CALCASIEU GREYS -- June, 2013

NEXT MEETING

      Then next meeting of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390 will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at Amazen Seafood Restaurant, 339 Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles.

Our guest speaker will be former Texas Division SCV Commander Granvel Block, who will give us an update on the I-10 Confederate Memorial Plaza in Orange. Please make plans to attend this important and entertaining meeting.

CAMP MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2013

          Please see the list below for meeting dates and places for 2013. The restaurants have been contacted and their calendars marked accordingly. Meetings last from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

          Amazen Seafood Restaurant (Lake Charles) June 11, August 13, and October 8 (Nomination of officers).

           Pitt Grill (Sulphur) -  July 9, September 10, November 12 (elect officers).

           The camp Christmas party date would be December 10 with the location to be determined.        

Commander’s Comments

     Well we had another beautiful month in which to honor our ancestors. The good lord has surely blessed us all not with just the weather, but a wonderful organization to be a part of, all of our compatriots with like minds, and of course by giving us the brave men and women who fought for the ideal of equality, and to right the wrongs of a government run amok.
       We have several things happening this month, our celebration and re-dedication at our Confederate monument, and the most important part the placing of the flags on our heroes resting places. To me that is the least we can do these people who fought and died trying to preserve a way of life and freedom that they were entitled to. We have sent out a schedule of the activities and times for our Memorial Day festivities. We will need all the help we can get with the flags if you can be of any assistance please let me or Luke know so we can get the job done as quickly as possible.
    We also have the State convention this month I hope many of you can make it, It will be in Ruston this year, If you need more information it will be brought up at our next meeting. I was ask by Ted Brode if we could have the next one in the Lake Charles area, It would be a lot of work and will require everyone's help, but I think we could do it up nicely. This will be a topic for discussion at the next meeting.
   We had a cleanup day at Burr's Ferry this weekend many camps were there and when we left, the park looked really good. A big thanks to Al Cochran and Jim Ross, for their help
    Our next meeting will be at Amazen Seafood in Lake Charles on the 11th of June. The meeting will start at 6:30. I am hoping to have Granvel Block as our quest speaker, He is a Texas Commander and the one responsible for the flags to be put up in Orange along I-10.  Hope to see you at the placing of the flags
Best regards.

Archie Toombs, Cmdr. Camp 1390

CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY

June 3

The schedule for decorating Confederate Veteran’s graves and the wreath dedication at our Confederate Monument, “The South’s Defenders,” at the courthouse, is as follows:

Friday, May 31 -    “west of the river” –   (beginning @ 7:30 a.m.)

(1) Big Woods Cemetery

(2) Antioch Cemetery (adjacent to Big Wood) (3) Nibletts Bluff Cemeter

(4) Farquar Cemetery

(5) Dutch Cove Cemetery

Saturday, June 1-     “east of the river”-(beginning @ 5:30 p.m.) - Dedication at the Monument, followed by placing flags at the following cemeteries:

(1) Orange Grove Cemetery

(2) Sallier Cemetery

(3) Catholic Cemetery

(4) Corporate Cemetery

(5) Bilbo Cemetery

Shelby Wolfe, center, received the first annual

Benjamin Warren Burns Scholarship at the 

May meeting of Capt. J. W. Bryan Camp 1390

At left is Charles Richardson and left, Andy

Buckley, members of the scholarship committee.

           FIRST BURNS SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED

          Shelby Wolfe of Grand Chenier was presented the first Benjamin Warren Burns Scholarship by Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390, Sons of Confederate Veterans  at its May meeting.

           The annual scholarship is for $500 per semester. Shelby is a history major at McNeese State University.

           The scholarship is named in honor of the late Benjamin Warren Burns of Lake Charles. He was a longtime member of Camp 1390

John Burleson, living historian, gave an excellent program on the Confederate Navy at the May Meeting of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390.

A CONFEDERATE CATECHISM

[The following was excerpted from A Confederate Catechism by Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Third Edition, Nov. 21, 1929.]

What was the cause of secession in 1861?

It was the fact that the Union consisted from the first two jarring nations having different interests, which were brought to the breaking point in 1861 by the intemperate agitation in the North against everything Southern. The breaking point was nearly reached in 1785 when the North sought to stop the development of the South by giving the Mississippi River to Spain, in 1801 when it attempted the immoral act of turning the presidential ticket upside down and making Aaron Burr President, and in 1833 went it imposed upon the South a high protective tariff for the benefit of Northern manufacturers. The breaking point was finally reached in 1861, when after unmitigated abuse of the South, a strictly Northern President was elected by strictly Northern votes upon a platform which repudiated the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States authorizing Southerners to carry their slaves into the territories. This decision gave no material advantage to slavery, as none of the remaining territorial domain was in any way fit for agriculture, but the Southerners resented the attitude of Lincoln and his party as a challenge to their constitutional rights and as a determination on the part of the North to govern the Union thereafter by virtue of a mere numerical majority. The literature of those times shows that such mutual and mortal hatred existed as, in the language if Jefferson, “to render separation preferable to eternal discord.” The choice was between remaining in such a Union of hate, and seceding. There was no real peace, and the South seceded because it wanted peace and not strife or war.

WHO WAS LYON GARDINER TYLER?

