Memorial Day 2011

Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery
Sculpted by Moses J. Ezekiel

Confederate Memorial, Arlington Cemetery

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

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.

The Myth of Abraham Lincoln: Should Confederate Descendants Celebrate It?

Compatriot Greg Clemmer has written that Mr. Lincoln's birthday is celebrated by a number of historical organizations, including one that is Confederate.  Mr. Clemmer suggests that some of us may want to show up at the Lincoln Memorial to take part in such an occasion.

I speak only for myself, but I say, count me out.

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?

Note that the vet on the left appears to be wearing a cavalry jacket (see examples here). This jacket resembles those worn by the First Virginia Cavalry (see illustration). However, the flag in the photo is clearly labeled "Georgia."

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 reunions. Were other battlefield reunions regularly held?  I seem to recall there were only two Gettysburg reunions of note, the 50th and the 75th.

Mainly, I wanted to share this image with my Southern brethern.

Sincerely,

Jimmy L. Shirley Jr.

SCV Camp 1599

James Patton Anderson

West Palm Beach, Fla.

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

www.examiner.com/civil-war-heritage-in-washington-dc/the-lincoln-memorial-revelations-on-the-cause-and-purpose-of-the-civil-war

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

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,

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

www.BonnieBluePublishing.com

P.O. Box 13012

Charleston, South Carolina 29422-3012

Happy New Year from California Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans

California Division Has a New "Real Son" Member

Date: Thursday, December 16, 2010, 5:13 PM

From Lou Olker, Sacramento:

Compatriots!

Our Camp and Division now have a Real Son again!

Yesterday Loye Ann and I drove to Carmichael and presented Daniel Hester Varnum his Real Son Certificate and Medal; his Life Member Certificate, pin, and a number of bumper stickers and goodies.

At 93 he is very much alert, though he must use a walker. He and his wife and daughter were tickled to death to receive the honor, and he is now an honor to us all.

His father (according to records in Florida) served in the 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Deo Vindice!

Lou Olker, CDR Camp 1627, Sacramento

Northern Apologist Meme in Place to Advance the Northern Myth

The Northern myth of the Civil War is that the Yankees fought to free the slaves, end racism, create social justice and equality for all, while the evil Southerners fought to preserve and extend slavery throughout the United States.  It is utterly false, and easily disproved in debate.  However, that doesn't mean Yankee fans will shirk their chosen duty to invent new rationales and arguments to preserve and extend the Northern myth.

I wrote earlier about Bob Sutton's new propaganda line, about how the South allegedly admitted the war was about slavery at the beginning, then later changed the argument to something more palatable in order to win support from Europe.  Sutton is the chief historian(?) of the National Park Service.  In my rebuttal, I proved that Sutton's argument was a complete reversal of actual history -- it was Lincoln who disingenuously "changed" the reason for the war in order to dissuade British recognition of the Confederacy.  (See that post here.)

Now we have leftist columnist E.J. Dionne taking up the Sutton argument in his article "Let's Not Spin the Civil War."  Of course, Dionne's real message is "Let's Spin the Civil War in Favor of the North, Like We've Been Doing for 145 years."  Dionne's Washington Post article was reprinted at RealClearPolitics (read it here) where it has received potent criticism from Southern defenders.

During the 150th anniversary of the War for Southern Independence, we have a rare opportunity to refute the Northern myth of history and defend the South.  An effective way to do that is to perceive the Northern arguments and have rebuttals researched and ready to launch at a moment's notice.  If you want to be in on that and up on the latest developments, visit this site often.

Confederate Message in a Bottle Decoded After 147 Years

A Confederate message to General John C Pemberton, commander of Vicksburg, was finally decoded this week, 147 years after it was written.   It has been in the Museum of the Confederacy for many years, but never translated until this week.

The message was written in a cipher, which was easily decoded by a modern CIA codebreaker.

The full message reads: "Gen'l Pemberton: You can expect no help from this side of the river. Let Gen'l Johnston know, if possible, when you can attack the same point on the enemy's lines. Inform me also and I will endeavor to make a diversion. I have sent some caps (explosive devices). I subjoin a despatch (sic) from General Johnston."

The message was contained in a small glass vial along with a minie ball and closed with a cork.  The minie ball was to allow the vial to sink if it became necessary to throw it into a river to avoid interception.

Read the news article here.

Merry Christmas from the California Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Edwin Booth's Body to be Dug Up, DNA Tested

Edwin Booth

John Wilkes Booth

There are lots of stories, rumors and myths surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  Much of the myths center around John Wilkes Booth.  Did he really die in that barn?  Did he escape to live out his life span?  Did he become a song and dance man on Vaudeville?  Okay, I just made that last one up, but you get the idea.

Edwin Booth, John Wilkes Booth's brother, is to be exhumed so his DNA can be compared to that of another long-dead corpse that is buried in Baltimore.  Researchers want to prove that the Baltimore man is indeed John Wilkes Booth, putting an end to the rumors once and for all.

It seems to me a rather frivolous reason for disturbing the dead, but that's just me.

Read it all here.

