Placing Battle Flags on Confederate Veterans Graves at Historic Cemeteries as Part of Confederate History and Heritage Month

James and Larry Spears placed Battle Flags on Confederate veteran graves at the Ross family cemetery and the Mount Zion cemetery on Wednesday 22 April. Shown are photos of the Ross cemetery.  A new marker for a Revolutionary War soldier was observed there and James and Larry marked it with a Betsy Ross flag.  The same day, James and Larry marked the Confederate veteran graves at the Mount Zion cemetery just north of Deatsville. Larry and James are outstanding members of the Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524.  James is a World War II veteran  and enjoys paying tribute to Confederate veterans. 

Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Cemetery Workday Observing Confederate History and Heritage Month

Members of the Prattville Dragoons performed a workday at Robinson Springs Cemetery in Millbrook AL on Saturday April 18th as part of the SCV Guardian Program to help maintain the final resting places of Confederate veterans.  Three hardy and determined Dragoons finished up the work at Robinson Springs on Saturday morning, using walk-behind mowers and also placed new flags on the graves.  Camp 1524 members participating on Saturday morning included Wesley Woodard, Lt Cmdr Harold Grooms, and Color Sgt John Dennis as shown in the photo made by compatriot Tyrone Crowley, who was also present and helped with his leaf blower to clean debris off the graves when cutting was wrapping up.  Dragoons also worked at the cemetery on Thursday and Friday including Comms Officer Doug Butler, Quartermaster Bill Myrick and compatriot Larry Spears.  Connor Lee ran his zero turn mower to cut the large areas.   The cemetery looked very good following the maintenance especially with the Confederate Battle flags flying to commemorate April as Confederate History and Heritage month.

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Billboards to Commemorate April as Confederate History and Heritage Month

Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 placed billboard advertisements at two locations in Prattville for the month of April  to commemorate Confederate History and Heritage Month.  These are located at the intersection of Main and Memorial as well as on Hwy 14 approaching I-65.  The billboard ads are a continuing community outreach effort by the camp around special calendar and Confederate holidays. 

Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524 Chaplain's Column for April 2020

Chaplain’s Column  - A Refuge in This Time of Trepidation

The Japanese have an old saying, “may you live in interesting times.” I think these last few weeks, and weeks to come certainly qualify.

       I try to stay off social media as much as possible, but when I do venture forth, I see a lot of fear and trepidation. Interestingly enough, the Christian Post reports that “Record low number of Americans hold biblical worldview (3/31/20).” The two are not coincidental.

       I have been thinking of our Confederate Ancestors during this time, how they suffered the curses of war. Poverty, disease, starvation, and deprivation to name just a few. Read “War Crimes Against Southern Civilians” by Walter Brian Cisco to really get an idea of what they went through (and to get your blood boiling!).

       Yet during the War, thousands of soldiers came to Christ. People met in their homes, even in the woods to hold Church. Our ancestors understood that God was in control and to, “…not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” (Exodus 14:13).

       Take a moment today and read Psalm 91. Read it out loud and “say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, in whom I trust’ (1-2).  GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Remember those on our prayer list.

Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524 Commander's Column for April 2020

Commander's Column –  An Historic Pestilence

Our current situation with this novel coronavirus pandemic is almost surreal.  Just a couple months removed from a booming economy with record low unemployment rates and record highs in the stock market, this epidemic has now infected over 300,000 people in the United States and been blamed for over 8000 deaths.  Worldwide there are over 1.1 million cases and over 64000 deaths as of this writing and the numbers keep climbing.  President Trump has warned that perhaps 200,000 US citizens may die from COVID-19 related illnesses. And the economic impact has been devastating with over 10 million new unemployment claims in the US in the last month.  The stock market has crashed losing over 20% of it’s value and over $11 trillion dollars in market capitalization.  Alabama Governor Kay Ivey just yesterday issued a shelter in place order instructing people to stay in their homes unless in need of food or emergency medical care or working in a critical infrastructure support industry or occupation which puts the circumstances into a very personal perspective emphasizing the impact to our local, state and national economy.  Some of us have never witnessed or lived thru such a tragic tumultuous scenario and loss of life from such a pandemic.

