Prattville Dragoons Complete Cemetery First Spring Mowing and Cleanup

Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 completed the first mowing and cleanup at Robinson Springs cemetery on Wednesday and Thursday March 18th and 19th.  Connor Lee again brought his zero turn mower out first and mowed the majority of the grounds including the larger grassy areas.  Then on Thursday, Comms Officer Doug Butler and Color Sgt John Dennis finished the closer mowing and weed eating to final clean the cemetery.  They maintained their social distance per the CDC coronavirus precautions while performing this great community service work.  It was a long morning of labor to cover the entire cemetery which is the final resting place for a number of Confederate veterans and founders of the Robinson Springs and Millbrook AL communities. The Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524 maintain this and other cemeteries as part of the SCV Guardian program. 

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Meeting for March 2020

Two dozen members of the Prattville Dragoons held a special camp meeting on Thursday March 12th, a field trip to the Alabama State Archives in downtown Montgomery.  A business session was held firstly which included the new camp Chaplain opening the meeting with an invocation and Color Sgt John Dennis leading everyone in the pledge to the U.S. flag and salutes to the Alabama state flag and the Confederate Battle flag.  Commander Stuart Waldo then recited the SCV Charge and then welcomed a potential new member in attendance.

The elections for the officer's positions of commander, lieutenants, treasurer, adjutant and chaplain were then held with all persons running unopposed and receiving unanimous verbal approvals.  The upcoming events including the April living history and picnic at CMP, the Forrest reinterment and National Museum grand opening as well as the Division and National Reunions were highlighted.  A number of announcements including a new communications protocol to enhance channels to the camp were presented.

Then, Commander Waldo presented curator and administrator of the Archives flag collection Ryan Blocker our annual donation, a check for $500 toward the continued work at the Archives of conservation of historical flags and the General Joseph Wheeler uniform.  Ryan gave an update on the total amount of donations received for these two important initiatives and the status and then led everyone on a tour of the Archives climate controlled collection room.  En route one display in the Archives foyer was highlighted which was the contents of a time capsule which was recently opened as part of the state's Bicentennial after being closed since the Sesquicentennial. 

Ryan did a superb job relating the stories surrounding a number of beautiful conserved flags and showed some Confederate uniform clothing and other artifacts culminating with the impressive Wheeler uniform.  One interesting flag Ryan showed the group was the flag known popularly as "The Republic of Alabama Flag", though Archives says it was not officially adopted by the Provisional Confederate Congress.  This flag flew over the Confederate Capitol (now Alabama Capitol) for about a month, from mid-January to mid-February 1861, when it was taken down on 10 February due to damage from high winds.  On one side of the flag is a representation of the Goddess of Liberty, holding in her right hand a sword unsheathed, and in her left, a small flag with one star.  In an arch just above this figure are the words, "Alabama - Independent Now and Forever." On the reverse side is depicted a cotton plant, with a rattlesnake coiled at its roots.  Immediately above the snake are the words "Noli me tangere." Also on the same side, appears the Coat of Arms of Alabama."   The pronunciation of the phrase is something like "NO lee MEH TAHN gah ray" and can be translated as "Touch me not" or, given the meaning of the word noli, "Don't think of touching me".  The phrase Noli me tangere is the Latin translation of what Jesus said to Mary when she tried to touch him after his Resurrection (he spoke to her in his native language, we assume, which was Aramaic).  In the centuries since, it has been used in various ways, but when used by the military of a country it generally means "Touch me not", "Don't Tread On Me", similar to the Gadsden flag. 

Amazing seeing these priceless historical treasures and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Ryan's expert presentation.

Prattville Dragoons Attend Stephen Dill Lee Institute Lectures in Raleigh NC

Dragoons Sam Reid and Tyrone Crowley, accompanied by their wives, attended the annual Stephen D. Lee Institute's 2020 Symposium, held on Friday and Saturday, 28-29 February, at an Embassy Suites hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The Symposium was assisted by the SCV North Carolina Division, represented by its Commander Kevin Stone, who received a thank-you in his opening remarks from the Symposium's organizer, Past National Commander Christopher Sullivan.

            The theme of this year's symposium was “Is the South American?”.  Speakers discussed how the South has been viewed in American history, beginning in the 18th century when it was the home of our greatest presidents and statesmen, and now in the 21st century when it is viewed as alien to the "American Dream" of a "Proposition Nation".  There were threats of a protest against the event; see the note at end of this report.

            Speakers at the symposium were Dr. Jeffrey Addicott, Dr. Marshall DeRosa, Dr. John Devanny, Dr. Sam Mitcham, Dr. Carey Roberts, and National SCV Chief of Heritage Operations Walter D. "Donnie" Kennedy, who was the speaker at the evening banquet. 

