrest. Another is an original Confederate Battle Flag from South Carolina. A life size portrait of Sam Davis is displayed - the Boy Hero of the Confederacy, Sam was hung by Union soldiers at the age of 21 in Pulaski County TN accused as a spy. There is even a section showing Confederate memorabilia part of pop culture including movie posters and an original edition book of "Gone with the Wind", advertisements, NASCAR photos, and even a Duke of Hazzard lunch box. Jimmy emphasized that you could spend the better part of a day perusing all the displays and information in the museum. Following the meeting, Commander Waldo presented Jimmy with a check from the camp for $250 for the SCV Museum, continuing donations made by Camp 1524 for this wonderful treasure of the foremost Confederate historical organization, the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
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