Prattville Dragoons November Camp Meeting

SCV Camp 1524 held their November meeting on Thursday the night of the 10th and it was very special and enthusiastic. About 40 members, guests and potential members attended to see two new members and a reinstated member sworn in and hear our speaker, Jean Bradley, President of the Cradle of the Confederacy Chapter, UDC. The new members who were sworn in were Dale Boyles and Tate Swanner. The reinstated member was Greg Swanner, who is Tate’s father. Tate’s Mother and sisters were in attendance to witness this memorable occasion. After the Benediction by Chaplain Snowden, pledges and salutes to the flags led by Color Sergeant Morgan, and the reading of the SCV Charge by Commander Waldo, the Commander began the swearing in ceremony and the Chaplain administered the oath. Announcements were then made regarding upcoming events including the Tallassee Armory Guards Reenactment, Prattville Christmas parade and Dragoons Christmas Social.  The canned food drive was wrapped up and announcement of the camp's Salvation Army Kettle Ringing project and the fundraising effort for the SCV National Headquarters Museum were made.  Quartermaster Myrick then made a special presentation for Veterans Day and the birthday of the U.S. Marines Corps.  The camp enjoyed a superb guest speaker, Jean Bradley who is President of the Cradle of Confederacy Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.  

President Bradley explained the community involvement of the Cradle of Confederacy Chapter and expressed a willingness to mutually cooperate with us in our efforts to promote the Confederacy. The UDC was established in 1896 and the Cradle Chapter was the founding chapter of the Alabama Division of the UDC. The chapter currently has 68 members.  One of the initiatives of the Cradle of the Confederacy Chapter is the annual award of a scholarship to a graduating senior of Confederate descent. Monthly chapter meetings are held at the Montgomery Country Club.  Recent projects include the donation of books to the Tuskegee VA hospital and delivery of baked goods to local area police and fire departments.  

Mrs. Bradey also detailed the service of two of her Confederate ancestors Thomas Hill Watts and Daniel Shipman Troy.  Troy served in the 60th Alabama Regiment and was wounded in Hatchet Run in Virginia.  He was shot while holding the flag of the 59th for which he was voted command by his fellow soldiers.  He fell on the field of battle and was rolled over by soldiers looking to steal belongings on his person and this perhaps saved his life.  A red scarf he had and was taken was returned to his family many years later by the surgeon who had worked the POW hospital.  The Union private who had shot him was actually awarded the Medal of Honor but Troy's family eventually was able to tell him that he was not killed in battle.  He was taken to Washington DC after he recuperated from his wounds and saw the work of the Sisters of Charity as he convalesced and he subsequently converted his family to Catholicism after seeing the Sisters great charitable work.  

Mrs. Bradley discussed the interviews for the "Capturing Montgomery History" video for which Camp 1524 and the Alabama Division SCV made donations for the production.  This documentary will air on PBS and parts will be made available to area schools for education programs.  Mrs. Bradley invited the ladies in attendance to attend a UDC meeting.  This fall the Cradle of Confederacy Chapter will help sponsor the Children of the Confederacy National Convention.  Further, Mrs. Bradley expressed the desire of the UDC to work together on projects including the Camp 1524 Dixie Butt Sale, parades and contacting our representatives for the Memorial Bill.  

New Members

Mrs. Bradley

The First Thanksgiving in America, President George Washington and Jefferson Davis' Thanksgiving Proclamations

This month we celebrate a national Thanksgiving Day. Few today actually know what that means I’m sad to say. Many think of football, turkey and dressing, and overeating. We in the South have been greatly blessed and should, like our forefathers, be first in thankfulness to God. Over four hundred years ago in Jamestown there were devout prayers of thanksgiving for safe deliverance in a tedious ocean crossing on May 13, 1607.

There were many firsts in the history of Thanksgiving in this land and among its inhabitants. Please consider some of them with me!

America’s first official Thanksgiving was at Berkeley Plantation on the James River in Virginia. When the colonists reached Berkeley Hundred on December 4, 1619, in what is now Charles City County, they held a religious service on shore to thank the Almighty God for safety and good health. The service was simple in form and was held under the pine trees. The captain of the Margaret was charged by the London Company with the injunction,

We ordaine the day of our ship’s arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.

The first presidential proclamation was by a Southerner, a Virginian, the father of our country, on January 1, 1795,

I, George Washington, President of the United States do recommend to all religious societies and denominations, and to all persons whomsoever, within the United States, to set apart and observe Thursday, the 19th day of February next, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, and on that day to meet together and render sincere and hearty thanks to the great Ruler of nations for the manifold and signal mercies which distinguish our lot as a nation … and at the same time humbly and fervently beseech the [same] kind Author of these blessings graciously to prolong them to us; to imprint on our hearts a deep and solemn sense of our obligations to him….

President Jefferson Davis of the Confederate States of America gave A Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1861,

WHEREAS, it hath pleased Almighty God, the Sovereign Disposer of events, to protect and defend us hitherto in our conflicts with our enemies as to be unto them a shield.

