The Dragoons of SCV Camp 1524 held their November camp meeting on Thursday evening the 12th at the Masonic Lodge in downtown Prattville. Rob Schwartz played his guitar and sang some great songs before the meeting as everyone was arriving, culminating with Dixie. 1st Lt Grooms provided an Invocation and Benediction in the absence of Chaplain Johnson. Color Sgt Leverette led everyone in the pledge to the US flag and salutes to the Alabama state and Confederate Battle flags. Commander Waldo then recited the SCV Charge and highlighted upcoming events for the camp including all the December Christmas celebratory events. The guest speaker for the evening was Calvin Chappelle who is Director of Confederate Memorial Park and Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson of the Alabama Historical Commission. The AHC was established in 1966 to "Protect, Preserve, and Interpret" Alabama historical places. Confederate Memorial Park was established in 1964 at the site of the old Civil War veterans home in Marbury AL and exists primarily because of the two veterans' cemeteries there, the final resting place for hundreds of soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers who served in the Confederate armies. Jefferson Falkner donated 80 acres for the establishment of the Old Soldiers Home and later turned the property over to the state. Many of the records for the home were destroyed in a 1924 fire at the administration building there and subsequent documentation on the history of the place and its residents was from pension records, the state Archives, private collections, and newspaper sources. Calvin showed photographs from the period of the veterans and their wives on the steps of one of the cottages which served as dorms. He also showed an example of one of the newspaper clippings which described the tragic fall from a ladder and death of one of the residents there at the home. Calvin then discussed the upsoming schedule of events. The April Living History and skirmish will be discontinued and replaced with another event using reenactors to demonstrate music and wet plate photography and other unique historical aspects from the WBTS period. The Winter Quarters is a wonderful event which immerses the reenactors as well as spectators in a camp in Mobile in 1862 including an oyster shucking tent, soldiers' drills, music, sewing, and cooking. In addition to period reenactments, the camp has recently served as the location for the 100 Alabama Miles fitness challenge and a Bird Walk/Watching activity. In 2027 there will be a Cemetery Tour highlighting eight veterans with reenactors protraying the men either during the War or in later years at the home. Improvements at CMP include new pavilions opened, replacement steps and ramp at the chapel, new roofs on the post office and the barracks and removal of dead trees. The wonderful museum there continues to receive on loan/rotation from the state Archives conserved WBTS flags for display from Alabama units. Calvin showed a photo of a recently acquired revolver and a wooden canteen inscribed with the soldier's initials for Henry E Elder who lived at the home after the War. A music book with hundreds of tunes and calls was also displayed. The museum exhibit cases were modified to allow better access to the items for removing and cleaning and replacing them for better preservation. A great presentation on a wonderful Alabama treasure, the Confederate Memorial Park.
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