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Friday, February 12, 2016
Lincoln's Murderous War on Americans Remembered
It is amazing how many convervative pundits and spokesmen are knowledgeable about Abraham Lincoln, clearly the worst president in American history. Judge Napolitano knows. The truth will come out, and is coming out, about the false Northern myth of history. I thought this video would be a nice reminder of Lincoln the dictator on his birthday today.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Monday, January 25, 2016
IN DEFENSE OF GENERAL NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST, CSA
Michael Climo, a California resident and member of Sons of Confederate Veterans, has written an article for Examiner.com, in which he clears up several misconceptions about Nathan Bedford Forrest. We are reprinting the article below in its entirety, as online articles tend to disappear after a short time, especially ones that go against the "conventional wisdom."
IN DEFENSE OF NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST
by Michael Climo, California Sons of Confederate Veterans
It has been almost 150 years since the end of the War Between the States and Nathan Bedford Forrest remains known largely for three things – his talent and daring on the battlefield, the Fort Pillow “Massacre” and his role in the Ku Klux Klan. His military skills have earned him grudging respect by even the most ardent Yankee, but he is otherwise scorned as an unrepentant racist and murderer. But Forrest was not the one-dimensional villain that many uninformed people portray him to be.
In contrast, when Forrest enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861, Forrest was worth roughly 1.5 million dollars. But unlike many of his contemporaries, Forrest never lost sight of the fact that he was dealing with people. Although it is probably safe to assume that he never considered blacks his equals he still followed a strict rule to never buy or sell a slave if it would break up a family. He would also reunite broken families by buying the individual members and then selling them as a family unit.
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Slave Trader
Forrest is often reviled for his pre-war activity of trading slaves, and it’s true that not only was he a slave trader, he was quite successful at it. But by no means was he alone. U.S. senator James DeWolf of Bristol, Rhode Island was the most successful slave-trader in American history and he was responsible for transporting at least 10,000 Africans to the Americas. DeWolf curried favor with President Thomas Jefferson in order to continue in the trade long after it was outlawed. When DeWolf died in 1837 he was a multi-millionaire and considered the second-richest man in America.
Forrest was also determined that slaves should be treated humanely. He had a list of men that he refused to sell slaves to because they were known as cruel masters. Forrest also allowed newly purchased slaves a measure of self-determination that was unheard of in that day and age. He would give the slave a pass to move about town with the instructions to “find the man you would like to be your master, and I will then sell you to that man.”
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Slave Owner
It would seem that Forrest was well-regarded by his own slaves as well. When he formed his own cavalry unit, he offered his male slaves the opportunity to ride with him and fight for the Confederacy. In return, if they served honorably, they would be given their freedom at war’s end, win or lose. Forty-five men accepted the offer, and 44 stayed with him through the end of the war. In 1863, well before the end of the war, Forrest drew up the papers freeing them all.
Of these 45 newly freed men, 44 stayed with him and continued to serve in the Confederate Army until the end of the war. The one other man returned home to nurse his dying wife. In 1876, Forrest wrote, “Those boys stayed with me…and better Confederates did not live…those among us during the war behaved in such a manner that I shall always respect them for it.” Throughout his writings, even in personal letters, Forrest consistently referred to slaves or free man as ‘colored’ or ‘black,’ which were the politically correct terms of his times.
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Fort Pillow Incident
Recently, Glenn Beck and David Barton made statements on Beck’s program about Nathan Bedford Forrest that were completely inaccurate. Beck held up a sword that belonged to Forrest, that Barton claims was used at Fort Pillow to skin black Union soldiers alive. This is nothing more than false conjecture that has reached reprehensible levels over time. Fort Pillow was indeed a vicious battle, but the truth was clearly not presented by Beck and Barton. Perhaps they should actually read the U.S. Congressional inquiry into the matter.
Only two weeks after the battle the inquiry could not conclusively determine exactly what happened. Both sides failed to control the action, and only Forrest’s direct, personal intervention to stop the shooting saved many of the Union defenders left standing on the beach. Not satisfied with this Congressional inquiry, Union General William T. Sherman convened a not-so-impartial inquiry. He openly stated that he would try and convict General Forrest. However, Sherman’s inquiry also ended without substantive evidence to find Forrest culpable. However, if this actual record does not meet with your satisfaction perhaps Lt. Col. Edwin L. Kennedy, Jr., Assistant Professor, Department of Command and Leadership, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama review of the events at Fort Pillow will: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/nathan-bedford-forrest-and-the-battle-of-fort-pillow-1864.htm. With this evidence at hand, to you Mr. Beck and Mr. Barton I say this: You said it, now you prove it!
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The White Knights
To some extent, Forrest’s association with the Klu Klux Klan has been exaggerated over the years. True, in 1865 he helped form the Knights of the White Camellia, but Forrest’s Knights differed greatly from the modern image of the Klan. Today’s Klan would find the founding members of the White Knights highly objectionable because several of these former Confederate officers were Jewish. Forrest’s original vision was of a political and fraternal group, and the goal was to fight the excesses of the Freedman’s Bureau and the Federal occupation troops.
