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.
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