Sunday, January 31, 2016

Alabama Division SCV Robert E. Lee Birthday Celebration at the Alabama State Archives

Robert E. Lee's birthday ceremony sponsored by the Alabama Division SCV was attended by about 300 people, including at least 13 Dragoons who brought family and friends. 

Lively period music was provided by the "Unreconstructed" band. Division Commander Gary Carlyle welcomed everyone and, he and other Division officers presented the state Archives curator Bob Bradley with a check for over $5000 for Confederate regimental flag conservation. A period color guard posted the colors before Division Chaplain provided an invocation at the beginning of the program.  Greetings were conveyed by representatives from the Order of the Confederate Rose, Children of the Confederacy, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Military Order of the Stars and Bars, Alabama Division Mechanized Cavalry and from CiC Barrow. 

David Chaltas of Kentucky portrayed Robert E. Lee from the time period just before The War until his death. David did an exceptional job presenting Lee's inner turmoil and feelings about his personal struggles and those of his new country.  Dixie was exuberantly sung by the attendees at the conclusion of the program.


After the indoor ceremony, the crowd retired to the Confederate memorial monument on the capitol grounds. There the four Confederate flags that had been displayed around the monument (until the current Alabama governor unceremoniously had them removed) were presented and posted at each corner of the monument as they had been displayed for years. A rifle salute was fired. The program was well organized and presented.





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