That intent obviously became badly warped even early on, and some members adopted a violent approach. When these members refused to stop what amounted to terrorism or to give up wearing masks, Forrest asked for the group to disband and renounced his association with them. The modern Klan that we know actually dates back less than 100 years. Founded in Gary, Indiana, in 1915, the Klan may claim they are the legacy of Forrest’s Knights of the White Camellia, but their philosophies and practices bear little resemblance to the views actually held by Forrest himself.
In 1871 a Congressional committee composed of Radical Republicans investigated the Klan, its origins, its activities and the possible involvement of former Confederate leaders. They had the current facts at-hand and the men they were investigating testified before them. Among those compelled to testify was Forrest. The Committee, which would have liked nothing better than to be able to charge and try Forrest, concluded in its official findings that Forrest did not found the Klan, was not the Klan's leader, did not advise the Klan and instead worked only to have the Klan disband. See "The reports of Committees, House of Representatives, second session, forty-second congress," P. 7-449. Again with this evidence at hand I say to all of you disbelievers, prove it otherwise.
Nathan Bedford Forrest: After the War
Both Forrest’s public speeches and private writings spoke of peace and reconciliation. This began as early as his farewell address to his troops in 1865. He explained, “Reason dictates and humanity demands that no more blood to be shed. Fully realizing and feeling that such is the case, it is your duty and mine to lay down our arms, submit to the powers that be, and to aid in restoring peace and establishing law and order throughout the land.”
He also instructed his men that “Civil war, such as you have just passed through naturally engenders feelings of animosity, hatred and revenge. It is our duty to divest ourselves of all such feelings; and as far as it is in our power to do so, to cultivate friendly feelings towards those with whom we have so long contended…”
Forrest was invited to speak often in the years following the war, and he encouraged support for the U.S. government and Constitution, and acceptance of free blacks as political and legal equals. His last public speech was in 1875 at a Fourth of July BBQ held by the Independent Order of Pole Bearers, an early black civil rights organization in Memphis. Although many of his white contemporaries urged him to decline the invitation, Forrest ignored their advice.
Speaking to the group, Forrest said, “I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence…and shall do all in my power to elevate every man, to depress none. I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going.” He also encouraged them to vote, saying “I don’t propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office.”
While I do not claim that Nathan Bedford Forrest was a saint and deserves consideration as a civil rights pioneer, an objective look at history shows that he was a far more complicated man than is often portrayed.
IN DEFENSE OF NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST
by Michael Climo, California Sons of Confederate Veterans
 |
| General Nathan Bedford Forrest, CSA |
In contrast, when Forrest enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861, Forrest was worth roughly 1.5 million dollars. But unlike many of his contemporaries, Forrest never lost sight of the fact that he was dealing with people. Although it is probably safe to assume that he never considered blacks his equals he still followed a strict rule to never buy or sell a slave if it would break up a family. He would also reunite broken families by buying the individual members and then selling them as a family unit.
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Slave Trader
Forrest is often reviled for his pre-war activity of trading slaves, and it’s true that not only was he a slave trader, he was quite successful at it. But by no means was he alone. U.S. senator James DeWolf of Bristol, Rhode Island was the most successful slave-trader in American history and he was responsible for transporting at least 10,000 Africans to the Americas. DeWolf curried favor with President Thomas Jefferson in order to continue in the trade long after it was outlawed. When DeWolf died in 1837 he was a multi-millionaire and considered the second-richest man in America.
Forrest was also determined that slaves should be treated humanely. He had a list of men that he refused to sell slaves to because they were known as cruel masters. Forrest also allowed newly purchased slaves a measure of self-determination that was unheard of in that day and age. He would give the slave a pass to move about town with the instructions to “find the man you would like to be your master, and I will then sell you to that man.”
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Slave Owner
It would seem that Forrest was well-regarded by his own slaves as well. When he formed his own cavalry unit, he offered his male slaves the opportunity to ride with him and fight for the Confederacy. In return, if they served honorably, they would be given their freedom at war’s end, win or lose. Forty-five men accepted the offer, and 44 stayed with him through the end of the war. In 1863, well before the end of the war, Forrest drew up the papers freeing them all.
Of these 45 newly freed men, 44 stayed with him and continued to serve in the Confederate Army until the end of the war. The one other man returned home to nurse his dying wife. In 1876, Forrest wrote, “Those boys stayed with me…and better Confederates did not live…those among us during the war behaved in such a manner that I shall always respect them for it.” Throughout his writings, even in personal letters, Forrest consistently referred to slaves or free man as ‘colored’ or ‘black,’ which were the politically correct terms of his times.
