Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Fall Muster

Friends and family and members of the SCV Camp 1524 Prattville Dragoons gathered on Saturday morning October 25th for their annual fall muster.  The event was held again at compatriot Philip Edward's home which he and his wife graciously opened to allow us to use.  The event includes a picnic lunch and shotgun clay target shooting.  Soon after 10am the shooting began out in back of Philip's house in his expansive property overlooking his pond.  Hand throwers and electric throwers provided a range of trajectories and speeds for the clay targets for plenty of challenge.  At 11am the food was blessed by former camp chaplain Bill Branch.  The ladies present led the charge thru the line which had smoked pork butts, Conecuh sausage, potato salad, cole slaw, beans, corn casserole, chips, and desserts including blackberry crisp, banana pudding, earthquake cake, frosted cake, brownies, key lime pie, cherry dump cake and sweet potato pie.  Too much good food.  Folks present included Commander Grooms, Brigade Commander Waldo and his children, 1st Lt Spears, 2nd Lt Wade and his friend Ed Willett along with his friend, Quartermaster Myrick and his wife Peggy who brought canopies as well as world famous baked beans and the smoked butts pulled, Treasurer Dennis and his wife who showed up first thing and helped set everything up along with Philip and his wife and their friend, compatriot Todd Rogers and his grandson Carson, Tyrone Crowley, Bill Branch and his girlfriend, compatriot Driver, and guests including the Huntzingers from the UDC, guest and prospective new member Samuel Johnson (who proved to be a very good marksman), and Alex Hollon who also brought a friend interested in forming a Clanton SCV camp in the Brigade.  It was a beautiful clear cool (at least started that way) early fall day and a very enjoyable muster.  

New Lighting Installed for Alabama Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Banner Signage at I-65 Battle Flag Site

Dale Hamilton of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Semple Camp installed new flood lighting to illuminate the Alabama Division SCV Banner Signage at the I-65 Battle Flag site near Marbury AL.  A support structure to raise and better display the banner was previously erected by members and friends of the Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524. Dale's great work provides lighting so this banner can be readily seen by passers-by on Interstate 65 where the mega-Battle flag is flown.  Great work by compatriots to enhance this flag site which is much appreciated by travelers driving north and south on the freeway there. 

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 at the Autauga County Fair

The Autauga County Fair was held Tuesday October 7th thru Saturday October 11th and it was a great success. All the attendees passed by the Dragoons information/recruiting booth as they entered the fairgrounds thru the entrance building.  Dozens of mini-Battle flags and SCV coins were handed out to passers-by and a number of items were sold from the Quartermaster's store to raise money for the camp treasury.  At least two contacts were made who may result in new SCV camp members.   Camp 1524 members who helped at the booth included David Brantley, Adjutant Doug Butler, Tyrone Crowley, Comms Officer Eric Davis, Treasurer John Dennis, Jonathan Driver, CMDR Harold Grooms, Lee James, Color SGT Billy Leverette, QM Bill Myrick, Scott Roberson, Todd Rogers and Grandson Carson, 1LTCMDR Larry Spears, Mike Thomas, Louis Turner and SWCBCMDR Waldo and of course 1st Lt Karl Wade was there eac shift and helped coordinate the entire effort.  Perhaps the best worker who made the most positive impression on fair-goers was Scott's Newfoundland puppy who had everyone stopping to pet his head.  Without the hard work of all these compatriots and dedication to this project, it would not have been the successful community outreach it was. 

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Meeting for October 2025 - WBTS Reenacting

The Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 held their monthly camp meeting on Thursday evening October 9th at the Prattville Masonic Lodge.  Commander Grooms opened the meeting with an Invocation and Treasurer Dennis then led everyone in the pledges and salutes to the flags.  Commander Grooms then recited the SCV Charge and highlighted upcoming events including the fall muster and canned food drive and Christmas Social.  New camp member Dale Dellegar was then sworn in and presented with his certificate, a real cuase for celebration.   

Camp Adjutant Doug Butler gave a presentation on WBTS reenacting.  Doug has been involved with reenacting for 30 years and is a Colonel in the SCV Reenacting Division.  He brought his collection of just about everything one needs to be a reenactor.  Center were valuable Enfield and Springfield rifles including one with an engraves Confederate flag on the receiver.  He also had period sabers and bayonets. He showed a box of homemade blank rounds and explained the packing and use of those. He has not only bought period appropriate clothing like jackets and boots and equipment, but he has made many of the articles he uses in the field. He had numerous canvas and cloth ditty bags which held all sorts of miscellaneous things from medicine to string to games including checkers and cards.  He presented period correct canteen, kettle, lantern, stove, tent, skillet, cups, and leather holsters. He made and showed a couple of haversacks and wooden ammunition boxes. Cheats used in a reenactment encampment and hidden from view during the living history or reenactment event included a shovel, hammer, first aid kit, flashlight, lighter, fan, swiss army knife, sleeping bag with air matress and cot and baby wipes which he indicated were especially appreciated.  An amusing portion of the presentation was when he recounted some of the funny questions he has been asked by schoolchildren at living history reenactments including, "Is the fire hot?", " Do you sleep in there (tent)?", "Does it hurt when you get shot (by blanks)?", "Is that gun real?", "Do you get paid for this?", "Is that food real?", "Did you kill that chicken you're eating?" and women are commonly asked, "How do you go pee?".  Good stuff. 

