Mistrial Declared in Confederate Flag Case

See the video here and respond to the poll:

http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/26886319.html

Fox News Chickens Out: No Fair Reporting on the Tampa Confederate Flag

From Vern Padgett:

Folks,
As you are aware, the Florida Division's giant flag-raising in Tampa has generated a lot of interest in the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Following the first flag raising, we have received 17 straight days of national news coverage, including 6 national market radio talk show interviews, about 12 television reports on local stations and national TV coverage on ABC, CNN and FOX. ABC News, NY was the first national media outlet to break the story. Nearly every newspaper from Miami to Chicago has printed multiple stories on the project. Even a newspaper in Poland called for an interview.

For at least a week, talk radio shows across the country were weighing in on this issue. We were recently informed by the media, that the Tampa Flags Across Florida project will be a major issue in the Presidential Elections, as candidates will be asked about it when they campaign in Florida.

A reporter for FOX NEWS Miami, Orlando Salinas, came to Tampa and did a story about the flag, the SCV and the "alleged controversy". His report was not only fair and balanced, it probably could be described as "pro-Confederate". Mr. Salinas is a "Shenandoah Valley" native with sympathies towards our Cause.

His video report included an opening sequence showing African-Americans and SCV members raising our flag in Tampa on Flag Day. It includes interviews with several African-American supporters, including SCV compatriot Nelson Winbush.

Mr. Salinas interviewed both sides of this issue, but his report questions the common notion that the flag is simply racist. Salinas made a special effort to report the TRUTH ABOUT THE FLAG.
Salinas' piece was to have run Friday night on FOX NEWS as a special story on Britt Hume's 6-7pm EST segment. It now appears that FOX management in New York is afraid to run this story, and intend to let it die. It seems that TRUTH and FAIRNESS make the producers "uneasy". We were told that one FOX NEWS director actually insisted that any story had to paint the flag as "racist".

The Florida Division needs your help. We are asking that each of you (and your friends) contact FOX NEWS NEW YORK and POLITELY ask the following:

1. For two days the Orlando Salinas report on the Confederate Flag in Florida has been put off.
2. When is Orlando Salinas's package on the Confederate Flag going to run?
3. If no firm date, then ask Why Not?
4. Let them know that you want to see this story, and that you feel it is important to all Americans that it be aired.
5. Remember to be courteous and polite. We simply want to urge FOX NEWS to run this story, as filed and unedited, and to follow their own axiom - "We report - You Decide". You may mention that not running the story gives the appearance that FOX decided, instead of the viewers.

Please call FOX NEWS at: (202) 824-6300 (ask the receptionist for the Producer of the Britt Hume show)or e-mail them at: http://us.mc326.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Special@foxnews.com and http://us.mc326.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=americasnewsroom@foxnews.com and Fncspecials@foxnews.com.

Please do this as soon as possible. The longer the story is delayed, the closer it comes to getting killed permanently.

SPREAD THE WORD!

Confederately,
John W. AdamsCo-chmn, Flags Across Florida Program1st Lt. Cdr. FL Division
P.S. If you want to contribute to the Flags Across Florida project, please visit our website at http://www.florida-scv.org/. VISA, MC, and PAYPAL are welcome!

THE CONFEDERATE FLAG
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Confederate_Flag
CONFEDERATE AMERICAN PRIDE
Dedicated to Americans who are proud of their Confederate heritage
http://www.confederateamericanpride.com/

Commander Ramsey Reports on NC Convention

I just returned from a month long road trip with the family to North Carolina to visit relatives and attend the National Convention. While I enjoyed the vacation immensely, (despite several truck breakdowns) I must concur with Vern Padgett’s assessment of the convention.

While I stayed in my travel trailer and did not use the local hotels, it was obvious that the evening camaraderie which has come to a part of these events just wasn’t happening. Many events seemed to be haphazardly planned and poorly executed. Confusion was the order of the day. The meetings however were conducted in an orderly and well planned manner. All business matters went smoothly with very little confusion or dissension.

On Saturday night, the Debutante presentation was the largest in recent history. There are usually 5-6 debs, but this year there were 17 young ladies. I am proud to say I had the honor of escorting the California Division’s first debutante, my daughter Samantha Jo. I am also proud to say that there were 15 Ramsey family members in attendance at the Ball, including my parents.

Kenny Ramsey
Sons of Confederate Veterans
California Division Commander
Commander, Camp 2048

Vern Padgett Reports on the Reunion in Concord

Reunion in Concord, North Carolina, was good. I've been to 9 Reunions now, and this was the best one as far as the leaders getting along. Absolutely the very best.

It was the absolute worst Reunion in many other ways. The meeting rooms were 20 miles from the hotels. So after leaving the commuting nightmare of L.A./O.C., we got to drive half an hour to the meeting, half an hour back, getting lost several times and wasting $4 a gallon gas, then we drove half an hour there again, and half an hour back. Or, we sat there all day, each day for 4 days. One day I was there from 8 am to 11 at night. I don't think I've worn the same clothes from 7 am to 11:30 pm for a long time.

During one of those long days we were all locked out of the meeting room building. People who had medical conditions and needed to use the restrooms were pounding on the doors to be let in, but the staff said they were "not authorized" to allow them in.

Even worse were the physical accomodations: Not a nice hotel, but a crummy "event center" with bare concrete floors, exposed ductwork, and so on. We ate off plastic plates and used plastic forks the whole time. It was too hot inside all the time. Quite different from the other reunions. And it cost more. A switch from the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, or that beautiful old hotel in Charleston, the year the Hunley came back in.

Worst of all, according to everyone but me, was the food. I like food, and I'm not complaining, but everyone else did. In my OCS class in the Marines in 1969, everyone lost from 6 to 25 pounds in those first 6 weeks. All except me. I gained 8 pounds. The sergeant instructor called me over and asked me if I liked the food. I said yes sergeant I do. He said how can that be. I told him "it depends on what you are used to."

I missed every one of the evening receptions. These have been the highlight of every reunion. I missed them because no one showed up at the event center 20 miles away, but instead stayed at their own hotel in Charlotte. I missed the best one the last night, even though I was in the same hotel!

Those informal gatherings are the real highlight of the Reunion, and often are worth more than everything else together.

Vern Padgett

Photo: Vern Padgett and his lovely lady at the Concord Reunion last week.

Black Confederates: Southern Fantasy or Historical Fact? Part II

Did Black Confederates Serve in Combat?

by Vernon R. Padgett, Ph.D. - Adjutant, California Division, SCV

Black Southern men served in the Confederate Army, and they served as soldiers. But did they fight in combat? Yes they did. The evidence is varied, and comes from many sources.

First, eyewitness testimony from Federal physician Louis Steiner, second, a report from Frederick Douglass; third, monuments reflecting black Confederate contributions, especially the unique work of Moses Ezekiel in Washington, D.C. Third, we see a sampling of combat reports of individual black Confederates, from a variety of sources, including the Official Records, and General Forrest’s U.S. Congressional testimony regarding his 45 black slaves. Finally we review the Confederate Governmental recruitment and enlistment of black Southerners in the Confederate Army in March 1865-- and a few examples of their limited combat experience.

1. Eyewitness Testimony of Union Physician Louis Steiner

Dr. Lewis Steiner, Chief Inspector of the United States Sanitary Commission, observed General Stonewall Jackson's occupation of Frederick, Maryland, in 1862. He wrote:

Over 3,000 Negroes must be included in this number [of Confederate troops]. These were clad in all kinds of uniforms, not only in cast-off or captured United States uniforms, but in coats with Southern buttons, State buttons, etc. Most of the Negroes had arms, rifles, muskets, sabers, bowie knives, dirks, etc. ... and were manifestly an integral portion of the Southern Confederate Army (in Barrow, et al., 2001).

This description of men wearing shell jackets or coats and carrying weapons suggests soldiers. It does not appear indicative of cooks or musicians or body servants. Of course, we cannot know by the description, but it suggests 3,000 armed black Confederate soldiers.

2. Report of Frederick Douglass

"There are at the present moment many Colored men in the Confederate Army doing duty not only as cooks, servants and laborers, but real soldiers, having musket on their shoulders, and bullets in their pockets, ready to shoot down any loyal troops and do all that soldiers may do to destroy the Federal government and build up that of the rebels" (In Williams “On Black Confederates”).

