5TH BRIGADE - GEORGIA SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS
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December 2022 Dispatch

12/10/2022

 
          Christmas is our very special time of year.  As a Christian in a God-based nation, like our ancestors, we celebrate the birth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Lord died on the cross to free us of sin and provided the guarantee of everlasting life.  Enjoy the feel of His Presence; Embrace His Love for you.  Have a blessed and Merry Christmas!
NO MEETING IN DECEMBER
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
1.  Please continue to pray for our compatriots Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Woody Woodard and Phil Turner.
2.  Camp 91 received a Christmas Card from Ken “Sarge” Arvin, LT. Commander South, GA Division, SCV.  The post script reads, “I would like to take a moment and thank all the men of the Thomson Guards, Camp 91 for your hard work in 2022.  May you each have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” 
3.  Attend the January 24, 2023, camp meeting to learn about Confederate submarines. 
4.  Robert E. Lee birthday celebration in Jeff Davis Park, Fitzgerald, GA.  
  • BBQ lunch & speaker - Saturday, January 14, 2023.
5.  Vice-President CSA, Alexander H. Stephens State Park & Museum
  • Georgia has one of the greatest Confederate treasures right here in our area. A.H. Stephens State Park & Museum is in Crawfordville (exit 154 from I 20). They have 1,177 acres, 3 lakes, 4 cottages, horse back riding, bicycles, RV & tent camp sites.  
  • You can go to www.gastateparks.com/ah-stephens  for information. Go to EVENTS for all the special activities coming up. The Rangers are wonderful and so helpful. There is a beautiful life size statue of A.H. Stephens in front of his home, Liberty Hall. 
  • Come out to see Christmas light displays every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting November 25, 2022 and ending December 25, 2022. Tour our 10 acre event field and see displays have been setup up by a host of site partners, volunteers and area businesses. There will also be refreshments, a movie, and weather permitting a campfire. $0 plus $5 parking. 706-456-2602.  See page 4.​
6.   Thank you, Mr. Watson   --   One of the camp’s greatest blessings this year has been our relationship with Mr. Kermit Watson of Maggie Valley, NC.  Not only has he challenged us financially and matched some of our giving to the legal defense fund but he has also given me incredible personal support.  Thank you Mr. Watson for sharing your resources and your personal experiences.  You are the perfect Southern Gentlemen!
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Lee-Jackson Banquets 
Both on Saturday,
January 21, 2023
7.  Lee-Jackson Banquet  
  • Bobby’s BBQ, Highway 1, Clearwater, South Carolina     
  • The speaker is Martin O’Toole, Georgia Division attorney and spokesperson.  
8.  Lee-Jackson Banquet   --   Hosted by the Millen, GA camp
  • Last June at the Reunion in Macon a bunch of us, from different Camps were talking about the fact that with the decline in membership at many Camps nobody is having a Lee-Jackson Banquet  like the times of old.  We are blessed at our Camp and the idea of having a multi camp Banquet was born.
  • On January 21st, 2023, we are hosting a Lee-Jackson Banquet at 6:00 PM at the old Dolens BBQ restaurant located on the Hwy 21 By-Pass near Hwy 25.  This will be a Family event. The meal will be catered, the entertainment  will be provided by Jennifer Mansell and Kay Mansell.  Our own Camp Historian, Steve Rathbun will be the Speaker.​
  • The caterer needs an accurate head count by the first of January.  So, we decided at our last Camp meeting that we will sell tickets.  Our cost per plate is $20.00. We will sell each ticket for $20.00. Ticket sales will end December 31 and there will be no tickets sold at the door.
  • Tickets may be purchased by sending a check to:   Buckhead-Ft. Lawton Brigade,                             1718 Hiltonia Rd., Millen, Georgia 30442
  • I will then mail back to you the tickets.  Please bring the tickets with you to the Banquet. 
  • I will then mail back to you the tickets.  Please bring the tickets with you to the Banquet. 
We hope to have an event to remember.
Please come and join us as we 

honor Generals Lee and Jackson.                
Adjutant James E Saxon
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WBTS Dates in December
  • December 17, 1860- The first state Secession Convention meets in Columbia, South Carolina.
  • December 20, 1860- South Carolina secedes from the United States.
  • December 11-15, 1862- The Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, under General Lee, wins a lopsided victory over the US Army of the Potomac, under General Ambrose Burnside, after Federal forces conducted a risky river crossing in an attempt to win a victory on Confederate soil before the release of Emancipation Proclamation
  • December 24, 1862- Jefferson Davis writes an order declaring US General Benjamin Butler to be an outlaw for his treatment of the civilians of New Orleans. Included in this proclamation is a statement that Lincoln's upcoming Emancipation Proclamation is designed to "excite servile war" and that any black US soldiers or their white officers are to be sent to the individual states instead of being treated as prisoners of war.
  • December 31-January 3, 1863- Battle of Stones River, Tennessee. Fought between the US Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Braxton Bragg, the costly Federal victory frees middle Tennessee from Confederate control and boosts Northern morale.
  • December 8, 1863- Lincoln Issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the United States.
  • December 8, 1863- Lincoln Issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the United States.
  • December 10, 1864- Harassed only by scattered Georgia militia, Sherman's Army of Georgia arrives at Savannah, Georgia, completing the famous March to the Sea. At Savannah, his troops will take Fort McAllister and force Confederate defenders to evacuate the city.
  • December 15-16, 1864- The Battle of Nashville, Tennessee. The Confederate Army under John Bell Hood is thoroughly defeated and the threat to Tennessee ends.
 Source: Civil War Timeline - Gettysburg National Military Park
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Alexander Hamilton Stephens
(February 11, 1812 – March 4, 1883) was and American politician who served as the vice president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865, and later as the 50th governor of Georgia from 1882 until his death in 1883. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the state of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives before and after the Civil War prior to becoming governor.
           Stephens attended Franklin College and established a legal practice in his home town of Crawfordville, Georgia. After serving in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly, he won election to Congress, taking his seat in 1843. He became a leading Southern Whig and strongly opposed the Mexican–American War. After the war, Stephens was a prominent supporter of the Compromise of 1850 and helped draft the Georgia Platform, which opposed secession. A proponent of the expansion of slavery into the territories, Stephens also helped pass the Kansas–Nebraska Act. As the Whig Party collapsed in the 1850s, Stephens eventually joined the Democratic Party and worked with President James Buchanan to admit Kansas as a state under the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution (which was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in a referendum in that state).
          Stephens declined to seek re-election in 1858, but continued to publicly advocate against secession. After Georgia and other Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, Stephens was elected as the Confederate Vice President. Stephens's Cornerstone Speech of March 1861 defended slavery. In the course of the war, he became increasingly critical of President Jefferson Davis's policies, especially Confederate conscription and the suspension of habeas corpus.[2]In February 1865, he was one of the commissioners who met with Abraham Lincoln at the abortive Hampton Roads Conference to discuss peace terms.
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After the war, Stephens was imprisoned until October 1865. The following year, the Georgia legislature elected Stephens to the United States Senate, but the Senate declined to seat him due to his role in the Civil War. He won election to the House of Representatives in 1873 and held that office until 1882, when he resigned from Congress to become governor of Georgia. Stephens served as governor until his death in March 1883.                                                                              Source: wikipedia 
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          Camp 91, Thomson Guards staffed a recruitment booth at the Warrenton Sportsman’s Festival on November 12.  We collected $90 for the GA Division Legal Defense Fund, we collected 20 names of potential new members and we put forth a great public image.  It was a very good day.   Each potential new member from each of the three festivals is being sent the camp monthly Dispatch and a personal letter of invitation to dinner and a meeting.   
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          At the November meeting, the Thomson Guards, Camp 91, Georgia Division recognized four members who recently joined the National Guardian Program.  These men pledged to care long term for the gravesite of at least one Confederate Veteran.  Nothing is more important than this in meeting our Charge.  
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          At the November meeting Camp 91 welcomed two new members to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  We look forward to having these men in the Thomson Guards. Welcome!
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*** Confederate Monument Cleaning ***
Please see the Community Activities

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COMMANDER’S POST 
A SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN’S VIRTUES

          Among the elements listed in the “Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans” is “the emulation of his virtues”.  Emulation is to match.  A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being.  Virtures are the basis for being a Southern Gentleman.  However, often, the more one repeats a slogan like “The Charge” the more stale it becomes and one loses sight of its significance. 
          We are a country founded on Christianity.  Like our ancestors, as children, many of us were raised in the church and the Lord, through His Holy Word in the Bible, shared virtues with us; we don’t have to guess what is correct behavior.  And, even for those who did not grow up in the church, old Southern society dictated certain behavioral norms.  
          What are His virtues?  The list includes:  honesty, integrity, respect, honor, kindness, helpfulness, charm, charity, politeness, love, faith, loyalty, perseverance, stewardship, appreciation, etc.  We love and honor our Confederate ancestors for these qualities. 
          So, the next time you recite, “The Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans”, slow down and think of your own behavior.  Are you emulating (matching) those virtues (qualities) that made him glorious and that we all cherish?  Are you, as a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Southern Gentleman that others wish to emulate?  
     Respectfully submitted: Tom Holley

