CALCASIEU GREYS - SEPTEMBER, 2014

NEXT MEETING

Our next monthly meeting is at Joe’s Italian Restaurant in Sulphur, Tuesday, September 9, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Special guest speaker will be James Ronald Kennedy, former Louisiana SCV Division Commander and co-author of the national best seller, The South Was Right!. Kennedy will speak on the subject, “Post Appomattox: Reconciliation or Vindication?” Most of us have read Ron’s book, The South Was Right! a book that has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. James Ronald Kennedy and his brother Walter Donald Kennedy have been great defenders of the accurate political and military history of the War Between the States and the Reconstruction period. Please come and enjoy great food, a great speaker and Confederate fellowship.

ANNUAL DUES

           Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390 annual dues are now due. If you haven’t already paid, please do so as soon as possible. The renewal total is just $42 for the whole year. Checks may be made out of Sons of Confederate Veterans and sent to Camp Adjutant Luke Dartez, 908 Henning Road, Sulphur, La. 70665. Our local camp has been very active and involved in the community in getting out the message about the true history of the South, the War for Southern Independence and the true causes of the war. There has been a concerted “culture war” going on the America for quite some time now to wipe out all aspects of traditional American history and values, especially the history, heritage and moral values of the South. The Sons of Confederate Veterans is and has been battling for the good name of our Confederate ancestors, the values they truly stood for, such as those espoused in the Declaration of Independence, the original U.S. Constitution and the Doctrine of States Rights as formulated by Thomas Jefferson. Membership is vital to our mission. Please renew right away if you haven’t already.

Dr. Andy Buckley

Finding Your Way Home

Commander’s Column September, 2014

Dr. Andy Buckley, camp commander

At the beginning of the 20th Century Moxie was the number one soft drink in American, purchased and consumed by millions. The company spent $1.5 million dollars annually on advertisement. In 1901 the board of directors decided to reduce adverting expenses. Their reasoning was as follows: “Why spend over $1 million dollars per year when Moxie is already the number one soft drink beverage?” They cut the advertising budget by $1 million and gave themselves nice salary increases. Today Moxie is virtually unknown to 95% of our country. When the promotion stopped, Americans in the South, Midwest, Rocky Mountain West, and on the West coast forgot about Moxie. It is sold only in the New England states region today.

A similar fate can come to the Sons of the Confederate Veterans if we neglect to do everything in our power to promote our organization to those around us. We cannot dare to stop telling our story or we’ll end up like Moxie, insignificant and marginalized. We are privileged to be a part of a great organization which celebrates and honors our Confederate ancestors, our southern way of life and culture, and the accurate history of the War Between the States.

           The greatest advertisement for the Sons of Confederate Veterans is the active involvement and the enthusiastic support of members like you and me. Your leadership works very hard to provide a monthly meeting experience which will allow our membership to bring guests and prospective members. Our monthly meetings and the follow-up publicity in the American Press Sunday Life Section, is great advertisement and promotion, allowing our camp to get our story out to the public. 

           Joe David Pool spoke at our March monthly SCV meeting in Sulphur. His topic was “A Brief History of the 17th Louisiana Infantry Regiment.” In his talk Joe highlighted the life and military service of his ancestor David Pool, who served in the 17th Louisiana. At lunch the other day Joe David told me he was deeply impressed with the involvement and membership participation of our Captain James W. Bryan Camp. Since speaking to us, Joe David has been invited to present programs in other camps. He said the other camp meetings were not as widely attended as ours, and there was less enthusiasm and discussion by members. Let’s keep doing the things we’ve been doing.               

Our next monthly meeting is at Joe’s Italian Restaurant in Sulphur, Tuesday, September 9, 6:00-8:00 pm. Special guest speaker will be James Ronald Kennedy, former Louisiana SCV Division Commander and co-author of the national best seller, The South Was Right!. Kennedy will speak on the subject, “Post Appomattox: Reconciliation or Vindication?” Most of us have read Ron’s book, The South Was Right! a book that has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. James Ronald Kennedy and his brother Walter Donald Kennedy have been great defenders of the accurate political and military history of the War Between the States and the Reconstruction period. I know you will be encouraged and inspired by his presentation.

Please make every effort to be in attendance and bring someone with you to our meeting September 9th. The chance to have a national level speaker and author like Ronald Kennedy is a great opportunity to cultivate potential new members. I am working on several prospects.

