Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Meeting for February 2026 - Confederate Ancestors

The Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 had two dozen members and guests in attendance at the camp meeting held Thursday evening February 12th at the Prattville Masonic Lodge.  Chaplain Johnson led everyone in an Invocation followed by Color Sgt Leverette leading everyone in the pledges and salutes to the US, Alabama and Confederate flags. Commander Grooms then recited the SCV Charge and provided information for upcoming events including camp officer elections, cemetery flagging, Confederate Memorial Day Division observance and spring picnic.  

For the program, members were invited to share information about one of their Confederate ancestors.  Compatriot Crowley started by introducing everyone to Michael A Crowley from Lowndes who fought in the 15th Alabama Infantry. He broke his shoulder duriung the Battle of Nashville in October 1864 but survived the War. He left his unit unauthorized in order to see his family and was demoted to Private but had a child as a result of his familial visit so it was a blessing ultimately. Sam Reid shared a story of his ancestor George Edward Reid who joined the 23rd Alabama Infantry in 1861 at the start of the War.  Paul Whaley gave a family genealogy back to Benjamin Whaley who rose from a Private to a Captain in the Revolutionary War. His son James fought in the War of 1812.  His son David Moreland Whaley moved from NW Pennsylvania to Texas where he was a candidate for the Do Nothing party in 1858. He was a plantation and slave owner and when the War commenced, he raised a company, part of the 6th Texas Infantry. They traveled on foot from Texas to Mobile to join the fight.  Todd Rogers related his ancestor Albert Thompson who fought in the 46th Alabama Infantry.  Thomas Reinhart had an original Prattville Dragoon, Lazarus Parker as a Confederate ancestor.  Billy Leverette shared Jesse Reid as his Confederate ancestor but that he died of pneumonia in Mobile before seeing battle.  2nd Lt Karl Wade's ancestor, Jasper Newton Wade was born in North Carolina and moved to SE Tennessee where he ran a sawmill.  When the War started, they freed their slaves and sold the sawmill and joined the 8th Alabama Cavalry, part of General Joseph Wheeler's command.  He was a forager in his service.  He made Sgt then was commissioned a Lt and at pone point was commander of Company A of the 8th Alabama.  He survived the War and settled in Decatur where he worked as a carpenter and architect and one local paper credited him as instrumental in helping to rebuild Decatur after the War.  Quartermaste Myrick related 2nd Lt Richard Myrick as his Confederate ancestor.  He was listed as a doctor in an 1860 census at the age of 20; he was enrolled in college (evidently studying medicine) at the time the War started and joined the 22nd Alabama Infantry and was wounded at Shiloh.  Comms Ofc Davis shared a photo of his ancestor, Jeremiah Thompson.  He enlisted at Chattanooga in 1861 and fought under Wheeler and Bragg as a farrier in the 9th AL Cavalry, mustering out in 1865. Compatriot Wayne Sutherland provided Jesse AB Reid as one of his Confederate ancestors who joined the fight in 1862 in the NC infantry including at Antietam. He was paroled in 1865 and returned home where he was a farmer.  BC Waldo shared the story of Joseph Edward Rhodes who enlisted in May 1862 in the Georgia 49th Infantry. He was wounded later in 1862 but after a four month convalescence returned to work the wagon train where he served until his capture at Petersburg and he spent the final months of the War at Point Lookout Maryland as a POW before being released and traveling home to Georgia in June 1865. Adjutant Doug Butler had a nice presentation on William Colley who was 16 when the War started but enlisted upon turning 18 in 1864 and fought in the Alabama 61st Infantry which saw 27 battles in Virginia in the late stages of the War. He too was captured in April 1865 and sent to Point Lookout. After the War he lived near Eclectic AL and is buried near Kowaliga on Lake Martin.  Bill Hamner claimed the only great grandfather who was a Confederate veteran, William Hamner who fought in the 41st Alabama and surrendered at Appomattox; he was a farmer after the War and went on to have nine children.  Treasurer John Dennis' ancestor was Hezekiah Castleberry who was a blacksmith for the cavalry; he had two other brothers who also fought in the War.  Dale Boyles related his ancestor Jesse Boyles who lived near Marion AL. He fought in the Georgia artillery at the Battle of Mobile and was captured and as were prisoners from that battler, sent to Ship Island but escaped swimming twelve miles to the mainland.  Commander Grooms shared a story of the origins of the trumpet/bugle "Taps" which is played at military funerals.  These were stories of glory, courage, sadness, and suffering. It was a treat to learn about the honorable ancestors of our Confederate brothers in arms. 

