2023 Dispatch

Thomson Guards Dispatch
2023
Tom Holley, Editor

December 2023 Dispatch
Grave Marking and Memorial Service -- Thurs., Dec. 2023

CSA Grave Marker Dedication
Camp 91’s candle light memorial service for Lt. Colonel William Judson Crawley, CSA,
is Thurs., Dec. 14 at 4:00 p.m. at the
old Wrightsboro Church. This is
Jimmy Crawley’s great, great grandfather.
A new gravestone has been placed
on the soldier’s grave.
Special bagpipe music will be provided
by Mark Cheek.

Directions to Wrightsboro Church:

From I-20, Exit 172, Washington Rd. -- Go north on GA 17.
Just past Belle Meade Country Club golf course and stables, turn left onto Stagecoach Rd.
In about 2 miles Stagecoach Rd. will dead end into Wrightsboro Rd.
Turn right, go 1.3 miles Church and cemetery are on the left.

We are all invited to attend the annual
Historic Wrightsville Church
Christmas event
that evening at 5:30 p.m.

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Colonel William Judson Crawley
BIRTH: 6 Nov 1833
DEATH: 29 Jan 1902 (aged 68)
BURIAL: Wrightsboro Methodist Church Cemeter McDuffie County, Georgia, USA
Born in Barnwell SC in 1833 Graduate Citadel 1855
Enlisted Holcombe Legion 1862 Elective McDuffie Co
Careers: Surveyor, Teacher and Farmer
Died 1902 McDuffie County Ga

HOLCOMBE LEGION (INFANTRY)
Historical Notes:
The Holcombe Legion, South Carolina was organized November 21, 1861. The Holcombe Legion organized with a cavalry and infantry battalion but no artillery companies. The infantry battalion was formed with eight companies, later increased to ten. During the war it was attached to Evans', Elliot's, and Wallace's Brigade. A portion of Holcombe Legion was present at the surrender on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.
Officers: Colonels: Stephen Elliot, Jr., William J. Crawley, W. Pinkney Shingler, P.F. Stevens
Lieutenant Colonels: F.G. Palmer, Thomas V. Walsh
Majors: A.C. Garlington, Martin G. Zeigler
Assignments: Attached to Evans', Elliot's, and Wallace's Brigade.

Battles: Expedition to Edisto Island SC (22 - 25 JAN 1862)
              Edisto Island SC (29 MAR 1862)
              Rappahannock Station VA (23 AUG 1862)
              2nd Manassas VA (28 - 30 AUG 1862)
              South Mountain VA (14 SEP 1862)
              Sharpsburg VA (17 SEP 1862)
              Jackson Siege MS (JUL 1863)
              Charleston Harbor (AUG - SEP 1863)
Stony Creek Station (7 MAY 1864)
Ottoway Bridge (8 MAY 1864)
Arratt's Station (8 MAY 1864)
Bermuda Hundred (17 MAY - 16 JUN 1864)
Petersburg Siege VA (JUN 1864 - APR 1865)
Ft. Stedman (25 MAR 1865)
Five Forks VA (1 APR 1865)
Appomattox Court House VA (9 APR 1865)

Roster: The roster of this unit contains the names of 1509 men.
Company A (also known as Smith's Riflemen and the Palmetto Riflemen) - Spartanburg District (County)
Company B (also known as the Batesville Volunteers) - Spartanburg District (County)
Company C (also known as the Morgan Rifles) - Spartanburg Dstrict (County)
Company D (also known as the Stevens Guards) - Barnwell District (County)
Company E (also known as the Spartan Guards, possible the Camden Rangers) - Spartanburg and Laurens Districts (Counties)
Company F (also known as the Ripley Guards) -Abbeville and Laurens Districts (Counties)
Company G - Newberry District (County), a few men from Fairfield, Abbeville,Laurens, Union and Greenville Districts (Counties)
Company H (also known as the Frog Level Scouts) - Newberry (Frog Level now Prosperity township) District (County)
Company I (also known as the Fort Prince Guards) - Spartanburg District (County)
Company K (also known as the Lucas Guards) - Kershaw (Camden area) District (County)