Yours in our Great Cause,

Dr. Andy Buckley, Commander

My Confederate Ancestor                                              

The Biography of James White Hellums

This month’s issue of the Captain James W. Bryan Camp Confederate Greys Newsletter features the story of our newest member’s Confederate Ancestor. James White Hellums. In the 21st century it is unusual to receive a new SCV member whose grandfather served in the Confederate Army. Most of us have ancestors who are our great grandfathers and in many cases our great-great grandfathers. We welcome J.W. into our membership and celebrate the life and military service of his grandfather, James White Hellums. J.W. is an environment scientist specializing in waste water treatment and certification. He is co-owner of Booth-Hellums and Associates, here in Lake Charles.James White Hellums was an Arkansas cotton farmer whose 3000 acre plantation included a gin and store. James White Hellums was born in Fayette, Alabama on September 19, 1836 to William Hopwood Hellums and Eppy White. His family moved to the Pine Buff, Arkansas area to farm cotton. James White Hellums married Susannah Carleton and had 7 children. He passed away on June 26 1903 in Pine Bluff, Jefferson, Arkansas and was buried in the Bellwood Cemetery. 

James White Hellums enlisted in Co. K, 18th Arkansas Infantry, at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, February 22, 1862. He served with the rank of private until appointed third sergeant, June 13, 1862. By September, 1862 Hellums was appointed third lieutenant and soon was promoted first lieutenant. Company K – the "Jefferson Rifles" of the 18th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized at Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas, on February 22, 1862, with the election of David W. Carroll, captain; William F. Owen, first lieutenant; second lieutenant; and Benjamin F. Hancock, third lieutenant. At least thirteen men of Company K died in the measles epidemic of the spring of 1862. In June, 1862, seven of its members were transferred to the newly organized 12th Arkansas Battalion (Sharpshooters). Company K suffered 24 casualties at the Battle of Corinth, and surrendered with 44 men at Port Hudson, Louisiana. A total of 119 men are known to have served in Company K. The regiment endured the forty-eight day siege at Port Hudson and surrendered to General Nathaniel P. Banks on July 9, 1863. Following the surrender the officers were sent as prisoners to Johnson's Island Military Prison. Two audacious lieutenants of Company K, however, James White. Hellums and George P. Atkins, escaped from their captors by jumping from the Union transport into the muddy water of the Mississippi River between Napoleon and Helena, swam ashore, and eventually reached the Confederate lines to continue their support of the Confederate cause.

Grave of James White Hellums

SEPTEMBER GUEST SPEAKER                            

           Ronald Kennedy will speak at our September SCV Meeting at Joe’s Italian Restaurant in Sulphur, Tuesday, September 9, 6:00-8:00 pm. He will speak on the subject, “Post Appomattox: Reconciliation or Vindication?” Both James Ronald Kennedy and Walter Donald Kennedy are fervent advocates of individual freedom and use their Southern heritage as inspiration for their widely respected work. Their first book, The South Was Right! is the quintessential volume for describing the social and political impact of the Civil War on the Confederacy and the U.S. Constitution, along with its modern repercussions. This national bestseller is an authoritative and documented study of the mythology behind Civil War history, clearly exhibiting how the South was an independent country invaded, captured, and still occupied by a vicious aggressor. Descendants of Civil War veterans, the Kennedy bothers have held posts with the Sons of Confederate Veterans on the local and divisional level for over two decades. Ron is former camp and past Louisiana Divisional Commander. He is the director of risk management for a Louisiana insurance company. Ron has four children, including the fourth direct generation of twins, and lives with his wife in Mandeville, Louisiana. 2015 Officers to be nominated in October The fall is the time of the year our Captain James W. Bryan Camp begins to work toward nominations for the next year. We are grateful or the contribution made by each officer this year and are hopeful you will continue serving. Over the next two weeks each officer will be personally contacted by the camp commander or adjutant to discuss whether you desire to continue to serve in your present position of leadership or be nominated for another position. We will nominate officers in October with election in November.

Louisiana Division, Fall Assembly

Every year the Louisiana Division is required by our constitution to hold a Fall Assembly where no business is conducted but is used as a learning seminar and get together for our Division.  In recent years we have sort of gotten away from this format and the attendance numbers have suffered for it.  At every Fall Assembly there is a Division Executive Council meeting held that can be attended by the members.  In recent years the DEC meeting has been in the morning and the Fall Assembly has been in the afternoon.  We are going to change things up a little this year.

Our Division Fall Assembly will take place on October 11, 2014, and will be held at Fort Randolph in Pineville, LA.  In the month since I took office as Division Commander, folks have expressed their concern over the lack of growth in our Division and is there any "good news" to share with the members.  This year we are going to devote the Fall Assembly to workshops concerning recruiting and retention of members.  I have speakers lined up already and plan to add a couple more to the agenda.  I don't believe it will be boring and I am asking you, the membership, to give it a chance to succeed.  Our Division membership has been almost flat for going on 10 years now and we have to do something about it if we are going to continue as an organization.  Please mark your calendar to come to Fort Randolph in Pineville on October 11 beginning at 9:00 A.M. to join together and grow this Division.  I mentioned in my first article in the True Delta that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  Well, this is the second bite.