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The Fort Pillow Incident
Recently, Glenn Beck and David Barton made statements on Beck’s program about Nathan Bedford Forrest that were completely inaccurate. Beck held up a sword that belonged to Forrest, that Barton claims was used at Fort Pillow to skin black Union soldiers alive. This is nothing more than false conjecture that has reached reprehensible levels over time. Fort Pillow was indeed a vicious battle, but the truth was clearly not presented by Beck and Barton. Perhaps they should actually read the U.S. Congressional inquiry into the matter.
Only two weeks after the battle the inquiry could not conclusively determine exactly what happened. Both sides failed to control the action, and only Forrest’s direct, personal intervention to stop the shooting saved many of the Union defenders left standing on the beach. Not satisfied with this Congressional inquiry, Union General William T. Sherman convened a not-so-impartial inquiry. He openly stated that he would try and convict General Forrest. However, Sherman’s inquiry also ended without substantive evidence to find Forrest culpable. However, if this actual record does not meet with your satisfaction perhaps Lt. Col. Edwin L. Kennedy, Jr., Assistant Professor, Department of Command and Leadership, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama review of the events at Fort Pillow will: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/nathan-bedford-forrest-and-the-battle-of-fort-pillow-1864.htm. With this evidence at hand, to you Mr. Beck and Mr. Barton I say this: You said it, now you prove it!
Nathan Bedford Forrest: The White Knights
To some extent, Forrest’s association with the Klu Klux Klan has been exaggerated over the years. True, in 1865 he helped form the Knights of the White Camellia, but Forrest’s Knights differed greatly from the modern image of the Klan. Today’s Klan would find the founding members of the White Knights highly objectionable because several of these former Confederate officers were Jewish. Forrest’s original vision was of a political and fraternal group, and the goal was to fight the excesses of the Freedman’s Bureau and the Federal occupation troops.
That intent obviously became badly warped even early on, and some members adopted a violent approach. When these members refused to stop what amounted to terrorism or to give up wearing masks, Forrest asked for the group to disband and renounced his association with them. The modern Klan that we know actually dates back less than 100 years. Founded in Gary, Indiana, in 1915, the Klan may claim they are the legacy of Forrest’s Knights of the White Camellia, but their philosophies and practices bear little resemblance to the views actually held by Forrest himself.
In 1871 a Congressional committee composed of Radical Republicans investigated the Klan, its origins, its activities and the possible involvement of former Confederate leaders. They had the current facts at-hand and the men they were investigating testified before them. Among those compelled to testify was Forrest. The Committee, which would have liked nothing better than to be able to charge and try Forrest, concluded in its official findings that Forrest did not found the Klan, was not the Klan's leader, did not advise the Klan and instead worked only to have the Klan disband. See "The reports of Committees, House of Representatives, second session, forty-second congress," P. 7-449. Again with this evidence at hand I say to all of you disbelievers, prove it otherwise.
Nathan Bedford Forrest: After the War
Both Forrest’s public speeches and private writings spoke of peace and reconciliation. This began as early as his farewell address to his troops in 1865. He explained, “Reason dictates and humanity demands that no more blood to be shed. Fully realizing and feeling that such is the case, it is your duty and mine to lay down our arms, submit to the powers that be, and to aid in restoring peace and establishing law and order throughout the land.”
He also instructed his men that “Civil war, such as you have just passed through naturally engenders feelings of animosity, hatred and revenge. It is our duty to divest ourselves of all such feelings; and as far as it is in our power to do so, to cultivate friendly feelings towards those with whom we have so long contended…”
Forrest was invited to speak often in the years following the war, and he encouraged support for the U.S. government and Constitution, and acceptance of free blacks as political and legal equals. His last public speech was in 1875 at a Fourth of July BBQ held by the Independent Order of Pole Bearers, an early black civil rights organization in Memphis. Although many of his white contemporaries urged him to decline the invitation, Forrest ignored their advice.
Speaking to the group, Forrest said, “I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence…and shall do all in my power to elevate every man, to depress none. I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going.” He also encouraged them to vote, saying “I don’t propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office.”
While I do not claim that Nathan Bedford Forrest was a saint and deserves consideration as a civil rights pioneer, an objective look at history shows that he was a far more complicated man than is often portrayed.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Yankee Apologist Nightmare: Black Confederate Soldiers (#CivilWar, #History #Heritage)
 |
| Walter Williams |
He says:
Last July, Anthony Hervey, an outspoken black advocate for the Confederate flag, was killed in a car crash. Arlene Barnum, a surviving passenger in the vehicle, told authorities and the media that they had been forced off the road by a carload of “angry young black men” after Hervey, while wearing his Confederate kepi, stopped at a convenience store en route to his home in Oxford, Mississippi. His death was in no small part caused by the gross level of ignorance, organized deceit and anger about the War of 1861. Much of the ignorance stems from the fact that most Americans believe the war was initiated to free slaves, when in truth, freeing slaves was little more than an afterthought. I want to lay out a few quotations and ask what you make of them.Read it all here.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Yankee Propaganda: Punching Back Twice As Hard (#NorthernTyranny #Confederacy #DefendingDixie)
Every defender of Dixie and the Confederacy should be well-armed with facts and knowledge about Lincoln's criminal war on the South. Here is a list of topics on which we should all be well-read. Facts, references and authors will be recommended over the coming weeks.
