12th Annual Confederate History and Southern Heritage Festival in Wetumpka

On Saturday May 11th from 9am til, the William Lowndes Yancey Chapter of the League of the South will hold the 12th annual Confederate History and Southern Heritage Festival in Wetumpka at the League building at 12814 US Hwy 231 at the 168 1/2 mile marker north of Wetumpka.  Festivities will include the Hwy 280 band playing for everyone's entertainment, speakers, mule plowing demonstration, mule and wagon rides, Confederate reenactors, antique cars, space walks for the kids, craft vendors making handmade wares and food and drink including lard and cracklin cooking.  The group found that the month of April had many conflicting events it being the state proclaimed Confederate History month so for scheduling concerns as well as to take advantage of better weather, the event was moved to May 11th this year according to Mike Whorton, President of the Chapter. Further, Mike explains the event is held to honor the sacrifice of Southern families and the thirty thousand Alabama Confederate soldiers who died for Southern liberty.  Mike reminds us that we should never forget to embrace our Southern heritage especially during the continuing celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the War for Southern Independence.  The following provides some images from the flyer for the event.

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Meeting for May

From the Dragoons Camp Dispatch newsletter:

                May Meeting – Prattaugan Museum Visit 

For our May meeting on Thursday 9 May, we will meet and eat as usual at 6 p.m. at Shoney's Prattville, then will go to Old Downtown Prattville for a visit to the Prattaugan Museum/Heritage Center.  The Museum has an important connection to the Dragoons, because the initial meeting that resulted in the recruiting of the young men who formed the Prattville Dragoons was held in the front room of the house that is now the Prattaugan Museum.  This room is called the "Dragoon Room" and offers displays of Confederate paraphernalia.  Our audio version of the "History of the Prattville Dragoons" plays on a computer over in the corner, for visitors to hear.  We will also get a tour and look at the other rooms and exhibits in the Museum.  If you haven't been to Prattville's charming little museum, this is your chance.  Our guide for the tour will be Museum Director Rachel Deaile (dee A lee).  The Museum is located at 102 East Main Street in Prattville, and the phone number is 361-0961.  If you don't want to eat that night, just come to the Museum at 7 p.m.

Prattville Dragoons May EC Meeting

The Executive Committee for the Prattville Dragoons including Adjutant Wayne Sutherland, Chaplain Tom Snowden, Communications Officer Tyrone Crowley and Commander Stuart Waldo attended the EC meeting on Monday evening.  The Chaplain provided magnificent opening and closing prayers.  The following outlines the agenda:

            1.  CityFest went well.  We gave out two gross (twenty four dozen) small 3x5" Battle Flags.  We sold $72 worth of 3x5' Battle Flags and CDs which will be deposited in the Camp Treasury.  David Brantley has what little is left of Quarter Master stores.  Although there is no reason to replenish stores immediately, we believe an additional gross of the small flags (and additional larger flags for sale) should be gotten for the next Cityfest.

            2.  Stuart and Tyrone plan to drive down for the SCV Alabama Division Reunion on 8 June in Foley AL.  I-65 Flag Chairman Larry Spears will already be down there, so can attend as a Dragoon.  Brigade Commander Bill Myrick will likely attend and Quartermaster David Brantley has also confirmed he will be there all weekend with his wife.  2nd Lt Chris Booth is tentative.  The events on Saturday June 8th include business meetings and a luncheon as well as a memorial service at the Confederate Rest Cemetery.  Deadline for registering is Friday May 10th.

            3.  A visitor from the Semple Camp will attend Thursday's Dragoon camp meeting which will include a tour of the Prattaugan Museum downtown Main Street, Prattville at 7pm (following dinner at 6pm at the regular Shoney's meeting place).  

        4.  The Dragoons Treasurer reported the balance for the camp treasury and funds for a set of new printer cartridges was appropriated and Wayne indicated he would follow up with the AL Division on the reimbursement for the flags purchased for the Confederate Memorial Park flag setting conducted in April.   

            6.  A proposal was introduced from Dragoon Jeffrey Jones for the camp to purchase a cannon but the $12,000 price is thought to be excessive for our camp to undertake.  Larry Spears has previously provided information that the Pell City Camp has a cannon which is available to all the Division for events. 

            7.  Wayne and Tyrone are working on a great project to put all the names at the Prattville Oak Hill Cemetery onto an Excel spreadsheet tabs or sheets of which will represent or depict the sections of the cemetery. Then the Excel cells which represent graves can be highlighted (gray) for the Confederate graves.  This file will replace the old handwritten plats we have used in the past.  This project is a lot of work to put together but after the first printing, the spreadsheet will be available thereafter and we can easily add new Confederate graves that are discovered.  

Dragoons at the 2013 Prattville Cityfest

Members of the Prattville Dragoons manned an info table at CityFest on Saturday May 4th, 2013.  Rain and unseasonably cold mid-40s temps caused a slow start, but by afternoon the weather had cleared and it turned out pretty.  After drying off the tables and hanging banners before the clouds broke and the first festival spectators and patrons arrived, Dragoons Wayne Sutherland, Bill Myrick, Don Drasheff and Stuart Waldo huddled about a propane heater and attempted to keep the flyers and poster easel from flying away as the winds increased with the front passing.  The Cityfest lasted thru a slow start at 9am til 5pm and in all, a page and a half of contacts were completed requesting information about the SCV and UDC, genealogical assistance and membership information.  Communication Officer Tyrone Crowley will contact these folks and provide copies of his outstanding Camp Dispatch newsletter.  Tyrone and Larry Miller and David Brantley manned the booth in the afternoon.  Former Commander Wyatt Willis stopped by to say howdy.  A couple dozen Alabama Division Sesquicentennial educational posters were handed out including many to youths and teachers.  288 3x5" Battle flags were handed out to youngsters and young at heart and it was great seeing those parade down Main Street.  SCV coins were also given away especially after we ran out of Battle flags.  All the 3x5' Battle flags brought by the Quartermaster and a couple copies of the outstanding Georgia-Division CD "The Truth Concerning the Confederate Battle Flag" were also sold.  By the time the festival concluded, it was a beautiful clear mid-60s cool spring day and a great success sharing our Southern and Confederate heritage.  Many thanks to the Dragoons who helped with the booth and those friends and Prattville neighbors who stopped by to say hello throughout the day.