Lyon Gardiner Tyler (1853-1935), author of A Confederate Catechism,  was the son of President John Tyler and First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler, born at Sherwood Forest Plantation. He graduated in 1875 at the University of Virginia. From 1888 to 1919, he served as the 17th president of the College of William and Mary (W&M), and is widely credited for restoring the college's financial condition following the deterioration which took place in the wake of the War for Southern Independence. During his presidency, he opened the college to women, established it as a state-funded institution, and founded the William and Mary Quarterly, now a highly respected history journal. During his lifetime, he published a number of works documenting his family's history, supporting his father's administration, and promoting new interpretations of Virginia history during the Federal period. Tyler was a meticulous researcher and prolific author, using primary source materials to generate detailed portraits of history.

New Book

The Vicksburg 28^th/29^th Louisiana Infantry

The Vicksburg 28th/29th Louisiana Infantry Regiment was involved in the 1862-63 defense of the "Gibraltar of the Mississippi," Vicksburg, from the first attack by the Union fleet of Admiral Farragut, to the final siege by Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The regiment had its finest hour in the war during the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Miss. on Dec. 28, 1862, when it was compared to the Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae in Ancient Greece, for holding off an enemy force many times its size. The regiment was made up of men from throughout Louisiana who endured incredible hardships and danger for their sacred cause of Southern Independence. Included in the book is a roster of the regiment, photographs, maps, footnotes, bibliography and index. The author, Michael Dan Jones, is the former Commander of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390, Sons of Confederate Veterans of Lake Charles, Louisiana. His camp is named in honor of the senior captain of the regiment, who was also the first Mayor of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The book, $16.95, is available on CreateSpace.com, Amazon.com and other online booksellers.

VICKSBURG HOSTS

LINCOLN EXHIBIT

Beginning Saturday and Sunday, May 25 & 26, 2013, and as part of Vicksburg National Military Park's Sesquicentennial commemoration, the park will host the traveling exhibit "Lincoln and the Constitution." The exhibit will be housed at Pemberton Headquarters, located at 1018 Crawford Street in downtown Vicksburg, and be on display to the public from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. Beginning June 1, 2013, the exhibit can be seen daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm running through July 2013.

The exhibit was developed by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA, and has been circulating around the country under the sponsorship of the American Library Association. It depicts several themes including the Civil War as a constitutional crisis, secession, slavery, civil liberties, and Lincoln's legacy. Discussing the critical issues of the day, the exhibit highlights the ideals born from this conflict and how Lincoln sought to transmit these to future generations.

Admission to Pemberton Headquarters and the exhibit is free.  Admission to the Vicksburg National Military Park is $8.00 per personal vehicle, and all applicable Vicksburg and National Park Service annual passes are accepted. The park is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily and information regarding entrance fees or programs can be found on the park's website at www.nps.gov/vick or calling 601-636-0583.

CALCASIEU GREYS, May 2013

NEXT MEETING

      Then next meeting of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390 will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March. 14, at Pitt Grill, .2600 Ruth St. in  Sulphur. The program is tentatively slated to be on the Confederate States Navy.

CAMP MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2013

         Please see the list below for meeting dates and places for 2013. The restaurants have been contacted and their calendars marked accordingly. Meetings last from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Amazen Seafood Restaurant (Lake Charles) June 11, August 13, and October 8 (Nomination of officers).

Pitt Grill (Sulphur) -  May 14, July 9, September 10, November 12 (elect officers).

The camp Christmas party date would be December 10 with the location to be determined.

Cmdr. Archie Toombs
presenting donation from
Capt. J.W. Bryan Camp to
head of Niblett's Bluff Park
Commission for historic
preservation at the
April Spring Festival.
 

 

Commander’s Comments

      What a good month to be a Confederate. My month started at Pleasant Hill which was great, but next year will be the 150th and you don't want to miss it. It will be the biggest yet with more canons and more soldiers and, more chances to recruit new people. Some of you helped at the gun show that weekend a big thanks for the help. The next weekend I was in Palestine Texas  dedicating a new Confederate Memorial Plaza, They had a parade and a moving ceremony attended by a large crowd of our compatriots from Texas, Ariz, Ark and of course La. I'm sure there were other states present. I just didn't get a chance to meet them. Next we had Niblett’s Bluff. The weather was great and we had an excellent turnout. A big thanks to all the volunteers who helped make it a success. Next year at Niblett’s Bluff there will be a reenactment for the 150th.Last but by no means the least was being part of another Hunley Award presentation where Dr. Andy Buckley did a great job of presenting it. The little Lady that received it last year gave me a big hug and thanks again for the award, This is why we do this. It is for the young people so they might learn the real truth about the War of Northern Aggression.
      This month our guest speaker will be John R. Burleigh from Port  Neches, Texas.  He will speak on the Confederate Navy, He is one of the best in our area on the subject and really enjoys telling the facts.
      We need to keep Luke Dartez in our prayers. His wife Lizzy had to have emergency surgery on the 25^th. She is doing good but still needs all our thoughts and prayers.
       The next meeting will be May 14th at the Pitt Grill in Sulphur, The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Come enjoy a good meal and visit with people that think the way you do, Bring a friend who might be interested in learning something about the Confederate Cause.

Best regards.

Archie Toombs, Cmdr. Camp 1390

 

LOUISIANA CONFEDERATE HISTORY

MONTH PROCLAIMED

          Compatriot Alfred Cochran of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390 obtained a resolution proclaiming April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in Louisiana from Louisiana Senator Blade Morris of District 25.