Defending Dixie, Topics for Study
1. The legality of secession (secession was not and is not "treason"). Our ancestors were not "traitors," but you can't say the same for Lincoln and the Union Army.
2. The Cause of Lincoln's War on the South (Hint: It wasn't to free the slaves).
3. Lincoln and Fort Sumter: Put aside all that "first shot" nonsense -- Lincoln conspired with his cabinet to start the war at Fort Sumter by provoking the first shot for propaganda purposes. Who says so? Well his authorized biographers, for starters.
4. Lincoln's "Reign of Terror" and his complete trashing of the Constitution and the rule of law.
5. Slavery -- its origins and the North's enormous culpability for its existence in America
6. The Emancipation Proclamation -- a fraud of historical proportions -- it freed no slaves at all.
7. Andersonville Prison -- The high death rate of Union POWs was the result of Northern war policies, and the fact that Lincoln and Grant considered the Union POWs as expendable (Related subject: the framing and legal lynching of Prison commander Henry Wirz, who was innocent of the absurd charges).
8. Nathan Bedford Forrest and Fort Pillow. Yankee lies and the truth. I have a Lochlainn Seabrook on order that deals with this topic.
9. Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Ku Klux Klan -- The first Ku Klux Klan was not the modern race-hate organization that we have today. In fact, there is no connection between the two. Ignorant and dishonest Yankees and Southern scalawags try to conflate the two for propaganda purposes, but it won't wash.
10. Northern war crimes and atrocities -- It's time for Yankees and their supporters to come face to face with the abject tyranny, evil and criminality of the Northern invasion of the South. We want an official apology from Washington and an admission of guilt -- after 150 years, it is way overdue.
Defending Dixie, Topics for Study
1. The legality of secession (secession was not and is not "treason"). Our ancestors were not "traitors," but you can't say the same for Lincoln and the Union Army.
2. The Cause of Lincoln's War on the South (Hint: It wasn't to free the slaves).
3. Lincoln and Fort Sumter: Put aside all that "first shot" nonsense -- Lincoln conspired with his cabinet to start the war at Fort Sumter by provoking the first shot for propaganda purposes. Who says so? Well his authorized biographers, for starters.
4. Lincoln's "Reign of Terror" and his complete trashing of the Constitution and the rule of law.
5. Slavery -- its origins and the North's enormous culpability for its existence in America
6. The Emancipation Proclamation -- a fraud of historical proportions -- it freed no slaves at all.
7. Andersonville Prison -- The high death rate of Union POWs was the result of Northern war policies, and the fact that Lincoln and Grant considered the Union POWs as expendable (Related subject: the framing and legal lynching of Prison commander Henry Wirz, who was innocent of the absurd charges).
8. Nathan Bedford Forrest and Fort Pillow. Yankee lies and the truth. I have a Lochlainn Seabrook on order that deals with this topic.
9. Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Ku Klux Klan -- The first Ku Klux Klan was not the modern race-hate organization that we have today. In fact, there is no connection between the two. Ignorant and dishonest Yankees and Southern scalawags try to conflate the two for propaganda purposes, but it won't wash.
10. Northern war crimes and atrocities -- It's time for Yankees and their supporters to come face to face with the abject tyranny, evil and criminality of the Northern invasion of the South. We want an official apology from Washington and an admission of guilt -- after 150 years, it is way overdue.
Camp Advice from Dan Shepherd, Camp 2023, Modesto
I received the following advice from the Commander of the Modesto Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans, following the mail out of our January newsletter. I think our Camp 1440 will model ourselves after the Modestor Camp, as they have the same problems as we do and have found innovative ways to cope.
Gary
It sounds as though you've approached the problem of being 'spread out' in much the same way we have in Modesto. You may have MORE meetings than we. In our case, membership gave up and voted to become an Internet Camp in 2013. We went out of business, but now we're proud of our designation. SCV for the 21st Century. For those who (as Chuck put it) "might want a little more," we hold one meeting per Quarter. They are scheduled at the same time and location as some larger event.
Gary
It sounds as though you've approached the problem of being 'spread out' in much the same way we have in Modesto. You may have MORE meetings than we. In our case, membership gave up and voted to become an Internet Camp in 2013. We went out of business, but now we're proud of our designation. SCV for the 21st Century. For those who (as Chuck put it) "might want a little more," we hold one meeting per Quarter. They are scheduled at the same time and location as some larger event.
We too had difficulty getting members to drive an hour or two for a 1 hour meeting. We are spread out over 20,000 square miles. Now they can attend a meeting and then also attend a civil war re-enactment; or a parade; or a living history event; or some other event, immediately after the SCV.
Like you, our meetings move around (depending on the BIG event). Last year we were in Oakdale, Sonora, Lockford, Knights Ferry and Mariposa. The same core people came + plus additional members who lived nearby. It sounds as though the same strategy is working for you.