Douglass’s report is clear: Black Southerners were fighting “as real soldiers.”

3. Monuments to Black Confederates

The first military monument in the U.S. Capitol honoring an African-American soldier is the Confederate monument at Arlington National cemetery. The monument was designed in 1914 by Moses Ezekiel, a Jewish Confederate. He wanted to correctly portray the “racial makeup” in the Confederate Army.

The Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C.

............

Moses Jacob Ezekiel was the first Jewish cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. He was wounded in May 1864 at the Battle of New Market. As the first Jewish cadet at VMI, sculptor Ezekiel knew firsthand the nature of ethnic prejudice, and was for that reason a unique observer, and recorder, of the ethnic composition of the Confederate Army, observations which he recorded in the first military monument to honor a black American soldier in Washington, D.C. He is now buried at the base of the famous monument he created.

Enlargement of frieze of Confederate Monument, Arlington National Cemetery. Note black soldier in center and black woman at right.

In 1900, a Confederate Section was authorized in Arlington National Cemetery. Confederate casualties from around the cemetery were gathered and re-interred in that Section. A circular frieze of 32 life-sized figures shows Southern soldiers going off to war.

Black Confederate soldier depicted marching in rank with white Confederate soldiers. This is taken from the Confederate monument at Arlington National Cemetery. Designed by Moses Ezekiel, a Jewish Confederate, and erected in 1914. Ezekiel depicted the Confederate Army as he himself witnessed. As such, it is perhaps the first monument honoring a black American soldier. (Photo by Bob Crowell)

Confederate Monument at Arlington National Cemetery depicting a Confederate soldier entrusting his children to a slave. While Confederate soldiers were away from their homes, Union soldiers frequently would victimize southern blacks in much the same ways as southern whites. Sometimes blacks experienced even worse treatment than whites, as Union officers often protected white women, but turned a blind eye when slave women were "ravaged" or abused. Photo by Bob Crowell.

In his statue, a black Confederate soldier is shown marching in step with white Confederate soldiers. Engraved in the stone, you can also see a white soldier giving his child to a black woman for protection.

4. Individual Accounts of Black Confederate Soldiers in Combat

When we think of black Southerners who served in the armies of the Confederacy, we often think of them in the roles of teamsters, cooks, surgeon’s assistants, nurses, shoemakers, blacksmiths, laborers, fortifications builders, and valets (most of these positions are now part of the modern military). But many blacks served in combat. Black Confederate Nim Wilkes said: "I was in every battle General Forrest fought after leaving Columbia ... I was mustered out at Gainesville (May 1865)" (Rollins, 1994).

One federal cavalry officer related how he was held under guard by a shotgun-wielding black who kept the weapon trained on the Yankee's head with unwavering concentration. "Here I had come South and was fighting to free this man," the disgusted major wrote in his diary. "If I had made one false move on my horse, he would have shot my head off" (Barrow et al., 2001, p. 43).

Private Louis Napoleon Nelson served the Confederate States of America at Shiloh, Lookout Mountain, Brice's Crossroads and Vicksburg as soldier and chaplain in the 7th Tennessee Cavalry, under Lt. General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Nelson was sent by his master to take care of his (master's) son. When the young Confederate was wounded, Nelson picked up his rifle and continued fighting against Northern aggression throughout the war. After the war, Nelson and his former master were best friends; their farms bordered each other (Winbush, 1996).

Col. Parkhurst’s (Northern) Account of Forrest’s Black Confederates: "The forces attacking my camp were the First Regiment Texas Rangers, a battalion of the First Georgia Rangers … and quite a number of Negroes attached to the Texas and Georgia troops, who were armed and equipped, and took part in the several engagements with my forces during the day" (Lieutenant Colonel Parkhurst's Report (Ninth Michigan Infantry) on General Forrest's attack at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, July 13, 1862, in Official Records, Series I, Vol XVI, Part I, page 805).

The efforts of Jack, servant of an officer of the Thirteenth Arkansas Regiment, stands out as an act of heroism. Jack fought beside his master during the heat of battle. He fell seriously wounded but refused to be evacuated and continued to fire at the enemy. He later died in a hospital of his wounds sustained in the ranks of the Confederate army" (Memphis Avalanche, quoted in Charlotte Western Democrat, December 31, 1861).

At Brandy Station, Tom and Overton, two servants in the 12th Virginia Cavalry, picked up rifles discarded by Northerners and joined the 12th in a charge. They captured the black servant of a Union officer and marched him back to camp at gunpoint, where they held him prisoner. For two months, the Yankee servant waited upon the Southerners (Austerman, 1987, 47).

Levin Graham, a free colored man, was employed as a fifer, and attendant to Captain J. Welby Armstrong (2nd Tennessee). He refused to stay in camp when the regiment moved, and obtaining a musket and cartridges, went across the river with us. He fought manfully, and it is known that he killed four of the Yankees, from one of whom he took a Colt's revolver. He fought through the whole battle, and not a single man in our whole army fought better" (New Orleans Daily Crescent, 6 December 1861, cited in Rollins, 1994).

Black Confederate Levi Miller, born in Rockbridge County Virginia, was one of thousands of slaves who accompanied their owners to the war as a body servant. After nursing his master back to health from a near-fatal wounding in the Wilderness campaign, Miller was voted by the regiment to be a full-fledged soldier (Jordan, 1995).

Miller served the remainder of the war, exhibiting bravery in battles in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. His former commander spoke highly of Miller's combat record, giving a riveting account of his performance at Spotsylvania Courthouse. "About 4 p.m., the enemy made a rushing charge," wrote Captain J. E. Anderson. "Levi Miller stood by my side-- and man never fought harder and better than he did-- and when the enemy tried to cross our little breastworks and we clubbed and bayoneted them off, no one used his bayonet with more skill, and effect, than Levi Miller. Captain Anderson wrote: “During the fight, the shout of my men was 'Give 'em hell, Lee!'" (Jordan, 1995).

In his letter of recommendation, Anderson dispelled any doubts as to whether Miller had fought for the South of his own free will. "He was in the Pennsylvania campaign, and at New Castle and Chambersburg he met several Negroes whom he knew, and who had run away from Virginia," wrote Anderson. "They tried to get Levi to desert-- but he would not" (Jordan, 1995).

After the war, Miller received a full pension from Virginia as a Confederate veteran. According to the Winchester Evening Star, "The pension was granted without trouble, and he had the distinction of drawing one of the largest amounts of any person in the state." Upon his death in 1921, the Evening Star published a front-page obituary under the headline "Levi Miller, Colored War Veteran." It was the sort of stirring tribute fit for a local hero (Jordan, 1995).

Researcher Ervin Jordan (1995) cites another case of a valiant black Confederate, citing a diary that tells of an Afro-Confederate [who] became a local hero after being thrown into jail with nothing but bread and water for three days because of his support of the South and his refusal to work for the Union side ... The old man was made to chop wood with iron ball and chains attached to his arms and legs, but the curses of his jailers were unavailing: He stubbornly vowed to support the South until death.

The most telling account is from the most remarkable general officer of the War, Nathan B. Forrest.

General Forrest’s Account of his 45 Black Confederates: “Better Confederates Did Not Live”

Both slaves and Free Men of Color served with Forrest's Escort, his Headquarters, and many other units under his command (Rollins, 1994). General Forrest took 45 slaves to war in 1861. He told a Congressional committee after the war:

I said to 45 colored fellows on my plantation that I was going into the army; and if they would go with me, if we got whipped they would be free anyhow, and that if we succeeded and slavery was perpetrated, if they would act faithfully with me to the end of the war, I would set them free. Eighteen months before the war closed I was satisfied that we were going to be defeated, and I gave those 45, or 44 of them, their free papers for fear I might be called.

In late August 1868, General Nathan Bedford Forrest gave an interview to a reporter. Forrest said of the black men who served with him: "... these boys stayed with me ... and better Confederates did not live" (Rollins, 1994).