       The resolution reads:

        Whereas, the people of our state are united by a common history of individual heritage and diverse cultures and out state and its parishes, municipalities, and communities are rich in history of the War Between the states; and

          Whereas, Louisiana has long recognized her Confederate history, the numerous civil war battlefields that mark every region of the state, the  leaders and individuals who fought for their homes and communities and the state in a time very different than ours today; and

          Whereas, Louisianans can appreciate the fact that when ultimately overwhelmed by the insurmountable numbers and resources of the Union Army, the surviving, imprisoned, and injured Confederate soldiers gave their word and allegiance to the United States of America, and returned to their homes and families to rebuild their communities in peace; and

            Whereas, it is important for all residents to reflect upon our state’s shared history, to understand the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers, and citizens during the period of the War Between the States, and to recognize how our history has led to our present; and

          Whereas, it is appropriate we honor those who served in the Confederate States of America and educate the general public on Confederate history; and

          Whereas, the  month of April bears special significance since it marks both the beginning of the War Between the States in 1861 and the end of the war in 1865.

         Therefore, Be It Resolved that April is hereby designated and recognized as “Confederate History and Heritage Month” and all residents are urged to increase their knowledge of the role played by the Confederate States of American in our country’s history.

[Signed]

Senator Blade Morrish, District 25

 

MEMORIES OF TOM BROOKS

By Mike Jones

       I recently received the sad news of the death, on March 28, 2013, of my old friend and co-author of Lee's Foreign Legion: A History of the 10th Louisiana Infantry, Thomas Walter Brooks of Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. While I live deep in rural South Louisiana and Tom lived in Canada, we became friends and correspondents through a mutual interest in the 10th Louisiana Infantry regiment. He belonged to the 10th Louisiana reenactment group and I was a descendant of one of the regiment's soldiers, Pvt. Armelin Linscombe of Co. K., and also a reenactor with the 28th Louisiana Infantry reenactment group.

       Tom loved doing historical research and so did I, so we collaborated through the mail on gathering information about the regiment with the hope of someday publishing a regimental history. I live in an area of Louisiana where Company K was raised, South Louisiana, and was made up mostly  of  Louisiana French natives. However most of the regiment was made up of foreigners, predominantly Irish and German but with many Canadians, Italians, Greeks, Spaniards and numerous other nationalities. We decided to name the book Lee's Foreign Legion in recognition of the diverse makeup of the regiment.

       While I found many photographs of soldiers of the regiment from descendants that I had met in the course of my research, Tom wrote the final draft, had the excellent maps made, did all the statistical analysis that makes the book unique, and most importantly, published the work on his own in 1995. The book never would have happened without Tom. He was a man that could get things done.

      I finally got to meet Tom in person at the 125th anniversary  reenactment of Gettysburg in 1988. I found him to be a fine man, honorable, serious and an all around good friend. We also reenacted together again at a reenactment of the Battle of Pleasant Hill in Louisiana, and the Battle of Murfreesboro reenactment in Tennessee. While we hadn't corresponded for years before his death, I have nothing but fond memories of this really good man and friend. God Bless You and Rest in Peace Tom!

 

Gen. Robert E. Lee, master-
mind of the brilliant Confederate
victory at Chancellorsville.

150-years –ago

THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN

(U.S. Army Center of Military History)

Chancellorsville, 27 April - 6 May 1863.

          In the East, during this period, Federal operations were directed by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, who replaced Burnside as commander of the Army of the Potomac on 25 January. Hooker effected some reorganization and by late April was ready to assume the offensive with about 134,000 men. Hooker's objective was to destroy Lee's army, about 60,000 strong, which was still holding Fredericksburg. To accomplish this he planned a double envelopment which could place strong Union forces on each of Lee's flanks. The Chancellorsville Campaign began, as planned, with the movement of five corps under Hooker up the Rappahannock and across the river to Chancellorsville, while two corps under Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick crossed below Fredericksburg. Meanwhile Union cavalry made a diversionary raid in Lee's rear. Lee quickly became aware of Hooker 's intentions, and on 1 May boldly launched an attack toward Chancellorsville, leaving on a small force to defend Fredericksburg. In a brilliant display of generalship, Lee outflanked Hooker's force and kept it on the defensive. He also repulsed Sedgwick, who had taken Fredericksburg on 3 May and had advanced west, only to be driven northward across the Rappahannock on 5 May. Lee then turned his full attention to Chancellorsville, but Hooker withdrew his forces across the Rappahannock on 6 May before the Confederates could launch an assault. Federal casualties were 1,575 killed, 9,594 wounded, and 5,676 missing; Confederate casualties were 1,665 killed, 9,081 wounded, and 2,018 missing. Among the Confederate losses was Stonewall Jackson, who was mortally wounded on 2 May.

          Encouraged by the victory at Chancellorsville, Confederate authorities decided to attempt another invasion of the North. In early June Lee began moving his units up the Shenandoah and Cumberland Valleys into Pennsylvania, where he was forced by the exigencies of scanty supply to disperse his army over a broad area. Hooker had become aware of Lee's intentions by mid-June, and had promptly started north with his army, crossing the Potomac near Leesburg on 25-26 June. When Lee learned of this he ordered his army to concentrate at once between Cashtown and Gettysburg.