We partnered with the local United Daughters of the Confederacy to schedule/hold two cemetery Memorial's so far. They've been great partners. We've also involved a local group - Stanislaus Civil War Assn. They worked with us on one project, and had our Chaplain as THEIR guest speaker on another date.
A real blessing is our Confederate Gazette newsletter. It's published 'internet only' now. That is the best part of the Internet Camp. The newsletter is home to our Internet Committee. Every member is a member of the Internet Committee. We have projects members can do on the internet. We ask members to write about THEIR own ancestors & publish it in our newsletter. We receive/publish info about events in their OWN communities. This has given EVERYONE the chance to participate - despite age, infirmity, location etc....
I send personal e-mails to all members (well, I change the name at the top of the form before hitting SEND) giving them a chance to vote on projects, on officers, announce meetings and events, and simply asking their opinions. It takes me only a few minutes at a time but helped members fell "more involved." The members like hearing from and about each other though the e-mails in our "Members Comments" section of the newsletter. More EASY involvement.
I applaud you and your Camps innovation - I know first hand how difficult it is to get these things going. I enjoyed your newsletter and just wanted to share a "GOOD JOB," to you and the Camp.
Com. Dan Shepherd, Ph.D., Camp 2023 SCV (no pseudonym for me)
Like you, our meetings move around (depending on the BIG event). Last year we were in Oakdale, Sonora, Lockford, Knights Ferry and Mariposa. The same core people came + plus additional members who lived nearby. It sounds as though the same strategy is working for you.
We partnered with the local United Daughters of the Confederacy to schedule/hold two cemetery Memorial's so far. They've been great partners. We've also involved a local group - Stanislaus Civil War Assn. They worked with us on one project, and had our Chaplain as THEIR guest speaker on another date.
A real blessing is our Confederate Gazette newsletter. It's published 'internet only' now. That is the best part of the Internet Camp. The newsletter is home to our Internet Committee. Every member is a member of the Internet Committee. We have projects members can do on the internet. We ask members to write about THEIR own ancestors & publish it in our newsletter. We receive/publish info about events in their OWN communities. This has given EVERYONE the chance to participate - despite age, infirmity, location etc....
I send personal e-mails to all members (well, I change the name at the top of the form before hitting SEND) giving them a chance to vote on projects, on officers, announce meetings and events, and simply asking their opinions. It takes me only a few minutes at a time but helped members fell "more involved." The members like hearing from and about each other though the e-mails in our "Members Comments" section of the newsletter. More EASY involvement.
I applaud you and your Camps innovation - I know first hand how difficult it is to get these things going. I enjoyed your newsletter and just wanted to share a "GOOD JOB," to you and the Camp.
Com. Dan Shepherd, Ph.D., Camp 2023 SCV (no pseudonym for me)
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Edmund Ruffin's Final Words
"I here declare my unmitigated hatred to Yankee rule - to all political, social and business connection with Yankees - and to the Yankee race. Would that I could impress the sentiments, in their full force, on every living southerner, and bequeath them to every one yet to be born! May such sentiments be held universally in the outraged and down-trodden South, though in silence and stillness, until the now far distant day shall arrive for just retribution for Yankee usurpation, oppression, and atrocious outrages - and for deliverance and vengeance for the now ruined, subjugated, and enslaved Southern States! May the maledictions of every victim to their malignity, press with full weight on the perfidious Yankee people and their perjured rulers - and especially on those of the invading forces who perpetrated, and their leaders and higher authorities who encouraged, directed or permitted, the unprecedented and generally extended outrages of robbery, rapine, and destruction, and house-burning, all committed contrary to the laws of war on non-combatant residents, and still worse in aged men and helpless women!
Edmund Ruffin sen.
Redmoor, 10 A.M., June 18th 1865
The End"
Edmund Ruffin sen.
Redmoor, 10 A.M., June 18th 1865
The End"
Monday, January 4, 2016
Walter Williams on Historical Truth
Walter Williams has long been a defender of the South, the Confederacy, and Southern history. Back in July he wrote:
We call the war of 1861 the Civil War. But is that right? A civil war is a struggle between two or more entities trying to take over the central government. Confederate President Jefferson Davis no more sought to take over Washington, D.C., than George Washington sought to take over London in 1776. Both wars, those of 1776 and 1861, were wars of independence. Such a recognition does not require one to sanction the horrors of slavery. We might ask, How much of the war was about slavery?Read it all here.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Surviving the Current Anti-Confederate Intifada
Our politically correct culture strongly dictates what we may think, say or believe, and that culture now dictates hatred and intolerance towards the Confederacy, and a rigid insistence on a Northern biased historical interpretation thereof. As a result, we are now involved in a national hysteria that requires all Confederate flags, symbols, songs and monuments to be censored and suppressed.