Information and photo provided by James H. Crawley of Thomson, GA

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At our regular November meeting
Camp 91, Thomson Guards read a special
Proclamation from SCV headquarters
regarding the loss of
Compatriot Durham Milburn.
Mrs. June Milburn attended to accept the certificate.
Mr. Milburn was a very active and supportive member of the camp
and we grieve his loss.
Shown L. to R.:   Tom Holley, Chaplain Jimmy McDaniel and Mrs. Milburn

**********

The Gray Poet
We want to thank our friend Mr. Phil Turner
for his constant commitment to Camp 91.
He provides us with a beautiful poem each month.
He also records each month’s speaker’s presentation.
Phil has been a wonderful and dedicated friend.
Thank you, Phil.

**********

Announcements

Taking Care of Business — Have you responded to this need yet?

GA Confederate — the hard copy has become too expensive to mail.

For those of you that have email, would you accept email vs hard copy via the postal service. If so, please let them know at [email protected] For those of you without email or if you do not wish to change, you will still receive it by regular mail.

The camp had two visitors at our last meeting. We met Mr. Ben Faulkner at the Oliver Hardy Festival. Compatriot Dobbie Lambert brought Mr. Phil Garrett. We hope these gentlemen will join us again at our next event.
Please contribute to the monthly Dispatch and/or our website. Everyone will enjoy a variety of viewpoints, photos of historic sites visited and ideas which strengthen our commitment to The Charge. 1) So that copyright laws can be followed, whenever sharing other sources, please be sure to include adequate bibliographic information including the title, author, date, website, URL, etc., so that all readers could locate the original source if desired. 2) If the document is from an undocumented email, that also needs to be stated.
Plan Ahead / Read Our Website & GA Confederate / Mark Your Calendar / Make Reservations

-- Sat., Jan. 13, 11:00 am   —   Robert E. Lee Birthday Celebration   —   Fitzgerald, GA
-- Sat., April 27, 10:00-1:00 — Stone Mountain SCV Confederate Memorial Day Service - Atlanta, GA
-- Sat., June 1   —   Georgia Division Reunion   —   Perry, GA
-- July 17-20   —    SCV National Reunion   —   Embassy Suites   —   North Charleston, SC   —   scv4.org

...And Last But Not Least -- Tues., Jan. 23 — Thomson Guards’ next camp meeting — Bring a like-minded friend.

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At the November regular meeting of Camp 91, Thomson Guards,
5th Brigade Commander Tommy Miller, Jr. made the
SCV Distinguished Service Award
presentation to an outstanding camp member.
Camp Color Sergeant Michael Lacefield
has provided invaluable service to both the camp and the SCV.
He is totally involved with our community outreach program at the
Thomson Memorial Cemetery.
Mike and his wife Dollie
took a number of courses from Savannah College of Art and Design on
gravestones restoration and repair and he leads in all cleaning activities.
He supports the camp at all community festivals.
He has helped clean both Thomson Confederate monuments and
individual gravestones in the cemetery.
He takes care of the camp flags and he built the stands for inside and
outside presentation. He attends the Georgia Division convention.
Mike is a supporter of everything the commander needs.
Congratulations, Mike

Photo L. to R.:
Commander Tom Holley, Color Sergeant Mike Lacefield
and 5th Brigade Commander Tommy Carl Miller.

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Photo L. to R.:
Commander Tom Holley, Camp Historian Lewis Smith
and 5th Brigade Commander Tommy Carl Miller.