And whereas, with grateful thanks we recognize His hand and acknowledge that not unto us, but unto Him, belongeth the victory, and in humble dependence upon His almighty strength, and trusting in the justness of our purpose, we appeal to Him that He may set at naught the efforts of our enemies, and humble them to confusion and shame.

Given under hand and seal of the Confederate States at Richmond, this the 31st day of October, year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty one.

By the President, JEFFERSON DAVIS

Southern history is replete with public and private expressions of thanksgiving to the Triune God of the Bible. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:18). How do we describe or define thanksgiving? Thomas Brooks, a minister in the 1600’s, wrote a definitive statement,

Thanksgiving is a self-denying grace; it is an uncrowning ourselves and the creatures, to set the crown upon the head of our Creator; it is the making ourselves a footstool, that God may be lifted up upon His throne, and ride in holy triumph over all; it is a grace that gives God the supremacy in all our hearts, thoughts, desires, words, and works. Self-love, flesh and blood, and many low and carnal considerations may carry men to pray, and hear, and talk, etc. The whip may work a shame to beg, but thankfulness is the free will offering of a child. There is nothing that so clearly and so fully speaks out your sincerity and spiritual ingenuity, as thankfulness does. Therefore, weak saints, if you would have a substantial evidence of your sincerity and spiritual ingenuity, be thankful for a little grace. The little birds do not sip one drop of water, but they look up, as if they meant to give thanks, to shew us what we should do for every drop of grace, etc.”

“Stonewall” Jackson made it a practice in his Christian life to always give a prayer of thanks to the Lord when he lifted a drink of water to his lips. Paul said, “in every thing give thanks.” Do we have the attitude of thanks that we might show the Lord proper gratitude? We should be very thankful and give thanks especially for our Redeemer and King the Lord Jesus Christ. “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

(from SCV Alabama Division Commander Jimmy Hill and former Commander Gary Carlyle)

Happy Thanksgiving from the Prattville Dragoons

Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 coordinated a canned food drive as part of our seasonal community service initiative.  Members of the camp brought canned and dry goods to camp functions over the past couple months.  Compatriots Karl Wade, Stuart Waldo and Louis Turner brought bags of food but most every member attending the camp meetings leading up to and including the November event brought many cans of vegetables and dry rice, beans and pasta.  A total of 362 pounds of food were donated and gathered by the Dragoons and Adjutant Sutherland acted as the primary contact and stored the food til the day it was delivered.  The food was taken to the Autauga Interfaith Care Center in downtown Prattville.  AICC provides a food pantry and as well as a thrift store for needy families in the Prattville/Autauga County area and partners with dozens of local churches to extend these goods to those in need while delivering a message of Christ's grace.  The canned food drive was timed to coincide with the Thanksgiving holiday season and will be an annual event for the Dragoons.

Adjutant Sutherland and Commander Waldo with Stored Food in the Adjutants Garage

AICC Volunteer Helps to Unload Food at the Food Pantry in Prattville

Autauga County Heritage Association Photo ID Day at Hancock Bank, Prattville AL

The ACHA is overseeing the preservation of the Daniel Pratt/Continental Gin Company archives.  On Tuesday, December 6 the Heritage  Assn. is having an event at Hancock Bank to encourage long-time local citizens and former gin company employees to come and assist in identifying local people in the hundreds of photos we have collected from the gin company. 

We feel we have a narrow window of opportunity to do this as many of the former employees are no longer with us.  In addition to identifying the photos, we are digitizing, cataloging and preserving the photos.

As Prattville no longer has a viable local newspaper to get the word out,  the attached flyer is meant to share the announcement of this event with friends and neighbors, businesses and local organizations!  One of your friends may have a father or mother that worked at the gin company and the intent is to get as many to this event as are interested in this preservation work and can help in identifying the subjects of these photos.  Please help us spread the word!

Thank you for your assistance,

Ann Boutwell

Yankee

'Yankee'

We use the term 'Yankee' in the same manner which our fathers and mothers did...with disgust and loathing.
We'd like to offer an explanation of what a Yankee is and who it fits.
First of all 150 years ago, the county was for the most part separated in ideology geographically. The North was one people because of their nature and their goals. The South was another type of people because of our nature and our goals. Both sides came together in the American Revolution to accomplish a specific purpose, and were successful. But, we digress. However, we were NEVER the 'same' type of people.

A Yankee is someone who canNOT mind their own business. They canNOT. They can't mind their own business because they are self-righteous and 'better' than everyone else. Due to this mindset they MUST CHANGE EVERYTHING that they see 'wrong'. And dear God, there is much they see 'wrong' and always in places where it's none of their business.
They LOVE to pontificate and tell everyone how much smarter they are, how right they are, and they believe they always have the upper hand in 'moral authority'. They are know-it-alls. Their way is the ONLY way, because of their inherent self-righteousness. If they happen to call themself a Christian, they are never willing to let the Living God work anything out. They are impatient, and always try to manipulate His will.