“In all my perplexities and distresses,
the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.”
                                - General Robert E. Lee

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MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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November 2022 Dispatch

11/14/2022

 
NEXT MEETING   --   TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22
  • Topic  --  Poetry and Music of the War Between the States
  • Speaker  --  Phil Turner
Poetry and Music of the War Between the States by the Gray Poet
Phil Turner’s Journey into 1861…
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Phil’s civil war Journey began with books, “I Rode with Stonewall” by Henry Kid Douglass, “A Stillness at Appomattox” by Bruce Catton and many more.  He read and read until he absorbed the facts and the atmosphere of that turbulent time in our history.  Then came the battlefield visits, Manassas, Gettysburg, New Market, and, again, many more.  Beautiful photos of monuments were made during these trips. In the early 90’s, during a stressful time in his life, Phil would wake up in the middle of the night and sit at the kitchen table and all of these thoughts and words about the Civil War would pour out of him.  Many of his poems had dark themes about the blood and death of war.  They were so realistic you would swear that he had been a soldier on the battlefield experiencing these events.  Phil went on in later years to write similar words about Vietnam and World War ll.  He also began to interview and video these surviving veterans, capturing a history that would soon be lost without such efforts.  He has a true love of history and its preservation.  This was recognized last year when Mayor Whitaker proclaimed him Historian and Poet Laureate of the City of Harlem, GA.  His story is one worth telling and listening to.  Phil has been married for 52 years to the former Jeanne Lowe.  They have two children, Patrick of Gainesville GA, Melissa of Alpharetta and one 7 year old grandson Mason of Alpharetta.                                                                                                                              Jeanne Turner  
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. The camp will be cleaning the Thomson Confederate Monument in front of the Old Courthouse on Main Street Saturday, November 26.  We start at 10 am.  We need eight volunteers to assist through 4 pm.  Decide which 1.5 hours you can help.  All tools (except we need an 8’ stepladder) and chemicals will be provided.  
  2. When our Brother Lannie Hightower passed away in May, Camp 91 presented his family a beautiful Confederate First National Flag in honor of his service to the camp and the SCV.  If something should happen to you, if you would like a flag presented to your family in remembrance, you must let a family member know your wish and you must make Chaplain Jimmy McDaniel aware of your plans.  
  3.  Please continue to earnestly pray for our compatriots Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Woody Woodard and Phil Turner. 
  4. Camp 91, Thomson Guards does NOT meet in December.  Merry Christmas! 
  5. Georgia Division News - Press Release 26 October, 2022:      “On October 25th the Georgia Supreme Court released its opinion on the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ (SCV) and T. D. Humphries’ lawsuits against Henry County and Newton County for the removal (in HenryCounty) and proposed removal (in Newton County) of the Confederate monuments which had stood since 1911 and 1906, respectively.                                                                             The SCV is pleased with the opinion as it clarifies the law as to standing and paves the way for successful litigation in the future. It also makes clear that injunctive relief is a valid remedy for plaintiffs ending those defenses raised by a number of county and city governments.                                                                                                                    The Supreme Court of Georgia has opened the doors to the Courthouses all over the state and will permit these lawsuits to be heard on their merits under Georgia state law rather than the defenses imported from the Federal rules of procedure”.                                                                                                                                                  Commander Timothy Pilgrim, GA Division​
6. Alexander H. Stephens State Park & Museum
Georgia has one of the greatest Confederate treasures right here in our area. A.H. Stephens State Park & Museum is in Crawfordville (exit 154 on I-20). They have 1,177 acres, 3 lakes, 4 cottages, horse back riding, bicycles, RV & tent camp sites.  You can go to www.gastateparks.com/ah-stephens  for information.
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Go to EVENTS for all the special activities coming up.  The Rangers are wonderful and so helpful. There is a beautiful life size statue of A.H. Stephens in front of his home, Liberty Hall.  On December 3, there will be guided tour of his home with Christmas trees decorated for the period in each room from 1pm to 3 pm. 
            Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens' home, Liberty Hall, will be decorated with styles of the Victorian Christmas past.  Enjoy a tour of the house, create a craft, and listen to the sounds of the Victorian Era.  Refreshments will be served by the Friends of A.H. Stephens State Park. $4 - $8.00 
            Come out to see Christmas light displays every Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting November 25, and ending December 25, 2022.  Tour our 10 acre event field and see displays that have been setup up by a host of site partners, volunteers and area businesses.  There will also be refreshments, a movie, and weather permitting a campfire. $0 plus $5 parking. 706-456-2602.       Submitted by: Dollie Lacefield
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WBTS Dates in November
  • November 6, 1860- The American people elect Abraham Lincoln as sixteenth president of the United States. Lincoln is the first Republican president in the nation and represents a party that opposes the spread of slavery into the territories of the United States.​
  • November 1, 1861- President Lincoln appoints General George B. McClellan as General-in-Chief of all United States armies.
  • November 19, 1863- Dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address.
  • November 23-25, 1863- Battles for Chattanooga. US forces break the Confederate siege of the city in successive attacks. The most notable event is the storming of Lookout Mountain on November 24 and Battle of Missionary Ridge the following day. The decisive Federal victory sends the Confederate Army south into Georgia where General Bragg reorganizes his forces before resigning from command on November 30.
  • November 26-December 1, 1863- The Mine Run Campaign. US General Meade's Army of the Potomac marches against Confederate General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia south of the Rapidan River, east of Orange Court House. Lee reacts and throws up a line of defenses along the banks of Mine Run Creek. After several days of probing the defenses, Meade withdraws north of the Rapidan and goes into winter quarters.
  • November 27 to December 3, 1863- Siege of Knoxville, Tennessee. Confederate troops under General James Longstreet lay siege to the city of Knoxville held by Federal forces under General Ambrose Burnside. Longstreet finally attacks on November 30 but is repulsed with heavy losses. The arrival of US reinforcements forces him to withdraw to Greeneville, Tennessee, where his corps will spend the winter.
  • December 8, 1863- Lincoln Issues his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, which would pardon those who participated in the "existing rebellion" if they take an oath to the United States.
  • November 8, 1864- Abraham Lincoln is reelected president of the United States.
  • November 16, 1864- General Sherman's Army of Georgia begins the March to the Sea.
  • November 30, 1864- Battle of Franklin, Tennessee. After a month of raiding Sherman's supply lines and attacking Federal outposts, John Bell Hood's army confronts US troops from General John Schofield's command, who they had encountered the day before near Spring Hill, Tennessee. A massive frontal assault on the well entrenched Federal line meets with disaster. Despite some taking of outside works and defenses, the toll for Hood's forces is too heavy including the loss of six of his generals. US troops retreat in the direction of Nashville.
  •  November 6, 1865- Confederate ship, the CSS Shenandoah
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New soon-to-be member, Bob Stephenson,
helped staff the recruiting booth at the Thomson Camellia Festival on Saturday, October 22. 

Thanks Bob, David Butler, Tom Holley, Durham Milburn, and Lewis Smith
​who all helped with this very productive day. 
We collected money for the Legal Defense Fund and we put forth a great public image.
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Mr. Dennis Coxwell of Warrenton, GA.,
was inducted into the
Sons of Confederate Veterans at the October meeting.  
Congratulations Dennis and welcome to Camp 91, Thomson Guards!
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David Butler is presented the
DAR Excellence in Historic Preservation Award
​by Regent Karen Holley,
Captain John Wilson Chapter, National
​Society Daughters of the American Revolution,
for his restoration of the Magruder House,
his two books documenting veterans’ burial sites
and his dedicated service to
​several historical organizations.
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At the October meeting,
Adjutant David Butler presented to
Patrick Lunceford (L)
a certificate and pin for becoming a
life member to the Georgia Division
of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  
Congratulations Patrick!