Camp Historian Lewis Smith was also presented the
SCV Distinguished Service Medal.
He has provided invaluable service to both the camp and the SCV.
He is totally involved with our community outreach program at the Thomson Memorial Cemetery.
He supports the camp at all community festivals.
He and his wife JoAnn have helped clean both
Thomson Confederate monuments and individual gravestones
in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery.
He writes all guest presentation reviews for the four local newspapers.
He attends the Georgia Division convention. Simply put,
Lewis Smith is a supporter of everything the commander needs.
Congratulations, Lewis

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November 10, was the 248th birthday of the
United States Marine Corps.
Our Compatriot David Moore (right),
Major, USMC, retired,
took the opportunity to visit his corps aviator buddies in
North Carolina. In the photo David is shown
flying backseat in the beautiful biplane.
We aren’t sure if he was Top Gun.

**********

Commander’s Post
Lack of Voter Participation Lamented
Letter to McDuffie Progress -- November 23, 2023
by David B. Moore

See Editorials by Tom Holley

November 2023 Dispatch
Meeting: Tuesday, November 28

Enterprise Mill,
Augusta Canal and
Civil War Boat Tour
by
Kelli Spearman

Kelli Spearman, who works as a docent at the Augusta Canal Heritage Area, will present our
November program on the Enterprise Mill, Augusta Canal and their Civil War boat tours. She is a retired
Columbia County elementary social studies teacher. Through her involvement with the W. H. T. Walker
Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, she has enjoyed a lifetime of learning and teaching about
history, esp. Augusta’s role in the WBTS.

Sponsored by the Augusta Canal Authority, she has also authored a children’s book, Our Treasure in Disguise: The Augusta Canal. It is beautifully illustrated by April Henry King, a watercolor artist, also from Augusta. This book tells the story of a young girl experiencing life as it was related to textile mills in the South. Of particular note, the child’s character is named Mary, after Tom Holley’s mother who spent many years working at King Mill. Tom served as a resource for this book, sharing many stories from his mother.

This book is a great Christmas gift for those who have kids on their shopping list.
Cash or checks payable to Augusta Canal. $30 hardback / $15 Paperback — includes tax

**********

Camellia City Festival

On Saturday, October 21, Camp 91, Thomson Guards
participated in the Thomson Camellia City Festival.
While there was less than great attendance, thanks
to every member who joined in making our goal
a huge success. We collected names and
contact information of eight potential new members.
We collected $41 for the legal defense fund.

Camp members put on a very positive public image for the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

**********

Veterans Day Program — Oct. 24, 2023

Bob Young gave a very informative presentation on the status of the Georgia National Veteran’s Cemetery which will hopefully come to the Augusta area. There are still many hurdles and years before final decisions are made. Camp 91 is thankful for Bob’s leadership efforts in trying to obtain this meaningful asset for our community.
Bob also donated several of his books toward the UDC Book drive described in last month’s Dispatch. To date we have collected 25 books from five local authors. These were mailed to the United Daughters of the Confederacy General Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. Thank you to all who have donated.
Photo: Bob Young and Karen Holley.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

GA Confederate — The hard copy has become too expensive to mail. For those of you that have email, would you accept email vs. hard copy via the postal service. If so, please let them know at [email protected] For those of you without email or if you do not wish to change, you will still receive it by regular mail.
The Warrenton Sportsman’s Festival is Saturday, November 11. Please volunteer to help with a morning or afternoon shift. Our positive community exposure is important to our camp and the SCV.