            Before offering the invocation, National Chaplain Dr. W. Herman White started the meeting with his usual rousing shout of "Are you proud to be a descendant of a Confederate soldier?"  After the noisy and affirmative response from the 50-60 attendees present and the Chaplain's prayer, the meeting was underway.

            Greetings were offered by National Commander Paul C. Gramling who recognized the new Executive Director at the SCV's National Headquarters at Columbia, Tennessee, Adam Southern.  Commander Gramling urged all present to attend the historic two events which will occur at the National Headquarters on Saturday 23 May:  the re-interment of General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his wife, and the Grand Opening of the SCV National Museum.  The Commander stated that information and updates for this event can be found at MakeDixieGreatAgain.com.

            The first speaker was Dr. Addicott, who posed the question, Why do they hate us?  The answer, in brief, was that we are a distinct people and constitute the most conservative part of this country, so any one who wants fundamental changes must remove our influence on the national culture.  He said Southern culture is based on four pillars:  1) individualism [as Jefferson Davis said, "All we ask is to be let alone"], 2) marriage, 3) family, 4) nationalism.

            Next up was Dr. Mitcham, who has authored the books It Wasn't About Slavery and The Greatest Lynching in American History, among others.  The most interesting point he made was that this "greatest lynching" took place in New York City in 1863, all part of the riots that occurred there in opposition to the War being waged against the South.  Dr. Mitcham also made the interesting observation that the black vote changed from Republican to Democrat in the 1960s, when Lyndon Baines Johnson and others began to promise benefits to the black segment of voters.  Since then blacks have voted majority Democrat.

            The third speaker was Dr. Roberts, a member of the Abbeville Institute, which was also recommended by Dr. Mitcham (https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org).  Dr. Roberts stated that, indeed, Southerners are considered unacceptable by the "elites" who control this country but that indeed all of this country (the "deplorables" in "flyover country") and its history are unacceptable to them, which is why we now see even Thomas Jefferson and George Washington as objects of criticism.  The South is now the object of "vented rage" by groups supported by these elitists.  Dr. Roberts's advice to counter all this was to "build more monuments" and to continue to "tell our story, without shame".  One of Dr. Roberts's closing comments was that Americans' birthrate is too low; they need to have more children.

            After a good lunch of salad and a wide variety of sandwiches with sweet tea of course, attendees heard Dr. DeRosa, a speaker of many years' standing with the S D Lee Institute.  Dr. DeRosa stated that he is a political scientist, first and foremost, so looks to politics for answers to questions.  His main points were that we should not deify (worship) the Confederacy, since it was just another flawed attempt by humans to govern themselves, and it too had its weak points, but that its "beauty" was that it wanted to restore the Principles of 1776 and the original Republic envisioned by the Founders.  He defined injustice as "aggression against rights", adding that the Supreme Court is now the source of much wrong committed against our rights and traditions, as seen in its rulings against prayer in schools and in favor of abortion and same-sex marriage.  One interesting point Dr. DeRosa made was that slaves had legal protection in antebellum courts, and cited as an example rare cases where owners were convicted of murdering their slaves. Dr. DeRosa ended by saying that Americans are all "tax slaves" since they have to, in some cases, pay taxes that they didn't vote for.  He added that we are still too comfortable, and for that reason we don't fight back but instead accept the amazing transformation of our culture in the 21st century.

            The last speaker was Dr. Devanny, who continued with the theme of the conference by discussing the Puritans and their belief that they were a special people whom all others should follow.  They were not believers in liberty and had strict rules that all had to follow in their communities.  Puritans and their descendants were abolitionists because they believed blacks were a "seed of darkness" and should be sent away, out of the country.  Abraham Lincoln shared this view and so was a member of the American Colonization Society, whose purpose was to repatriate blacks back to Africa.  Dr. Devanny said the modern leftists are today's Puritans, in that they accept only their own vision as permissible; all others must be silenced.  An interesting point made by Dr. Devanny was that one motive Andrew Jackson had in removing the American Indians to Oklahoma was so that their culture wouldn't suffer from too much contact with white culture, i.e. so they could maintain their own traditions and culture.

            The day's session ended with an interesting question-and-answer session, with speakers giving their views in response to questions from the audience.  Dr. DeRosa made the observation that our schools don't offer education but rather indoctrination, and it's up to us to offer our children the antidote to that indoctrination.

            The speaker at the evening banquet was Dr. Walter D. "Donnie" Kennedy, National SCV Chief of Heritage Operations.  Dr. Kennedy is most well-known for the book, The South Was Right! which he wrote with his twin brother, Ronald "Ronnie" Kennedy.  Dr. Kennedy spoke about what we can do to "Make Dixie Great Again" and urged all to go to the website MakeDixieGreatAgain.com and support the Southern Victory Campaign.  The website has some interesting videos and information, to inspire us and explain how we can support this effort.  The January 2020 National Commander's video describes the historic events that will take place at National Headquarters on 23 May 2020.