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On Saturday, October 29, in remembrance of our veterans interred in the
​Thomson Memorial Cemetery,
Camp 91,  Thomson Guards flagged the burial sites.  
 Veterans Day is about appreciating all our veterans: past, present and future.  
​Thanks to all veterans for serving our country.  We owe our freedoms to you!  God Bless you all!
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Don’t recognize these two?  Marshall (12) and Gene (9), our grandsons, after their soccer games,
toured the Kennesaw National Battlefield Park with their grandmommy.
They were reluctant to go (too tired), but both agreed afterwards that it was awesome.  
​Gene stated that the film of the battle was “the best war documentary he had ever seen.” 
Ya gotta start ‘em young!  Tom

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COMMANDER’S POST 
Nine Ways to Ensure Communism
​See Editorials  /  Tom Holley  /  Nine Ways to Communism

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October 2022 Dispatch

10/14/2022

 
NEXT MEETING  --  TUES., OCT. 25
  • Topic  --  Confederate Surgeon - American Hero:  Dr. Samuel Hollingsworth Stout
  • Speaker  --  Brad Quinlin​​
          Brad Quinlin was born in Monmouth, Illinois, but moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, at age 6.  At 13 years of age he moved to Massachusetts, and, finally, in 1982, he moved with his family to Georgia.  Brad has always loved the study of American History.  Moving to Georgia he took the path to study the American Civil War. 
          He has been a re-enactor for 33 years, worked on 32 movies and TV Shows.  He was a background artist in Glory, Gettysburg, Andersonville, and an actor in the TV show Perfect Tribute. ​ Brad is a master volunteer for the National Park Service with over 10,000 hours of Volunteer
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work.  His research is being used in the new exhibits for the new Cyclorama building of the Atlanta History Center and Brad has researched 2 new wayside exhibits for Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield National Park. 
Brad has written or co-written 23 books on the American Civil war.  By the end of 2021, Brad and 2 of his friends will have 5 historical books finished for the Charles H. Coolidge Medal of Honor Heritage center.  
          Brad gives tours of America’s battlefields to people from across the world.  He has been on the Marietta Cemetery Memorial committee for 5 years and has worked on the Wreaths Across America program for Marietta National Cemetery for 26 years.  Brad has been married for 47 years and has two boys and now 7 grandchildren.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. At our September meeting, Brother Phil Turner talked about his remarkable recovery from his near fatal heart condition.  I hope you will all join me in thanking God for that miracle.  Phil has been a great inspiration to me and our camp.
  2.  Please continue to pray for Phil, Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Kermit Watson and Woody Woodard. 
  3. Our next recruiting opportunity is the Camellia City Festival in Thomson on October 22.  We need volunteers to commit to a morning or an afternoon shift:​  Afternoon includes 1:00 p.m. through take down at 5:00 p.m.  /    Morning includes set up at 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.  We definitely need your help.  We were short-handed in the afternoon in Harlem, so please contact me so that we can make sure our booth is well covered throughout the day.
  4.  Captain Henry Wirz Memorial Service will be held on Sun., Nov. 13, 2:00 pm, in Andersonville, Georgia.  I will not be able to attend but could help coordinate a carpool, so please let me know if you are interested in attending.
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WTBS Dates in October
  • October 21, 1861- Battle of Ball's Bluff, Virginia. Colonel Edward D. Baker, senator from Oregon and a friend of President Lincoln, led troops across the Potomac River only to be forced back to the river's edge where he was killed. The ensuing Union withdrawal turned into a rout with many soldiers drowning while trying to re-cross the icy waters of the Potomac River.​

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  • October 5, 1863- Outside of Charleston Harbor, the Confederate David, a partially submerged, steam powered vessel, attacked the New Ironsides, part of the US fleet blockading the harbor, with a torpedo. Both ships survived the attack, though the commander of the David and one of his crew were captured.
  • October 9 -22, 1863- Bristoe Station Campaign. In a feint toward Washington, Lee's Army of the Northern Virginia marches into northern Virginia in an attempt to flank the Army of the Potomac, under General Meade. Lee successfully outmaneuvers Meade though fails to bring him to battle or catch him in the open. An engagement at Bristoe Station, Virginia, on October 14 gives the campaign its name.
  • October 19, 1864- The Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia. In an early morning surprise attack, Jubal Early's Confederates successfully attack and drive troops of the Army of the Shenandoah from their camps on the banks of Cedar Creek south of Middletown, Virginia. Hearing the fight from his headquarters at Winchester, General Philip Sheridan rides southward, rallying dispirited troops who return to the battlefield. By day's end, Early's forces are put to flight. Despite several attempts to disrupt the US advance in the coming weeks, the struggle for control of the Shenandoah Valley is over.
  • Source: Civil War Timeline - Gettysburg National Military Park
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At the September 27 business meeting, Camp 91, Thomson Guards was proud to present as a token of appreciation, Mort Kunstler  2023 calendars to our two recruiters extraordinaire, Mr. Terry Johnson, and Mr. Jimmy McDaniel. They are dedicated to ensuring that our Charge is fulfilled; their efforts are contagious.  Our camp is truly blessed to have these fine men.  Thank you Terry and Jimmy; we appreciate your efforts.
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At the September 27 meeting, Camp 91, Thomson Guards presented a 2023 Mort Kunstler paintings calendar to our new 1st Lt. Commander.  He has served as our official greeter for years.  He insures that our members feel comfortable and, most especially, that our visitors are welcomed appropriately.  He has also done significant work in The Thomson Memorial Cemetery.  Thank you for your dedication.
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​At the September 27 meeting of Camp 91, Thomson Guards, special recognition was given to several members who have done an outstanding job this year.  Camp Commander Tom Holley presented Adjutant David Butler a 2023, Mort Kunstler calendar for his long-term outstanding loyalty, dedication and service to the camp. David (l) has been adjutant and treasurer since helping found the camp in 2017.
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          Camp 91 collected $214 for the Georgia Division legal defense fund.  The camp also collected names, addresses and cell phone numbers of 16+ well qualified potential members.  It was a successful day.  Thank you to all who manned the booth.  Karen and Tom Holley are with Laurel and Hardy.
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COMMANDER’S POST
Dr. George Rogers Clark Todd

Note:  Dr. Todd was the surgeon for
          the 10th Georgia, Thomson Guards. 
         Many of our soldiers would have known
          him personally or been treated by him.
​Excerpt from
           Mary Todd Lincoln’s Confederate Brother
           by Surgeon Trevor Steinbach
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          “Mary Todd (wife of Abraham Lincoln) was the fourth of seven children.  She had three sisters; Elizabeth Todd Edwards (1813-1888), Frances ‘Fanny’ Todd Wallace (1815-1899), Ann Todd Smith (1824-1891) and three brothers; Levi O. Todd (1817-1865), Robert P. Todd (1820-1822), and George Rogers Clark Todd (1825-1900).  George Todd was born on July 2, 1825 in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States of America. Mary also had 10 half-siblings; 5 brothers and 5 sisters…           
          George Rogers Clark Todd was the last child from Robert and his first wife.  He graduated in 1843 from Centre College, a liberal arts institution based in the town of Danville, Kentucky, founded in 1819. George then went to medical school.  At the beginning of the 19th century, there were only five medical schools in America.  The Medical Department of Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, was the first in the West; however, it had few students or faculty until it was restructured in 1815. Throughout its nearly six decade existence (1799-1859), Transylvania’s Medical Department enrolled 4,358 students and graduated 1,881 physicians.  The majority of trained physicians in the antebellum South and Southwest were graduates of Transylvania.  He graduated from Transylvania Medical College in Lexington in 1848…
          Like his half brother David, Dr. George Rogers Clark Todd (1825-1900) joined the Confederate troops immediately.  His medical skills procured him a commission as a surgeon.  He soon made the Richmond papers, when he was arrested for slandering the Confederate government.  He assured the authorities that Lincoln was “one of the greatest scoundrels unhung” and was released.
          On February 8, 1862, he enlisted at the age of 37 and was appointed a Surgeon.  He then reported to the Surgeon General in Richmond.  By February 10th he was ordered to Yorktown, VA, for duty with General J.B. Magruder, commander of the Army of the Peninsula.  Rosters indicate that he was assigned to the 15th Virginia Infantry.  15th Virginia was organized in May 1861, with men from Richmond and Henrico and Hanover counties.  The regiment was brigaded under McLaws, Semmes, and Corse, Army of Northern Virginia. In September 1862, he was reassigned to McLaws Division Hospital as Chief Surgeon…
         ...there would have been many wagons for the Medical supplies and wounded based at the Division Infirmary with Semmes’ Brigade.  This request was just weeks before the Battle of Antietam. The loss in killed and wounded was, of the Fifty-third Georgia Volunteers, 30 per cent; Thirty-second Virginia, 45 per cent; Tenth Georgia, 57 per cent; Fifteenth Virginia, 58 per cent, detailed statements of which are herewith submitted according to brigade documents.  The disparity in the loss of some of the companies of the same regiment is very marked.  Three of the four regimental commanders were wounded. Surgeon Todd had much work to do on that day.
          By January, 1863, Dr. Todd had been reassigned to the 10th Georgia as a Surgeon.  He would have been familiar with officers of the 10th since the regiment was assigned to McLaws’ Brigade of Magruder’s Division on the Virginia Peninsula during the Siege of Yorktown.  In July of 1863, McLaws’ Brigade was in the Battle of Gettysburg. McLaws’ Division took part in Longstreet’s attack on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, driving through the Peach Orchard and the Wheatfield to the base of Little Round Top and Cemetery Ridge.  The attack had come close to collapsing the Union flank, but at the cost of heavy casualties.
          In September of 1863, he was relieved of duty as Chief Surgeon Semmes’ was to report to Surgeon N.S. Crowell, Medical Director Charleston SC for assignment.  This was a result of his criticism of a superior officer in writing.  He was charged with, “Conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline.”
       He was relieved of duty from Semmes’ Brigade by Special Order # 209.  His new primary assignment was the Medical Examining Board of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida and secondary assignment was just listed as surgeon until the end of the war…
Dr. Todd served until the end of the war in the Charleston, SC area and then settled in Camden.  He eventually moved to Barnwell, SC, which is close to Augusta, Georgia.  He served his community well as a country doctor after the war.
          Dr. George Rogers Clark Todd, CSA Surgeon, died at Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina, on April 1, 1900 at the age of 74. Burial of Dr. George Rogers Clark Todd, CSA Surgeon, was in Quaker Cemetery, Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina…
          Your Obt. Servant, Surgeon Trevor Steinbach, 26th Georgia – Georgia Brigade”
​          Source: Timelines Magazine, March 2022, Mary Todd Lincoln’s Confederate Medical Brother.

