Mississippi Commemorative License Plate of Nathan Bedford Forrest

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour won't denounce the proposed new Confederate state license plate.  The plate would honor Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan.  Mississippi NAACP president Derrick Johnson said it's "absurd" to honor a "racially divisive figure" such as Forrest.  Forrest, a Tennessee native, is revered by some as a military genius and many believe him to be the preeminent cavalry officer of the War Between the States.  His legendary tactics and the history of his exploits are still studied by military academics.  Sons of the Confederate Veterans member Greg Stewart told the Associated Press last week he believes Forrest distanced himself from the Klan later in life.

In fact, Forrest helped organize the Klan to resist and counter the martial law and the predatory criminal carpetbaggers but that he denounced the violent extremists and actually called for the Klan to be disbanded when he believed it had served it's purpose as a protective political military organization.   That NAACP guy cracks me up.  Let me see, he is head of the Mississippi NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE.  Doesn't that define divisive separatism?  Need anyone say anything further?  What a joke.  Perhaps some suggested reading for him - he needs to refer to Forrest's biography and accounts of how blacks valiantly fought under his command.   Here's a  good read - http://www.freeinfosociety.com/article.php?id=184.

Confederate Heritage Rally - Montgomery Feb 19th

From the event website - http://www.confederate150.com/2011.html.

Confederate Heritage Rally 2011

Alabama State Capitol, Montgomery AL
Saturday February 19th, 12 noon

Activities to include-

   -Heritage March up Dexter Ave to the Capitol

   -Speeches from leaders of descendant organizations

  - Remarks from prominent officials

  - Re-enactment of the swearing in of Jefferson Davis

  - Re-enactment of the raising of the first Confederate Flag

  - Firing of Rifle and Cannon salutes

  - and more

Order of Events.

The Parade will line up at 10am.

Marching begins at 11am

Program at Capitol begins at Noon.

Opening Prayer

Welcome by MC

Guest greetings

Alabama Division Commander

Army Commanders

Lt CiC

CiC

Keynote

Inauguration of President Davis

Firing of Salutes

Raising of First Confederate Flag

Firing of Salutes

Prayer

Dixie!

Parking: Right be hind the Embassy Hotel is a city parking garage that is available and is free on

weekends. This is only two blocks from the line up. Buses can drop off participants there. Parking for buses is being arranged to be in the lots directly behind the Capitol.

Hotel Information: Host hotel-Embassy Suites

                                  300 Tallapoosa Street

                                  Montgomery, AL 36104

                                   (334) 269-5055

Related Events

On Friday night the Alabama Division will host a pre-inauguration gala for the attendees

that have come into Montgomery prior to the Saturday festivities. Kracker Dan will provide

the entertainment for the evening as the Division welcomes everyone to Montgomery!

The Friday night event will be held at our host hotel, the Embassy Suites on

Tallapoosa Street.

Saturday night there will be a banquet held at the Embassy Suites as the final event of the weekend.

The speaker for the banquet will be named after January 1st. Tickets for the banquet are limited to 200 total seats and are priced $50 single and $75 for a couple and need to be paid for in advance. Remaining tickets, if any, will be available at the door. Again

seating is limited. To order tickets, send a check made out to the Alabama Division SCV. Mail it to:

Alabama Division.

PO Box 341

Tanner, Ala. 35671.

Seige of Vicksburg

Wanted to revisit our visit to Vicksburg to relate some of the amazing and shocking stories which was the Siege of Vicksburg of 1863.  The residents of Vicksburg withheld the assault of Grant and his artillery for over forty days, living in caves dug from the hills overlooking the Mississippi River.  In these caves, they slept, ate, and carried on their lives as best they could, even holding regular church services.  Even after the tens of thousands of artillery shells fell on their city and laid it largely to ruins, only twenty civilians were counted as casualties by the time Gen.Pemberton was forced to surrender the city.  The natural defenses of Vicksburg were formidable and allowed Pemberton and his troops to repulse Grants repeated attacks and attempts to storm the city and effectively create a stalemate and force Grant to lay siege.  Pemberton, his troops and the civilians tragically were cut off from reinforcements and supplies and were literally starving and relegated to eating dogs, mules and even shoe leather to survive.  Disease spread in some part due to Grant refusing to retrieve and bury his own dead soldiers.  Despite far fewer casualties, Pemberton was forced to negotiate terms, refusing unconditional surrender and instead achieving parole for his troops, many of whom returned to fight again in other theaters and battles.  The arrogant drunkard Grant moved into the city on July 4th and occupied it with Federal troops and one of his first orders resupplied his stores of alcohol to quench his habit.  His troops terrorized the haggard civilians with many reported and unprosecuted rapes and even murders.  Homes in and around Vicksburg were ransacked and pillaged.  This twisted compassion for their alleged fellow citizens and truly their brothers and sisters, a sad foretelling of the martial law and carpetbagging which would follow two long years after.  Many works have been written about the Siege of Vicksburg and this was in no way meant to capture the entire story but the impression made on me after viewing the displays and artifacts of the Old Court House Museum was one of a stark tragedy, of the brave residents and defenders of Vicksburg and, the repulsive manner in which the victors waged their war and occupation.