Prattville Dragoons Commander's Column for March 2020 - Endless Attacks Require Tireless Defense

Our Confederate forefathers exhibited an uncommon bravery and valor as well as endurance defending their homes and families in the face of overwhelming odds.  The lengthy defenses of Vicksburg and Petersburg/Richmond are evidence of the determination with which they fought.  The emaciated soldiers who surrender with Lee at Appomattox and the near starvation and deprivations the Confederate soldiers endured illustrate the lengths they were willing to go in their fight for independence. 

Today we are faced with a relentless enemy greatly outnumbering ourselves.  The Marxist progressives have attacked our Confederate monuments and heritage as a broader offensive against our nation’s founding principles and the liberties and Judeo-Christian moral imperatives on which our nation was created and with which we seek to nurture our families.   As has been stated elsewhere, the Confederate monuments were low hanging fruit which they could label as offensive and racist and so communities and universities across the nation allowed the vandalism, destruction and removal of these from the public square.  I read a letter to the editor in the most recent edition of the Confederate Veteran magazine and he stated that he felt these attacks were behind us.  But while the onslaught may have slowed, the vandalism and attacks continue.  The Lion of the Confederacy monument in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta is a recent target where biased distorted markers are planned to contextualize the sacrifice of the Georgia citizens who resisted Sherman’s campaign of terror (except the markers won’t state as much).  Silent Sam was removed recently from the UNC campus and a federal judge revoked the transfer of the monument to the SCV.  

The top U.S. Marine commander announced that all Confederate symbols would be removed from installations worldwide equating and grouping the Confederate Battle flag and references to the great heroes and military leaders of the War of Northern Aggression to white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.  He also stated that his desire was to bring a higher level of education to the Marine Corps in the quality of the individuals enlisted.  He may want to educate himself first and break free of the bondage of his own ignorance regarding the truth of the Cause.  But these revisionists have the soapbox of the main stream media and I noted that for a full week after his announcement, there was a related story released by one fake news outlet after another breaking the story, all in a concerted attempt to keep this on the front page of my news feed.  But, as we knew, Confederate heritage, monuments, and symbols were just the beginning.  Vandals recently defaced Plymouth rock and the Pilgrim Maiden statue in Massachusetts and the Yankees cried, “Why? Why? Why would someone do this?”  She answered her own question partly when she noted that the crime coincided with the 400^th anniversary of the landing of the white supremacists who enslaved the native Indians and desecrated their lands.  (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/17/plymouth-rock-vandalized-graffiti-pilgrim-maiden-statue-damaged/4786255002/)

We have no choice but to continue our fight and struggle against these forces aligned against us.  We must exhibit the same fortitude with which our Confederate ancestors withstood the might of the Union Army possessing superior resources and numbers but lacking the same conviction of truth and the same virtues and principles that Lee’s men possessed and which we also ought love and cherish enough to sacrifice similarly.  As we come ‘round to another year in the SCV, redouble your dedication to this great organization standing for Southern heritage and to your Confederate compatriot brothers in whom the blood passed down from heroes flows as in yourself. 

Prattville Dragoon Compatriot Cleans Local Graveyard with the Old Autauga Historic Society

Dragoons' Color Sergeant John Dennis with the Old Autauga Historical Society cleaned the Jackson Cemetery  located out in the Autaugaville area Saturday morning February 29th.  Following, they discussed another cemetery down the road that had at least one Civil War Veteran and perhaps more. The group stopped by to evaluate it and started cleaning it up too.  They found one grave marker which they repositioned from the foot of the grave to the headstone. Larry Caver of the Historical Society will research a couple names of men interred there to see if they may have served but do not have a Confederate marker. John requested a number of Confederate flags with wooden sticks to place at Confederate veterans' graves when performing this community service project.  

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

Upcoming Events

 

Alabama Division Confederate Flag Day - Saturday, March 7^th, 2020 10am-2pm, Confederate Memorial Park

 

Dragoons Camp1524 Meeting - Thursday, March 12^th, 6pm, Alabama State Archives in Montgomery for business meeting followed by presentation of donation check and tour of flag conservation room

 

Flag Setting for Confederate History and Heritage Month - Saturday, March 28^th, 8am, Oak Hill Cemetery, Prattville AL

 

Living History Weekend - Friday, Saturday, April 24, 25, 2020, Confederate Memorial Park, Marbury, AL; Saturday 9am Dragoons flag setting in the CMP cemeteries followed at 11am by annual picnic

 

Confederate Memorial Day Observance - Monday, April 27, 2020, Confederate Monument, Alabama Capitol

 

Forrest Reinterment and National Museum Grand Opening - Saturday, May 23^rd , 10am-3pm, Elm Springs, Columbia TN

 

Alabama Division Reunion - Friday, Saturday, June 5, 6, 2020, Foley, AL

 

National Reunion - Wed-Sat, July 15-18, 2020, St. Augustine, FL