5. The Confederate Government Enlists Black Soldiers, March 1865

In March 1865, the Confederate government began actively recruiting and enlisting black soldiers. One witness recorded that the streets of Richmond were filled with 10,000 Negroes who had been gathered at Camp Lee on the outskirts of Richmond … (Rollins, 1994, p. 26). Richmond’s vast hospitals were a prime source of recruits. One writer observed “the battalion from Camps Winder and Jackson, under the command of Dr. Chambliss, will parade on the square on Wednesday evening at 4 ½ o’clock. This is the first company of Negro Troops raised in Virginia,” he noted. Thus a few black Southerners finally saw combat in authorized Confederate units in 1865. Not only did Chambliss’ regiment fight against Sheridan, but other units were noted at various points in the retreat to Appomattox.

On April 4, 1865 (Amelia County, VA), a Confederate supply train was exclusively manned and guarded by black Infantry. When attacked by Federal Cavalry, they stood their ground and fought off the charge, but on the second charge they were overwhelmed and captured (Confederate Veteran, 1915, 404; 411).

A courier reported that on April 4th he saw black Confederates … “all wore good gray uniforms and I was informed that they belonged to the only company of colored troops in the Confederate service, having been enlisted by Major Turner in Richmond. Their muskets were stacked … “ (Rollins, 1994, p. 27).

In an action on 7th April the 108th New York Infantry captured an armed black Confederate by the name of Tom Brophy; he was made a servant by the New Yorkers, and later lived in New York until his death in 1888 (Rollins, 1994, p. 28).

A book-length treatment of the topic of official black service in the Confederate Army is the excellent Gray and the Black: Confederate Debate on Emancipation by Robert F. Durden, (1972).

*****************************************
References

Austermann, Wayne R. (1987). Virginia’s Black Confederates. Civil War Quarterly, 8, 47.

Barrow, C. K., & Segars, J. H., & R.B. Rosenburg, R.B. (Eds.) (2001). Black Confederates. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company.

Brewer, J. H. (1969). The Confederate Negro: Virginia’s craftsmen and military laborers, 1861-1865. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.

Confederate Veteran, 1915, 404; 411).

Durden, R. F. (1972). The Gray and the Black: The Confederate Debate on Emancipation. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

Helsley, Alexia J. (1999). South Carolina’s African American Confederate Pensioners 1923-1925. South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 140 pages.

Jordan, Jr., Ervin. (1995). Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia. University Press of Virginia, 447 pages.

Oblatala, J.K. (1979). The Unlikely Story of Negroes Who Were Loyal to Dixie. Smithsonian, 9, page 94.

Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Vol. 17, Part II, p. 424.

Quarles, Benjamin (1955). The Negro in the Civil War. Boston: Little, Brown.

Rollins, Richard, Ed. (1994). Black Southerners in Gray: Essays on Afro-Americans in Confederate Armies. Rank and File Publications, Redondo Beach, California, 172 pages.

Segars, J. H. & Barrow, C. K., Eds. (2001). Black Southerners in Confederate Armies. Southern Lion Books, Atlanta, Georgia.

Tennessee Colored Man’s Pensions. Nashville Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Thomas, Emory (1971). “Black Confederates: Slavery and Wartime” in The Confederacy as a Revolutionary Experience. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, pp. 119-132.

Wesley, C. H. (1919). The Employment of Negroes as Soldiers in the Confederate Army. Journal of Negro History, 4, 242.

Wesley, C. H. (1927). Negro Labor in the United States 1850 to 1925: A Study in American Economic History. New York: Russell & Russell. Chapter 4: The Negro and the Civil War

Wesley, C. H. (1937). The Collapse of the Confederacy. New York: Russell & Russell.

Williams, Scott “On Black Confederates” http://www.texasls.org/articles/reading_room/on_black_confederates_by_scott_w.htm

Winbush, Nelson (1996). Black Southern Heritage (video). Presentation delivered at Hollywood Performing Arts Center, 10 February 1996. Available for $22 from Nelson Winbush, 1428 Grandview Blvd., Kissimmee, Florida 34744.

Black Confederates: Southern Fantasy or Historical Fact? Part I

...................................
Did Blacks Serve in the Confederate Army as Soldiers?

by Vernon R. Padgett, Ph.D., Division Adjutant, California Division, SCV

Blacks served by the thousands in the Confederate States Army. Many dismiss their service as that of servants—attached to the Army, but not soldiers in the Army. But black Southerners served as soldiers in the Confederate Army, not simply with that Army.

Evidence of the service of black Southerners as regular soldiers includes proclamations by Southern State governors, and authorizations by Southern State legislatures, calling specifically for black soldiers. Near the close of the War the Confederate Government enlisted thousands of slaves as regular Confederate soldiers.

Non-combat Job Classifications are Part of Today’s Army

Black Southerners served as teamsters, cooks, musicians, nurses, hospital attendants, blacksmiths, hostlers, foragers, wheelwrights, and in other roles in the Army of the Confederate States of America. In the modern military, these same categories, or their modern equivalents, still exist. By today’s standards these black Confederates were soldiers.

To the Confederate States Army, not the United States Army, goes the distinction of having the first black to minister to white troops. A Tennessee regiment had sought diligently for a chaplain, but had been unsuccessful until “Uncle Lewis,” who accompanied the regiment, was asked to conduct a religious service. Soldiers were so pleased that they asked Lewis to serve as their chaplain, which he did from the time of Pittsburgh Landing to war's end. “He is heard with respectful attention and for earnestness, zeal, and sincerity, can be surpassed by none"-- Religious Herald, 10 Sept 1863. To the men of the regiment as well as to the editors of the Richmond newspaper, the service of the black chaplain was a matter of great pride (Barrow, 2001).

Black Southerners served as laborers on fortifications. The National Park Service, after a recent discovery, recognized that blacks were asked to help defend the city of Petersburg, Virginia, and were offered their freedom if they did so. Regardless of their official classification, black Americans performed support functions that in today's army would be classified as official military service. The successes of white Confederate troops in battle was achieved only with the support of these loyal black Southerners (Williams, “On Black Confederates” website).

General Joe Johnston wrote in early 1864 to Senator Wigfall: “I propose to substitute slaves for all soldiers … as cooks, engineer laborers, pioneers, or on any kind of work. Such details for this little army amount to more than 10,000 men. Negroes would serve for such purposes better than soldiers” (Vandiver, 1970, p. 264). Again, in today’s army, these job classifications are filled by soldiers.

Applying today’s standards to the past, blacks served as soldiers in the Confederate Army. But no historian applies modern standards to history. Let us turn to the question “did blacks serve as soldiers by the standards of 1861?”

Equal Treatment of Black and White Army: “Employees” Ordered by General Johnston

General Order Number 38, issued by Confederate General Braxton Bragg at Tullahoma, Tennessee, in January 1863, stated, "All employees of this army, black as well as white, shall receive the same rations, quarters, and medical treatment." The Confederate Army was providing equal treatment at a time when the U.S. Army discriminated against black men in the matter of pay (Barrow, et al. 2001). The Confederate government authorized equal pay for musicians, many of whom were black, in contrast to the Federal Army, in which musicians received lower pay. The Confederate Congress passed legislation requiring that black and white military bandsmen receive the same pay. Free black musicians, cooks, soldiers and teamsters earned the same pay as white Confederate privates. This was not the case in the army of the United States (Barrow, et al., 2001).

Confederate Government Impressment

“The War Department was authorized to impress up to 20,000 blacks.” State governors also drew on “private property” so that whites could fight more and dig less. … The military also rented or impressed black men, slave and free, to cook and drive wagons and ambulances … in several large hospitals more than one-half of the male nurses were black. Government and private manufacturers hired or rented black labor for skilled and unskilled work. In 1865, for example, 310 of 400 workers in the naval ordnance works at Selma, Alabama were black.

As the war wore on, the trend toward black labor became more pronounced. “Every black man employed meant one more available white soldier” (Thomas, 1971, pp. 119-132). Black Southerners served in roles now considered part of the modern army, as teamsters, etc.

Evidence of military service of blacks in the Confederacy appears in Southern states records:

The Tennessee Legislature Authorizes Male Persons of Color for Military Service

In June 1861, the Tennessee legislature authorized the governor to accept for military service all male persons of color between the ages of 15 and 50. By that time one Negro company from Nashville already had joined a white regiment in marching east to fight in Virginia (Wesley, 1927, p. 107; Barrow, 2001).