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September 2022 Dispatch

9/14/2022

 
NEXT MEETING   --   TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
  • Chapter Business Work Session          
  • ALL MEMBERS are encouraged to come help set camp priorities, make plans to implement specific events and projects, and learn more about how to support national and state SCV initiatives.
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WBTS Dates in September
  • September 20, 1861- Lexington, Missouri falls to Confederate forces under Sterling Price.
  • September 17, 1862- The Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), Maryland, the bloodiest single day of the Civil War. The result of the battle ends Confederate General Lee's first invasion of the North.
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  • September 22, 1862- Following the US victory at Antietam, President Lincoln introduces the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which announced Lincoln's intention to declare all enslaved people free on January 1, 1863 if those places remained in rebellion at that
  • September 19-20, 1863 - The Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia. The US Army of the Cumberland under General William Rosecrans is defeated and nearly routed by the Confederate Army of Tennessee commanded by General Braxton Bragg. Rosecrans' army retreats to the supply base at Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • September-November 1863 - The Siege of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Confederate forces under Braxton Bragg surround the occupied city. General Ulysses S. Grant is assigned to command the troops there and begins immediate plans to relieve the besieged US Army.
  • September 19, 1864 - Third Battle of Winchester, Virginia. US forces under General Philip Sheridan attacked the Confederate army under Jubal Early near the city of Winchester and drove them southward, up the Shenandoah Valley.
  • September 22, 1864 - Battle of Fisher's Hill, Virginia. The US Army of the Shenandoah under General Philip Sheridan attacked Jubal Early's Confederates near Fisher's Hill, overpowering the Confederates and again forcing them to flee the battlefield. United States officers and officials in Washington believe this to be the final battle in the Shenandoah Valley.
  • September 29-30, 1864 - Battle of Fort Harrison near Richmond, Virginia. In a sweeping assault, the Confederate stronghold known as Fort Harrison falls to the Army of the James. Confederate efforts to retake the fort fail.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. If you have a photo of your Confederate ancestor, please allow us to place it on the Camp 91 website along with a biography.  We only need a photo of your photo.  Also, please check the list of “Camp Members’ Confederate Ancestors” under “Our Heroes” on the website.  If you have multiple ancestors that apply, please send me their information so the list can be updated.
  2.  Please continue to pray for our brothers Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Phil Turner, Woody Woodard and his wife, Linda. 
  3. Please contribute any used books (they do not have to be WBTS related) to the Georgia Division of the SCV.  They will be sold to help fund the headquarters office.  Box them up and bring them to our meeting
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SCV Events & Goals June 1, 2021 – May 31, 2022 - with results
  1. Recruit at least 35 voting members to Camp 91 by June 2022.  - The camp had 30 regular members and 1 associate member as of June 1, 2022. 
  2.  Send 3 voting members to GA SCV reunion. - June 3-4, the Thomson Guards, for the first time since charter in 2017, potentially sent three voting members to the convention. 
  3. Have official date with speaker at Camp’s memorial service.  GA Confederate Memorial Day Monday April 22.  Perhaps include a tour of a local historic home & property. - April 24, the camp held its Confederate Memorial Day service at the plantation home of Captain John Stovall.  Thank you Compatriot David Moore.
  4.  Have an official service at Thomson Confederate Cemetery grave flagging with guest speaker. - the camp had a short service before placing flags on the 110 Confederate veteran’s graves at the Thomson Memorial Cemetery.  Participating members then went to the Confederate monument for photos. 
  5. Thomson Memorial Cemetery to be kept thoroughly cleaned. - many camp members have been involved with cleaning and trimming trees in the cemetery.  It looks great but more is necessary. 
  6. Acquire Iron Cross for 4 or 5 veterans who are not currently marked with one in Thomson Confederate Cemetery.  There are 110 Confederate Veterans buried in this cemetery. - Terry Johnson provided the crosses in early May.  Charlie Lyons  provided the posts.  Jimmy New cut and drilled the posts.  The posts were cleaned and painted.  -  July 16 nine members of the camp met and installed the crosses. 
  7. Flag Confederate Veteran’s graves at Thomson Confederate Cemetery April 15. -  Twelve members helped with the project on April 2.  The flags were left in place until April 25.
  8.  For exposure and recruitment participate in:  Laurel & Hardy Festival and the Camellia City Festival - great participation & excellent result. 
  9. Mark all U.S. Veterans graves (perhaps 15) with U.S. flags in May for Memorial Day and in November for Veterans Day.  - USA flags were put on graves May 2 and removed May 30.    
  10. Financially, earnestly support the GA Division legal defense fund. - At the end of the division fiscal year July 1, Camp 91 was first in giving among all camps in the state.  $9,050.  Camp 91 is dedicated and very generous.  Congratulations!
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Please examine these goals very carefully.  There may be some you don’t agree with while there are others you may wish to add.  Remember, written, specific, doable goals give us firm direction.  
SCV Events & Goals June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023
  1.  Clean the Thomson Confederate Monument at the old courthouse between now and Spring. Two dates have been suggested:  Sat., Nov. 26 and/or Sat., Dec. 3
  2.  Recruit to at least 40 voting members to Camp 91 by June 2023.  The camp had 29 regular members and one associate member as of June 1, 2022. - As of September 1, we have 31 regular members.   
  3. Every member to commit to bring at least 1 guest in the next 6 months. 
  4. Participate for exposure and recruiting purposes in 2022:  ​(1)  Harlem’s Laurel & Hardy Festival, October 1,  (2)  Thomson’s Camellia City Festival, October 22   and   (3)  Warrenton’s Sportsman’s Festival    --    November 12.
  5. Have group attendance at the Lee-Jackson Banquet, January 21, 2023, at Bobby’s BBQ, Highway 1, Clearwater, SC.  Martin O’Toole, chief of GA Division legal defense effort is the speaker. ​ Also, group attend the Berry Benson Memorial Service.
  6.  Flag the cemetery 1st Saturday in April. The GA Confederate Memorial Day is Monday April 24.  
  7. Have an official Confederate Memorial Service at Thomson Memorial Cemetery with guest speaker Saturday, April 15. Participating members go to the Confederate monument for photos.  The service would be in lieu of the regular April 25 meeting.  
  8. Thomson Memorial Cemetery to be kept thoroughly cleaned.  
  9. Have a group carpool to the Confederate Memorial Service at Stone Mountain in April 2023.  
  10. Mark all U.S. Veterans graves (perhaps 20) with U.S. flags in May for Memorial Day and in November for Veterans Day.  
  11. Send three voting members to the Georgia reunion June 2-3, 2023. 
  12. Send at least one voting member to the National reunion July 2023. 
  13. Continue presence in GA Confederate.  Continue upkeep of scrapbook. Continue the Dispatch and website.  
  14. Continue camp’s excellent support of the GA Division Legal Defense Fund.  
  15. Hunley Award for local ROTC member.  Camp member, (preferably veterans) to become liaison to Thomson High School ROTC supervisor.  
  16. Discuss the National Guardian Program.  Jimmy McDaniel has been a Guardian for over 20 years. 
  17. The camp to purchase 6 holders and 6 U.S. flags for mounting to brick posts at Thomson Memorial Cemetery
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CAMP HISTORIAN'S POST
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BETSY ROSS AND GADSDEN FLAGS:  DOMESTIC VIOLENT TERRORISM SYMBOLS?
See Editorials  /  Lewis Smith  /  Flags as Terror Symbols
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August 2022 Dispatch