Montgomery Celebration of Jefferson Davis' Inauguration

Invitations to the parade, reenactment and celebration of Jefferson Davis' inauguration as President of the Confederate States of America.

___________________________________________

Gentlemen,

It is my sincere hope that you will be joining the Ala. Division and the
National SCV in Montgomery NEXT Sat.

The Charge of SD Lee calls us to defend the Confederate Soldiers good
name. That name is being attacked by the media and the education system at
every opportunity. This will not be a commemoration, but a Celebration of our ancestor's HONOR.

Sat. night, after a day of visiting the sights in Montgomery, there will be
a Banquet at the Embassy Suites next to the Train Station. Please see
information below. The Banquet is being put on by the Alabama Division, and
I fully encourage you to support this banquet. It is a fine opportunity to
meet SCV members from across the Confederation.

I hope to see you there.

Deo Vindice,

Robert Reames
Alabama Division Commander

________________________________________________________

Tickets are still available and if you are interested please email me at
_tomstrain@bellsouth.net_ (mailto:tomstrain@bellsouth.net) so I can put
your name on the will call list. The prices are $75.00 per couple (man/woman) or $50.00 per individual. You may also mail me a check at this address P.O. Box 341, Tanner, AL 35671. 

Deo Vindice,

 
Tom V. Strain Jr
AoT Commander
1st Lt. Commander
Alabama Division, SCV

Vicksburg Reenactment of Jefferson Davis' Departure for Inauguration

The event in Vicksburg commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the departure of Jefferson Davis for Montgomery and his inauguration as President of the Confederate States of America was a great one.  The event was held at the Old Courthouse Museum overlooking the river and the museum exhibits and artifacts were excellent.  The Museum was adorned with period flags including the Stars and Bars - see attached photograph. We spent well over an hour perusing the rooms including the Jefferson Davis room adjacent to the courtroom upstairs.  The numerous flags, journals, clothing, weapons and artillery and rifle shells were fascinating.   Just after 1pm, hundreds of reenactors and spectators gathered on the front lawn of the Museum and then at 2pm Jefferson Davis arrived to applause and cheers.  The Mayor said a few words followed by Davis who showed graciousness but determination in his message to those assembled.  Following the speech the detachment of Mississippi militia provided a salute with arms (see attached photograph) and then paraded in review.  Following the speech and review, a reception to meet and greet Davis was held in the court room complete with a delicious assortment of sandwiches, sweets and Jeff Davis Punch.  A rousing start to the historical week culminating with a Confederate rally and parade and reenactment of Jefferson Davis' inauguration in Montgomery.  The camaraderie shared with my learned traveling companions made the 10hr roundtrip from Prattville/Montgomery thoroughly enjoyable.  We thought about how easy we had it reflecting back on the week long journey Jefferson Davis made 150 years ago to travel to the same destination we made in a long day.

Mississippi SCV Sesquicentennial Event - Jefferson Davis Leaving Vicksburg

Tomorrow, Saturday February 12, 2011, is an important event in this year's celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the Confederate States of America.  Tomorrow in Vicksburg Mississippi, the departure of Jefferson Davis from his home to travel to Montgomery AL for his inauguration as the first and only President of the Confederate States of America will be commemorated with a reenactment at the Vicksburg Old Court House Museum.  The crowds will start to assemble by 1pm and at 2pm Jefferson Davis will arrive by horse drawn carriage.  Following his speech, there will be a reception in the Museum to meet and greet "the President" and admission will be $2 per person.  This is a commemoration of an enormously historic event as Davis was to leave to lead the Confederacy from it's inception thru the War Between the States, not return to Vicksburg for seven years.  Try to make this as it is sure to be a great time and don't forget a week hence the reenactment of Jefferson Davis' inauguration in Montgomery.  Here is the Mississippi Division SCV website for further information - http://mscivilwar150.homestead.com/Home.html.

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 February Meeting

Great meeting tonight where two new members to the Sons of Confederate Veterans were sworn into the Prattville Dragoons.  There have been some solid additions to the camp over the past few months. Then Bob Bradley from the Alabama Department of Archives gave a wonderful speech and presentation of historical flags of the Confederacy.  He graciously discussed the tremendous work he has done for flag conservation specifically for historic flags of Alabama and the Confederate States of America - the Archives has the third largest collection of flags of the CSA and the single greatest number of the varied period flags which represented the different states, armies, militia as well as those of the Confederate States of America during the brief history of the CSA.  Representative sample flags were shown including the First National Flag which was the true stars and bars, the Second National Flag (also known as the Stainless Banner) and the Third National Flag of which there are few remaining examples as it came into existence shortly before the end of the War Between the States and the existence of the CSA itself. Various renditions of the Battle Flag with the St. Andrews Cross were shown including fascinating details about the flag material construction. The beautiful Alabama Secession Banner was the first flag presented.  Bob was recognized as a treasure by members of the Prattville Dragoons for his tremendous preservation work and knowledge of this important piece of history of our forefathers and the Confederate States of America.  A $500 check was presented to help continue with the continued work for the flag conservation.