The 1st Louisiana Native Guards

In May 1861, Governor Thomas O. Moore of Louisiana issued a proclamation providing for the enrollment of free blacks in an all-black regiment with some black officers. By early 1862, nearly 3000 men had joined this regiment and other nearby units around New Orleans. Their officers were skilled tradesmen, craftsmen, and even a few slave owners. There were several sets of fathers and sons and sets of brothers in this regiment, and “all the males in the large Duphart family were members” (Rollins, 1994, pages 22-23). Black officers included:

Captain Noel Bachus, 40, a carpenter and landowner;

Captain Michael Duphart, a 62-year old wealthy shoemaker, and

Lt. Andre Cailloux, a cigar maker and boxer.

The 1st Louisiana Native Guards was a 1307 man regiment with some black officers. It included many of the leading individuals in the New Orleans black community. Like most Southern militia regiments early in the war, they provided their own arms, and uniforms. They spent the greater part of their Confederate service as Provost Guards, although there is some indication that part of the regiment saw action at Fort Jackson during the New Orleans campaign (Official Records, I, 6, 858).

Black Louisianans played a significant part in Louisiana’s military history ever since the beginning of settlement. They fought for, and against, the French, the Spanish, the English, as well as with Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. By late 1861, about 3000 black Louisianans were enrolled in state troops and militia organizations, in the state, in service to the Confederate cause (Rollins, 1994, 22; 167-168).

Five Units of Confederate Blacks in Mobile, Alabama

Black Southerners in Mobile, Alabama took part in the defense of that city. In early 1862, a citizen wrote to the Government that he could organize a regiment of Creoles – a term for people of mixed blood— writing that “they are as true to the South as the pure white race. I can raise [a regiment] in a few days.” Black confederates were already organized and working on the city’s defenses by early 1862, and in November 1862, the state legislature of Alabama passed an act authorizing the raising of troops of “mixed blood … commonly known as Creoles” for the defense of the city. Major General Dabney Maury had written to the Adjutant General of the Confederacy, asking to enlist Creoles in Confederate service as artillerymen in the defense of Mobile. In August of 1864, the Confederate commander of Mobile formed a unit of cavalry with some blacks in it, and in October he ordered the city to enlist Creoles and free blacks; five different units of black troops were active in Mobile (Rollins, 1994, pp. 25-26).

Confederate Government Enlists Black Soldiers, March 1865

In March 1865, the Confederate government began actively recruiting and enlisting black soldiers. In early 1865 Robert E. Lee publicly advocated the enlistment of black troops, and in March the Confederate Congress authorized raising 300,000 new troops “irrespective of color.” General Ordinance No. 14 stated “no slave will be accepted unless with his own consent and with the approbation of his master by a written instrument conferring the rights of freedmen …” (Official Record, IV, 3, 1161). Shortly after, one witness recorded that the streets of Richmond were filled with 10,000 Negroes who had been gathered at Camp Lee on the outskirts of Richmond. Negroes were armed and placed in trenches near Richmond” (Rollins, 1994, p. 26).

A book length treatment of this topic is the excellent The Gray and the Black: Confederate Debate on Emancipation by Robert F. Durden.

Conclusion

The evidence is clear: Black Southerners served in the Confederate Army as soldiers.

*************************

References

Barrow, C. K., & Segars, J. H., & R.B. Rosenburg, R.B. (Eds.) (2001). Black Confederates. Gretna:
Pelican Publishing Company, 191 pages.

Durden, Robert F. (1972). The Gray and the Black: Confederate Debate on Emancipation. Baton
Rouge: Louisiana State University Press.

Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, U.S. Government.

Rollins, Richard, Ed. (1994). Black Southerners in Gray: Essays on Afro-Americans in Confederate Armies. Rank and File Publications, Redondo Beach, California, 172 pages.

Thomas, Emory (1971). “Black Confederates: Slavery and Wartime” in The Confederacy as a
Revolutionary Experience. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Pages 119-132.

Vandiver, Frank E. (1970). Their Tattered Flags: The Epic of the Confederacy. New York:
Harper’s Press.

Wesley, C. H. (1927). Negro Labor in the United States 1850 to 1925: A Study in American
Economic History. New York: Russell & Russell. Chapter 4: The Negro and the Civil War.

Williams, Scott. “On Black Confederates,” www.geocities.com/11thkentucky/blackconfed.htm or
http://www.37thtexas.org/html/BlkHist.html

"Confederates in California" Book Available for Purchase

The California Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans and Other Interested Parties:

I recently published a book titled "Confederates in California" which is the result of about 10 years research. The book contains the names of over 1600 Confederates who are buried in California or who were in California at one time (not all stayed in CA.) The book is in black and white hard bound and about 300 pages. It contains over 450 photos of markers or individuals; service info; date and place of birth and death; some family info; and a few comments related to service or the individual in CA. Price is $50.00 plus $5.00 shipping. I have 8 copies left from the last printing, but will have more printed if needed. I am working with a great printer who will print 1 or more copies as needed. If you need a printer for a book I will be happy to pass on his name and location to you.

Margaret Alley

For more information or to order a book, contact me at this address: malley1@earthlink.net

Jeff Davis Turns 200

Jeff Davis had a birthday on June 3. He was 200 years old. Here's a picture of him I haven't seen before. He was a handsome man.

Happy birthday, President Davis. You are a continuing source of inspiration to us all.

An American Trilogy

A Son of the South from Mississippi sings two great American songs. Elvis sings from 1973. Brother Elvis has been gone now going on 31 years. How time does fly.

Confederate Service Records Available Online

Gary, Thanks for the update.

One of my favorite websites is http://www.footnote.com/ This is a subscription service, however, you can look at their index and also you can look at some of the records they have posted. The cost is $59.00 per year; I think you can get a trial subscription for about 1 week if you are interested.

They currently are placing the Confederate service records on line. These are the National Archives Microfilm Records!

Their on line index : Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Missisisippi, North Carolina, South CArolina, Tennessee Texas and Virginia... Not all states are complete, but they do give you the percentage of records on line.

You can browse the index and look for the man you want, then if you find him you can down load and or print the service record if you have a subscription. If you don't have a subscription you can at least look at the index.

So if you are paying 40 or 50 dollars to get service records, you should check out this website first to see what they have on line.....

Margaret Alley

Some Great Civil War Websites - Great Pictures & Articles of Confederate Troops

I discovered the Civil War Gazette online while researching Civil War topics. They have some great articles and pictures of individual Confederates, Confederate uniforms and equipment, and burial sites of soldiers.  UPDATE:  The Civil War Gazette has recently insulted the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Confederate cause, is Yankee biased and anti-Southern.  Read at your own risk.

Here's an example. This is an original Confederate kepi worn by a soldier at the Battle of Franklin. Note the construction and the wool pattern. When purchasing replica uniforms, authenticity is important, and studying the original uniforms can aid you in achieving it.

Another worthy site is Civil War Potpourri. It has a list of articles on many aspects of the Civil War, namely the causes, casualties, uniforms, weapons, etc. The "Causes" page is of special interest to Confederate descendants -- that's because this section is told from the Southern view, what the Southern soldier thought he was fighting for. See Causes of the Civil War (From the Southern View).

Official War Records Now Available for Free

Google Books is an online source of publications that are in the public domain. These are books whose copyrights have expired and may be copied and cited for free. Google makes these books available for reading online, or for download as Adobe pdf files. You can then read the pdf file on your own computer at your leisure (or, if the book is short enough, you may be able to print the book on your printer and read the hard copy).

Google has now made available, for free, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. This book was copyrighted in 1900 and is now in the public domain. A few years ago this record was only available at a steep price, in printed form; only serious researchers owned copies.

Now you too can be a serious researcher of history. Download the book from this link.

The Google Books main page is here. Use it to download valuable books on literature, poetry and other topics.

Services to be Held for Real Son Woody Plaugher

Dear Friends and Compatriots

Finally received word of services for our Dear Friend and Real Son Woody Plaugher.

They will begin at 12 noon Saturday July 26th at the Orcutt Presbyterian Church located at 993 Patterson Road in Orcutt/ Santa Maria.

Anyone needing directions and is planning to attend please notify me at this E-mail address or telephone 805-929-2089.

