Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Chaplain Attends National SCV Chaplains' Conference at Elm Springs SCV National HQ

On Saturday, September 14th, 2024, the National SCV Chaplains' Conference was held at historic Elm Springs, the National Headquarters for the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

I took the opportunity and drove up a day early. I have been a SCV member for 30 years and had, sadly, never visited Elm Springs. I decided to change that and to see the new SCV National Confederate Museum.

I arrived at the museum when it opened as I was warned it would take hours to tour. Ironically, right after I entered, so did fellow Prattvile Dragoon and former Brigade Commander, Josh Stover. Josh now lives in North Alabama but is still a proud member of our camp and sent well-wishes to all. Josh and his son were there to scan monuments to replicate and make for putting up around the Confederation. A fascinating process.

The museum is amazing. It has informative wall panels for each year of the war, major events and individuals that impacted the war. They also had QR Codes you can scan for more information.

The highlight(s) were seeing Robert E. Lee statue that was once in front of Lee High School in Montgomery, the bed John Bell Hood bed slept in during the Tennessee campaign, and the former coffins for General and Mrs. Forrest before they were reinterred on the grounds of Elm Springs! I could go on all day about what I saw at the National Museum. Every SCV member needs to go and visit to see it all.

I then toured the home of Elm Springs. They are returning to what it looked like during the War. It was, for years, the HQ for the SCV and had offices, etc., in the building. All of those offices have been moved to the Museum. It is well worth the tour. Ironically my tour was a lady from Indiana who knew the South was right! Oh, there are even some ghost stories to raise your hackles as well. Definitely a must- see!

The next morning we met for the Conference and it was an amazing day! Past Chaplain-in-Chief Gary Carlyle opened us in prayer and gave us a booklet of "positives" for Chaplains to pass to their flock. Current Commander-in-Chief Kennedy then greeted the assembly afterwards.

After singing some Hymns, like "How Firm a Foundation," former Chaplain-in-Chief Herman White spoke on the need of Chaplains to "be there" for the flock. Dr. White is 90 and still preaching the Gospel!

Current Chaplain-in-Chief Tom Hiter then taught us on how the SCV Charge is a Christian Document. You cannot speak of the SCV without speaking of God and Jesus Christ.

Dr. Micheal Bradley gave a fascinating speech on the "Southern Religious Tradition- before, during, and since the War for Southern Independence." He spoke at length on the revivals in the Confederate Armies and how it was a true religious awakening in the South!

After we returned from Dinner, Mike Dunn, from the Tennessee Division, gave an absolutely fascinating lecture on religious music during the War.

This was followed by former Commander-in-Chief Boshers who told the story of Sam Davis, the Confederate Martyr and his religious beliefs, which helped to bring one (possibly more) of his captors to Jesus Christ. An amazing side of the story I was unaware of.

Missouri Division Chaplain Thomas McConnell gave a no-holds-barred sermon on "What the Lord Requires" and what will be required of all of us in the coming days. Nobody slept through that Sermon, believe me!

Pastor Mark Evans closed us out by recapping the other speakers and reminding us of our commission as Chaplain to the camps and individual members.

There will be a picture of all of us that was taken before we all departed. It will be in the Jan/ Feb 2025 issue of the Confederate Veteran.

We parted that day renewed, refreshed, and focused on our duties as Chaplains. It was a great experience and I hope it once again becomes a regular event!

I would be remiss if I did not thank Gary Carlyle and Jason Boshers, who both fought to make this event happen. I would also like to thank Adjutant-in-Chief Jimmy Hill who helped them make it possible.

Blessings,

Chaplain Brantley

                                       

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Monthly Meeting for September 2024 - Confederate Memorial Park