Friends of The Thomson McDuffie Library is hosting a Canteen for our Veterans on Nov. 11th, from 9 to 12, in the Library Multipurpose Room. There will be refreshments, a drawing for a few prizes and an excellent speaker. There will also be time for our veterans to fellowship with their Band of Brothers.
A memorial service will be held at the Battle of Griswoldville near Macon on November 18 at noon.
Camp 91’s candle light memorial service for Lt. Colonel William Judson Crawley, CSA, is Thursday, December 14 at 5:30 pm at the old Wrightsboro Church. This is Jimmy Crawley’s g-g-grandfather. A new gravestone has been placed on the soldier’s grave. The old Wrightsboro church will hold its Christmas program that evening at 7:00 pm.
The Stone Mountain SCV Confederate Memorial Day service has been scheduled for Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
This year, 2024, the national SCV convention is in North Charleston, SC, July 17– 20. The registration information is on the website, scv4.org. I strongly recommend you consider attending. They are offering some great tours. The convention will be held at the Embassy Suites Airport, North Charleston.
Next year, 2025, the SCV Reunion will be held in Houston, Texas.
Please continue to pray for our Compatriot Woody Woodard who suffers with severe back issues and Jimmy McDaniel who is recovering from broken ribs. Also, pray for Shawn King whose mother is both aged and sick. Shawn has spent over six weeks in Arkansas doing what a good son does. Best wishes Shawn.
Please, bring a like-minded friend to the meeting!

**********

Salute to Our Camp's Veterans Ben (active duty)
Terry M. Johnson
Shawn D. King
Michael E. Lacefield
Dobbie E. Lambert
Walter D. Milburn
David B. Moore
Patric M. Parker
Joe Patrick
F. Lewis Smith
Robert C. Stephenson

Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 making it an annual observance, and it became a national holiday in 1938. Sixteen years later, then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to Veterans Day to honor all those who served their country during war or peacetime. On this day, the nation honors military veterans — living and dead — with parades and other observances across the country and a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Wikipedia

Flagging Veterans’ Graves

Camp 91, Thomson Guards, Sons of Confederate Veterans is honored to mark the graves and memories of our United States military veterans in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery.
Each veteran grave is recognized by a small U.S. flag.  The camp also posts the large flags along the graveyard frontage on Tom Watson Way. These include the U.S., Georgia, and each of the armed forces service flags.
The camp provides these flags as a tribute to all U. S. military veterans - past, present and future, who serve or have served the country honorably.

We want every veteran to know how much we appreciate his or her service.

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IF NOT US,
WHO?

IF NOT NOW,
WHEN?

Monument Cleaning

On Saturday, October 28, nine members of Camp 91, Thomson Guards met to wash and clean our second Confederate monument. It is located on Main Street at the railroad depot. It is “In Memory of the Women of the Sixties and the Confederate Soldiers erected by The Veterans, The U.D.C. and The Woman’s Club of Thomson.” It depicts a woman in a soldier’s jacket holding the furled flag. Most of the names of the soldiers from the three companies that mustered in from Columbia (now McDuffie) County are etched into the sides. The before photo has our members standing in front of the monument. An amazing amount of dirt and grime came off the monument.

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Commander’s Post

U.S. Immigration & Education:
What Went Wrong?
by Tom Holley

See Editorials by Tom Holley

October 2023 Dispatch

Meeting: Tuesday, October 24

Veterans Day by Bob Young

Back by popular demand, we welcome Thomson native Bob Young who will share his thoughts on veterans and provide updates on the Georgia Veteran Memorial Cemetery, hopefully coming to Augusta. Bob spoke to us in January 2022, discussing his book The Story of the Confederate Gold.
Bob is a Vietnam veteran, Augusta news anchor, former mayor of Augusta (1999-2005), actor and a member of President George W. Bush’s Atlanta regional HUD director and Advisory Council for Historic Preservation.
He, Don Clark and Dennis Williams are working to secure a national veterans’ cemetery which will be located on the former Gracewood campus in Augusta.
Bob has also authored several books about the Civil War era.