 

 

Cpl.  Isaac Reeves, left, killed at Gettysburg
and Sgt. James Reeves, killed at Chancellors-
ville, both of Lake Charles, Louisiana. They
served in Co. K, 10th La. Inf. (Courtesy of
Mrs. Anna Belle Reeves Morris)

        The Sad Story of the Reeves Brothers

[Excerpted from Lee's Foreign Legion: A History of the 10th Louisiana Infantry by Thomas Walter Brooks and Michael Dan Jones, 1995]

          The 10th Louisiana had participated in the days' brilliant victory [of May 2nd], but such success does not come without cost. The 2nd Louisiana Brigade of commander, Francis T. Nicholls, lost his left foot to a well aimed piece of Federal solid shot. The projectile  went clean through his horse, killing the animal instantly. Colonel Jesse Williams of the 2nd Louisiana took charge of the brigade. Lieutenant Colonel John Leggett, commanding the 10th, was cut almost in half by an artillery shell . He lingered long enough to beg forgiveness from his men for the rancor that existed between he and they. Major Henry Monier replaced Leggett to lead the 10th, only to be himself wounded the next day. Eighteen year old Private James Anderson, the color-bearer of record for the day, and ironically a Northerner as he was Ohio born, fell on the second.  Indeed, he was the first of a dozen men in the 10th who fell that day, and one the next, carrying the colors. War has an insatiable 
appetite for death.
           In addition to those already mentioned, twenty-four others in the 10th Louisiana were killed  or died of wounds at Chancellorsville. Six of them were Irish. Two, Michael Flannagan and William Buckley, were married.  Flannagan's widow was given his final account by the paymaster, and Buckley's widow Catherine received, in addition to that, a post-war land grant from the state of Louisiana. William Buckley was one of five men from the regiment who died at Chancellorsville, who were buried in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery.
         Three Germans fell as well. The death of one of them, Frederick Sark [of Company K], was described by [First Lieutenant] Edward Seton in his letter home.
          "Poor Jim Reeves was killed [on May 3] to my left when I went to get his rifle to give to F. Sark whose gun would not fire and at that moment I was wounded and when I looked around to give Sark the gun I seen poor fellow he was killed also." Sark was 25-years-old.

          A Corsican, Jean Bremont, and an Italian, Josua Fumagalli were among the slain. The Frenchman Alphonse Jonte was killed as were two Virginians, Charles Cooper and Henry Fleshman. Six Louisianians died, and one Mississippian, he, the eldest of three Reeves brothers in Company 'K,' James. John Reeves, the younger brother of James, was shot and blinded in both eyes while fighting at his brothers side. To add more grief to the Reeves family already sorrowful circumstances, James Reeves' wife Tabitha died in childbirth. And that wasn't the  end of the misery either. Two months later, on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg, the third Reeves brother, Isaac [twin of John], was slain. In the early 1870s, Isaac Reeves' remains were disinterred from the pit in which he lay at Gettysburg, and re-buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, in a box (box 3-261) with the bones of dozens of other men.             

          The Reeves family of Lake Charles, Louisiana had nothing left to give to the cause. Three sons, a daughter-in-law, and a grandchild had been taken in two short months.
          The 10th Louisiana went into battle with about 180 men. The total casualties suffered by the regiment at Chancellorsville, dead, wounded, and missing, totaled ninety-three.


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CALCASIEU GREYS - April 2013

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390 will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, at Amazen Seafood, 339 West Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles. Business will get underway promptly at 6:30 p.m. Charles Richardson will present our program on Confederate heritage issues and how to discuss them with others. We'll also vote on amendments to the by-laws (see following Commander's Column).

CAMP MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2013

Please see the list below for meeting dates and places for 2013. The restaurants have been contacted and their calendars marked accordingly. Meetings last from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Amazen Seafood Restaurant (Lake Charles) August

13, and October 8 (Nomination of officers).

Pitt Grill (Sulphur) - May 14, July 9, September

10, November 12 (elect officers).
The camp Christmas party date would be December
10 with the location to be determined.

Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390

The Commander's Column

I just returned from the Heritage Rally in Mississippi and I was glad to make it and see so many fellow members and friends. It was sure nice to see Andy Buckley and Wes Beason there. I know they enjoyed themselves. The parade was great. It looked to be a short one, but if it was any longer I would have needed water and a chair. Louisiana was well represented in the parade and camps from all over Louisiana were there. The Library building is "awesome," a word which describes this building perfectly. Capt. James W. Bryan It is two stories tall and glass everywhere. There is a blue X with white stars that runs through the whole building. If you stand on one of the white stars and look up you see a hole in the second floor filled with glass and another star.

Look further up and there is a round skylight with another star. Planes passing over see our flag projected with its stars shining thru the roof for all the world to see. The Mississippi SCV owns and maintains the grounds and does a fantastic job. A big thanks is due to them for keeping this part of our heritage alive. The restoration on Beauvoir was complete and is closer than ever to being as it was when Jefferson Davis lived there. The colors and art work are closer than they were on the last restoration. It was a great trip that everyone needs to make. The next meeting will be April the 9th at Amazen Seafood. The meeting will start at 6:30, so come early and enjoy the food and fellowship. We will vote on the changes we discussed to the by-laws and bring us up to date and the camp function smoother. Try to be there and be part of the process. If time allows Charles Richardson will finish up where Greg left off on the CD given to us from the SCV member in Okla. We have the Gun Show on April 6-7. If you signed up please try to make it. If you see you can't, please contact Wes or Luke and let them know so that we can try to replace you. The Battle of Pleasant Hill is April 6-7. If you are not at the Gun Show you need to be there and see what our ancestors went through. The battle is fought on the actual battlefield which is privately owned. All it costs you is the parking which is how they raise money to keep the event going. So come pass a good time and learn a little history too.