8/11/2022

 
NEXT MEETING  --   TUESDAY, AUGUST 23
  • Topic   --   History of the Georgia State Flag
  • Speaker   --   David C. Moncus
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          The program will be a history of the evolution of the Georgia State Flag from the date of discovery of the colony until today and the national flags that influenced the designs of our various state flags.  Each flag will be presented (literally) and discussed.
          Dave was born in Vidalia, GA on July 4, 1951, and raised up in Montgomery, Toombs and Wheeler Counties.  He graduated from Vidalia High School and Brewton Parker College.  He is married to Beverly for 51 years and they have three children, 4 grandchildren and two great grands.  He is retired from Southern Company after 43 years managing construction, maintenance and design implementation at Plants Hatch and Vogtle..  He currently lives in Mount Vernon, GA. 
          As an SCV Life Member for 31 years, Dave has held the following SCV positions:  camp member, newsletter editor, adjutant, Lt. Commander, Brigade Commander, Division Chief of Staff.  He has received numerous camp, brigade and division awards along with three National Commander in Chief awards.  He has presented historical programs in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina for church groups, civic clubs, schools and SCV (9 this year already).
  • 5:30   --   Dinner and fellowship at Fernanda’s Grill and Pizzeria, 127 Main St.
  • 7:00 pm  --  Meeting at Thomson-McDuffie County Library, 338 Main St.
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WBTS Dates in August
  • August 10, 1861- Battle of Wilson's Creek, Missouri. The Union Army under General Nathaniel Lyon, attack Confederate troops and state militia southwest of Springfield, Missouri, and after a disastrous day that included the death of Lyon, are thrown back. The Confederate victory emphasizes the strong southern presence west of the Mississippi River.​
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  • August 28-29, 1861- Fort Hatteras at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, falls to Union naval forces. This begins the first Union efforts to close southern ports along the Carolina coast.
  • August 30-31, 1862- The Battle of Second Bull Run (or Second Manassas) is fought on the same ground where one year before, the Union army was defeated and sent reeling in retreat to Washington. 
  • August 21, 1863- Sacking of Lawrence, Kansas. In a murderous daylight raid, Confederate and Missouri guerillas under William Clarke Quantrill storm into Lawrence and destroy most of the town. Approximately 150 men and boys are murdered by Quantrill's men.
  • August 5, 1864- Battle of Mobile Bay. A Union fleet under Admiral David Farragut steamed into Mobile Bay outside the city of Mobile, Alabama, defended by two strong forts and a small southern flotilla, including the formidable ironclad CSS Tennessee. Farragut's ships defeated the Confederate ships and bypassed the forts, capturing the important southern port.
  • August 18-19, 1864- Battles on the Weldon Railroad near Petersburg, Virginia. Union attempts to capture this important railroad into Petersburg were stopped by Confederate counterattacks. Despite southern efforts, the Union remained in firm possession of their gains and the railroad.
  • August 25, 1864- Battle of Ream's Station, near Petersburg, Virginia. A surprise Confederate counterattack briefly stopped Union destruction of the Weldon Railroad near Ream's Station, though failed to release the Union grip on this important supply line into Petersburg.
  • August 31- September 1, 1864- Battle of Jonesborough, Georgia. The final southern counterattack against Union troops outside the city of Atlanta fails.
 Civil War Timeline Online & Edited - Gettysburg National Military Park 
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 Review of SCV National Reunion  –  July 20-23, 2022
  1. Karen and I represented Camp 91 at the 127th National Annual Reunion.  I marched in and posted our camp flag during the opening ceremonies. 
  2. The reunion was a success in every way.  I participated in all the battlefield tours while Karen enjoyed the UDC events.  We agreed that every event was executed in a totally professional way.
  3. I participated in all reunion meetings.  Since it was my first national reunion, I was delighted with how things were managed. I walked away with a bundle of new ideas of how we might serve the SCV. We will discuss many of these at our September camp work meeting.
  4. Our new Commander-in-Chief is Mr. Jason Boshers (former Lt. CIC)  and the Lt. Commander-in- Chief is Mr. Donnie Kennedy.  Please pray for these men.
  5. I want to thank and congratulate the hosts of this years reunion, William J. Hardee Camp 1397, Kennesaw Battlefield Camp #700, GA. Commander Tim Pilgrim, The UDC Chapter #241 and all the other worker bees from Georgia that made the reunion a huge success. 

    Special Note:  The 128th National SCV Reunion is July 19-22, 2023, at the historic Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa, Hot Springs, Arkansas.  It is hosted by James M Keller Camp #648.  www.2023scvreunion.org.  Karen and I are already booked at the hotel.  This year’s hotel and activities were sold out with waiting lists.  It is recommended to book this hotel early.  Your credit card will not be charged until arrival and you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance.  Let me know if you are interested.  It will be great!
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Tom Holley with Georgia SCV Commander Tim Pilgrim
Ramblin’ Wreck   --   Go Jackets!
Savoy Museum in Cartersville

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. Camp 91 enjoyed a 100% retention rate in membership for 2022-2023.  Congratulations!
  2. Our monument at the courthouse needs to be cleaned desperately.  I will ask Mayor Kenneth Usry and County Commission Chairman Charley Newton for permission for us to clean the monument after the first of the year. 
  3. Please continue to pray for our brothers Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Phil Turner, Woody Woodard and his wife, Linda.
  4. Please contribute any used books (they do not have to be WBTS related) to the Georgia Division of the SCV.  They will be sold to help fund the headquarters office.  Box them up and bring them to our meeting.  ​
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CROSSES OF HONOR   --   July 16, 2022
See article under Community   --   Activities
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COMMANDER'S POST
Media's Influence thru Distortions and Lies
See Editorials  /  Tom Holley  /  Media's Influence...Lies
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July 2022 Dispatch

7/14/2022

 
NEXT MEETING   --   TUESDAY, JULY 26
Topic   --   Wilderness Survival Skills
Speaker   --   Steve Burke
          Born and raised on the Ogeechee River in Jenkins County, Georgia, where he resides today, Steve has devoted 40 years to sharing his knowledge of history and wilderness survival skills. Sherman’s March to the Sea, sharpshooters and the evolution of their weapons, and demonstrations on hide tanning for clothes and how to make necessary tools such as bows and arrows are among the topics that he enjoys discussing.
          He is Vice President of the Wiregrass Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution in Swainsboro where he serves as Captain of the Brier Creek Artillery.  He is also a member of the Buckhead Fort Lawton Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans in Millen.  In March 2022, Steve was presented the DAR Excellence in Historic Preservation Award by the Captain John Wilson Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
  • 5:30   --   Dinner and fellowship at Fernanda's Grill and Pizzeria, 127 Main St.
  • 7:00   --   Meeting at Thomson-McDuffie County Library, 338 Main St.
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Steve Burk, Practicing Survivalist
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CROSSES OF HONOR
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During the June meeting, members decided to meet on Sat., July 16, 9:00 a.m., to erect the last five remaining Crosses of Honor on the veterans’ gravesites in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery.  We will have a short service, take some photos and install these markers. Please make every effort to attend as we honor these CSA veterans.  Approximately 1 hour
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WBTS Dates in July
  • The First Battle of Bull Run. On July 21, 1861, a dry summer Sunday, Union and Confederate troops clashed outside Manassas, Virginia, in the first major engagement of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run.​
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  • ​The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. After a great victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late June 1863.
  •  On this day, Vicksburg formally surrendered to Grant. July 5th
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GA SCV Reunion Notes – June 202
  1. 125th Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans reunion.  This reunion and the first reunion were both held in Macon, GA. 
  2. Georgia is the largest division in the confederation with 3,300 men.
  3. 46 of the 99 camps in Georgia were represented at this reunion.
  4. Letters and phone calls to our representatives, by their own admission, makes a huge difference in how they vote.  We are strongly encouraged to continue these efforts.  
  5. Michael Reither, 12th Brigade Commander, who has also become the editor of the Georgia Confederate newsletter was awarded as the GA Confederate of the Year.  Michael is beyond deserving of the award.  Mr. Kermit Watson, the man who matched our funds to the GA Legal Defense Fund was first runner up.  Congratulations to both. 
  6. Tom Holley and several other Georgia Division members were awarded the SCV Distinguished Service Medal, presented by Georgia Commander Tim Pilgrim for the National SCV.
  7. The GA Division secretary, Kitty Dorety, got a standing ovation for the tremendous work she does for us all.  She is a wonder, a blessing, and awesome. 
  8. The GA Division Youth Camp raised $1,539 at the reunion. Camp 91 donated $150 to this cause in May.
  9. Of the three amendments: 1. No    2. Surprisingly postponed    3. Passed
  10. Martin O’Toole, division chief attorney, is very optimistic for good results on monument resolutions from GA Supreme Court.  He also warns us as individuals not to discuss any aspect of the SCV with the media.  Refer the media inquiry back to him. 
  11. Election:  GA Division Commander Tim Pilgrim ran unopposed.  Thank goodness for this result.  He is the right man for this job.  This is his third term starting his fifth year. We must all strive to support him. 
  12. There is tremendous strength in numbers.  Renew your membership now and encourage your friends to join!
  13. Mike (below) & Dollie Lacefield and Tom Holley attended the reunion.  It was very encouraging and uplifting to visit with a lot of old, dear friends.  
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At the June meeting Camp 91, Thomson Guards was very pleased to
induct Patrick Lunceford into the SCV.
Patrick is shown holding his certificate, along with Adjutant David Butler.
Welcome Patrick!