We do not agree and we will resist societal pressure to conform to the Northern Myth, the falsehood that the North invaded the South to free the slaves, and that the former was benevolent and good, and the latter villainous and evil. Meanwhile, however, we need to cope with the situation. Here are my thoughts:
1. Due to anti-Confederate hysteria, this blog will not disclose the membership of Camp 1440 without the prior permission of individual members. The reason is simple: some radical groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center for example, may call your employer and attempt to get you fired. Or, they may list you as a "racist" on their website. These people are vicious and unprincipled. There is no reason why any member of the SCV should expose himself and his family to economic hardship and joblessness that may arise from mindless discrimination.
2. For those who wish to comment on this blog, feel free to adopt a pseudonym, as opposed to using your real name in the messaging system. Give yourself a nickname so that you can comment anonymously, like Cooter, NCRebel, Grits, Smokey, etc.
3. Don't despair. We will get through this. Irrational hysteria sometimes sweeps the nation, but then dies away when rational thought returns. Meanwhile, we will develop strategies to refute the myths and defend our ancestors, while protecting our membership from persecution.
In spite of this popular wave of hatred against the Confederacy, our ranks are stronger than ever. Applications for membership have been pouring in, and Headquarters in Tennessee are two months behind in processing new applications.
There are a number of websites, blogs and FaceBook pages that defend Confederate history. These are a wealth of information. I will list them later for your perusal. Meanwhile, think about ways to turn the ignorance around, and fight back effectively.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Camp 1440's New Blog
This blog used to be that of the California Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans. However, the California Division decided on a regular website, and their blog became unnecessary and duplicative. Today I have renamed the blog as SCVCamp1440.blogspot.com, and will used it as the blog of Camp 1440.
Some obsolete posts have been deleted, but other posts that may be of interest have been retained from the former blog.
Please send any comments, suggestions, articles, photos, etc to Gary Waltrip, Commander, at gwaltrip95023@gmail.com.
Some obsolete posts have been deleted, but other posts that may be of interest have been retained from the former blog.
Please send any comments, suggestions, articles, photos, etc to Gary Waltrip, Commander, at gwaltrip95023@gmail.com.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Today's Civil War "History" More Revisionism Than Fact
by Mark Behrend
I received a flier recently on the expected media attacks on Confederate heritage, I'd like to briefly share an argument I've found very useful in convincing critics that today's "politically correct" version of "Civil War" history is more revisionism than fact.
Rather than defending the Confederacy directly, I stress that the events of 150 years ago must be seen in the context of their own times, and that the moral failings of the South are more than equalled by the failings and hypocrisy of the North. To make these points, I simply state 10 facts. You're probably well aware of all of them, but the average American finds most of them astonishing:
1) Neither secession nor war would have occurred over slavery alone. As many of Lincoln's pronouncements make clear, the ONLY issue for the Union was union itself. For the South, slavery was well down a list of grievances that included the National Banking Act, a growing loss of influence in Congress, and the subsequent federal economic and trade policies that increasingly favored Northern industries over Southern agriculture. In a nutshell, the issue was whether states that freely enter a federation have the right to freely leave it, when it doesn't work out. As the next three points bear out, the North blundered into war by mistakenly believing slavery was the bigger issue for the South.
2) During the lull between secession and war, Congress passed a constitutional amendment, guaranteeing the South the right to maintain slavery in perpetuity. The amendment, of course, was never ratified, due to the outbreak of war.
3) After hostilities began, Congress made a similarly ignorant attempt to reverse events, with a resolution declaring that the war aims of the North did not include the alteration or abolition of any Southern institution -- obviously meaning slavery.
4) If the South's main concern was slavery, why did neither of the above end the conflict and restore the Union?
5) If Lincoln and the Union had gone to war to free the slaves, it would have had a hard time explaining why it financed the war partly from the proceeds of real estate worked by slaves, and why officers from slave states were allowed to bring up to 3 slaves onto Union military posts as personal servants.
6) Slavery was a pivotal issue for no more than 4 states (Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina), and arguably for only the first two. Four others (Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas) only seceded AFTER the outbreak of hostilities, and then only to keep their sons from being forced to fight fellow Southerners. Since Virginia would bear the war's greatest costs (a geographical certainty its leaders were aware of from the beginning), this clearly demonstrates that the intangible of "Southern identity" was of infinitely greater concern to the South than slavery.
7) American attitudes and policies on race in 1860 bore no resemblance to today's, and differed widely across both North and South. For example, Lincoln openly expressed doubts that blacks and whites could ever live together amicably... During the war, New Yorkers rioted against conscription, targeting blacks... A third of blacks in Louisiana were already free before the war, with a thriving black professional and artistic class in New Orleans -- a cultural treasure that was destroyed by war and Reconstruction... In neighboring Arkansas, on the other hand, it was not legallly possible to be black and free... A generation before the war, a bill to abolish slavery in Virginia came within 3 votes of becoming law... At least 7 Union states (Maryland, Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois, and Indiana) had deeply divided loyalties during the war, with the first 5 of them still practicing slavery until AFTER the war... One of the biggest slaveholding families in the country, North or South, was a black family in New Orleans, which owned 500 slaves.