Archie Toombs

Commander of James W. Byran Camp 1390
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Proposed Changes to By-

By-Laws of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390

Proposed Changes 
(proposed changes are in red)
Article VI - Meetings
           Section 2 - The regular meetings of the Camp shall be on the second (2nd) Tuesday of each month at 6:30 o'clock P. M. except for the January "Lee-Jackson Banquet" which time and place will be set by the Executive Committee.
Article VIII - Officers:
            Section 1 - The officers of the Camp at a minimum, shall be Commander, First Lieutenant Commander, Adjutant/Treasurer, Historian/Editor, Chaplain, Quartermaster, and an the Executive Committee.Nominations for officers will be held at the regular October meeting. All officers, except those of the Executive Committee, shall be elected by a majority vote by ballot at the annual meeting of the Camp. They shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected. Officers elected at the annual meeting shall take office at the "Lee-Jackson Banquet." conclusion.
             Section 1 - The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Commander, First Lieutenant, Quartermaster, and the Past Commander. No Past Commander shall be eligible who has failed to maintain good standing in the Camp.
Article XVI - Amendments:
               Section 1 -  Any proposed amendment to these by-laws may be introduced by any member of the Camp at any regular meeting, or special meeting called for that purpose. A vote may be taken upon the proposed amendment, provided a copy of the intended amendment has been sent to each member in good standing, by United States Mail, Camp Newsletter or E-Mail at least ten days prior to the meeting. A two-thirds vote of the members present, by aecret ballot, will be necssary to pass any proposed amendment to, or revision of, the Camp By-Laws.
               Note: The proposed changes were introduced after review of the existing by-laws at the March 12, 2013 general membership meeting of Camp 1390.
                            

HERITAGE RALLY A SUCCESS

Compatriots,

           I wish to personally thank all of you who made to effort to be at Beauvoir yesterday. The heritage rally was inspiring and the new Library is a thing of grandeur. My special thanks to Chairman Rick Forte and Exec. Dir. Bert Hayes-Davis for allowing us to combine these two awesome events. This event would not have gone nearly as smooth , or not at all, without the on ground work of Greg Stewart! As well, my sincerest thanks to Paul Grambling for taking charge and organizing the rifle company and the firing of salutes. Next year's event will be in Franklin, TN!

Chuck McMichael

Sesquicentennial Chairman

MAKE PLANS FOR VICKSBURG

VICKSBURG - Now that the Heritage Rally is over, the next big national event for the Sons of Confederate Veterans is the upcoming national reunion att Vicksburg, July 17-20, which coincides with the 150 h

Anniversary of the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi. If you haven't been to Vicksburg lately, this is an

ideal time to make a national reunion. It is only about afive hour drive from the Southwest Louisiana area, and it is the home of one of significant War For Southern Dependence sites in the nation. Besides the Vicksburg

National Military Park, there are numerous other historic sites in and around Vicksburg. Convention Center Thursday, July 18, and usually includes a very impressive program. There will be business sessions held each day but there is still plenty of time for site-seeing and dining. You also have your choice of banquet meals, or eating out on your own, and organized tours, or touring on your own. One of my favorite parts of any convention are the many vendors that show up at national reunions. This is a veritable shopping center of Confederate and War For Southern Independence themed products for sale.Southern Independence themed products for sale. Everything from historic objects, fine art, clothing, DVDs, books and all sorts of odds and ends. If you have the time, you could coordinate your trip there with visiting other historic sites along the way, of which there are many in both Louisiana and Mississippi. To register, you can go to the reunion web site, orcheck out your current Confederate Veteran Magazine. http://2013scvreunion.homestead.com/Index.html. - Mike Jones

Pvt. Henry Augustus Moore, Co. F, 15th
Miss. Inf. His regiment served in the
Vicksburg campaign as part of Johnston's
relief forces. (Liljenquist Family Collection,
Library of  Congress)