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COMMANDER’S POST
1984 by George Orwell   --   Commentary
See Editorials  /  Tom Holley  /  1984 by George Orwell
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June 2022 Dispatch

6/2/2022

 
NEXT MEETING   --   TUESDAY, JUNE 28
Topic   --   The Old Governor's Mansion
Speaker   --   Matt Davis

          Our guest speaker will be Mr. Matt Davis, the Director of Historic Museums for Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.  The museums include Andalusia, the home of the famous Georgia author, Flannery O’Connor, Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion and the Sallie Ellis Davis House, the home of a dedicated and passionate black Baldwin County educator. 
          Mr. Davis will discuss the Governor’s Mansion that was completed in 1839, and its significance during the Antebellum, WBTS, and the early reconstruction phases of Georgia’s history.  The Mansion was named a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2015 and as a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2018. 
  • 5:30   --   Dinner at Fernanda's Grill & Pizzeria, 127 Main St. Thomson
  • 7:00   --   Meeting at Thomson-McDuffie County Library, 338 Main. St. Thomson​
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. The Georgia Division will soon be sending out membership renewal notices along with the dues structure.  Please take care of this necessary part of our business as soon as possible.  All checks should be made out to Camp 91, Thomson Guards and sent directly to Adjutant David Butler using the enclosed notice.  It you wish to donate money to the other stated causes on the notification, put all the funds in one check made out to the camp.                                               Never in the history of our organization has it been more important to stay the course and remain solid in our dedication to our Confederate veterans.  We are the last line of defense between the radical leftist and the principles we hold dear.  Make your voice heard loud and clear.  If you are not a member but receive this newsletter, it is the start of a new fiscal year and the perfect time to join the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
  2. ​It was agreed at the May meeting that the camp would erect the last five remaining Crosses of Honor on the veterans’ gravesites in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery. There are three dates that will be voted on at the June meeting to determine when the largest group of members can participate.  Please check your schedule for Saturday, July 9, 16th or 30th at 9am.  We will have a short service, take some photos and install the markers.  Approximately 1 hour 
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JUNE EVENTS DURING WBTS
  • June 3, 1861- A skirmish near Philippi in western Virginia, is the first clash of Union and Confederate forces in the east.
  • June 10, 1861- Battle of Big Bethel, the first land battle of the war in Virginia.
  • June 20, 1861- At the culmination of the Wheeling Convention, the region that composed the northwestern counties of Virginia broke away from that state to form West Virginia, officially designated and accepted as the thirty fifth state of the Union on June 20, 1863.
  • May 31-June 1, 1862- The Battle of Seven Pines near Richmond, Virginia. General Joseph Johnston, commander of the Confederate army in Virginia is wounded and replaced by Robert E. Lee who renames his command the "Army of Northern Virginia."
  • June 6, 1862- Battle of Memphis, Tennessee. A Union flotilla under Commodore Charles Davis successfully defeats a Confederate river force on the Mississippi River near the city and Memphis surrenders. The Mississippi River is now in Union control except for its course west of Mississippi where the city of Vicksburg stands as the last southern stronghold on the great river.
  • June 25-July 1, 1862- The Seven Days' Battles before Richmond. General Lee's army attacks the "Army of the Potomac" under General George McClellan in a succession of battles beginning at Mechanicsville on June 26 and ending at Malvern Hill on July 1.
  • June 9, 1863- The Battle of Brandy Station, Virginia. Union cavalry forces cross the Rapidan River to attack General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry and discover that Lee's men are moving west toward the Shenandoah Valley. The largest cavalry battle of the Civil War, it also marks the beginning of the Gettysburg Campaign. Meanwhile, the Union assault on Vicksburg, Mississippi has become a siege of the city where soldiers and civilians alike suffer from constant bombardment.
  • June 14-15, 1863- Battle of Second Winchester, Virginia. Confederate troops under General Richard Ewell defeat Union troops under General Robert Milroy, clearing the Shenandoah Valley of Union forces.
  • June 28, 1863- The Gettysburg Campaign continues. Confederates pass through York and reach the bridge over the Susquehanna River at Columbia, but Union militia set fire to the bridge, denying access to the east shore. Southern cavalry skirmishes with Union militia near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
  • June 1-3, 1864- Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia. Relentless and bloody Union attacks fail to dislodge Lee's army from its strong line of defensive works northeast of Richmond.
  • June 8, 1864- Abraham Lincoln is nominated by his party for a second term as president.
  • June 10, 1864- Battle of Brice's Crossroads, Mississippi- In spite of being outnumbered almost two to one, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest attacks and routs the Union command under General Samuel Sturgis.
  • June 15-18, 1864- Assault on Petersburg, Virginia. After withdrawing from the lines at Cold Harbor, the Army of the Potomac crossed the James River and with troops from the Army of the James attacked the outer defenses of Petersburg, the primary junction for several southern railroads. After four days of bloody attacks, Grant accepts that only a siege can systematically isolate the city and cut off Confederate supplies to the capital of Richmond.
  • June 19, 1864- The USS Kearsarge sinks the Confederate raider CSS Alabama near Cherbourg, France.
  • June 27, 1864- Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia. After weeks of maneuvering and battles, Sherman's Army of the Cumberland and Army of the Tennessee smash headlong into Johnston's carefully planned defenses at Big and Little Kennesaw. Johnston remains on this line until July 2, when he retreats at the threat being flanked by Sherman's mobile force.
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              Mr. Ed DeVos presented a discussion of his latest book, The Last 100 Yards. DeVos is a twenty-year, heavily decorated, army veteran who served multiple tours in Vietnam.  The camp learned that this book is about soldiers - infantry soldiers - the heart and soul of our army.  It is also a history book, describing how after Vietnam our army developed new doctrine, new equipment, and a tougher, more meaningful training doctrine.  The book introduces many common sensed leaders whose principles still influence the military today.  And, finally, the camp gained a glimpse into the lives of military spouses and their children, who serve their country alongside their soldiers.
              The presentation served as a wonderful reminder of why we should all celebrate Memorial Day by learning our history, protecting our heritage and honoring all our veterans.  

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               At the May meeting Adjutant David Butler read a Resolution of Appreciation to Camp 91, Thomson Guards for the $150 donation to support a scholarship for a Georgia Division SCV summer camper. The certificate was signed by Reverend Weaver, the summer camp supervisor.
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            Adjutant David Butler (r) presented a new member certificate and lapel pin to Mr. Jim Wilson.  Jim’s ancestor was an original soldier in the Thomson Guards, 10th Regiment Georgia Volunteers.              WELCOME JIM!
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COMMANDER’S POST
Open Letter to SCV   --   November 2022
See Editorials  /  Tom Holley  /  Letter to SCV Members
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May 2022 Dispatch

5/8/2022

 
NEXT MEETING   --   TUESDAY, MAY 24
  • Topic   --   The Last 100 Yards
  • Speaker   --   Ed DeVos 
  • Ed served his country for more than twenty years as a U.S. Army Infantry officer in both state side and overseas assignments. During those years he was assigned to four U.S. Infantry battalions and was an advisor to several Vietnamese Infantry battalions. His last assignment was to activate and then command the 1st Battalion 87th Infantry (Light), 10th Mountain Division. Ed’s awards include the Silver Star with one oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, U.S. and German Parachute Wings, and he is an Army Ranger. Additionally, he is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College where he received his Master of the Military Arts and Science degree in Military History.
  • First and foremost, The Last 100 Yards is about soldiers—infantry soldiers—the heart and soul of our Army. Second, it is a history book, describing how after Vietnam our Army developed new doctrine, new equipment, and a tougher, more meaningful training philosophy. Throughout the mid- 1970s and 1980s, it laid the groundwork for a leaner, tougher, more resilient Army: the same proud organization that now projects U.S. power and strength around the globe. Third, this book will introduce you to some common sense leaders whose principles still impact our military today. And lastly, this book will give you a glimpse into the lives of military spouses and their children, who serve their country alongside their soldiers.
  • 5:30   --   Dinner at Fernanda's Grill & Pizzeria, 127 Main. St., Thomson​
  • 7:00  --  Meeting at Thomson-McDuffie County Library, 338 Main. St., Thomson
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ANNOUNCEMENTS 
  1. Please donate any used books you might have to the Georgia Division, SCV. The funds collected by Georgia Division book sales help support the financial cost of the main office. These books do not have to be WBTS related. Bring them to the camp meeting and they will be delivered to Macon during the June 3-4 Reunion.
  2. One of the 2022 goals the camp set for itself was to get iron crosses to place on the graves of five Confederate Veterans that remain unmarked in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery. Terry Johnson provided the iron crosses. Charlie Lyons provided the posts. Jimmy New cut the posts and drilled the holes. The posts have been cleaned and painted. Sometime soon we need to have a short dedication service and place the posts at the cemetery.
  3. The Dispatch is your camp newsletter. At any time, you are welcome to add information that you think is important to the welfare of the camp or just general information. This is especially true of members or their family with illnesses and/or outstanding good news. Let me hear from you! Call me or drop me an email or text. Thank you!
  4. See photos from our Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration in the Community Activities section of this website. 
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IN MEMORIUM 
          Long before we were the Thomson Guards, many of us were members of the Ambrose Ransom Wright Camp in Evans. Bill Berry was a unique character and a very active member. Bill, Rest In Peace.
          “BILL BERRY left us to be with the Lord on April 21, 2022.
Bill was a man proud of his many accomplishments. I was always amused by his personal business card—it listed all his various positions in the community through the years !
Bill was active in the our SCV Camp until just recently, when his health prevented his getting out to the meetings. Besides the SCV, he was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Knights of Columbus, and St. Mary of the Hill Catholic church. He was President of Irish American Heritage Society in 2007, and he was Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2010
The funeral is tentatively scheduled for May 9. He is to be a cremated and his remains to be placed in the columbarium at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.”

