Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Commander's Column for April 2019

Commander's Column – Carpetbaggers Today and Yesteryear

The Reconstruction of the 1860s and 1870s demonstrated the intrusion of the federal government into local and state politics and individual liberties.  Confederate veterans were disenfranchised in many states in the years following the War and former Confederate leaders and officials were prohibited from voting.  During this same period, these former Confederates were denied the right to hold public office so the federal government and occupying military effectively placed carpetbaggers in seats of political power throughout Southern states and locales.  Punishing taxes were levied and property confiscated.   Vengeful local police placed in positions of authority by these carpetbaggers inequitably protected citizenry and applied justice.  Rights to freely assemble were curtailed and even to display the Confederate Battle flag was prohibited. 

Today a frighteningly similar Reconstruction has taken hold and threatens our Southern heritage and culture.  Carpetbaggers personified by former South Carolina Governor Nicki Haley have little appreciation of the importance and relevance of Southern history or indeed wish to diminish it as part of a continuing false indoctrination proclaiming the evil of our ancestors and sacred symbols of our people’s struggle for independence and sovereignty.  Nicki Haley started the fire, attacking the Confederate Battle Flag as a symbol of oppression when in fact it is a symbol of resistance to the very government obfuscation and meddling which was levied against it when it was lowered from the South Carolina state capitol.  Antifa and the alt-left militant anarchists grasped onto this vision razing artifacts to Southern and American history, viciously attacking Confederate monuments across the South and the nation and pandering politicians virtue signaled their hearty concurrence. 

With the stampede to fill the Democrat field for the 2020 race for President, the candidates seek to outflank each contender with left leaning socialist-progessive positions.  Most are calling for the repeal of the Electoral College in the aftermath of the 2016 election when Trump won the Presidency despite losing the popular vote due to the blue strangleholds in New York and California.  The Electoral College was designed by the founders to prevent populace sectional strangleholds on federal policy and government and the disenfranchisement of the rural citizenry, so that each state was on equal footing. Sacagawea Elizabeth Warren, exposed for lying about a native American heritage nonetheless stands atop her soapbox demanding an expansion of the Freedmen’s Bureau to provide reparations a century after the last former slaves passed away from the eternally cruel oppressive American earth.  And just to ensure she puts an exclamation on her carpetbagging pandering, the Massachusetts liberal went on the record supporting the redesign of the Mississippi state flag to remove the Confederate Battle flag imagery.  Problem is she stated her conviction in a town hall in the state of Mississippi which has repeatedly rejected this notion in multiple referendums.  But it plays well in California and Massachusetts. 

Even more appalling and bewildering, Tennessee Democrat party chairperson Mary Mancini attempted to garner and rally the progressives in that state by labeling her constituents racists.  To encourage minority candidates, Mancini proclaimed, "We have a little bit of a problem in this state, and I'm just going to say it outright, this is a racist state, a very racist state.  Two out of the three counties in (the Coffee county) area are extraordinarily racist.”  (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tennessee-democratic-party-chair-apologizes-for-calling-state-racist)  Not just identity politics but espousing a bigoted derogatory labeling of citizens based on their zip code, branding them again hopeless deplorable hillbillies as the Democrat party is want to do apparently.  Oh, if you were wondering, Mary Mancini is a modern-day carpetbagger, a New York liberal having “attended” Radio and Televisions Communications Management at Syracuse University making her unquestionably qualified to govern in Tennessee.  Fly your Battle Flag and proclaim your Southern lineage proudly in this Confederate History and Heritage Month and, support political candidates that proudly proclaim their and support your and value the preservation of Southern heritage. 

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Contribute To Wetumpka P. D. following EF2 Tornado Damage

The Prattville Dragoons, Sons of Confederate Veterans, represented by 2nd Lt. Commander Karl Wade and Past Camp Commander Bill Myrick, presented a check for $250 to Police Chief Greg Benton on  Monday, 1 April. The donation was for recovery efforts of the police department after a devastating tornado struck Wetumpka and did considerable damage to the Department’s building. Pictured below, left to right, are WPD Lt. Gumpf, Chief Greg Benton, Dragoon 2nd Lt. Commander Karl Wade, Dragoon Past Commander Bill Myrick and WPD Assistant Chief Reeves.  The donation was warmly received and Mayor Willis also expressed his appreciation.  

This was another example of community involvement by the Dragoons who perform various charitable deeds in Autauga and Elmore counties. These deeds include cemetery maintenance, food pantry donations, Salvation Army collections at Christmas and many other actions that make our communities a better place to live. 

Prattville Dragoon Compatriot Tyrone Crowley Places Battle Flags on Confederate Ancestors' Grave

Using flags provided by SCV Camp 1524 Prattville Dragoons' Adjutant Wayne Sutherland, camp member Tyrone Crowley placed flags on the graves of three ancestors and one other Confederate in Williams Cemetery in Shelby County on Sunday March 31st.   Henry Cauthen Horton of the 18th Alabama Regiment is Tyrone’s 2nd great-grandfather on his mother’s side of the family.  Henry Cauthen Horton is the great-great-grandson of Revolutionary soldier Thomas Cauthen of South Carolina.