150-years-ago

A VISIT TO VICKSBURG BEFORE THE SIEGE


American Citizen
Canton, Mississippi
March 27, 1863

           Impelled thereto by business engagements, we last week made a short visit to Vicksburg, taking in our route Calhoun, Madison, Tagaloo, Shotwell's tank, Jackson, Clinton, Bolton's, Edward's, Bovina, "and all intermediate landings."  From the route we took, as indicated by the above names, it will be reasonably inferred that we traveled "by rail."  such was certainly our intention, but in it we failed.  "The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft aglee."
            In our peregrinations we saw but little that was interesting or noteworthy, consequently we took no "notes," though we did take "note of time," as TIME—however much "tempus"  may "fugit," was not a fast fugitive to us, but rather hung heavily upon our hands while away from "the young folks at home."  In former times—before grim war's dreadful alarums resounded throughout the land—it was a pleasure and a benefit to any man to take a short respite and recreation from business in a trip to the "Hill City," or the "Crescent City;" but now, in these times of "war and pestilence and famine," the very worst punishment that could be inflicted upon a man would be to compel him to leave home and travel on railroads and take lodgings and meals at the hotels.
            The first feature that presents itself to the mind of the wayfaring man is, the great number of soldiers that are continually "going to and fro, up and down in the earth," crowding all the cars on all the railroads;--the next is, the vast number of soldiers—officers, especially,--that are found at all the railroad depots of any note, and in all the towns along the lines of railroads.  At Jackson we tarried a day.  The city was alive with soldiers, and it seemed to us that every third man we met was an officer, had on shoulder straps, or a "spangle" of some sort to indicate that the wearer was something more than a "common soldier."  The inquiry naturally arises, What are all these officers and soldiers doing out of camps?  Why are they not with their regiments, on duty, in active service?  There were, it seemed to us, a sufficient number of officers and men walking about the streets of Jackson to form a full regiment.  How it is that so many men, able-bodied and healthy, are enabled to shirk their duty and keep out of the service, passeth our comprehension.  While thousands are thus loitering about the cities, towns and railroad stations, all over the Confederacy, of no benefit whatever to the great cause in which we are engaged, the plea is made here in Mississippi by our sapient Governor, that the danger at present is so imminent that not a man can be spared from the field, and that the very salvation of the country depends upon retaining the militia in active service!—many of whom are old men not fit for military duty, but who ought to be at home, superintending their crops and raising bread and meat to supply the demands of the army and the people.  The Confederate authorities should at once call all stragglers to the field, and Governor Pettus should disband the militia without further delay.  He has committed an error in keeping them in the field up to the present time; the longer he persists in that error—to gain a reputation as "a man of firmness and decision of character"—the greater will be the detriment to the agricultural interests of the State, and to his own fair fame.  Disband the "melish," Governor, disband the "melish," and let them raise corn, and you'll raise yourself in the estimation of everybody.


Copperhead tentative release date
          The new Ron Maxwell move "Copperhead"
has been tentatively slated for release June 28, 2013.
Maxwell is best known for his two War for Southern
Independence movies, "Gettysburg" and "Gods and
Generals."Copperhead is a historical drama set in the
war, but is not a war movie. It is about a community in
New York torn apart by political differences over the
war. The film is based on the novel of the same name
by Harold Frederic. It tells the story of Abner
Beech, a farmer in Upstate New York in the autumn of
1862 who is labeled a "Copperhead" for his
opposition to the war. Copperhead was the derisive
term used for Northerners who were Southern
sympathizers of anti-war Democrats.
Billy Campbell plays the lead role of Abner
Beech. Campbell appeared in both "Gettysburg" and
"Gods and Generals," and had starring roles in "The
Rocketeer" and in the ABC drama "Once and Again."
Most recently he played Abraham Lincoln in the
National Geographic Channel's docu-drama,
"Killing Lincoln."Angus Macfadyen plays Jee Hagadorn. Many
will remember him as Robert the Bruce in the Oscar winning
film "Braveheart."The noted actor Peter Fonda plays the role
of Avery. Among his film credits are "Easy Rider,
"Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole," and "The Victors."
Ron Maxwell was the director and Bill Kaufman wrote the screenplay.
It was filmed at Kings Landing Historical Settlement, Fredericton,
New Brunswick, Canada

Kelly's Ford Battlefield
          (Culpeper, Va.) - The Civil War Trust, the
nation's largest nonprofit battlefield preservation
organization, has partnered with Culpeper, Va.-based businesses and local preservationists to complete the installation of an interpretive center at the Kelly's Ford Battlefield. Signage, fencing, trails and other amenities are among the additions comprising the interpretive center, dedicated on the battle's 150th anniversary. "Completing the protection and interpretation of this site would have been impossible without the help of the landowners, local businesses and our members," Trust president Jim Lighthizer said. "Future generations now
have the chance to experience America's history
first hand by visiting this site."
           In November 2012, the Trust secured an
easement on a 964-acre farm owned by the Woodward family, among the largest transactions in the
organization's 25-year history, with the intention of not
only preserving, but interpreting the site. The
landowners, Scott and Sam Woodward, agreed to donate
time and labor to build, maintain and manage the center.
Local businesses, historians and preservationists also
donated time, energy and resources to complete the
project, including Cedar Mountain Stone, Culpeper
Wood Preservers, Kipps Nursery, CFC Farm Center and
the Trust.
           "My brother and I have learned much about the
history of our property in the past few years," Sam
Woodward said. "And, as we discussed it, we realized we
had an obligation to be stewards of the land and
recognize its unusual history," added Scott Woodward.
"This is the right thing to do. The trust and our
consultant worked with us, and we are very pleased with
their efforts to aid us in our desire to protect this
farmland for our family and community."
The Woodward property is nearly two square
miles of land flooded with documented history
commencing long before English settlers explored this
area. Including over a mile of frontage on the
Rappahannock River, the property includes portions of
the Old Carolina Road, Norman's Ford and the Carter
House, which formerly belonged to Robert "King"
Carter, arguably the mo s t successful
colonial businessman of his era. It is also the site of the
Battle of Kelly's Ford.
          "The Woodwards have been incredible
throughout this process," project consultant and local
conservationist Jamie Craig said. "This is a unique
property in that it encapsulates centuries of American
history as well as sensitive riverfront habitat. This
acquisition is a significant asset now protected and
preserved for future generations — thanks to the
assistance and foresight of the Woodward family, the
Trust, local and state officials and Culpeper businesses
who supported our effots."

Calcasieu Greys -- March 2013

NEXT MEETING

          Then next meeting of Captain James W. Bryan Camp 1390 will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March. 12, at Pitt Grill, 2600 Ruth St. in Sulphur. We'll discuss revisions to our camp by-laws andGreg Newton will present our program on Confederate heritage issues, if there is time..