Dragoons at the Prattville Cityfest Saturday Morning

Dragoon Booth Afternoon Attendants

Prattville Dragoons Chaplain's Column from the May 2013 Camp Dispatch

Chaplain’s Column

            Have you ever thought of the Godless condition of our nation lately? It is so easy to recognize the need for change. I believe we tend to focus on the enormity of the problem and we lose sight of our sovereign God who waits for us to ask His intervention.

            Political policies and legislation are not ultimately determined in conference rooms and governmental chambers, but in prayer closets. The voices that shape the direction of a nation are not necessarily those that ring out in legislative halls, but those that approach the throne room of God with bold faith (Heb. 4:16). As the church believes and prays, the Lord will respond. You see, prayer does make a difference.

            Knowing that God can change a country, you may be wondering why He has waited so long. Maybe He is asking you a similar question: "Why have you waited so long to pray?" Every authority on earth can be touched by the power of prayer if we are willing to ask and believe God.

            We have many on our Dragoon prayer list who are in need of prayer. Please look at these names and mention them in prayer.

1.  Jeff Potts

2.  James & Ann Spears

3.  Bobby Carter & wife Merrill

4.  James Little's wife Nita

5.  David Brantley's wife Jennifer

6.  Allen Herrod

7.  Whitson Waldo (Stuart Waldo's Dad)

8.  Wayne Sutherland

9.  Past Division Commander David Allen - kidney stones

10.  John Durden's son David Fail - TIA

11.  Cecil Williamson

12.  J J Oakley

13.  Billy Parker - recovering from injuries suffered in fall

14.  Billy Parker's son-in-law Stan Stuckey

15.  James Whittington

16.  Bill Branch - undergoing back surgery

Yours In Christ,

Tom Snowden, Chaplain
___________________________________________________
Camp News

Past Chaplain Branch Will Undergo Surgery.  Past Chaplain Bill Branch reports that he is suffering advanced spinal stenosis and must have surgery.  Bill will be homebound for several weeks but looks forward to a good recovery.  Bill tried everything else and surgery was the final option.  Let's keep Bill in our thoughts and prayers.

Dragoons Information and Recruiting Booth at the 2013 Prattville Cityfest

The Prattville Dragoons will man an informational and recruiting table at the Prattville Cityfest which will be held on Saturday May 3, 2013 from 9am-5pm.  The Dragoons tent will be set up just up Main Street (east) from the Prattaugan Museum.  This is an enjoyable day for all, a chance to mingle with fellow Prattvillians and share information about the Sons of Confederate Veterans and it's mission with festival attendees.  On Friday the Cityfest has the opening ceremony at 6:45pm followed by a local band the Tip Tops performing on stage overlooking the river downtown.  There is plenty of food including hot dogs and every imaginable fair food. On Saturday the Dragoons will have a tent to provide SCV and Dragoons information and Confederate memorabilia including educational posters, Battle Flags, SCV coins, flyers and SCV applications to all interested passers-by.  We will also try to provide a service previously offered at this event to help search for Confederate ancestors using the Broadfoot database and Google and Find a Grave website searches.  We hope that all Dragoons will come help man the tent and that every supporter of Southern and Confederate heritage stops by to say hello as they peruse the many other arts and crafts tents and attractions at the Prattville Cityfest.

Past Alabama Division SCV Commander Leonard Wilson - R.I.P.

Following is the obituary of Past Alabama Division Commander Leonard Wilson, who was also the founder of the Confederate Library at Confederate Memorial Park.

            Leonard Ray Wilson, 77, of Jasper, went home to be with the Lord on April 4, 2013, at Lakeland Medical Center in Haleyville.

            Commander Wilson was born on March 6, 1936, and was a lifelong resident of Walker County. He was an active member of the Macedonia Church of Christ, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Council of Conservative Citizens, and Alabama Constables’ Association.

            He attended the University of Alabama, Baylor University, and was a graduate of the Birmingham School of Law. Throughout his career he was active in local and state politics. Mr. Wilson had the distinction of serving as an Alabama delegate in five Republican National Conventions and of being the primary collaborator in establishing the  Alabama Division’s Confederate Library at Confederate Memorial Park. He compiled hundreds of books and Civil War artifacts to preserve and commemorate Confederate history for future generations.

            He was preceded in death by his parents, Cleo Wilson and William Wilson.

            He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Ray Wilson, Jr.; three grandsons, Adam, Jack, and Webb Wilson; and a host of other relatives and dear friends.

            With an Honor Guard provided by fellow Constables of the State of Alabama, visitation was held on Sunday, April 7, 2013, from 1 until 3 p.m. at Carbon Hill Church of Christ, prior to the funeral service at 3 p.m. Alabama Division Chaplain Dr. Charles Baker officiated. Burial was at Mackey Boshell Cemetery, Macedonia Church of Christ, by means of Wilson Brothers Funeral Home, Carbon Hill, Alabama.  An Honor Guard and Gun Salute were provided by the Alabama Division.  Commander Gary Carlyle and many other members of the Alabama Division were present to honor the memory of Past Commander Wilson.