There will be other activities at the Masonic Hall nearby and Woody's house later in the day. Additionally, anyone wishing to attend in uniform will be appreciated.

Barron Smith
Commander
Deaderick-Doremus-Thurmond Camp 1631 Santa Barbara

Arkansas Division Commander Passes Away

Arkansas Commander Durnett has passed away. The SCV HQ Blog has the story.

Read it here.

SCV Pin Now Available

For the California Division and SCV Member/Collector - A New SCV Pin

Lt. General Wade Hampton, Camp 2023 presents for sale their new pin. 1.5” X 2” in size with the California Grizzly Bear on top. You can purchase with our Camp number for the member/collector or order one with a blank plate to have your camp number engraved on it.

Cost is $12.75 - includes shipping. If ordering more than 1 Pin e-mail gary-stephens@sbcglobal.net for actual shipping cost . These are beautiful Pins!

Send order request with check or money order made payable to “SCV Camp 2023” to Gary
Stephens 2908 E. Whitmore Ave., H-150, Ceres, CA 95307

Reporter for Fox News Thankful For History Lesson

From Southern Heritage News & Views (Charles Demastus [demastus@aol.com])

I'm Orlando Salinas the reporter who did the *soldiers flag* story for fox news

Thanx for the kind words! I must admit I was one of those folks that was ready to call that *battle flag* a racist symbol

I had my opinion made up and then I did something incredible... I actually listened to some one who knew more than me!

... And I learned some history that I was ignorant about! Go figure!

I'm more curious than ever to know more about southern heritage and real history... That is both proud and honourable and at the same time... A history that is almost forgotten!

I am taking somewhat of a beating for this story... Most of the *bosses* In new York felt I had the story *wrong* and there was some pressure to change it but I said no... That’s the story...

To fnc's credit they backed off and let my story air...

Still I'm taking a bit of a beating by some colleagues who say I'm flat wrong!!!

If u think I really did a fair job pls email my bosses in NY At Ny@foxnews.com

Just don't tell em I gave that addy to u!!

And pass that addy onto others who also believe the story was fair and have them email my bosses too!! I hope fnc and other media outlets realize there's a whole history out there that's not being told... And to me that is a dishonourable thing to do to our country and to the many ancestors that fought and died on both sides...

ThanxOrly

Annual Reunion to be Held in Concord, NC

Important Notice to All Camps & SCV Members

All SCV members and camps are encouraged to attend the 113th Annual General Reunion which will be held in Concord NC during the period July 16 to July 19, 2008. There are a number of important documents included with (attached to) this announcement that are related to this event and normal SCV business with which you will need to be familiar.

Credentials Form- You may print this document on plain paper. Please ensure that GHQ has the names of the correct camp Commander and Adjutant in their database records because one of them must sign the credentials form to validate it. The credentials committee will check the name against the master camp rosters. Please do not send the signed credentials form back to the GHQ as it must be retained and taken to Concord NC by your camp’s delegate(s).

2008 Awards Program Information sheet- This information should answer all of your questions concerning national awards for this reunion. You may download a distinguished camp award entry form at member services, forms and documents on the SCV website at this link: http://www.scv.org/documents.php . You may also download the annual camp report form at this same link and this report should be completed and transmitted to GHQ no later than July 10, 2008. Please request a copy of your camp's current roster from the appropriate secretary, Stephanie Bible, atmdesk@scv.org for ATM and Georgia or Nikki Thornton for ANV and AOT except Georgia at anvdesk@scv.org. Please review this camp roster to determine if there are any errors, omissions or other problems to be corrected prior to the reunion. If so, please contact your Army secretary by email, phone, facsimile, or letter, and these corrections will be made by the GHQ before the reunion. GHQ will continue to process all new memberships and reinstatements which are postmarked by July 1, 2008. New members and reinstatements received after this date will not be included on reunion camp rosters for voting purposes.

SCV National Organization Starts a Blog

I just discovered that the national organization of Sons of Confederate Veterans has also started a blog website. It is located at this link.

I will add them to our link list in the left sidebar right away.

UPDATE: Confederate Veteran Magazine has also started a blog. It has been added to the sidebar link under "Blogs." It is located at this link.

Attention Camp Commanders, Adjutants, Others

If your California camp doesn't have its own website or blog, and you don't want the hassle of starting one, send your meeting and event notices here (secesh@rebelgray.com) and we will post them as soon as we open your email.

Also, please do send news of upcoming reenactments, Civil War Roundtables, events of related organizations (Daughters of the Confederacy, Confederate Rose, Sons of Union Veterans, Military Order of the Stars and Bars, parades, etc). Send photos if you want them posted with the article (one or two photos - don't get carried away!).

Out of state news is also welcome, as are articles related to the Civil War, reenactments, movie reviews, book reviews, etc, as long as they are "on topic."

Newsletters can be posted here as an article. Send the newsletter to us in Word format and we will post it here too.

Our goal is to add articles on a daily basis so that this blog becomes a useful and frequently used tool for the California Division.

Woody Plaugher: In Memoriam

Photo courtesy of Will Tisch.

Click photo to see full size.

Fox News Video on Florida Flag Raising

The Florida Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans has raised a huge Confederate battle flag along a state highway. Many of the Sons and friends (including some valued black friends) were there to celebrate the event.

Here is the video of the Fox News broadcast that aired last night. Fox News was remarkably objective about it; so often any news about Southern heritage is spoken in disapproving and mildly accusatory tones (the undertone being shame, shame, shame).

Way to go, Florida brothers!

Chuck Norred: A Message Re Woody Plaugher

Folks

Most of you know by now that California has lost a "Real Son" in Woody Plaugher. Thanks to Compatriot Barron Smith and Compatriot Vern Padgett for helping pass the word.

Camp 1804 members please know that we will invite his niece and her family who lives in Fresno to a dinner meeting. His nephew whose family lives in nearby Woodlake will also be invited. His nephew was a World Known Bull Fighter (Rodeo Clown.) I don't think many people within the SCV knows that. I have attended a few of his FCC (Fellow of Christian Cowboys) meetings and still use my FCC Bible he gave me years ago.

Woody had an awesome personality and loved his Confederate Heritage. Most of all Woody was a man of outstanding Character and never had a bad thing to say about any one person. Please place Woody Plaugher in your prayers.

I do not have my full address book recorded within my new comcast book and I would appreciate you folks if you would pass onto others the news of Woody Plaugher, a very loved California "Real Son" within the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Thank you Barron Smith as I know you have had your own very serious health problems. Thank you for being a good friend to Woody and all you have done for him. You have been an inspiration as I know you have been the one who has helped him at every National Reunion I have been to. God Bless you for that and please know you are still in my prayers.

I was not able to make our past Division Reunion because I was at a GEC meeting. I will always remember the two Reunions (2007 & 2006) before our 2008 Reunion, in Bakersfield. Commander Kenny Ramsey at each Reunion hosted Woody's Birthday party. At our 2007 Reunion, Commander Ramsey presented Woody with the most beautiful Confederate Flag birthday cake. At the same reunion our members, and Woody had the privledge of singing "Dixie" that was broadcasted over 5 different radio stations at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield with Buck Owens.

Again I ask you to please place Woody's family within your prayers. I send to you a picture of Woody and Camp 1804 1st Lt. Commander Russell Snow.

God Bless

Chuck Norred

An Age-Old Forgery Still Used to Denigrate Jefferson Davis

A few years ago I read a biography of Jefferson Davis by a northern author, written in the 1930's. The author described an incendiary speech, said to have been delivered by Davis as a response to the Emancipation Proclamation.

The author stated flatly that the speech was a forgery, created for propaganda purposes during the American Civil War, and gave examples of similar forgeries occurring in American history.

Nevertheless, this fake speech still circulates on the internet, in college classrooms and websites, presented as fact and used to denigrate Davis and his cause. Once in a while you will come across this forgery, so be prepared.

That Jefferson Davis never gave such a speech is obvious. It isn't included in any scholarly collections of his papers or speeches or newspapers of the time period. For example, see this listing of Davis's speeches on the Rice University website. The speech Jeff Davis gave on January 5, 1863 doesn't remotely resemble the fraudulent one [reproduced below].