CAMP MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2013

          Please see the list below for meeting dates and places for 2013. The restaurants have been contacted and their calendars marked accordingly. Meetings last from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Amazen Seafood Restaurant (Lake Charles) - April 9, June 11, August 13, and October 8 (Nomination of officers). Pitt Grill (Sulphur) - March 12, May 14, July 9, September 10, November 12 (elect officers). The camp Christmas party date would be December 10 with the location to be determined.

Commander's Column

            Hope this finds all my fellow compatriots in good health and happy. This is a busy month for us in the SCV. We had the officers meeting for the Mechanized Cavalry in Elm Springs this past weekend normally it is rainy and in the 30s. This year it snowed the whole time and was in the 20s. Our headquarters are beautiful and covered in snow. We have the dedication Biloxi for the new Jefferson Davis Library on the 16th, hope some of you can make it. It will be the only chance to be part of its history. There will be a GEC meeting on the 15th at 11:00. I will be there to represent the Mechanized Cavalry and will be at the Parade and the Dedication on Saturday to help celebrate our heritage. 
            This month's meeting will be to get all our bylaws straight and make our Camp all it can be and avoid any legal hassles that could arise. It will be boring but it has to be done. Andy Buckley will explain the bylaws as we go through them and help us make any changes that need to be made. If you still have the copy we passed out several meeting ago read them and mark any thing you don't understand or needs to be reworded or done away with. This would speed things up considerably. We all need to be a part of this. It is our duty to make our Camp the best it can be, and this is the foundation of our camp without a strong foundation we are weak.
          The meeting will be at the Pitt Grill in Sulphur and will start at 6:30. Come early and enjoy a good meal and visit with all your brother members. The meeting will start on time so be there,so we can get it all done in one meeting.
 Confederately Yours
Commander Archie Toombs

MAJOR HERITAGE VIOLATION IN MEMPHIS

Forrest Park in Memphis is being
renamed, Health Science Park by
the City Council.

           Compatriots: There are great problems in Memphis -- specifically, renaming of parks as a means of
demeaning our Confederate heroes. Our men there have a legal defense fund, also. Their information
follows my message.
Gene Hogan
Chief of Heritage Defense
(866) 681 - 7314
******************************************
Gentlemen & Ladies,
          Please forward this to all of your members, friends, and associates, everywhere. The SCV &
UDC members of the Memphis area call on you for help. Last week, in an act of lunacy, the Memphis
City Council voted to rename our 3 Southern parks in Memphis. Forrest Park will become Health Sciences Park. Confederate Park will become Memphis Park. And Jefferson Davis Park will become Mississippi
River Park.
OUR CONFEDERATE HERITAGE IS BEING ERASED.
          We plan legal action against the City of Memphis to stop this brazen attempt to eradicate our heritage. We desperately need the help of all of our SCV and UDC members and friends from all across the country and the world -- Lee Millar, SCV Spokesman, Memphis.

SCV & UDC
           Join us to Save our Parks. The Memphis City Council has passed a resolution to change the names of our 3 Southern 100-year old parks. We MUST Preserve our history. We will FIGHT this injustice. Help us save Forrest Park, Confederate Park and Jefferson Davis Park Contribute to the Park Defense Fund:
Mail your check to: PO Box 11141, Memphis, TN 38111.
           If you can send $100, or even $20, or more, it will help in our upcoming legal actions
against the city.
citizenstosaveourparks@gmail.com
http://citizenstosaveourparks.org/
N. B. Forrest Camp 215, R. E. Lee Camp 1640,
Wigfall Greys Camp 1560, J. R. Chalmers Camp
1312, General Forrest UDC 1194, Gayoso UDC

2423, Memphis.

TEXT OF REVERSE SIDE OF CARD

Nathan Beford Forrest
1888 Tobacco Card

          General Nathan Bedford Forrest At the outbreak of war, Forrest was asked by Governor Harris of Tennessee to equip and raise a regiment of cavalry. His force quickly became expert and undertook several raiding excursions. At Murfreesboro on 13th July 1862 he demonstrated an

art for tactical awareness that was second to none. He fought bravely at Chickamauga and was responsible for capturing Fort Pillow. His cavalry continued to harass the Union forces whenever the opportunity arose, but at Gainesville on May 9th 1865 he was compelled to surrender. Considering his achievements of rank and status, he was particularly bad at spelling and grammar as his surviving war documents will testify.

New Book

Dick Dowling and the Jefferson Davis Guard

          The story of Dick Dowling and his fellow Irish-Texans is told in a new book, “Dick Dowling and the Jefferson Davis Guard.” The author, Compatriot Mike Jones, tells the story of this unusual Confederate unit through the men in the unit, who were mostly survivors of the Great Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s, who had immigrated to Louisiana and Texas for a new life. Included are the Battle of Galveston and the Battle of