150 Years Ago Today: South Carolina Seceded From the Union

South Carolina Sovereignty Flag

The Sesquicentennial has officially begun.  150 years ago today South Carolina seceded from the Union.

Paul Rahe discusses the secession of South Carolina from the Union on December 20, 1860, 150 years ago today.  Rahe, a misinformed Northern apologist recycles old lies and myths about the "illegality" of secession, at this link.  

Rahe claims that, since the Constitution doesn't specifically state that secession is Constitutional, then it is not allowed.  Nonsense.  Since the Constitution doesn't state that secession is prohibited, then it is not prohibited.  Rahe has it exactly backwards.  Our rights and powers are not limited to those specifically stated and enumerated.  

Rahe then claims, unbelievably, that the Articles of Confederation (which existed before the Constitution was formed) stated plainly that the Confederation would exist "in perpetuity."  Really?  Is that why it was ended and cancelled? Implied in Rae's reasoning is that our current Constitution is illegal because we are still legally governed by the Articles of Confederation, which were "perpetual"!

In reality, those words "in perpetuity" only meant there was no automatic expiration date -- many corporations and other organizations have that same term in their organizing documents, but it is not to be taken literally.

Then there is the unfortunate (unfortunate for Rae) the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, which states:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

And those powers include the right of secession, recognized by every state when the Constitution was formed, and by key founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson, and taught as a right at West Point before the War for Southern Independence.

Update:  Great minds think alike.  Robert Stacy McCain also rebutted Paul Rahe at this link.

History Channel's Bias?

I was shopping at Costco in Gilroy yesterday, and found their DVD aisle. In it were DVD's of the History Channel's presentations on the Civil War. One of them was about the leaders in that war. The Jefferson Davis segment was titled "The Traitor President Jefferson Davis."

Jefferson Davis, a traitor? Horse puckey!

Can You Identify This 19th Century Uniform?

Compatriot Gray of Camp 2160 in Australia has a photo of a uniform that he wants to identify.  He is not sure if it is a CSA uniform -- some unusual uniforms were worn by units on both sides of the war, e.g. the Zouaves.  If you can identify this uniform, please leave a message in the comments section of this post.

Compatriot Gray writes:

IDENTIFY THIS UNIFORM


In researching a new Confederate veteran, with the help of a descendant, I acquired several photos from her family album. The one shown here we are not sure about, but he looks like her ancestor at an earlier age.

Can you tell me anything about the uniform he is wearing?

James Gray
Commander
SCV Camp 2160
Australia

Update:  I googled British army uniforms and the uniform appears to be British, circa 1870.  I found some photos of British soldiers wearing very similar hats and a photo of some British reenactors wearing a similar type of uniform. See these photos below the fold.   Hat tip Ken Koch of California Division, who identified the uniform as British.

Update 2:  The uniform jacket has been identified as a fur-lined "hussar's pelisse."  See photos below the fold for a color photo example.  The uniform is definitely British.


...

View the Georgia SCV Ads Banned by the History Channel (Videos)

I located the Georgia Divison ads that the History Channel refused to run. They are below. Watch them all -- they are only 60 seconds each.

The Truth of Slavery In America:

Al Benson Explains the History Channel Bias Against the Sons of Confederate Veterans

Al Benson Jr. is a longtime friend and fellow activist for Southern heritage.  He has a blog called "Anti-Establishment History" and has an interesting post this morning on the History Channel controversy.  It's called The SCV and the Politically Correct "History" Channel.  

Follow the link to read it.

Recommended Site: Southern Heritage News & Views, by Chuck Demastus

There is a great site and email list for those wishing to keep abreast of current developments in Southern heritage.  It is Southern Heritage News & Views (SHNV), by Chuck Demastus.  I have added this site to our links in the left sidebar.  You can request to be placed on SHNV's email list and receive breaking news on an ongoing basis.

This morning SHNV has an article by an SCV Commander of a Georgia Camp, entitled "Terrorists and Socialists Caused Southern Secession," by James W. King of Camp 141 in Albany, Georgia.  Follow the link to read it.

"Composite Crosses" for Grave Sites Available

An SCV camp in South Carolina is selling iron crosses for Confederate grave sites, except that these iron crosses are not made of iron.  They look great and are a lot cheaper.

The Adjutant of Camp 125 writes:

A link for the Composite Crosses of Honor our Camp is using instead of those made out of aluminum or steel. See http://www.moseswoodcamp.org/ironcrosses.htm.

The Composite Cross is a similar material to a bowling ball, and the foundry in Gaffney uses this same material for many outdoor and machinery parts. The Crosses are a finished product in color black, and do not have to be primed or painted, as we had to do with the many steel or aluminum Crosses we have installed throughout Cherokee County in South Carolina.

I remember last year or earlier this year a Camp West of the Mississippi had stated they were paying about $75-100 for each Cross. We are selling the Composite Crosses for $25 plus Shipping to any SCV Camp. Do you think there could be any interest out West for a Composite Cross?

Robert Little
Adjutant Camp Moses Wood #125
Gaffney, SC

Contact Robert Little (click on his name above) if interested in purchasing these inexpensive crosses for your camp.