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 at the Millbrook Revelers Mardi Gars Parade and Festival

The Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 fielded an entry in the Millbrook Revelers Mardi Gras parade and a booth at the festival this Saturday February 7th and it was a great success. The crowds were large, probably larger than in the past and everyone had a very good time.  Dragoons participating in the festivities either by working at the booth, walking in the parade or both included Adjutant Doug Butler, Treasurer John Dennis, Darryl Haywood, Color SGT Billy Leverett, QM Bill Myrick, 2LTCMDR Karl Wade and BC Stuart Waldo.  Also, Chaplain Chop Chop and Sgt Snake of the SCV Mechanized Calvery joned the Dragoons for the parade, riding their Harley Davidsons. The Dragoons were well received both at the booth and in the parade - everyone wanted the mini Battle Flags and candy that we handed out during the parade and at our booth and this year’s Alabama Division poster was a sought after item.  Merchandise sales at the booth were steady all day with flags, ballcaps, car tags, belt buckles and shot glasses emblazoned with Confederate flags all sold to help raise money for the camp's activities. But the main goal to promote the Sons of Confederate Veterans was an outstanding success as always including making a contact interested in joining Camp 1524.  The parade route which ran down Main Street from Mill Creek Park past the Village Green Park (where the festival was held) was lined with thousands of spectators and hundreds of mini-Battle Flags and SCV coins and lots of candy were handed to spectators all along the way.  Treasurer Dennis and BC Waldo carried a Mardi Gras themed camp banner to lead the parade entry, Waldo's family drove the appropriately purple colored Charger decked with a couple window mounted Battle flags, Adjutant Butler and his OCR complement Ms. Johnson wearing a Mardi Gras purple period gown rode in their golf cart which was decorated with Mardi Gras bunting and garland and two large Confederate flags off the back and, the Mech Cav riders brought up the rear guard.  All in all, a terrific day and a successful event. Happy Mardi Gras!

Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Chaplain's Column for February 2026 - Obedience and Service

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103 (ESV).

   My family and I have a nightly ritual of reading and praying through the Evening Prayer liturgy from the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. Part of this liturgy involves reading through the entire book of Psalms every month on an appointed schedule. It is always amazing to me how rich the Psalms are; they always have something that resonates with anything we might be facing in life, and mirror the ways the Godly man interacts with God through his various trials and tribulations.

   About a week ago, we read through Psalm 119 again. The longest chapter in the entire Bible, it takes us about four days to read through. I’ve read Psalm 119 many times over the years, but one thing stood out to me: throughout Psalm 119’s 176 verses, every single verse mentions God’s “word,” “laws,” “statutes,” “judgments,” “testimonies,” or “commandments” at least once. And nearly every time, the Psalmist is looking to God’s commandments as the guidepost of his actions and the source of his strength. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

   Obedience to command is one of the foremost skills every man must learn, no matter his calling or walk of life. Every civilized man routinely obeys something, whether that is his boss at work, his commanding officer in the military, or the laws of his country. And that’s just the human element. To be Godly as well as civilized, a man must obey, not just the commands of his human superiors or the laws of his government, but also the commands of God.

   Our modern ears often recoil at the mention of “obedience.” Many see the idea of obedience as a sign of subservience, as though by obeying we are allowing ourselves to be walked on or taken advantage of. But Scripture (and history) tells us another story. Obedience to God is where true freedom is found. As Martin Luther once put the paradox, “A Christian Man is the most free lord of all, subject to no one; a Christian Man is the most abject servant of all, subject to everyone.”

   The Christian man is called to a life of obedience and service. But obedience and service are not servitude. In serving God, his family, and his fellow man, a Christian man finds a dignity that can be found nowhere else. Think of all the great heroes we admire in history. We admire them for their great acts, for sure; but it isn’t just for the actions alone.

We admire Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and so many others for their brilliant military achievements, sure. But we admire them most of all for what motivated them to achieve those things. All they did, they did in the service of their people and in obedience to what they believed was God’s command to them, to protect their people against the invader of their homeland. And even in defeat, most of them returned to serve their people as well in peace as they had in war. They could have become bitter, violent, lawless men, haters of the Union against which they had struggled so long and seeking its ill forever. But they didn’t. Even in defeat, they refused dishonor and spent the rest of their lives in service to their people, whatever flag flew over them. It is this for which we truly, and rightly, admire them.

   As our fathers obeyed the commandments of their God, their Country, and their brave leaders, I pray that all of us may do the same. Our times are different, but our cause is the same. We face different adversaries, and (thank God) are not yet facing our Brothers across the battlefield again. But our call is the same. The man who loves freedom must love God’s law. The man who loves greatness must seek to serve. “Bear one another’s burdens,” says the Apostle Paul, “and so fulfil the Law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, ESV).