Cemetery Workdays for Confederate History and Heritage Month

After placing Battle flags on the Confederate veteran graves at Oak Hill, members of the Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524 moved to Robinson Springs cemetery in Millbrook to do heavy maintenance work and put fresh flags on the 9 Confederates buried there. Compatriot Connor Lee had most of the grass cut with his zero turn mower by the time the rest of the crew arrived. Grass was trimmed around all the the graves in the cemetery, debris and litter removed and, other tasks were performed to make the cemetery look special for April which is Confederate History and Heritage month. The highlight at this cemetery is the grave of Dragoon Lieutenant Samual D. Oliver; there is no Confederate marker at his grave but as part of Confederate Memorial Day, the Dragoons will install a Southern Cross of Honor during a ceremony on  22 April. 

The last item of work on Saturday was the burning of several trash piles at Indian Hill Cemetery in Prattville. This is the cemetery the camp reclaimed from nature and had a re-dedication service in 2015.  A number of workers had already done the heavy maintenance work at this cemetery two weeks ago so this day was only a light clean up and trash burning.   The members who participated in these activities making a busy productive day are to be commended for the work and support given to  to all who came to support this effort. Our Confederate veterans in these 3 cemeteries were given the honor they deserve for their sacrifice and loyalty to the Confederate cause of government as intended by our founding fathers. 

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

National Confederate Memorial Day Program – Saturday April 6th, Stone Mountain GA (replaces

Division Education Conference on this date...postponed til August)

Confederate Memorial Day programs – at State Capitol Monday April 22nd 10am; Dragoons program at Robinson Springs Cemetery for Southern Cross of Honor setting at 6pm  April 22nd

Camp Picnic and Living History – CMP Saturday April 27th with flag setting at 9am

Prattville Cityfest - Dragoons will have a booth on Saturday May 11th 8am-4pm on Main St.

Alabama Division Reunion - hosted by the Montgomery Semple Camp May 31-June 1, 2019

Prattville Dragoons Set Battle Flags on Confederate Veteran Graves at Oak Hill Cemetery for Confederate History and Heritage Month

The Prattville Dragoons, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524, got a head start on April’s Confederate History and Heritage Month by flagging the Confederate veteran graves at Prattville's Oak Hill Cemetery on Saturday March 30.  Members met at 8:00AM at Oak Hill Cemetery where Battle flags were placed at over 80 Confederate veteran graves.   At least 12 members and a couple special guests reported for duty and the flagging was completed in a spirited manner. Camp Commander Stuart Waldo, 1st Lt Harold Grooms, 2nd Lt Karl Wade, Treasurer Billy Leverette, Adjutant Wayne Sutherland, Quartermaster Bill Myrick, Color Sgt John Dennis, and compatriots Larry Spears, and Allen Herrod combed maps provided by Adjutant Sutherland to place flags on all these heroes final restring places.  Commander Waldo's son Cooper proved to be very capable reading the maps.  Tyrone Crowley also stopped by to pick up flags to set at other cemeteries.  Final resting places flagged included at least one Unknown Confederate veteran and some of the original Dragoons who rode off to defend their new country in 1861.  The breeze picked up and showed the beautiful flags fluttering in the wind after the work was completed.  

Dragoons at the Autauga County Bicentennial Fair Event at Jones, Alabama

The Prattville Dragoons were well represented at the final event planned by the Autauga County Bicentennial Fair Committee, which was held at the Jones Community Center in western Autauga County on Friday and Saturday March 9th and 10th.  Dragoon Beir Butler came dressed as an actual dragoon, which means a heavily-armed cavalryman (has sword, pistol, and rifle or musket), and together with Andy Bodenheimer and wife of the Tallassee SCV Camp, kept attendees entertained with explanations of Confederate camp life, punctuated at intervals with actual gunfire.  Dragoon Tyrone Crowley and wife portrayed Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Pratt.  Friday was a school day and Dragoon Beir Butler educated the children about the life of Confederate soldiers showing them the equipment in the encampment set up there. 

Below are pictures of Beir Butler at his tent, saluting after placing a Battle Flag on the grave of Confederate John C Williams (one of five Confederates here, all of whom had flags placed on their graves), sitting at their table with Andy Bodenheimer and wife, and finally dressed as a  Prattville Dragoon.   Pictured also are the Crowleys impersonating the Pratts.

It was a fine weekend, enjoyed by all, and a most proper ending for the Autauga County Bicentennial celebration.  Autauga County Bicentennial exhibits were inside the Jones Community Center and Pleasant Valley Methodist Church, next door.  Five Confederate veteran graves were identified there and flags placed on these.