          Information: The WigWag newsletter of the E. Porter Alexander camp, Augusta. 
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MAY Events During WBTS
  • May 18, 1861 - Union forces made their first 'formal' attack on Confederate forces based at Sewall's Point, Virginia. The Unionist Navy sealed off the River Rappahannock, Virginia, which completed the blockade of the state. May 19th: A start was made to massively improving the defences of Washington DC.
  • May 25, 1862 - First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. After two weeks of maneuvering and battles at Cross Keys and Front Royal, General "Stonewall" Jackson attacks Union forces at Winchester and successfully drives them from the city. The victory is the culmination of his 1862 Valley Campaign.
  • May 22, 1863 - General Grant began a siege of Vicksburg. After six weeks, Confederate General John Pemberton surrendered, giving up the city and 30,000 men. The capture of Port Hudson, Louisiana, shortly thereafter placed the entire Mississippi River in Union hands. The Confederacy was split in two.
  • On May 5-7, 1864 - Battle of the Wilderness, in the American Civil War, the first battle of Union General Ulysses S. Grant's "Overland Campaign," a relentless drive to defeat once and for all Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and capture the South's capital at Richmond, Virginia. 
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APRIL PROGRAM -- Pilgrims and Our Heritage by Alan Smith 
​On April 26, Rev. Alan Smith, dressed in period clothing as a Pilgrim, gave an excellent presentation.
Did you know?
  • Pilgrims did not wear black:  The black dye was too expensive.
  • Pilgrims did not wear buckles:  They had not been invented.
  • They came over on two ships:   The Speedwell and the Mayflower.
  • They arrived in the year 1620. Of the number of women who sailed, only four survived to the first Thanksgiving.
  • What was the name of their unique government?  It was the Mayflower Compact.             
Rev. Smith made learning FUN!
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COMMANDER'S POST 
Robert E. Lee . . . . As Paul Harvey said on his radio broadcast “Here’s the rest of the story!”
          Robert E. Lee is to this day the only person to pass through the US Military Academy at West Point without a single demerit. In the Mexican War General Winfield Scott called him “the greatest
soldier I’ve ever seen.” As an Army Engineer he re-routed the Mississippi River and saved the city of St. Louis. When he inherited slaves from his father in law, he educated them and set them free, and he referred to slavery as “a political and moral evil.”

          He turned down Lincoln’s offer to Command the US Army that would invade the South and his home State of Virginia even though leading that Army would have certainly brought him international fame and likely the presidency. He instead offered his sword to Virginia and fought against that invasion for four years leading an Army that was vastly outnumbered, out supplied and out fed. After the war, as the most beloved figure on either side of the war, he turned down all of the opportunities that would have enriched him by refusing to sell his family name.
          He chose instead to take a job with meager pay at Washington College because he knew that rebuilding the country meant that we needed to raise men of high honor and character. His first act as Dean of the College was to build a Chapel. On Lee’s last visit to Richmond, a lady approached General Lee with an infant in her arms and asked “Would you please hold my baby?” General Lee took the child, looked the woman in the eye and said “you must teach him to deny himself.” Biographer Douglas Southall Freeman pointed out that this one statement characterized the entirety of how General Lee lived.
          As the end of his life was approaching Robert E. Lee was asked, with all of his accomplishments, what should his headstone say. He answered “that I am a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for my salvation.”
          That a monument to this man has been taken down is a monument itself. The barren space where his memorial stood is a testament to the depraved depths to which the morality and character of our society has fallen.

​Unknown Source -- Information was passed along via email.
          Possibly from
Paul Harvey’s the Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt (Author) and Lynne 
Harvey                (Compiler, Editor), Doubleday, c1977. 
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April 2022 Dispatch

4/11/2022

 
APRIL IS CONFEDERATE HISTORY AND HERITAGE MONTH
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Confederate Memorial Day
          On Saturday, April 23, we will have our formal service at the historic plantation home and burial site of Captain John Thaddeus Stovall, 1353 Cedar Rock Road, Thomson.  The service will begin at 10:30 A.M. sharp.  Bring a lawn chair.  Period clothing is encouraged.  Many members will have individual responsibilities that day.  A photo, less anyone’s name, will be submitted to the Georgia Confederate.  Time required: 1.5 hours including program and tour.  We will travel to Fernanda’s for lunch.
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NEXT MEETING   --   TUESDAY, APRIL 26
New Locations   --   We’re moving back to Thomson.
  • 5:30 pm   --  Dinner and fellowship at Fernanda’s Grill and Pizzeria, 127 Main St.
    • Parking behind building or across the street in Knox Shopping Center.
  • 7:00 pm  --  Meeting at Thomson-McDuffie County Library, 338 Main St.
    • Parking is behind the building off Greenway St.
Speaker:  Alan Smith   --   Topic:  Pilgrims
         Delbert Alan Smith is a retired Methodist minister and supporter of groups that encourage historic preservation and awareness of history. These include the National Trust, the Society of Cincinnati, the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, First Families of Georgia, and the Jamestowne Society. He is Assistant General of the Georgia Society of Mayflower Descendants. He is past president of the William Few Chapter of the Georgia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and has participated in numerous GASSAR grave markings of Revolutionary soldiers.
          He supports historic preservation in McDuffie County as president of the Wrightsboro Foundation and chairman of the Rock House Advisory Committee.
          He and his wife Judy restored their 1842 home. Alan did the research required for its placement on the National Register of Historic Places. They did nearly all of the restoration themselves over a number of years. They have worked to make a comfortable home for themselves and visiting children and grandchildren while keeping the house accurate to its historic roots. The house contains family pieces and antiques collected over many years.
            The Captain John Wilson Chapter, National Society Daughters of American Revolution presented them the DAR Excellence in Historic Preservation certificates and medals in 2021.

**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. Please donate any used books you might have to the Georgia Division, SCV.  The funds collected by Georgia Division book sales help support the financial cost of the main office.  These books do not have to be WBTS related.  Bring them to the camp meeting and they will be delivered to Macon.​
  2. The Georgia Division SCV annual reunion is June 3 & 4 at the Marriott Centerplex in Macon.  Please let David or Tom know if you would like to attend.  Mike Lacefield will join us as a delegate so we can fully utilize our three votes based on camp size.
  3. The National SCV annual reunion is July 19 - 24 in Cartersville, GA.  It is a great opportunity to see what happens on the national level.  Karen and I will be attending and reporting back to you at the July, Camp 91 meeting. Mike and Dollie Lacefield also plan to attend.
  4. Under Local History on our camp website, please notice several articles that cover historical times other than the WBTS.  Most recently, JoAnn Smith has provided “The Thomas Carr Historic District” and “Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in Columbia, McDuffie, Lincoln and Warren Counties.”
  5. As prices for everything continue to rise and we strive to be good stewards of our resources, it seems like an appropriate time to transition to an electronic newsletter for all members who receive email.  Please be sure that we have your accurate email address on file.  Beginning in May, we will continue to send paper copies of the Dispatch only to those without email.
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April Events in the WBTS
  • April 10, 1861 -- Confederate Secretary of War LeRoy Walker authorizes Beauregard to use force if the federal government attempts to re-supply Fort Sumter.
  • April 11, 1861 -- Major Anderson refuses a request from the Confederate government to surrender Fort Sumter. A final request would come in the early morning hours of April 12, shortly before the bombardment of the fortress began. 
  • April 12, 1861 --  The first salvos of the American Civil War were fired with the bombardment of the U.S. garrison at Fort Sumter, located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It stood as one of the last Federal outposts in the region.
  • April 9, 1865 --  General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant at the​ Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
**********
As a member of Camp 91, Thomson Guards, please remember that above all things: 
  • We are a History, Heritage and Honor Society. 
  • We learn our history, we protect our heritage and we honor our ancestors. 
  • We do nothing and we say nothing that might bring dishonor to our Camp or to our Confederate Heroes. 
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MARCH PROGRAM   --   THE LARGEST PRISON:  THE STORY OF FORT LAWTON
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          At the regular monthly meeting of Camp 91, Thomson Guards, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Dr. John Derden, Professor Emeritus of History gave a fact based power point presentation on the Confederate prison called Fort Lawton located at Magnolia Springs near Millen. 
          From November 1864 to the spring of 1865, the newly erected prison of 42 acres held about 12,000 Federal prisoners that were mostly transported there from the Andersonville prison near Americus.  
          When General Sherman began his March to the Sea military campaign from Atlanta, he had three main objectives.   First, he wanted to capture the Georgia capital in Milledgeville.   Second, he wished to capture the city of Savannah.  Third, he sent his Calvary commanded by General Sheridan on a forced march to free the prisoners at Fort Lawton and to totally destroy the strategic railroad intersection at Millen.  When Sheridan arrived, the prisoners were gone but he did lay waste to the depot and tracks.  It was a fantastic presentation
**********
       During the March meeting, Compatriot Patric Parker  (center in photo) was presented the
SCV 20 year service pin for his dedication and        continued service.  Patric has done a superlative job supporting the efforts of Camp 91 and the Georgia Division. 
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COMMANDER’S POST
ARRIL IS CONFEDERATE HISTORY AND HERITAGE MONTH

