June 2022 Dispatch

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