A good crowd of members and friends of SCV Camp 1524 gathered on Thursday evening September 12th at the Prattville Masonic Lodge for their monthly meeting.  Compatriot Rob Schwartz provided music playing his guitar and singing before the meeting while everyone socialized.   Commander Grooms got the meeting started providing updates on news for the camp including upcoming events.  Salutes and pledges to the US, Alabama state and Confederate flags were recited led by Dragoon Larry Miller as well as the SCV Charge by Harold.  2nd Lt Karl Wade updated everyone on the upcoming Autauga County Fair and sign-ups for the Dragoons' booth as well as the upcoming holiday season canned food drive for Thanksgiving and Salvation Army bell ringing for Christmas.  Adjutant Wayne Sutherland handed out everyone's latest SCV membership cards to all members present.  Calvin Chapelle who is the curator at the Confederate Memorial Park was the guest speaker.  Calvin informed everyone of a couple upcoming events at the park including the Christmas at the CMP post office and the reenactors Winter Quarters.  Calvin said they have recently hosted a couple of school days at CMP which he very much enjoys.  Plans are still in the works for building a new pavilion at the park where the old one had fallen but they have otherwise replaced the roof on another and washed and painted some of the structures at the park.  Calvin also provided a slide show and stories of the history of the park from its establishment as a Confederate Veterans retirement home showing many photos from the early 1900s of the home and cabins on the property which were all destroyed by fire or razed when the Veteran's home was closed with the passing of the last of the Confederate soldiers and their widows. Calvin indicated they are rotating historic flags with the State Archives to display in the museum at CMP.   Larry Miller presented Calvin with a print of a battle scene from the War Between the States and Commander Grooms presented Calvin with a donation check for $250 to continue the great work CMP does educating the community.  Rob closed the meeting with a Benediction.  

Dragoons of Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Attend Autauga Genealogical Society - The Clotilda, the Last Slave Ship

The Autauga Genealogical Society (AGS) met on Sunday September 15th and had a speaker from the Alabama Historical Commission, Stacey Hathorn, who spoke on the last ship that brought slaves into the United States, the schooner Clotilda, and it happened down at Mobile in July 1860.  The Clotilda brought 110 slaves from Africa into Mobile Bay in July 1860.   For the full history of the Clotilda, check Wikipedia.   It appears the whole affair was the result of a wager between two men, both from the North, one of them a slave trader from Maine who came south in his 20s and made a fortune dealing in slaves.   The AGS meeting was mainly about the Alabama Historical Commission’s efforts to conserve the remains of the schooner Clotilda, so any history given was coincidental and due to questions from those present (14 AGS members). Prattville Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524  Bill Branch and Tyrone Crowley were in attendance as part of the audience.  

SCV Camp 1524 Prattville Dragoon Compatriot Tends Historic Cemetery Grounds

New Dragoon of Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Hubert Champion singlehandedly took care of the grounds maintenance at historic Robinson Springs Cemetery in Millbrook AL today, September 9th.  He brought his riding lawnmower and all his tools for mowing and trimming around all the gave markers and headstones and cleaned up the property of clippings and trash.  A commendable job by one of the camp's newest members who has worked such grounds maintenance projects with the camp and on his own many times previously including headstone repair.  Robinson Springs Cemetery is cared for by SCV Camp 1524 as part of the Alabama Division Guardian program.  

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Chaplain's Column for September 2024 - Jesus is the Peace in Times of Tribulation

"In the world, you will have tribulation;  but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." 

John 16:33

Ever have one of those days? Weeks? Months? Seems like years? One can relate. But Jesus tells us in the above scripture to expect hardship in our lives. Sometimes in our lives as believers we expect an easier path than those who do not follow Christ. But there is nowhere in the Bible that God promises an easy life until the next life. 

In John 16:33, Jesus specifically uses the term, "Tribulation." This is on purpose. Tribulation means to "press together, to compress." In Biblical times, most people would picture someone crushing grapes to make wine. Sometimes tribulations are merely aggravations and inconveniences rather than outright catastrophes. Of course, we as humans may process the little problems as big problems as we seem to forget that our God is bigger than any problem we face. 

But how do we process peace while chaos reigns in our lives? If we go back to John 16:33, Jesus tells us earlier in said scripture that, "These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace." 

Did you catch the contrast? In the world, tribulation. In Me, peace.

When our focus is on Jesus and we're relying on Him, we find peace while enduring crises. 

As writer David Chancey notes, "Jesus spoke these words in the Upper Room on the night before his crucifixion, even as Judas the betrayer slipped out of the room to meet with the enemies of Jesus and plot His arrest."  In other words, He spoke these words of peace to the disciples as he knew His earthly demise was almost upon Him. 

As we know, Jesus would soon be arrested, forsaken by His closest friends and allies, denied, humiliated, tortured, and executed. 

Yet, He experienced peace. So can we. Jesus is the key to this deep, spiritual peace. 

We've all seen the sign on the Church marquee, "No Jesus, No peace. Know Jesus, Know peace." 

Tribulation in your life and in the world is promised, but peace is possible in Jesus because, as Jesus proclaimed, "I have overcome the world." 

Amen.