Dragoons at the Prattville Cityfest

Saturday May 2nd provided perhaps the best day, weather wise, in the history of Prattville's CityFest, so Main Street in downtown was filled with people enjoying this annual spring community event. The Dragoons again set up an informational booth and Quartermaster Bill Myrick brought merchandise from the camp stores to sell and give away.  All the Battle Flags and Naval Jacks were sold and hundreds of mini-Battle flags and SCV coins were given to children and adults alike.  SCV literature and educational posters were also given out to interested passers-by and a list of folks was compiled who were interested in the SCV and asked to be contacted for more information.  Tyrone Crowley helped setup on Friday evening and then made an appearance for a few hours on Saturday as Jefferson Davis before going to the Prattaugan Museum to welcome visitors there as Daniel Pratt.  Adjutant Wayne Sutherland and Commander Stuart Waldo also helped set up the booth tent and tables and also manned the booth on Saturday. The Saturday morning shift included Bill Myrick,  Larry Miller, Tom Crowley (of Indian Hill renown), George Jenks, and Wayne..  The afternoon shift included Commander Stuart Waldo and Louis Turner along with Bill and Larry who stayed all day; past-Commander Wyatt Willis also stopped by to say hello. The Dragoons always take advantage of the opportunity to promote the Cause with the public at Prattville's Cityfest.

Dragoons at Cityfest

George and Stuart Greeting Passers-by

Tyrone Crowley as Jefferson Davis

Prattville Dragoons Chaplain's Column for May 2015

Carrying the Light In War And Peace

Psalm 96:2-3

     In the earlier months of the War for Southern independence it is written in history that the Confederate armys general moral picture was poor during the autumn of 1861, and the winter of 1861-1862 was dark indeed. Sinful practices, as often occur in military camps, increased to an alarming degree. After this period the horrors of war, along with its prospect of imminent injury or death, cast a shadow upon the frivolity of careless living. God, in His providential mercy, stirred the hearts of Christians, both in and out of the military, to fervent prayer and concern for souls. For many this mint walking once again in the illumination of the Holy Spirit and for others this was salvation for the first time. I have heard this time described as a period of great spiritual revival.

     In the New Testament, the word light is identified with goodness and holiness. Darkness, on the other hand, is frequently associated with unrighteousness or evil.

     Jesus described Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 9:5). He invited the people to put their trust in Him so that they might become sons of light (John 12:36). The apostle John called Jesus “the true Light,” who gives illumination to all (John 1:9). Our enemy Satan, who masquerades as an angel of light, has blinded the eyes of many so they do not recognize the truth of the gospel message. As a result, they fail to believe (2 Cor. 4:4).

     The word light has significance for believers too. At salvation, we were transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of light (Col. 1:12-13 niv). Freed from slavery to sin, we were adopted by our heavenly Father and given a future home in heaven as well as a new family now—our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are no longer in darkness; instead, we walk in the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

     Now we are “children of light” (Eph. 5:8), and our calling is to carry the truth about salvation and eternal life to an unbelieving world. Jesus has commissioned us to share the gospel message and to live it out in our daily life.

     The apostle Paul understood what it meant to carry the light of the gospel to others. He dedicated himself to sharing the good news with those who did not believe and to nurturing the faith of other Christians. Like Paul, we are called to be light bearers to those around us.

     Let’s not forget the following who are on our prayer list.

Yours In Christ

Tom Snowden, Chaplain

     Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16

Prattville Dragoons Confederate Memorial Day Program - Indian Hill Cemetery Rededication Service

            The Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524, Sons of Confederate Veterans completed work at the historic Indian Hills Cemetery Project including a workday the morning of Saturday, April 11^th including final cleanup and monument repairs, fence cleaning and repairs, rehearsals and a rededication program on Confederate Memorial Day, Monday April 27th.  Dragoon Benny Harris coordinated the project again and led the headstone setting and repairs. Stalwarts again included 1st Lt Harold Grooms, Tyrone and Tom Crowley and Bill Branch, Larry and James Spears, Skip Ward, and Allen Herrod. Leaves were raked and burned and the area was mowed and smoothed with a box blade outside the burial plots.

