Dragoons Clean Up Prattville Doster Cemetery

The Robinson Springs Cemetery and the Doster cemetery got a thorough clean up and manicure on Thursday June 30th by members of SCV Camp 1524. The Robinson Springs cemetery had already been partially mowed by Carl French of Montgomery’s  Cradle of the Confederacy camp #692.  The Dragoons trimmed around the graves and fences with weed eaters, removed rubbish, etc. so the cemetery looks very good again. 

When work was complete at Robinson Springs, the workers travelled to the Doster cemetery Off Doster Industrial Park Rd. near the paper mill in Prattville. There they tackled an overgrown family burial plot that was rather small compared to the other cemeteries maintained by the Dragoons under the Guardian program. However, it needed extensive clean up of brush and limbs so it could be mowed and weed eated. A small oak tree was also cut and removed.  There are two Confederate veterans buried at the Doster cemeteries in marked graves and others are suspected to be there. There is also a veteran of the War of 1812, Absalom Doster.

Participants included Bill Myrick, Tyrone Crowley, Ryan King, James Spears and Larry Spears. Camp Photographer Jack Wilson came to both cemeteries and recorded the efforts of the work crew. Compatriot Myrick had already made one trip to Doster cemetery and had accomplished a lot which made this day's work easier.

Why Vicksburg Did Not Celebrate The 4th Of July

Why Vicksburg Canceled the Fourth of July – For a Generation

By Karen Stokes on Jul 2, 2014

(http://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/blog/why-vicksburg-canceled-the-fourth-of-july-for-a-generation/)

From May through early July 1863, Vicksburg, Mississippi, a strategically important city on the Mississippi River, was besieged by Federal forces under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant, and by a flotilla of gunboats in the river commanded by Admiral David Porter. The city was surrounded by outlying Confederate lines of defense, but the Union forces also shelled the city itself, which was full of civilians, who dug caves into the clay hills of Vicksburg for protection from the artillery bombardment. The siege lasted 47 days, until the city and its Confederate defenders were at last starved into submission. The Confederate commander, Gen. John C. Pemberton, surrendered on July 4, 1863. So bitter were the feelings and memories of the people of Vicksburg afterward that they did not officially observe the Independence Day holiday for the next 81 years (not returning to its observance until 1945).
In his book Vicksburg 1863, published in 2010, historian Winston Groom noted the following: “From the river, Porter’s mortar boats kept up a regular bombardment of the city’s environs, while from landward Grant’s artillery relentlessly threw barrages of shells into the town. The shocking part of it was that much of the naval firing was deliberately aimed at the civilians.” (emphasis added)
Mary Longborough, a resident of Vicksburg, kept a diary that was later published as My Cave Life in Vicksburg. Her eyewitness accounts attest to many poignant incidents that occurred during the siege of the city:
“A young girl, becoming weary in the confinement of the cave, hastily ran to the house in the interval that elapsed between the slowly falling shells. On returning, an explosion sounded near her—one wild scream, and she ran into her mother’s presence, sinking like a wounded dove, the life blood flowing over the light summer dress in crimson ripples from a death-wound in her side, caused by the shell fragment.”
“One afternoon, amid the rush and explosion of the shells, cries and screams arose—the screams of women amid the shrieks of the falling shells. The servant boy, George…found that a negro man had been buried alive within a cave, he being alone at that time. Workmen were instantly set to deliver him, if possible; but when found, the unfortunate man had evidently been dead some little time. His wife and relations were distressed beyond measure, and filled the air with their cries and groans.”
“A little negro child, playing in the yard, had found a shell; in rolling and turning it, had innocently pounded the fuse; the terrible explosion followed, showing, as the white cloud of smoke floated away, the mangled remains of a life that to the mother’s heart had possessed all of beauty and joy.”
“Sitting in the cave, one evening, I heard the most heartrending screams and moans. I was told that a mother had taken a child into a cave about a hundred yards from us; and having laid it on its little bed, as the poor woman believed, in safety, she took her seat near the entrance of the cave. A mortar shell came rushing through the air, and fell with much force, entering the earth above the sleeping child—cutting through into the cave—oh! most horrible sight to the mother—crushing in the upper part of the little sleeping head, and taking away the young innocent life without a look or word of passing love to be treasured in the mother’s heart.”

Prattville Dragoons Recent Cemetery Clean Ups and Community Service

Several Dragoons completed the clean up of Indian Hill cemetery for the month of June this past Saturday, the 25th. Harold Grooms, Wayne Sutherland, Skip Ward and Tom Crowley pitched in and cut grass, trimmed, etc. while Camp Photographer Jack Moore recroded the day in photos for us. Compatriot Bill Myrick also worked at the cemetery earlier in the week since he could not participate on Saturday. Our sincere thanks to these men for honoring the Confederate veterans (some are Dragoons) interred here along with some notable Autauga county pioneers.  

Additionally, Bill Myrick went to the Doster cemetery on his own this past Wednesday the 22nd and began cleaning this cemetery for the camp. There are some Confederate veterans buried there also. Bill used herbicide plus mechanical tools to battle the underbrush overgrowing the gravesites. Thanks to Compatriot Myrick, for his initiative and willingness to improve this historic burial place. The Doster cemetery is just off Hwy 82 near Prattmont.

Another date will be announced soon to work again at the Robinson Springs cemetery in the Millbrook area. There are seven known Confederate veterans buried there plus more Autauga county pioneers. (That portion of Elmore county was part of Autauga county before The War)

These and other community service projects help keep Camp 1524 in the public eye in a positive way and spread good will in our area. If we all do what we are capable of doing, whether it be manual labor, technical support, attending meetings or keeping our dues current, it goes a long way toward making our camp stronger and accomplishing the Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

1. General Nathan Bedford Forrest 17th Annual Birthday Party at Fort Dixie near Selma, hosted by Compatriots Butch and Pat Godwin on Saturday July 9 starting at 3:00 PM. Keynote speaker will be Past SCV CIC Chuck McMichale. There will be an auction, door prizes, and ice cold watermelon served all day. At 6:00 PM there will be a Southern-fried catsish supper with all the fixins.

2. The National SCV Reunion will be in Richardson Texas July 13 - 16. Info at http://scv2016.org/index.html

3. Prattville Dragoons annual Dixie Butt fundraiser - sales throughout July/August up until distribution on Saturday August 13th

4. Alabama Division SCV DEC Meeting - Saturday August 13th at Confederate Memorial Park

Dragoons Participate in 2016 Prattville 4th of July Parade

Camp 1524 was well represented in Monday's Prattville Independence Day Parade with twelve Dragoon participants plus family. Compatriot Karl Wade was the Grand Marshall of the parade as the honorees today were active and retired Law Enforcement Personnel. Commander Waldo and his wife and all his children were there to help him celebrate his birthday - he and Adjutant Wayne Sutherland carried the camp banner, wife drove the purple Charger decorated with a U.S. and Confederate flag while the kids threw candy to the parade spectators and oldest son, also a camp member, carried a 3x5 Battle flag and threw Pixie sticks to all the kids along the parade route.  Communications Officer Larry Spears carried another flag while father James rode in the camp's golf cart also adorned with six U.S. and Confederate flags; Tyrone Crowley drove the cart which served as a supply depot for all the mini-Battle flags and SCV coins provided to spectators along the parade route down Main Street.  Over 500 mini-Battle flags were handed out which had SCV and Dragoon informational cards attached to the sticks.  Other Dragoons walking with the entry included Camp Historian Sam Reid, Ryan King, 2nd Lt George Jenks, Bill Gill, and Lt. Brigade Commander (and Dragoon Quartermaster) Bill Myrick and his wife. Jack Moore provided these and other great photos.  Other Dragoons at the event participating with other organizations included Chris Booth, Paul Whaley and 1st Lt Harold Grooms.  The Dragoons entry was warmly greeted all along the parade route often coming to a stop trying to give everyone requesting flags one.  Another great community outreach event for Camp 1524 and an opportunity to provide more information about the camp to our friends and neighbors. 

Karl Wade

The Dragoons before the Start of the Parade

Dragoons Marching Down Main Street

Greeting the Parade Spectators

Informational Card for Flags

Prattville Dragoons Commander's Column for July 2016

Brexit was huge in the recent news, the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union following a referendum in which 72 per cent of the country’s registered voters cast ballots and a narrow majority declared their independence from the EU in which Great Britain had been a member for the past forty years. Interesting statistics showed that younger voters more acclimated to recent progressive policies voted to remain as did, regionally, the London metropolitan, Scotland and Northern Ireland areas. Interestingly, generally more rural areas and older generations voted for Britain’s independence, to leave the EU.  Donald Trump coincidentally was touring Scotland for the opening of his latest Trump golf resort in Turnberry and took the opportunity to comment that this EU departure vote had obvious parallels to the sentiment in the United States where voters are rejecting the status quo for their political representation and the centralized autocracy and placing priority in nationalism and strengthening border protection. 

Trending on Twitter soon thereafter was #Texit where secessionists in Texas seized on the popular sentiment to renew their calls for their state to secede from the U.S. and proclaim their independence. But, Donald Trump responded, “Texas will never do that, because Texas loves me.” (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/06/25/no-texit-trump-says-texas-will-never-secede-amid-renewed-calls.htm_l) “Trump’s comments mark a rebuke from the candidate who has drawn explicit parallels between the anti-establishment sentiments that fueled the Brexit decision and those fueling his campaign on this side of the pond.  The secessionists have long faced setbacks at every level of government.  (Obama’s) White House, in response to a petition, said three years ago that Texas simply cannot leave the union.  The (Texas) state Republican Party took up this same issue at their convention just last month – and defeated a bid to get a Texas independence measure in the party platform.  The Texas Tribune, in an analysis Friday, also said that while Texas could potentially split into separate states it could not legally secede. The Tribune quoted the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who once wrote in a letter, “If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede.”” (foxews.com)  Secession advocates nevertheless maintain it is possible to have a “conversation on independence and let the people have the final say.” (foxnews.com)  “After winning independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas was its own republic until 1845, when it joined the U.S. Secession advocates argue the second-most populous state in the country is burdened by the federal government and has a large-enough economy to survive on its own.” (foxnews.com) 

One might view Obama’s and Trump’s flip dismissal of the idea of secession to be humorously arrogant had Lincoln’s similar arrogance not cost the lives of 600,000 men in the War for Southern Independence 150 years ago.   If anyone ever believed that “state’s rights” was strictly a code-word for preserving the institution of slavery and that the Confederate states were unjustified in seceding from the burdensome overreaching strong arm of Lincoln’s federal government need only look at this recent Brexit initiative and persistent secessionist movements in Texas, Vermont and elsewhere and the outrageous oppressive federal actions over the last 7+ years to grasp and appreciate the understandable sentiment which drove our Confederate ancestors to declare their independence and seek to return to a Constitutional limited central government. We talk of Southern values including hard work, self-sufficient, God-fearing people and certainly the massive federal Wall Street bailouts, federal socialist programs, federal attacks on entire economic sectors and entrepreneurs, federal policy espousing Biblical abominations and weakening our nation’s defense would and should cause concern tantamount to that our forebears felt causing their secession movement culminating in the Confederate States of America.  But, according to Obama, Trump and Scalia, secession is a settled issue and we should just like them and our predicament. Always and in this July 4^th period of celebration, we need to appreciate our great country and the liberty and opportunity for which we are blessed but we need to remember that our Confederate ancestors were right and justified and honor their struggle and sacrifice in their quest for a more perfect constitutional representative republic.  

Richmond, Va.Confederate Old Soldier's Home

In 1883 the R. E. Lee Camp No. 1, an organization of Confederate veterans, was established in Richmond, and on January 1, 1885, the group opened a soldiers' home for financially needy, often disabled, veterans of the war. The complex was established on an old farm in the West End of Richmond. In addition to housing for the men, the grounds included a mess hall (seen in the background of the photo), a hospital, recreation center, print shop, laundry, and other support buildings. A nondenominational chapel was built in 1887. At the height of the home's popularity, from 1890 to 1910, roughly 300 veterans resided there. The last resident died In 1941.

Residents of the R. E. Lee Camp Soldiers' Home, many of them holding Confederate battle flags, assemble during a Confederate reunion in Richmond, Virginia, in 1911.