Furthermore, though Harper's Magazine of January 31, 1863 did print Jeff Davis's response to the Emancipation Proclamation, those remarks did not resemble the fraudulent address herein described. It is doubtful that such an incendiary speech by Davis would have been overlooked, particularly one specifically addressed to "to the People of the Free States by the President of the Southern Confederacy."

Further evidence that the address is fraudulent is that Jeff Davis allegedly says ".....and entertaining the belief that the day is not distant when the old Union will be restored with slavery nationally declared to be the proper condition of all of African descent...." Jefferson Davis would never had said any such thing. He was utterly determined and committed to preserving the independence of the Southern states; restoration of the Union was to him unthinkable. Furthermore, Jefferson Davis acknowledged that slavery would come to an end at some point in the future, regardless of the outcome of the Civil War.

In the speech Jefferson Davis allegedly makes powerful policy decisions as if he were a dictator, when in reality such decisions would have to be approved by the Confederate Congress.

Here's the forged speech. If you see it anywhere, know it for what it is.
-------------------------------------------------
CONFEDERATE RESPONSE TO THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
An Address to the People of the Free States by the President of the Southern Confederacy, Richmond, January 5, 1863.

Citizens of the non-slaveholding States of America, swayed by peaceable motives, I have used all my influence, often thereby endangering my position as the President of the Southern Confederacy, to have the unhappy conflict now existing between my people and yourselves, governed by those well established international rules, which heretofore have softened the asperities which necessarily are the concomitants of a state of belligerency, but all my efforts in the premises have heretofore been unavailing. Now, therefore, I am compelled e necessitati rei to employ a measure, which most willingly I would have omitted to do, regarding, as I always must, State Rights, as the very organism of politically associated society.

For nearly two years my people have been defending their inherent rights their political, social and religious rights against the speculators of New England and their allies in the States heretofore regarded as conservative. The people of the Southern Confederacy have -- making sacrifices such as the modern world has never witnessed -- patiently, but determinedly, stood between their home interests and the well paid, well fed and well clad mercenaries of the Abolitionists, and I need not say that they have nobly vindicated the good name of American citizens. Heretofore, the warfare has been conducted by white men -- peers, scions of the same stock; but the programme has been changed, and your rulers despairing of a triumph by the employment of white men, have degraded you and themselves, by inviting the cooperation of the black race. Thus, while they deprecate the intervention of white men -- the French and the English -- in behalf of the Southern Confederacy, they, these Abolitionists, do not hesitate to invoke the intervention of the African race in favor of the North.

The time has, therefore, come when a becoming respect for the good opinion of the civilized world impels me to set forth the following facts:

First. Abraham Lincoln, the President of the Non-Slaveholding States, has issued his proclamation, declaring the slaves within the limits of the Southern Confederacy to be free.

Second. Abraham Lincoln has declared that the slaves so emancipated may be used in the Army and Navy, now under his control, by which he means to employ, against the Free People of the South, insurrectionary measures, the inevitable tendency of which will be to inaugurate a Servile War, and thereby prove destructive, in a great measure, to slave property.

Now, therefore, as a compensatory measure, I do hereby issue the following Address to the People of the Non-Slaveholding States:

On and after February 22, 1863, all free negroes within the limits of the Southern Confederacy shall be placed on the slave status, and be deemed to be chattels, they and their issue forever. All negroes who shall be taken in any of the States in which slavery does not now exist, in the progress of our arms, shall be adjudged, immediately after such capture, to occupy the slave status, and in all States which shall be vanquished by our arms, all free negroes shall, ipsofacto, be reduced to the condition of helotism, so that the respective normal conditions of the white and black races may be ultimately placed on a permanent basis, so as to prevent the public peace from being thereafter endangered.

Therefore, while I would not ignore the conservative policy of the Slave States, namely, that a Federal Government cannot, without violating the fundamental principles of a Constitution, interfere with the internal policy of several States; since, however, Abraham Lincoln has seen fit to ignore the Constitution he has solemnly sworn to support, it ought not be considered polemically or politically improper in me to vindicate the position which has been at an early day of this Southern republic, assumed by the Confederacy, namely, that slavery is the corner-stone of a Western Republic. It is not necessary for me to elaborate this proposition. I may merely refer, in passing, to the prominent fact, that the South is emphatically a producing section of North America; this is equally true of the West and Northwest, the people of which have been mainly dependent on the South for the consumption of their products. The other States, in which slavery does not exist, have occupied a middle position, as to the South, West and Northwest. The States of New England, from which all complicated difficulties have arisen, owe their greatness and power to the free suffrages of all other sections of North America; and yet, as is now evident, they have, from the adoption of the Federal Constitution, waged a persistent warfare against the interests of all the other States of the old Union. The great centre of their opposition has been Slavery, while the annual statistics of their respective State Governments abundantly prove that they entertain within all their boundaries fewer negroes than any single State which does not tolerate slavery.

In view of these facts, and conscientiously believing that the proper condition of the negro is slavery, or a complete subjection to the white man, -- and entertaining the belief that the day is not distant when the old Union will be restored with slavery nationally declared to be the proper condition of all of African descent, and in view of the future harmony and progress of all the States of America, I have been induced to issue this address, so that there may be no misunderstanding in the future.

*****

The commentary of a modern university teacher is included below:

This document shows Jefferson Davis, the commander-in-chief of the
confederate armies, firmly promulgating the national policy that the
southern armies were fighting for slavery. It also belies any supposed
confederate support for blacks in their own ranks, as Davis clearly regards
having blacks as soldiers degrades white society.

There's only one problem, lady. Jeff Davis never wrote it or said it.
...

A Message from Louis Olker

VERY nice new website!! Thanks for putting in the time and effort on that. A couple of things I should relate to you now while I've got you on email. Along with Connie Lawson(UDC-Vallejo), I am putting together a grave marking ceremony for Major Joseph P. Vaughn, who is buried in the Benicia Cemetery. We are planning this for 10:00AM, Saturday, October 4th, 2008 and there will be riflemen, UDC, SCV in and out of uniform from our Camp and I hope your Camp too. We will be installing a bronze marker for Maj. Vaughn, who left Benicia in 1862, traveled back to Missouri to join the State Guard, He fought in the battle of Lexington and was promoted to Major and led the MO 6th INF REG at the Battle of Iuka where he was killed. There will be a picnic afterward down the hill in one of the City Parks (we have it reserved). Do you know any buglers?

Also, your men may want to know about the Duncan Mills reenactment over on the Russian River July 19-20. For the past few years I have brought an old oak "recruitment table" for our SCV Camp in Sacramento to share with the SUVCW Post in Santa Rosa on Saturday. There are two reenactments during the day and tons of suttlers and displays. Probably the second best and nicest site for joint ACWA and NCWA reenactment.

Also, I will send you Wayne Ford's email address(our Adjutant....didn't notice if you had it posted). Sorry to hear about Woody. He was quite a trouper!

Thanks again! Lou

Remember Your Heritage

Here's a great video from YouTube. It has segments from the movies "Gods and Generals" and "Gettysburg."

The first segment shows Stephen Lang as General Jackson explaining to his troops why Virginia will enter the war on the side of the South.

Another segment shows General Armistead rallying his troops for Pickett's Charge. I was present in the making of that scene; in fact, I was one of the Confederate infantrymen standing at attention behind him.

Black and White Compatriots Celebrate Confederate Flag - Together!

This news item from Fox News is interesting and hopeful.

Controversial Confederate Flag Raising Ceremony
by FNC News Crews
By Orlando Salinas

I thought I’d only see Caucasians attending a controversial Confederate flag raising ceremony, early on Saturday morning in Tampa, Florida. That’s what I get for thinking.

But there they were-a smattering of African Americans, mixing it up with Caucasian bikers wearing Confederate flag jean jackets and caps. But what really caught my eye was seeing some of those same African American folks also sporting the controversial symbol on their bodies too.

Right smack dab at the politically powerful junction of Interstate 4 and I-75… hoisted 139 feet up in the in the air, was what most Americans call the flag of the onfederacy, but what is more correctly referred to by historians as “a soldiers flag.”