Nearly two hundred folks including Dragoons, other SCV members, friends, family and neighbors gathered for the Rededication Service on April 27^th, which started with tours at 5:30pm and music by the Tallassee Armory Guards Camp 1921 String Band. Tyrone Crowley served as the Master of Ceremonies portraying Daniel Pratt and he started the program with cannon fire by the SCV St. Clair Camp 508 crew and lighting of bonfires by Indian reenactors followed by his remarks on the history of the Indian Hill community.  Kathy Beatty portrayed Euphemia Graham, Barbara Gaston portrayed Mary Baxter Graham Smith, Kerri Waldo and Commander Waldo reenacted the Dragoon flag presentation between Abigail Holt and 2^nd Lt. A.Y. Smith and 1^st Lt Harold Grooms gave a rousing portrayal of 2^nd Lt. Dixon S. Hall. Musket Salutes to the Confederate Veterans were provided by an honor guard led by Dragoon Paul Whaley and Bob Miller played “Scotland the Brave” and “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.   

A modern program followed including a Prayer of Rededication by Chaplian Tom Snowden.  Awards by the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance were made to Mayor Bill Gillespie for the City of Prattville and Commander Waldo for the Dragoons. Descendants of those interred at Indian Hill Cemetery were recognized including a number of Hall family.  The Honor Guard presented arms for the playing of “Taps” by Raymond Keel of Camp 692.  This was a touching meaningful rededication program called perhaps the best event the Dragoons have ever hosted by Comm Ofc Larry Spears and a wonderful culmination to a year of hard work and effort by the Dragoons in reclaiming and restoring this cemetery.

Portrayal Reenactors

Tallassee String Band

St. Clair Cannon Crew

Paul Whaley and the Honor Guard

Dragoons Larry and James Spears

Prattville Dragoons Commander's Column for May 2015

What an eventful last month we have experienced as a camp and as a national organization.  Final preparatory work was completed at Indian Hill Cemetery in a number of workdays which included repairs of the monuments at the historic site.  Congratulations to Benny Harris for his leadership and ownership in directing this worthwhile endeavor for our camp and the community.  Many put in long hours out at the cemetery over the course of the past year including Harold Grooms and Tom Crowley, Bill Branch, Allen Herrod, and many other members, friends and neighbors.  Almost 200 attended a rededication service, what Larry Spears correctly appraised as one of the best events our camp has ever conducted.  What a tremendous project!  Followed by another Prattville Cityfest event where the Dragoons were again greeted warmly and won and influenced many new friends.  A great advertising campaign was launched for this past month’s Confederate History and Heritage Month including beautiful bright red electronic billboard signage announcing the month’s designation and displaying our camp web presence and a brilliant SCV logo. SCV Hunley award presentations to two outstanding JROTC cadets at Prattville and Stanhope Elmore High Schools.  The conclusion of a profound Sesquicentennial of the end of the War for Southern Independence and the beginning of the dark years of Reconstruction.

I found an interesting article online by Margie Mason of the Associated Press, April 29, 2015 which illustrated the discrimination and political retaliation to which the South Vietnamese were subjected in the years following the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War 50 years ago.   It provided a stark comparison of the similarities to the period of Reconstruction in America 150 years ago.  If you eliminated the reference to the respective countries, one would be surprised at the parallels. Of course, it is politically acceptable to express outrage at the conditions in Vietnam, not palatable to recognize the same atrocities existed and were promoted in the Southern United States by our very own federal government. 

Paraphrasing:  Sons fought against fathers.  Many Southern soldiers and civilians were beaten, sent to inhumane POW and concentration camps and denied access to their families, sometimes for years. The South fell to Northern forces when their capital fell in April.  As the north closed in many Southerners chose to leave the country but others didn't want to flee; they wanted the family reunion they had longed for. Southerners were indoctrinated with Northern propaganda and revisionist history.  They were subjected to backbreaking hard labor, often with little food or access to medical care while rebuilding their country destroyed by war.  Veterans farmed vegetables and cleared timber in sweltering heat; there wasn't enough clean water to take a bath, and food rations were thin.  These heroes of the brave struggle for their homeland were taunted and ostracized for having fought for the south.  Inequitable business practices and limited investment in the Southern infrastructure prolonged the suffering and led to poverty.  Discrimination ran rampant, and southerners with ties to their former government were barred from getting jobs, voting or holding office.  A deep divide still exists. In school textbooks, the war is explained as "resistance against the South for national salvation”.  There is nothing written about why the south was fighting or its desire to remain a separate free state.  The wounds still fester among many Southerners who remain staunchly opposed to the oppressive centralized federal government.  "Both sides seem to be still entrenched in the past. It hasn't gone away. The greatest and most sacred monument always lies in the heart of each person.”  Veterans cite their own experience as proof that time and understanding can heal the past — eventually. "If they did it right after the war, it would have been easier," he said of the north recognizing the South's role in the nation's history. "As more time passes, it becomes more difficult. It could be five, 10 years to accept that fact. It could be 50 years (or more).” 

These selected sentences from the article were barely altered, largely substituting Southerners for South Vietnamese.  Amazing that these same atrocities and bigotry could exist in our nation’s history, within our own borders, that “the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be taught by Northern school teachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the war; will be impressed by all the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, or maimed veterans as fit objects for derision.”

Confederate Memorial Day Programs including Ladies’ Memorial Association of Montgomery

Larry Spears of the Prattville Dragoons attended the 149th consecutive annual program of the Ladies’ Memorial Association of Montgomery on Sunday April 26th at Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery to celebrate Confederate Memorial day in Alabama. The program was very profound and included music, a keynote speaker, short memorial presentations and recognition of special guests. President Leslie Kirk organized the ceremony very well and it was a very moving program. After the formal program, those in attendance followed the bagpiper, who played Amazing Grace, on a short walk to the Confederate Monument where a wreath was placed and a prayer offered. Montgomery Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #692 provided a rifle salute and the ceremony ended with the playing of Taps. The setting, program and fellowship with like minded Compatriots was very inspiring and heartfelt. 

The following day, Monday April 27th, there were two additional ceremonies to commemorate Confederate Memorial Day, at 10:00 am at the AL state capitol by the UDC and SCV and then the Prattville Dragoons program at 6:30 pm at Indian Hill Cemetery.  Pat Godwin of the UDC coordinated the morning program which included keynote speakers and bagpipes played by Bob Miller there at the Confederate monument on the state capitol grounds in downtown Montgomery. The Dragoons Confederate Memorial Day program, usually conducted in downtown Prattville at the Dragoons monument was instead held at Indian Hill Cemetery and centered around the rededication of the cemetery following a year's effort in cleaning and restoring the cemetery including repairs to many of the tombstones.  A crowd of nearly 200 people enjoyed cannon and musket volleys, reenactors of some of the community's founders and Confederates buried there and special recognitions of attendees and those who worked so long and hard on restoring dignity to the historic cemetery.  In deep appreciation and in honor of the sacrifices our Confederate ancestors made.

Ladies Memorial Day Association Confederate Memorial Day Program at Oakwood Cemetery

Confederate Monument at Oakwood Cemetery, Confederate Memorial Day 2015

Prattville Dragoons Monuments

The Prattville Dragoon monument sits on Washington Street on the property of the Prattville Primary School. It was placed by SCV Camp 1524 in 2002 as part of a very respectful dedication service at the time. There are inscriptions on the front and back including all original members of the Dragoons engraved on the monument. 

In this month dedicated to Confederate History and Heritage, perhaps you may be inclined to visit the monument, especially if you have not seen it for a while or have never seen it. There are some concrete benches at the site that the camp installed and a perfect place to sit and reflect on the historical event that occurred there some 154 years ago as the Dragoons met before riding off to war.

There is also a granite monument to the Dragoons placed by the Prattville UDC chapter in 1916 on this same site. The Autauga County courthouse at Court and 5th Streets in downtown Prattville also has a Confederate Soldier statue and monument on the west side of the building. 

Indian Hill Cemetery Workday

Saturday April 11 saw the Prattville Dragoons and members of the community gather at Indian Hill cemetery for our final formal workday before the re-dedication service on April 27 at 5:30. Much was accomplished including raking and burning debris, repairing and re-setting keystones and headstones, smoothing the area with a tractor and box blade, and mowing.  The white fence is also in the process of being pressure washed. The cemetery is looking good and this has been an outstanding community service project for Camp 1524.  

Two pictures show the excellent repair and remounting work done to the monuments in the Smith plot at Indian Hill Cemetery. Project Coordinator Benny Hill supplied the necessary material to make the repairs and with a lot of labor and precise, expert instruction from Benny we were able to complete these repairs. The top to the 2nd headstone from the left in the picture has been lost. The grave with the Battle Flag beside it belongs to Dragoon Lt. A. Y. Smith. The close up picture of the single headstone, shows how the broken top was remounted to the base. Compatriot Bill Branch’s tractor and boom was integral in the execution of this hard work. 

Skip Ward Pushing a Mower

Benny Harris and James Spears Repairing a Monument Headstone

Allen Herrod on his Tractor Smoothing the Cemetery

Tyrone Crowley and Bill Branch Raking Leaves

Repaired Monuments at Indian Hill Cemetery

Detail of Headstone Repairs