You can always tell a Yankee by one way. If they move to your city or neighborhood, and they see something they don't like, they set out to change it IMMEDIATELY. Especially if it was always been done that way, or if it was there before them.
Case in point is a Yankee we know, who moved to a particular neighborhood and saw a CBF flying. It has flown in this location for some 25 years. He IMMEDIATELY said that 'thing' needs to go. When asked why, he explained that the neighborhood was 'diverse' now and it was an offense to different people. Mind you, NOBODY ELSE EVER SAID A WORD ABOUT IT. Nor did anyone complain as they moved to the neighborhood. Any newcomers to the neighborhood knew that flag flies. When told the flag has been there for over 25 years and way before he showed up, he remarked it didn't matter. He is a Yankee, you see?

A Yankee is a control-freak, they can't help it. They can't help it because of their number one fault in thinking that the Living God needs them to fix everything they see wrong. They explain away His Word by calling it archaic, and so they change it with varying translations that keep changing with social mores. Which goes back to that self-righteousness thing. They actually think they know more than God, if they happen to believe in Him at all. They believe He needs their help to do the right thing because if He knew the right thing He would do it.
They are inherently self-righteous, you see? They don't NEED Him.

Now in our day, many Yankees are atheistic and have just about done away with Him, but 150 years ago they needed His Name, so they used Him, and that mindset just happened to have been, for the majority, in the North. They have always been humanistic and humanists. Some Yankees have just done away with the Living God and made themselves God....they are 'religious' sometimes when it is necessary for the masses.
However, the lingering trait of a Yankee is the fact that he thinks he is a better person than you....he is a 'good person' and he will tell you in a blink why he is better than you particularly if you happen to be in a discussion about how much government is too much, such as seat belts being mandated. Wearing a seat belt IS a good idea, but we don't happen to believe it is the government's job to MAKE us wear it. If you think it is the government's job, you might be a Yankee.

We have many Northern friends and even 150 years ago many Northerners joined the Southern army. Conversely, many Southerners joined the Union and we called them HOME YANKEES. And yes that term was/is just as filled with loathing and disgust as the other and probably more so if the truth be known. They were traitors, whom we call 'turncoats'.

What we're trying to say is "Yankee" is a mindset today and not a geographical location above the Mason-Dixon line. We have home Yankees also known as scalawags and they are in the upper echelon of both Sons and Daughters.
The bottom line is, don't think just because one is from the North, that means one is a Yankee. Not so any more.

Southern Historical Society

Decatur GA Confederate Sights

Recently visited Decatur GA with my wife as she had an event at the downtown library there so this afforded me some time to look around the area for Confederate historical sites.  Decatur has a quaint Southern downtown area with many cafes offering all imaginable cuisine while the city hall and library anchor the tidy neighborhood.  About the city hall grounds were a number of historical markers including one detailing Confederate General Wheeler's successful attack on a Union supply wagon train as well as another detailing Union General Stoneman's raid to detroy railroad supply lines in support of Sherman's advance on Atlanta and his subsequent surrender to Confederate General Alfred Iverson Jr. despite having superior forces in number.  On the back side of city hall near the Stoneman historical marker is an obelisk monument with inscriptions including, "Erected by the men and women and children of Dekalb County in memory of the soldiers and sailors of the Confederacy of whose virtues in peace and in war we are witnesses to the end that justice may be done and that the truth perish not."  In the front of the city hall on a park bench on the thoroughfare there is a statue of Thomas Jefferson and an adjacent plaque which provides a quotation from this founding father endorsing a limited government to encourage life and liberty.

Prattville Dragoons Chaplain's Column for November 2016

Chaplain’s Column: Honor Your Heritage
Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17
The 5th commandment of the 10 commandments, tells us to honor our father and our Mother. The word honor means… To give them respect. I once heard someone say that the history of a conflict is dictated by its victors. Not only are we hearing false information about the battle for Southern Independence, we are slowly being taught to feel shamed by the generations before us. I think God blesses the people that honor their Mom and Dad. This is pointed out in the Bible. That would include our great and our great, great Grandfathers and Mothers before us.

This passage in the bible is even more about a people who honor their Mothers and Fathers. One of the tell-tale signs of a country that has become brittle is when honor has been replaced with fame and fortune and other misguided directions. We need to teach even our children to honor their parents. We need to tell them that we are part of an amazing story. You see, as children honor their parents it will help them build into themselves a moral compass, a form of deep rooted meaning of belonging to the family which should lead to a deep rooted pride and self-esteem in each of us.

I believe the southern people are being cleansed of our history and shamed of our past. This has created in us a lack of a necessary deep rooted self-esteem and we are losing our moral compass as well. That deep rooted meaning of belonging to the family of a proud southern American heritage is leaving us. I believe this is also happening to our Country as indicated when we see people not respecting our National Flag or the playing of the National Anthem. We must fight as members of the SCV to keep this precious history alive. If we honor our past and honor our heritage and tap into the
power of our roots, Gods going to bless us. You see this is God’s will for us.

We must start honoring our heritage because it is not just your story but it is their story too. Even if these people are dead you still need to honor their memory, their story and their work. There is built in every human being a need to honor the generation before us. You see we can be proud of being part of a story that is bigger than just me. Our life matters and we are part of a history that is much bigger than just little old me. Praise God for our southern heritage!

It is my prayer that everyone has a blest Thanksgiving and please remember those on our prayer list: