Prattville Dragoons October Camp Meeting - Bill Rambo Speaks About Confederate Memorial Park

Bill Rambo, site director for the Alabama Historical Commission’s Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury, gave the Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 excellent historical details of Confederate Memorial Park last night as all enjoyed each others company, the meals prepared by Jim’s Restaurant and information about our upcoming events. Commander Waldo passed out several Dixie Bird tickets before the meeting for our Fall fundraiser. We are selling smoked turkeys from Smokin S Restaurant, the same people who provide smoked turkey as part of the catering at our Christmas social.  Some reservations for the camp's Christmas social were also collected. 

Compatriot Rambo explained many features of the old Confederate Soldiers Home which amazed us. The Home was really ahead of it’s time in many respects with lighting using an acetylene system with the gas generated from a calcium carbide charge and running water supplied from a tower filled by a steam engine driven pump, for example.  Bill showed many photos from the early 1900s of the original buildings at the veterans' home including the Memorial Hall completed in 1904, the mess hall completed in 1918, the 25-bed hospital, a dairy barn, a carriage house and a couple of the nine cottages built (with donations from statewide UCV camps and UDC chapters) with four bedrooms in each to house eight veterans.  One photo showed a couple of the first resident veterans with their families and 1LT (called Captain) Jefferson Falkner who founded the home using 40 acres he donated from a summer home of his own there along with additional land donations totaling 102 acres.  The home was dismantled between 1939 and 1940 after the last veteran passed away and there are approximately 320 graves in two cemeteries in the park.  

Bill, as a WBTS reenactor, is extremely knowledgeable about the military tactics of the War Between the States and the history of the Alabama units in the War.  He showed this intimate knowledge by analyzing an illustration which dated from 1880 of a WBTS battle at Lay's Ferry in Georgia, explaining the formation of the Brigade into regimental lines each one carrying their own battle flag.  He also showed an amazing couple of photos from the War taken at Fredericksburg of a Mississippi unit which posed for the Union photographer across the destroyed river bridge span.   

Pictured below you see Commander Waldo; Tyrone and Phillip Edwards enjoying a relaxing visit; a portion of the attendees which numbered about 27 (with three members at the coincident Autauga County Fair manning the Dragoons' booth); Bill Rambo making his presentation; and Bill, Will Dismukes and Commander Waldo posing after the meeting.

1LT Cmdr. Harold Grooms should be commended for providing the camp with very interesting and informative programs and speakers and Chaplain Snowden for his slide show of pictures before each meeting and his thoughtful wonderful prayers which start and close each meeting.