The DEC meeting will take place after the Fall Assembly and those of you who are interested are welcome to attend this also.  If you have any questions contact me, your Brigade Commander, or any DEC member.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in Pineville.

Thomas E. Taylor

Commander, Louisiana Division

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Robert E. Lee’s Gettysburg Headquarters

For decades, the small stone house on Seminary Ridge from which Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee commanded his army during the Battle of Gettysburg has been unprotected and surrounded by commercial development. But thanks to a national fundraising campaign announced today by the Civil War Trust and other national and Pennsylvania conservation leaders, permanent preservation of General Lee’s Headquarters may soon be realized.

           “From Independence Hall to Gettysburg and the Flight 93 memorial, the Pennsylvania landscape bears witness to some of the most pivotal moments in American history,” said Governor Tom Corbett. “It is an honor for me to be here as we announce a campaign to ensure that another chapter in that story remains available to our children and grandchildren.” 

           To make that vision a reality, the Civil War Trust formally launched the $5.5 million national fundraising campaign to acquire the four-acre Lee’s Headquarters site during a news conference on Seminary Ridge this morning. Also attending the news conference were First Lady Susan Corbett, representatives of the U.S. Department of the Interior and National Park Service, state and local officials, and representatives of the Gettysburg Foundation, the Journey through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary.

"Projects like this — where we have the opportunity to save sites of indisputable significance to the outcome of the Civil War and, with it, the shaping of our nation — are exactly why the Civil War Trust exists,” remarked organization president James Lighthizer. “Ambitious efforts like the purchase of Lee’s Headquarters will be among the most permanent and meaningful legacies of the sesquicentennial commemoration.”

Thanks to the generosity of major donors, a considerable portion of the fundraising goal has already been met. In addition, the Trust expects to apply for a Civil War Land Acquisition Grant of up to $1.5 million from the American Battlefield Protection Program, an agency within the National Park Service. The Trust must raise the remaining $1.1 million by the end of 2014.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS                                               

                 Sept. 6, Port Hudson State Historic Site, Zachary- FIREPOWER! 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Come out and watch a demonstration of Civil War era weapons. Guest will be able to see how different weapons were loaded, fired and used in battle. For more information call 888.677.3400 toll free or 654.3775 locally.                             

                 Sept. 27, Port Hudson State Historic Site, Zachary- Nature Walk, 10 a.m. Come join the park ranger on a guided tour along the paths of the historic site and discuss the historic earthworks from the Civil War battle. Participants will get the chance to observe and discuss nature, animals and forest noises. For more information call 888.677.3400 toll free or 654.3775 locally.

CONFEDERATE VICTORY AT

STIRLING’S PLANTATION

Sept. 29, 1863

[National Park Service summary]
           MORGANZA, LA. – Following the Union defeat at Sabine Pass, Texas, September 8, 1863, earlier in the month, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks intended to occupy important locations in Texas. He decided to send troops up the Bayou Teche, disembark them on the plains and march overland to Texas.
           Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant sent him a division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Napoleon J.T. Dana to garrison Morganza and prevent Rebel troops from operating on the Atchafalaya River. A 1,000-man detachment, under the command of Lt. Col. J.B. Leake, was at Stirling’s Plantation to guard the road to

Brig. Gen. Tom Green

the Atchafalaya River and deter any enemy troops from passing by.
           Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton, commander of the Sub-District of Southwestern Louisiana, decided that he had a favorable opportunity to defeat the Union forces around Fordoche Bridge. On September 19, he instructed Brig. Gen. Tom Green to prepare for such an attack. Mouton provided Green with reinforcements and gave the order to attack on the 25th.
           Green’s force began crossing the Atchafalaya River on the 28th, and all were over after midnight of the 29th. At dawn on the 29th, Green’s men marched out. Confederate cavalry began skirmishing with Union pickets at Fordoche Bridge before noon and continued for about a half hour.
           Green’s other troops then hit the Union force, drove them and captured many, although most of the Federal cavalry found an escape route. Although Dana sent reinforcements, mud and rain slowed their progress and allowed Green to get away. Green had defeated this Union force handily, but it did not deter Banks from his intended movement.

                [The Federals lost 16 men killed, 45 wounded and 462 captured. Confederates lost 26 men killed, 85 wounded and 10 missing.]