But is this situation without parallel or precedent?  On the radio this morning I heard an interview with an elderly man who was celebrating his 104th birthday and is being hailed as the oldest US survivor of this coronavirus.  https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/104-year-old-american-is-worlds-oldest-coronavirus-survivor  Not only that but Bill is a World War II vet and survived the Spanish flu as a toddler.  The Spanish flu struck worldwide in 1918-1919 and killed (along with associated diseases) an estimated 50 million people worldwide and over 600,000 in America in those years immediately after the War to End All Wars which itself claimed 20 million lives.  https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html In relation to todays population, that would be the equivalent of 3 million Americans perishing from that flu.  The War Between the States claimed over 600,000 lives and it is estimated that fully two thirds or 400,000 of those died from disease and related illnesses such as typhoid and dysentery.  One of my Confederate ancestors, Elijah Hunt was a Private in Co. B of the 15th Georgia Infantry which fought under Benning’s Brigade and survived the campaigns at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Chickamauga but died in a Confederate hospital in Newnan Georgia of such diseases.

We live in a day and time where news in disseminated instantaneously across the globe and the stories and images of suffering and loss of life is brought into our homes and living rooms continuously. We have grown impatient and intolerant of afflictions or conflicts which result in a few thousand deaths let alone millions.  Informational technology and progress in modern medicine surely should yield improved results in the fight against pandemics but the globalist economy and ease of travel greatly expand the reach and rapidity that these diseases can infiltrate every corner of the world.  But we need to keep a perspective on the magnitude of this latest coronavirus and recognize that COVID-19 will not eradicate humanity, that soon this too will be a chapter in the book of history.  Perhaps more than just a passage in those annals as this pandemic has exposed the dangers of an interwoven world economic system and has resulted in speculation of a return to renewed domestic industrial capacity and protective isolationism to a greater degree.   Our Confederate ancestors weathered a terrible storm of war and pestilence and we will survive this.  I encourage each of you to follow the recommendations of the CDC but also your common sense in staying safe and preventing contagion.  Here in April remember too that this is Confederate History and Heritage month and remember their sacrifices and the deprivations and unthinkable environment they struggled thru.  We can sacrifice a little now to keep each other safe and reduce the casualties of this COVID-19 world war in which we are engaged and I encourage each of you to do your part to help your families and your neighbors in this time of calamity.  Stay safe and I look forward to seeing each of you at a celebratory SCV camp meeting soon with this all behind us. 

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter in place orders restricting gatherings, a number of events have been cancelled or postponed.  Please personally observe and commemorate April as Confederate History and Heritage Month.

Upcoming Events

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

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

Prattville Cityfest - Saturday May 9, 2020, Main Street downtown Prattville AL POSTPONED

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

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

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

Prattville Dragoons Flag Setting to Commemorate April Confederate History and Heritage Month

Members of the Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524 met at Oak Hill Cemetery in Prattville on Saturday morning March 28th to place Battle Flags on the graves of all the Confederate veterans buried in this historic city cemetery.  Adjutant Wayne Sutherland purchased a number of new flags and brought cemetery maps which identified the location of all the Confederate veterans laid to rest there.  1st Lt Harold Grooms had the idea to bring sections of small diameter PVC pipe to plant in the ground and provide a uniform stable holder for the flags.  Color Sergeant John Dennis and Quartermaster Bill Myrick also helped lead the volunteer effort which went forward despite the threat of the coronavirus outbreak.  Compatriots Allen Herrod, Tyrone Crowley and new member Darrell Haywood also helped set out flags across the Oak Hill Cemetery.  Following this activity, 1st Lt Grooms and Color Sgt Dennis led a crew which mowed the grass around Indian Hill Cemetery, raked up leaves and branches and placed Battle Flags on the Confederate veteran's graves at this historic cemetery on the west side of Prattville.  Quartermaster Myrick later the same day placed Battle flags on the Confederate veteran's graves at Rocky Mount Cemetery back on the east side of Prattville near Bass Pro Shop.  It was a terrific morning accomplishing an important task remembering these heroic defenders of the Southland and commemorating Confederate History and Heritage month approaching in April.