Sabine Pass on the Louisiana-Texas border. At the time the of the Battle of Sabine Pass, the Louisiana side was in Calcasieu Parish, but now part of Cameron Parish. Also highlighted is a skirmish at the Sabine Pass Lighthouse five months earlier, which had important ramifications for the eventual Confederate victory five months later. The commander of the unit, Dick Dowling, was born in County Galway, Ireland and immigrated to New Orleans at age 9, with his older sister, Honora, in 1846. Their parents and younger brothers and sisters had to go to a Workhouse in Tuam, County Galway in order to survive during the Great
Famine. The parents and his other brothers and sisters later came to New Orleans, where the parents and some of his siblings died in a yellow fever epidemic in 1853.
           Dowling moved to Houston in 1857 with his surviving siblings, and became a successful saloon keep;er and businessman. An enthusiastic Southern as well as Irish patriot, Dowling and is fellow Irishmen formed the Jefferson Davis Guard before the war, and were among the first to volunteer for action when Texas was in the process of seceding in 1861.
           Besides the two battles, the Jefferson Davis Guard, which officially was Company F, 1st Texas Heavy Artillery, also took part in the successful capture of two Union blockading ships Jan. 21, 1863, off Sabine Pass – which is also covered in detail in the book. The volume is lavishly illustrated with numerous
photographs, maps and illustrations. The book has footnotes, bibliography and index. It is available
online at CreateSpace.com, Amazon.com and other book sellers at $16.95.
       
150-years-ago
The Richmond Daily Dispatch
March 4, 1863

Gen. John Hunt Morgan
(Library of Congress)

Gen. John Morgan.

          The Whig publishes an extract from a forthcoming work entitled "West Point and Political
Generals," in which a brief summary is given of the exploits of this great partisan leader. They border on the
marvelous; yet they are strictly authentic. He began with a small body of horse, which he raises himself, and during his career has brought from within the lines of the enemy, and turned over to the Confederate service, nearly 5,000 men. He has generally been at the head of less than 1,000 men — in his famous raid on Kentucky he started with 875 and returned with 1,200. He has within two years, fought more than fifty
battles — has killed or wounded more than 6,000 of the enemy — and has made upwards of 14,000 prisoners. His expeditions have always been of the most daring description; yet, he has never, but on two
occasions, been forced to fight when he did not wish it. Many of his battles have been of the most desperate
character, and he has been uniformly victorious. He has frequently operated hundreds of miles from support, in the midst of overwhelming bodies of the enemy, whose strength was greatly enhanced by the possession of railroads and telegraphs, stretching around him like a web, and almost indefinitely facilitating their power of
concentration, while, in the same degree, it complicated the dangers of his situation. The sagacity with which he of these multiplied dangers, indicates the great leader, not
only of partisan corps, but of regular armies.
          There never has been on the continent of America — probably there never was in the world — any partisan leader whose exploits could sustain a comparison with those of Morgan. Even Marion and Sumpter sink into absolute insignificance when placed beside him. And yet they were undoubtedly great officers, and, as such, entitled to all the admiration with which they are regarded, not only by the people of their own States, but by those of all the Southern States. The following is a summary of Morgan's exploits for the six months beginning 4th July, 1862, and ending 5th January, 1863; Between 12,000 and 13,000 prisoners, and
19,000 stand of arms captured; and $9,500,000 worth of stores destroyed; 4,695 men raised within the enemy's lines, and armed and equipped by himself, be having received but 200 saddles from the Government.

BATTLE OF PLEASANT HILL 2013

          PLEASANT HILL, La. – Here is the schedule for the annual Battle of Pleasant Hill Reenactment April 6-7. Camp 1390 is planning to have a booth at the event.
Saturday, April 6:
Time: 10:00 AM
Place: Downtown Pleasant Hill
For more information contact Erin Stockton 601-297-2178 or
email ewhstockton@yahoo.com
Event: Open Camp Activities
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Event: Battle Re-enactment at Pleasant Hill
Opening Ceremonies: 1:30 PM
Time: 2:00 PM
Event: Confederate Ball and Court Presentation
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: American Legion Hall
Must be in period dress to participate. Those not in period
dress may observe.
Sunday, April 7:
Event: Breakfast
Time: 6:00 - 10:00 AM
Place: American Legion Hall
Event: Open Camp Activities
Time: 10:00 AM to Noon
Event: Church Services (open to all)
Time: 10:00 AM
Event: Mail Call
Time: After Church
Event: Battle Re-enactment at Pleasant Hill
Time: 2:00 PM

CONFEDERATE HERITAGE RALLY AND DEDICATION OF THE NEW JEFFERSON DAVIS PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

          BILOXI, Miss. – The 2013 Sesquicentennial event and Confederate Heritage Rally will be held
Saturday, March 16, at Beauvoir, in conjunction with the dedication of the new Jefferson Davis President Library. Beauvoir, the last home of President Jefferson Davis, has been completely restored from the damage it received in 2005 from Hurricane Katrina. The first Jefferson Davis Presidential Library was destroyed by the same hurricane, but has been completely rebuilt and on higher ground on the Beauvoir property. There will be a heritage parade with the order of the parade as follows: SCV Color Guard; Members of the GEC; reenactor units; state divisions in order of secession; divisions whose states were not in the Confederacy; and others wishing to march.
          Acceptable flags for the parade are any Confederate flag; state flags, division flags, camp flags, re-enactor unit flags and any historic or current U.S. flag. Unacceptable flags include novelty type flags, flags of
organizations other than the SCV or flags and/or banners with messages deemed inappropriate by the organizers. Every unit, division or other group would do well to designate a spokesman for comments. This applies if you are randomly approached anywhere during the day. At the actual event it is best to direct the press to SCV General Officers or to Beauvoir officials. Watch our camp web site, Calcasieu Greys, for updates and an exact schedule of events.