8) Blacks fought for both the Union AND the Confederacy. Though their numbers were far greater in the Union Army, they were paid at only half the rate of white troops. Blacks and whites in the Confederate forces, however, were paid equally.
9) Both North and South had a policy of taking no black prisoners on their own soil. Both sides summarily executed black soldiers caught on their territory.
10) Though our schools treat the Emancipation Proclamation as if it were Lincoln's intent from the beginning, he sat on it until well after the midpoint of the war. It was finally issued at the insistence of U.S. Grant, who believed it would remotivate an army and a nation that were losing their will to fight. And, in the ultimate act of hypocrisy, it applied only to Southern states. Apparently, slavery was a moral abomination in the South, but not the North.
As for celebrating our Confederate heritage, I cite 4 points ALL Americans should be proud of: We had the first ironclad warship, the first submarine, the first use of aircraft in wartime, and some of the finest military commanders in American history -- my favorites being Forrest, Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Longstreet, and Lee (in that order!).
Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day 2011
 |
| Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery Sculpted by Moses J. Ezekiel |
Dedicated 1914; Sculpture by Sir Moses Ezekiel, former Sergeant of Cadets, Virginia Military Institute, who is himself buried at the base of this monument.
Inscription:
NOT FOR FAME OR REWARD, NOT FOR PLACE OR FOR RANK, NOT LURED BY AMBITION OR GOADED BY NECESSITY, BUT IN SIMPLE OBEDIENCE TO DUTY AS THEY UNDERSTOOD IT, THESE MEN SUFFERED ALL, SACRIFICED ALL, DARED ALL, AND DIED
See also jameswebb.com, Speech at the Confederate Memorial, 1990.
Moses J. Ezekiel was one of the VMI cadets who were called into action to plug a hole in the Confederate center at the Battle of New Market, and to repulse a Union Army advance. Though young (17 to 21 years of age) and untested in battle, the VMI cadets prevailed, charging the Union cannon and sending the Yankees into retreat. Ten of the cadets were killed outright or later died of wounds from the battle; fifty-seven were wounded. Although Ezekiel later became a world-renowned sculptor, he chose to be identified on his tombstone simply as:
 |
| Sgt. Moses J. Ezekiel |
Moses J. Ezekiel
Sergeant of Company C
Battalion of Cadets
of the
Virginia Military Institute
Sergeant of Company C
Battalion of Cadets
of the
Virginia Military Institute
Ezekiel once wrote: "The VMI, where every stone and blade of grass is dear to me, and the name of the cadet of the VMI, the proudest and most honored title I can ever possess."
A detailed description of his life and works can be found here.
Virginia never had a finer son. May he rest in peace.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Myth of Abraham Lincoln: Should Confederate Descendants Celebrate It?
I speak only for myself, but I say, count me out.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Old Confederate Vets Display Battle Flag: Can You Identify the Flag?
We received this photograph of two old Confederate veterans holding a battle flag. Can you identify the flag as to regiment?
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 4:05 PM
Subject: olde Confederate veterans and flag
All y'all,
I found this image on Facebook from my friend across the water, Tomasz Chylinski, of Poland
So the question is, has anyone ever seen a flag like this? Note the crest with "G5" written in it. If so, what can be said about it? Also, note the apparent age of the two men and their slim physique and upright posture, compared to the modern American veterans. My guess as to where they are would be one of the early Gettysburg Gettysburg
Mainly, I wanted to share this image with my Southern brethern.
Sincerely,
Jimmy L. Shirley Jr.
SCV Camp 1599
James Patton Anderson
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Gregg Clemmer Responds to Northern Apologist James Loewen
Compatriots~
After reading recent posts across the South and Midwest, some of you will find this latest Examiner article rather timely. This is a direct response to the provocative, agenda driven James Loewen, local Washington, D.C. author of Lies Across America, Lies My Teacher Told Me, The Truth About Columbus, and Social Science in the Classroom.
Thanks for passing it along to your readers...and any others you feel moved to share it with.
Individuals can also subscribe to get these articles when they are published. It's Free! Just click on the Subscribe button at the top of the article.
Gregg Clemmer
After reading recent posts across the South and Midwest, some of you will find this latest Examiner article rather timely. This is a direct response to the provocative, agenda driven James Loewen, local Washington, D.C. author of Lies Across America, Lies My Teacher Told Me, The Truth About Columbus, and Social Science in the Classroom.
Thanks for passing it along to your readers...and any others you feel moved to share it with.
Individuals can also subscribe to get these articles when they are published. It's Free! Just click on the Subscribe button at the top of the article.