Marion Lambert, who owns the sliver-size piece of property where the flag has been displayed, calls himself a proud member of the sons of Confederate veterans, who says his local organization would never defend the painful issue of slavery. And, as I watched Caucasian and some African Americans, hoist that heavy flag 139 feet in the air, there was a collective but “Out of tune” rendition of “I wish I was in Dixie,” and yep, African Americans folks were singing it too, and off key as well.

Throughout the morning, motorcycles rumbled in and out of the parking lot, making it hard to hear, and these folks wanted to be heard. Marion Lambert told me he wants people to notice the flag, wants people to ask, “Why is that huge flag being flown here in Tampa.”

Lamberts answer was simple enough: “I want people to talk to us, let us tell ‘em we’re not for slavery, we’re not for racism, we don’t hate minorities. We just want to show pride and reverence to our ancestors. We don’t agree with the slavery part, it was wrong, but we can’t ignore this flag. It represents our southern heritage, the good that we want to remember, and the bad part we should never forget.”

So there it was, white and black folks, some sitting on cinder blocks, smoking pipes. One elderly African American man wearing a suit and a Confederate tie, back-slapping and joking with a younger Caucasian man wearing so many Confederate symbols, he looked like the poster child for the event. The local NAACP has called these Confederate flag-supporting blacks “out of touch,” saying they don’t represent black America.

I asked the older black man in the Confederate tie, what he thought about the NAACP’s comment, he said “I’m about as black as it gets, I’m the grandson of slaves, I’m a U.S. war veteran, and I’m just as proud of this (Confederate) flag, because it represents my heritage too. And the NAACP doesn’t represent all of black America either.”

Read the entire article here.

I love it -- black Southerners and white Southerners being friends and celebrating Confederate heritage together even though some folks find that inconvenient. I hope this trend continues.

Real Son Woody Plaugher Passes Away

Woody Plaugher, a Real Son of a Confederate veteran, passed away last night. Woody was well known and often honored by the California Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Here's the message we received:

Hello Friends and Compatriots

I just want to inform everyone that our dear Friend and Real Son of a Confederate Soldier Woody passed away last night peacefully about 6:30 pm in the presence of his Grandson. The family plans to have a celebration of his life in the near future but there will be no gravesite services. I will keep you all informed.

Sincerely

Barron Smith

Lt. General Wade Hampton, Camp 2023 - Modesto

Wade Hampton was born in Charleston, South Carolina on March 28, 1818. As a member of one of the wealthiest families in antebellum South Carolina, Wade Hampton was reputed to be the largest landowner in the South. He owned several plantations in both South Carolina and Mississippi.

Wade Hampton was one of three citizens to attain the rank of Lt. General in the Confederate Army without benefit of formal military training – the other two being Nathan Bedford Forrest and Richard Taylor.

Prior to the War for Southern Independence, Wade Hampton served as both a State Representative and a State Senator for South Carolina. At the outbreak of the War, he resigned from the South Carolina Senate to accept a Colonel’s commission in the Confederate Army. Hampton formed Hampton’s Legion, which he equipped at his own expense. Taking his Legion to Virginia, Hampton’s force fought at First Manassas where Hampton was wounded. Hampton’s Legion was later broken up into separate units. Hampton also was wounded at Gettysburg. In 1865, he evacuated Columbia, South Carolina when General Sherman’s forces entered the city.

After the War, Wade Hampton was elected Governor of South Carolina and was instrumental in ridding the state of carpet baggers. He died in Columbia on April 11, 1902 and is buried at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbia, South Carolina.

General Albert Sidney Johnston, Camp 2048 - Tehachapi

At the beginning of the Civil War it was almost universally agreed that the finest soldier, North or South, was Albert Sidney Johnston. The Kentucky-born Johnston was appointed to West Point from Louisiana and graduated eighth in the class of 1826. After eight years of service he resigned to care for his terminally ill wife. A failure at farming, he went to Texas and joined the revolutionary forces as a private. He rose to the forces chief command as senior brigadier.

He served as secretary of war in the Republic of Texas and commanded the lst Texas Rifles in the Mexican War. Reentering the regular army in 1849 as a major and paymaster, he became colonel, 2nd (old) Cavalry, in 1855. For his services in the 1857 campaign against the Mormons in Utah he was brevetted brigadier general. He resigned his commission on April 10, 1861, but did not quit his post on the West Coast (the Presidio at San Francisco) until his successor arrived.

Relieved, he began the long trek to Richmond overland. Meeting with Jefferson Davis, he entered Confederate service where his assignments included: general, CSA (August 30, 1861, to date from May 30, 1861); commanding Department No. 2 (September 15, 1861 - April 6, 1862); in immediate command of the Central Army of Kentucky, Department No. 2 (October 28 - December 5, 1861; February 23- March 29, 1862).

As the second ranking general in the Southern army he was given command of the western theater of operations. Establishing a line of defense in Kentucky from the Mississippi River to the Appalachians, he held it until it was broken at Mill Springs in January and at Forts Henry and Donelson in February 1862. Abandoning Kentucky and most of Tennessee, he fell back into northern Mississippi where he concentrated his previously scattered forces.

In early April he moved against Grant's army at Shiloh. In what was basically a surprise attack, he drove the enemy back. While directing frontline operations he was wounded in the leg. Not considering his wound serious, he bled to death. His early death in the war was an incalculable loss to the Confederacy.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a genealogical-historical organization dedicated to preserving the history and honoring the memory of our Confederate ancestors. The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia, in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-65 period is preserved.

C.S.S. Virginia, Camp 2062 - Ventura County

The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.

The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved.

Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants over the age of twelve of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. The SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state, and national levels which offer members a wide range of history-related activities. In addition to the privilege of belonging to an organization devoted exclusively to commemorating and honoring Confederate soldiers, members receive "The Confederate Veteran", the bi-monthly national magazine which contains in-depth articles on the war along with news affecting Southern heritage.

CSS VIRGINIA CAMP 2062

The Camp was named to honor the 320 soldiers, sailors and Marines of the Confederate Armed Forces who served as Ship's Company from February to May of 1862. CSS Virginia Camp 2062 organized on July 20, 2002 in Thousand Oaks, California, in order to serve the needs of members in the north and west San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, and Ventura County.

See the Camp's website here for more information.

Captain Cameron E. Thom, Camp 2007 - Long Beach

Captain Cameron Erskine Thom, Camp 2007, received its charter on 15 October 2002. Founding members came from Camp 1742 Inland Empire, Camp 1208 Los Angeles, Camp 584 Headquarters, and members new to SCV.

Cameron Erskine Thom was a native of Culpeper Virginia. Along with many others, he came to California as a 49er. His group included 30 other Virginians. After a few years mining, not attaining the sought after fortune, he began to study law. Captain Thom started his law career in land claims.

C. E. Thom moved his practice to Los Angeles; after two years he was elected City and County Attorney. Cameron Thom was an ardent Southron. Upon hearing the call, he returned to his beloved Virginia. He served the Confederacy well participating in 15 battles and being wounded twice.

After the war of Northern Aggression, Thom returned to California. He lost his property, fortune, and his wife. Susan Henrietta Hathwell returned to her family in Marysville where she later became ill and passed on.

An Old Friend loans $300 in Gold
Shortly after arriving in San Pedro he was recognised by an old friend-- J.M. Griffith. Griffith loaned him $300 in gold. Captain Thom began to move forward with his life. He pooled his money with others and became a co-founder of the City of Glendale California. He served the City of Los Angeles as Mayor from 1882-1884. He served again as City Attorney from 1869-1873, and 1877-1879. Captain Thom served before the War in the State Senate, 1859-1860.

Cameron Erskine Thom was a true Southron Patriot. He passed on in 1915 at the age of 90 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in the 3300 block of E. 1st Street Los Angeles, California. A 20-foot obelisk prominently marks his burial site. Upon entering the cemetery, drive 100 yards straight, and you will find him on the left side of the road.

By Paul Williams

For information on meetings and events, see links in the left side panel for Camp 2007.

General Tyree H. Bell, Camp 1804 - Fresno

Tyree Harris Bell was born on September 5, 1815, in Covington, Kentucky. He grew up on his family's Tennessee plantation and, when war broke out between the states, became an ardent supporter of the Confederate cause. In early 1861, Bell recruited a company for the 12th Tennessee Infantry and was elected captain of the company. He soon advanced to become lieutenant colonel of the 12th Tennessee, and led his troops at the Battles of Belmont (Missouri) and Shiloh, then took part in the Battle of Richmond (Kentucky). Transferred to cavalry command, he participated in the Battles of Perryville and Stone's River.