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

From the Prattville Dragoons Camp Dispatch for February 2026:

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

 

Alabama Division Robert E Lee Birthday Celebration – Saturday, January 24^th, 9:30am, Archives, downtown Montgomery

 

Millbrook Mardi Gras Parade and Festival – Saturday, February 7^th, 9am festival start and noon parade

 

Prattville Dragoons February Camp Meeting – Thursday, February 12^th, 6pm social hour, 6:45pm program

 

Alabama Division SCV DEC – Saturday, Feb 21^st , 9am EC meeting at Southern Cultural Center in Wetumpka

 

AL Div SCV Education Conference – Saturday, Mar 28^th, 9:30am, Southern Cultural Center in Wetumpka

 

Children of the Confederacy Confederate Memorial Day – Saturday, Apr 18^th, 10am, CMP

 

AL Div SCV Confederate Memorial Day – Saturday, Apr 25^th, 10am at the state capitol, downtown Montgomery

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Chaplains Column for January 2026 - Humility and Honor

 “Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12 (ESV). 

Everyone loves to receive honor. No matter how great or small your ambitions, it’s always a good experience to be honored, to receive acknowledgement and praise. But honor is a bit of a heady brew, which sometimes can turn the head of even a previously wise man. And as Solomon said, haughtiness of the heart comes before destruction. So what’s the answer? King Solomon tells us: Humility is both the antidote to haughtiness and the forerunner of honor itself. 

It goes against the modern philosophy of achievement, doesn’t it? The world says, “look the best and promote yourself as the best, and you’ll deserve the best.” But God says,  “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11, ESV).

We have just passed through the season of Advent, and, at the time of this writing, are now in Christmastide. This time of the year, we celebrate our Savior, Jesus Christ, Whose Incarnation was an act of humility beyond any other. As the Apostle St. Paul put it, 

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11). 

Our Savior was the ultimate model to us of the Honorable Man. It is His example we should seek to follow in all things. And it is He that we should also honor above all things. But why should we honor Him? St. Paul tells us: because He, being God, humbled Himself to the point of becoming a man, like us, and dying a death shameful even to us, without any reason but His love for us and desire to save our miserable, sinful selves. This unfathomable willingness to humble Himself has earned Him the rightful honor, not only of every man, but of God the Father Himself. 

There is nothing wrong with seeking honor, or even with loving honor. But the way to Honor, as Scripture tells us and as Jesus Christ so beautifully demonstrated, is Humility. Bearing burdens before seeking benefits. Taking responsibility before taking credit. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45, ESV). 

Are we seeking to imitate our Lord and Savior in this area? Are we sincerely trying to do the work, to run the race He has set before us, regardless of how it might affect our dignity, our reputation, or our popularity? Is there any good work that is “beneath us?” Let us follow Christ our King, and pursue the path of Humility, for that, brothers, is the Road to Honor.

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Meeting for January 2026

The Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 held their monthly meeting on Thursday evening January 8th at the Prattville Masonic Lodge.  The camp's new chaplain led everyone in an opening prayer then Camp Commander Grooms went over camp business including upcoming events like the Millbrook Revelers Mardi Gras parade and festival. Next Samuel Johnson was sworn in as our newest camp member. Samuel not only joined the camp but already had stepped up and volunteered to be our camp chaplain and penned his first column for the recent newsletter. We were honored to have Alabama Division Commander, Jimmy Hill, attend our meeting.  He brought news from the Division and informed us of Division upcoming events including the DEC, Robert E. Lee Day at the Alabama State Archives, Confederate Memorial Day at the state capitol and the Education Conference and Reunion, encouraging Dragoons attendance at these events local to Prattville/Montgomery.  The speaker for the evening was compatriot Tyrone Crowley. He read a poem written by Alabamian, Cecil Wingard, entitled “Lee at Jacksonville.” He described the scene where General Lee spoke at Jacksonville, Florida, as he toured the South after Lincoln’s War.  

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans at the Vida Community Christmas Parade

Members of SCV Camp 1524 particiapted in the Vida Christmas parade on Saturday December 20th.  The parade starts at the Vida community Center and proceeds down the main street there and turns back to finish back at the Community Center.  It was a beautiful clear December holiday weekend.  Streets are lined with spectators and the Sons of Confederate Veterans entry is always warmly received. Lots of mini Battle flags, SCV coins and of course candy are handed out to the folks lining the roadway.  2nd Lt Karl Wade, Treasurer John Dennis and his wife Mary Jane, Quartermaster Bill Myrick and Color Sgt Billy Leverette all participated to represent Camp 1524 and the SCV.  After the parade, the locals serve all those parade participants and spectators a wonderful BBQ lunch including great desserts there in the Community Center.  Always an enjoyable holiday tradition.