2020 Georgia Code                                                      Title 1 - General Provisions                                        Chapter 4 - Holidays and Observances
§ 1-4-20. Designation of Confederate History                           and Heritage Month
Universal Citation: GA Code § 1-4-20 (2020)

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​The General Assembly hereby finds and determines that tourism is a great economic resource in Georgia; and historical, heritage, and cultural inheritance are among the tourism industry's most popular attractions. Georgia's Confederate heritage, physical artifacts and battle sites, and historic events and persons not only attract visitors, they are potentially of even greater importance and benefit to our state's economy. Increased development of our state's Confederate history and heritage as part of the tourism industry will be enhanced through recognizing, celebrating, and advertising that heritage and history. 
 
The month of April of each year is hereby designated as Confederate History and Heritage Month and shall be set aside to honor, observe, and celebrate the Confederate States of America, its history, those who served in its armed forces and government, and all those millions of its citizens of various races and ethnic groups and religions who contributed in sundry and myriad ways to the cause which they held so dear from its founding on February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, until the Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah sailed into Liverpool Harbor and surrendered to British authorities on November 6, 1865. 
 
Officials and departments of state, county, and municipal governments, boards of education, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, businesses, and all citizens are encouraged to participate in programs, displays, and activities that commemorate and honor our shared history and cultural inheritance throughout each April during Confederate History and Heritage Month.
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March 2022 Dispatch

3/10/2022

 
NEXT MEETING
Tuesday, March 22
  • Topic  --  The World's Largest Prison:  The Story of Fort Lawton
  • Speaker  --  John K. Derden, PhD
  • Dr. John K. Derden was born at Fort Benning, Georgia, the son of a career officer in the U.S. Army.  As a result he grew up in many different places in the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Europe.  He received degrees from Reinhardt University (A.A.) and the University of Georgia (B.S.Ed. and M.A. and Ph.D. in history).  He holds the rank of Professor Emeritus of History.
    He is currently working on a biography of Jacques Futrelle, the Georgia mystery author who died in the Titanic disaster.  Dr. Derden is married to the former Carolyn Graves of Murphy, North Carolina, and has two children, Mark and Melanie.  
  • 5:30  --  Dinner at Habernero's Mexican Restaurant in Harlem
  • 7:00  --  Meeting at Lauren & Hardy Museum in Harlem.  Bring a sweater.
  • All visitors are welcome; bring one.  Directions in "About Us."
**********
THE FINAL ROLL CALL  --  SCV #257457
                                  Lanier Augustus “Lanny” Hightower, Jr.
                                            October 3, 1955 – February 24, 2022
         Born to the late Lanier A. Hightower, Sr. and the late Joyce Morris Hightower in Augusta, Lanny grew up in the Lincolnton area.  During his teenage years he was known for owning the fastest Road Runners that Mopar built at the time.  After graduating from high school, he worked for Knox Rivers Construction, Reeves Construction and McWhorter Logging where he was a foreman and heavy equipment operator.  When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed horseback riding and raising cattle.  His hobbies included hunting, fishing, attending the auction, and telling random stories about life.  He was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Lincolnton.   Survivors include one sister, three children, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
         Chaplain Jimmy McDaniel and Commander Tom Holley, at the funeral, presented the Confederate First National flag to the Hightower family.

**********
ANNOUNCEMENTS
  1. Please donate any used books you might have to the Georgia Division, SCV.  The funds collected by Georgia Division book sales help support the financial cost of the main office.  These books do not have to be WBTS related.  Bring them to the camp meeting and they will be delivered to Macon.
  2. The Georgia Division SCV annual reunion is June 3 & 4 at the Marriott Centerplex in Macon.  Please let David or Tom know if you would like to attend.  
  3. The National SCV annual reunion is July 19 - 24 in Cartersville, GA.  It is a great opportunity to see what happens on the national level.  Karen and I will be attending and reporting back to you at the July, Camp 91 meeting. 
  4. Please continue to pray for our brothers Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn and Phil Turner.
  5. Remember, the CEO of Coca-Cola has only disdain for the south, southern history and people like us.  There are alternatives to his products.  Make your feelings known by buying elsewhere. 
  6. Recently, our camp historian, Lewis Smith, CPA, was appointed to the McDuffie County Board of Elections.  For this new responsibility, he immediately read the new 2021 Georgia Election Code.  After studying this 602-page text and consulting with many other knowledgeable people, he has summarized the important information in several pages.  As you know, the new Georgia law has been derided by our national government and every liberal politician.  But, Lewis has written a  reduction of the law that debunks their lies and deceptions.  Please take the time to read this excellent report in the next Georgia Confederate or under "Editorials" in this website.  Our debates with those people who don’t know must be based on facts. 
**********
APRIL IS CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL MONTH
April 25 is Georgia Confederate Day

         Saturday, April 2, we will meet at the Thomson Memorial Cemetery, 110 Tom Watson Way, to mark the graves of the 110 Confederate Veterans.  At 9:30 A.M. we will have a short memorial service, mark the graves, and then walk to the courthouse to have our group photo taken at the Confederate Monument.  That photo, less anyone’s name, will be submitted to the Georgia Confederate.  Time required: 1 - 1.5 hours.
      Saturday, April 23, we will have our formal Confederate Memorial Day service at the historic plantation home and burial site of Captain John Thaddeus Stovall, 1355 Cedar Rock Road, Thomson.  The service will begin at 10:30 A.M. sharp.  Bring a lawn chair.  Many members will have individual responsibilities that day.  A photo, less anyone’s name, will be submitted to the Georgia Confederate.  Time required: 1.5 hours including program and tour. 
         As Camp 91 members, these are among the most important things we do towards meeting “The Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.”  Please participate, bring your wives and friends.  This is a great opportunity to show others what the Sons of Confederate Veterans is about. 
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Cedar Rock Farm  --  Thank you to David and Myrna Moore for hosting this event on their property.
**********​
As a member of Camp 91, Thomson Guards, please remember that above all things: 
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  • We are a History, Heritage and Honor Society. 
  • We learn our history, we protect our heritage and we honor our ancestors. 
  • We do nothing and we say nothing that might bring dishonor to our Camp or to our Confederate Heroes. 
**********
EDITORIAL  --  See "Editorials" or click on the date link below.
 This article was written nine years ago.  We have the history now to show that life has done                     nothing but worsen under liberal government policies.         ...Because I am also for a better America, Tom
              “Buchanan To Obama, The White Side Of The Story
April 30, 2013
The Whiteside of the story of Negroes
 BUCHANAN TO OBAMA By Patrick J. Buchanan
**********

​COMMANDER'S POST
New Camp Tradition?
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               Recently, Compatriot and friend Lanny Hightower passed away.                                      He was 66 years old and seemingly in good physical condition.                                        He worked every day.  God had other plans for our pal Lanny.    
           Chaplain Jimmy McDaniel had discussed a plan with me, David, Lanny and others some time ago.  The plan stated that if one or the other passed away that he that remained would present a Confederate flag at the funeral to the family.  This keepsake would represent his SCV dedication and service.  Lanny had discussed this with his daughter so there was no surprise or discomfort when Jimmy presented this need to her before the funeral.
         At the grave site after Lanny’s funeral March 2, Jimmy gave a short presentation to the large gathering of what Lanny’s friendship meant to him.  I then talked about what Lanny meant to our camp and the SCV before we presented a beautifully tri-folded cotton 3’ x 5’ Confederate First National Flag as a keepsake to the family. 
         I would like to make this a tradition within our camp.  However, I realize this is a very personal decision.  If you would like to be included, we need three things.  First, please let me, Jimmy McDaniel or David Butler know your desire.  Second, you must let a significant person in your family know about this so that there are no uncomfortable issues later.  Third, send me a note (email or letter) that this is your desire and who is the family contact. 
          If I don’t hear from you then I assume you are not interested.  Also, I hope no one else passes away in the near future but one never knows.  Thanks for the consideration.  
Commander Tom Holley
Thomson Guards, Camp 91
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