Gregg Clemmer
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
California Monuments to Confederates: Guidance Requested from Vern Padgett
Gents, Steve Smith has asked me to coordinate an examination of division funding for heritage projects. Our division has funds available which could fund these projects.In discussions over the past year or two, the consensus seems to be that we should donate to the SCV Museum Fund at Elmwood, and place the rest into California heritage, with grave marking a priority. Some of you have already invested many of your camp dollars into lasting monuments to Confederate Heritage. I’m thinking of the Confederate Monument at Santa Ana/Fairhaven Cemetery, provided by Camp 1770 Orange County , the work done by our Sacramento Camp 1627 in Colma and elsewhere, and the Fresno Camp 1804 effort towards the placing of lasting stone monuments. My camp, 1208 Los Angeles , has ordered a composite Iron Cross, which I should receive today, from Gaffney , South Carolina , where they are manufactured. These are made from the same material as bowling balls, and thus require no painting over the years, and retain their appearance indefinitely, or so says Robert Little, adjutant of the Gaffney SC Camp, whose camp has placed 35 of them. They cost $25 each, plus shipping. I will bring one to the Reunion at Miramar in March. I propose that division fund the purchase of any number of these for our 12 California Camps to place. At our last Division Reunion, in Lebec, Chuck Norred described stone monuments in place in Arizona , and suggested that they should be placed from one end of California to the other. I call on Farrell Cooley, Chuck Norred and Lou Olker in particular to provide guidance, as their camps have already placed stone monuments honoring our Confederate heroes. R/S, Vern Padgett |
Former SCV Historian-in-Chief Rebuts E.J. Dionne, Seeks Member Advice
Good afternoon~
Ben Sewell, the SCV executive director at Elm Springs, suggested I contact you. As an author and historian, I have been somewhat perplexed that little attention seems to be focused on commemorating the civil war sesquicentennial.
Desiring to expand the public’s awareness on the war and its causes, tactics, consequences, etc., I recently approached the folks at Examiner.com with a few ideas. They seized on my proposal and welcomed me into their fold.
I am not agenda driven and definitely have a free hand in what I will explore, research, and post, but I do mean to get out to the readers a thorough telling of the times. That's already rankled a few up here in the local Washington, DC area. But that's the idea!
My latest post, in taking on the Washington Post's D. J. Dionne's inaccuracies, has brought some interesting email in the last several days. Folks are noticing. Click or copy/paste the following if you wish to read a bit more!
www.examiner.com/civil-war-heritage-in-washington-dc/the-kansas-irony-jayhawk-abolitionists-have-their-say
www.examiner.com/civil-war-heritage-in-washington-dc/the-kansas-irony-jayhawk-abolitionists-have-their-say
That said, I'm wondering how I might get this and future posts out to the broader SCV audience. When I posed this to Ben, he suggested I contact all SCV Division commanders. I already mail the latest link to about 230 recipients in and around Maryland. A second, much smaller group in Kentucky receives the link also. Anyone can subscribe (it's free). If you have a division mailing list, perhaps we could link.
I would value your thoughts and suggestions.
All the best,
All the best,
Gregg Clemmer
SCV Historian-in-Chief, 1998-2000
22 Native Dancer Ct
North Potomac, MD 20878
301-963-0141
Author:
Valor in Gray: The Recipients of the Confederate Medal of Honor
Old Alleghany: The Life and Wars of General Ed Johnson
(winner of the 2005 Douglas Southall Freeman Book Prize)
A Note from Bonnie Blue Publishing
Southrons,
If we don't argue our history well for the next fifteen years as we commemorate the Sesquicentennial of our War for Independence, and the Reconstruction decade afterward, here is how our Confederate ancestors will be recorded in history:
"The fact was that these folks were the terrorists and traitors of their day."
That quotation was in the Charleston, South Carolina Post and Courier November 1, 2010, just three days ago, in an article titled "The Boycott," and it was spoken by NAACP Vice President, Nelson B. Rivers, III.
WE were correct in that conflict from start to finish, and Mr. Rivers is dead wrong.
The most powerful arguments are ours. We are the heirs of the Founding Fathers. Our ancestors fought for the principles of the Founding Fathers. We can not allow NAACP fraud to triumph.
On www.BonnieBluePublishing.com there are numerous DVDs and DVD collections on Southern History from some of the finest scholars in the country such as Dr. Clyde Wilson. I have a three-DVD set, The War Between the States and Reconstruction, by Dr. Wilson, that is second to none. It is powerful and full of irrefutable fact and argument. It is thoroughly enjoyable and when you finish watching, you will be loaded for bear.
Get the three-DVD set, The War Between the States and Reconstruction, and receive, free, as a Christmas Special, the two-DVD set, Mixed Up with All the Rebel Horde, Why Black Southerners Fought for the South in the War Between the States, by Professor Edward C. Smith. Professor Smith gives one of the most dynamic talks on any topic you will ever hear. You will rave about his talk.
These DVDs are perfect for camp, unit and chapter meetings, and they are excellent Christmas gifts or donations to libraries and schools.
The Sesquicentennial is here, now, and will be going on for a long time. Do not look for NAACP ignorance and hate to go away.
We need to prepare, and fight this fight from the beginning to the end.
Magna est veritas et praevalebit!
(Great is truth and it will prevail!)
Gene Kizer
P.O. Box 13012
Charleston, South Carolina 29422-3012
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