In 1863, Major Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest recruited Bell for an independent command that Forrest was organizing in West Tennessee and northern Mississippi. Bell served with Forrest until the end of the war. Bell served as a recruiting and conscript officer until he was eventually given command of a brigade. In recognition of his service in the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads and various campaigns in Mississippi and Tennessee, Bell was commissioned as a brigadier general on February 28, 1865.

General Bell fought to the last along side General Forrest, finally surrendering with him at Selma, Alabama at the end of the war. Later, Bell moved to Fresno, California, and became a farmer. He died while traveling through New Orleans on September 1, 1902. His remains are buried in Bethel Cemetery, Del Rey, California, in Fresno County.

Capt. James Iredell Waddell, Camp 1770 - Orange County

The Captain James Iredell Waddell Camp 1770, Orange County, California, Sons of Confederate Veterans, honors the memory of the CSS Shenandoah, her captain and crew. The only Confederate vessel to sail around the world, the Shenandoah captured 38 U.S. ships, mainly Yankee whalers in the North Pacific. During her 13-month voyage, she only dropped anchor twice and visited every ocean except the Antarctic. She surrendered to the British authorities in Liverpool England on November 6, 1865 and lowered the last Confederate Flag.

Captain Waddell wrote: "I claim for her officers and men a triumph over their enemies and over every obstacle, and for myself, I claim having done my duty."

In our lives, most of us have found some things important to us. Furthermore, we have embraced some things of honor to us. The Sons of Confederate Veterans in Orange County want to help you honor and embrace your Confederate heritage. We plan to create a Confederate memorial and burial site in Southern California. The memorial will be a centerpiece for the Confederate pride and services to honor the veterans buried there.

The need for a Confederate memorial in Orange County has been recognized for years. GAR monuments abound, but there is no marker honoring Confederate veterans though many were founding fathers of Orange County. The development of a plan to design, fund and build a suitable Confederate monument has waited for the right time. That time is now.
“For my part, when the time comes to cross the river like the others, I shall be found asking at the gates above: where is the army of Northern Virginia? For there I make my Camp.”
--Brig. Gen. G. Moxley Sorrel, CSA

Camp 1741 - Inland Empire

Following the War for Southern Independence, many surviving Southern soldiers joined to form a veteran's organization named the United Confederate Veterans (UCV). The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1896, is the one and only heir to this legacy.The Inland Empire SCV Camp 1742 is based in Redlands, California. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the memory and heritage of the Confederacy and our Confederate ancestors through memorial, historical, and educational activities.

Being part of the SCV, we reject any person or group whose actions tarnish or bring dishonor upon the Confederate soldier and/or his reason for fighting. This particularly applies to those groups and persons using our cherished flag as a symbol for their own dishonorable purposes. The members of Camp 1742 thank you for visiting us. We're sure you will find much useful and interesting information on these pages. If you are a male aged 12 or over with Confederate ancestry, we encourage you to consider membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans. If you are unsure of your lineage, please feel free to use our resources to help. Confederate Ancestor Research Guide

For information on Camp 1742 please email Commander - Steve Madden or Adjutant - Billy Williams

For questions or comments about this website please emailSignals Officer - Mike Climo

See Camp's website here.

Deaderick-Doremus-Thurmond, Camp 1631 - Santa Barbara

Colonel James G. Deaderick, was born April 25, 1838 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. He enlisted in Company B of the 19th Tennessee Infantry when the war broke out and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of his regiment. Colonel Deaderick studied law after the war. He moved his family to California in 1883 where he settled in Carpinteria, and served in various civic positions. He died on June 17, 1918 and is buried in the Carpinteria Cemetery.

Doctor Augustus Boyd Doremus was born on the 4th of July 1842 in St. Landry's Parish, Louisiana. Doctor Doremus enlisted in Company A 28th Louisiana Infantry as a second Lieutenant. Doremus served as adjutant to General Pemberton during the siege of Vicksburg. After Vicksburg surrendered on July 4th, 1863, Doremus was paroled and later exchanged. Following the war, he received his degree in dentistry and eventually settled in Santa Barbara in 1891. In recognition of his service on the Santa Barbara Parks Board, he is known as the Father of Santa Barbara's many parks. Doctor Doremus died November 22, 1937, and is buried in the Santa Barbara cemetery.

Gideon Edward Thurmond was born November 27, 1843 in Hardman County Tennessee. Thurmond enlisted in Company B 17th Mississippi Infantry, the "Featherstone Brigade." He rose to the rank of Captain, and fought in the battles of Manassas, Ball's Bluff, Seven Pines, the Seven Day's battle around Richmond and Fredericksburg. Injured by a Union shell, Captain Thurmond was left for dead, but recovered and finished out the war. He moved to San Jose, California in 1868. He ultimately settled in Carpinteria, and served as Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, where he oversaw the expansion and modernization of the county schools. When he passed away on January 25, 1911, the flag at the Santa Barbara Courthouse was flown at half-staff in his honor. Captain Thurmond is buried in the Carpinteria Cemetery.

General George Blake Cosby, Camp 1627 - Sacramento

GEORGE BLAKE COSBY was born at Louisville, Ky., January 19, 1830. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1852, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Mounted Rifle regiment. He was transferred to the Second cavalry at its organization, March 3, 1855, was promoted to first lieutenant May 1, 1856, and to captain May 9, 1860. He resigned from the service to enter the Confederate military establishment in 1861.

His first position therein was that of captain and chief of staff to Gen. S. B. Buckner. After passing through the intermediate grades, he was commissioned a brigadier general January 20, 1863, and assigned to the command of a brigade under General Van Dorn. After the close of the war he settled in California, where he engaged in contracting. He served as adjutant general of that state during the administration of Governor Stoneman, who had been a comrade-at-arms in the "old army." He subsequently filled other public positions, both state and federal. He died at Oakland, Cal., in July, 1909. [Webmaster’s note: the remains of George Blake Cosby are buried in the Old Sacramento City Cemetery, Sacramento, California.]

Biography courtesy of the Kansas State Library, http://skyways.lib.ks.us/. Excerpted from "Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society, 1911-1912", Edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary. Vol XII., State Printing Office, Topeka, Kansas 1912. Submitted by Teresa Lindquist (merope@radix.net); (copyright) 2001 by Teresa Lindquist

KSGENWEB INTERNET GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In keeping with the KSGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author.

Contact the adjutant for information on Sacramento camp 1627

Stainless Banner, Camp 1440 - San Jose

The Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp for San Jose and the San Francisco Bay
Area

"To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we submit the vindication of the Cause for which we fought; ... the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, ... it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations."
--General Stephen Dill Lee, C.S.A.

Camp 1440, "The Stainless Banner," is named for the second national flag of the Confederate States of America. The "Stainless Banner" flew as the official flag of the Confederacy from May 1st, 1863 until March 4, 1865. This flag was first used to drape the casket of General Stonewall Jackson as he lay in state in Richmond, Virginia after falling at the battle of Chancellorsville. It was the last Confederate flag to be furled when the raider C.S.S. Shenandoah lowered its colors in Liverpool, England on November 6th, 1865, nearly seven months after the surrender of the South's two greatest armies.

The camp has periodic meetings, and members gather at several events during the year including a Confederate Memorial Day service, Robert E. Lee supper, Confederate ball, and the SCV California Division's convention as well as parades and reenactments. We worked with the United Daughters of the Confederacy to place headstones over the unmarked graves of Confederate soldiers buried at Colma's Cypress Lawn Cemetery.

If you're proud of your Southern heritage, you'll be welcome in our ranks which include or have included a former U.S. Congressman, a Bay Area police chief, graduate of the Citadel, and a professional bull rider as well as attorneys, surgeons, accountants, teachers, businessmen, military servicemen and tradesmen. The citizen-soldiers of the South personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight a second revolution for the right to self-government.

If you are interested in defending your Confederate ancestor against the tide of political correctness, the Stainless Banner Camp and the SCV needs you.