Doug’s enthusiasm and expertise was captivating and inspiring. He made each camp member want to suit up and charge the enemy!

Prattville Dragoons Chaplains Column for October 2025 - Seasons of Life

"The truth is, of course, that what one regards as interruptions are precisely one's life."  

C.S. Lewis 

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Life is never dull. We all seem to be going through something right now or recently. And sometimes it feels like unfortunate events never stop. 

I have recently gone through some stuff with family dealings and conflict, some of which the cuts are old and deep. More recently, I have gone through philosophical and spiritual disagreements with an organization in which I have membership. I have lost some friends recently, what I can only call a "culling" that the Lord is doing in my life. I trust in His vision and path for my future on this. 

All this to say, so what? The C.S. Lewis quote above caught my eye recently and turned me introspective. I have always viewed "something I'm going through" as a "season" or a temporary interruption. But as Lewis points out, what if this is just life? 

We can see in the Bible that many men went through what they thought would be temporary inconveniences- Job, Jonah, Daniel, Moses, and David, just to name a few. But many went through rough times for the bulk of their lives. The Apostles were hated for spreading the Gospel and all but John was martyred. But God redeemed them every time they suffered. All went on to the glory of God. 

The above verse in Ecclesiastes is well-known. There was even a famous song about it in the 60's. It inspires us to get through the "season" we are going through whatever that might be. However, when we look at the calendar every season is merely a continuation of life. Spring and Summer brings us new life and a new energy. Autumn and winter will bring cooler temperatures (praise be!), leaves falling, and shorter, colder days. While we suffer through the cold, dark days of Winter, we yearn for the warm breeze and vitality of Spring! 

And so it is with life. The constant theme through, not merely a period of it, is that Christ walks with us. I have the famous "Footprints" poem in my office to remind me that while God does not promise an easy life, but He does promise to walk beside us, and yes, sometimes even carry us during the darkness in our life. 

What a joy to think about everyday! Every day is a blessing because we have a Savior who loves us and even came and defeated death for us and our Sins! 

Let us remember that in the good days and the bad and then when unfortunate events occur in our lives we know that whatever happens that God is with us in this life and has promised a new life with him beyond death. 

Amen.

Dragoons’ Reenactor in Color Guard for Alabama Division UDC Convention

Prattville Dragoons’ Adjutant Doug Butler along with Reenactment Brigade Commander Jeremy Booth and Trace Johnson of the Tuscaloosa Ploughboys SCV Camp 2312 provided a color guard for the UDC Historical Banquet which was a part of the annual Alabama Division UDC Convention at the Prattville Marriott Sept 11-13th.  The color guard posed with UDC banquet attendees before the program and then posted colors as part of the processional which started the evening’s agenda.  SCV SWC Brigade Commander Waldo’s daughter also brought greetings from the Children of the Confederacy during the recognition of guests.  Alabama Division Commander Jimmy Hill was in attendance representing the SCV and former Commander Carl Jones brought greetings from the SCV and was the recipient of a UDC award recognizing US Armed Forces service members.  Brion McClanahan of the Abbeville Institute gave the keynote speech presenting on modern progressive activist historians contrasting them to historians of the early 20th century who recognized the legitimate contrasting perspectives and positions of those who fought that War. 

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 September Meeting

T he Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 held their monthly camp meeting on Thursday night September 11th at the Masonic Lodge in downtown Prattville.  Commander Grooms led the attendees through the camp business and upcoming events.   Following, the guest speaker was Compatriot Bob McClendon, a member of the Troy SCV camp, Life Member of the SCV and Commander for the Southeast Alabama Brigade. Bob is a living history Reenactor of more than 40 years and author of several articles and books, including "The Definitive History of the 53rd Alabama Cavalry". Autauga County Confederate soldiers, including some Dragoons, were part of the 53rd. He gave a moving presentation on Company K of the 53rd Alabama regiment and reminisces of members from that unit. After the presentation he answered questions and had some of his books available for sale.