Nonfiction

The Story of the Confederate Gold
Graballl Road: The True Story of the Civil War’s Greatest Mystery — The Lincoln County Gold Train Robbery of 1865
The Civil War series
- Stories from the Southern Home Front
- Spying on the Southern Home Front
- Death Comes to the Southern Home Front
- Prose and Poetry on the Southern Home Front

Historical Novels

The Treasure Sun
The Hand of the Wicked

Nish

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SCV Guardianship Program

Compatriot Patrick Lunceford, a member of the SCV National Guardian program, recently completed another thorough cleanup of a “wilderness” graveyard located on his plantation. Patrick joined the program committing to keep the grave of Joseph Morris Shields clean and protected from harm.
Private Shields was a soldier in Company K, Hamilton Rangers, 48th Georgia Infantry Regiment, that mustered in Columbia County. He died of pneumonia in a Virginia hospital 24 March 1863. Private Shields was one of the very few who died on a foreign battlefield but
was brought back home for burial.
Thanks to Patrick and everyone else who commits to the long term care of a Confederate soldier’s grave.

**********

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Camellia City Festival is Sat., Oct. 21. Lewis Smith, Jimmy McDaniel, Bob Stephenson and I will set up and work in the morning.

We need volunteers to work both the morning and afternoon shifts.
Please let me know in advance if you can assist.

2. Monument Cleaning is Sat., Oct. 28. The washing and cleaning of the monument "In Memory of the Women of the Sixties and the Confederate Soldiers" located at the Thomson Depot.

Work will be led by Mike Lacefield and will begin at 9am.
Jimmy Crawley will bring a 10’ step ladder.
Bring a very soft brush, everything else will be provided.

3. Sportsman’s Festival in Warrenton is Sat., Nov. 11.

I will bring all setup materials. Jimmy Crawley, am and Terry Johnson am/pm have volunteered to work.
Please let me know in advance if you can assist.

4. Regular Meeting is Tues., Nov. 28

Ms. Kelli Spearman of the Augusta Canal Authority and UDC will be our guest speaker.
Please bring a like-minded friend.

5. Confederate Veteran Memorial Service on Thurs., Dec. 14 at 5:30 pm

Camp 91 will a honor Jimmy Crawley’s ancestor, Lt. Colonel William Judson Crawley (photo on right), with a grave marking ceremony at the Old Wrightsboro Church graveyard.
Please bring flashlight or lantern.
Members are invited to attend the annual Wrightsboro Christmas event that begins at 7:00 pm.

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Request for WBTS Authors to Donate Books to UDC
by Karen Holley
Below is an excerpt from the letter being sent to authors who have provided programs for Camp 91.
See more information and photos about UDC on the next two pages.

Dear Author,
Recently Tom and I attended the Sons of Confederate Veterans 128th Annual Reunion that was held in Hot Springs, Arkansas. During the opening ceremony on July 20, remarks from Jinny Widowski, President General of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, were read. Her words concerning cooperation between SCV and UDC were very inspiring. Since my husband and I have been members of these organizations for over thirty years, we began considering new ways that our two groups could work together. About a month later we toured the UDC General Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. These two experiences helped me formulate an idea that I hope you will consider supporting.
Our tour guide, Teresa Roane, a UDC member and archivist at the headquarters, described the tragedy which took place on May 30, 2020. ANTIFA riots severely damaged and burned the UDC Memorial Building. There is over $3,000,000 in damages to date. Insurance covered some costs but upgrades and other needed features were not covered. Funds are still needed to continue improvements and pay for the much-needed   security which is very expensive. Books in the Caroline Goodlett Library were completely destroyed. Replacements are needed for this collection as well as the Helen Walpole Brewer Genealogy Library. Unfortunately, none of the vandals were ever charged, punished or held accountable in any way.
Since I have been fortunate to hear exemplary programs by many WBTS authors as they spoke to the Thomson Guards, Camp 91, I am requesting book donations from you to help build back these two UDC libraries. I know that your book(s) would benefit their research capabilities as well as provide you as an author with a prestigious outlet for your books to be recognized as a significant resource. They need all books written about the Civil War era including cemetery listings of Confederate soldiers’ graves, family histories, biographies, military units and strategies, etc. Most of what is currently in their collections are books about the South, but books with both perspectives can be used. Tom plans to send them a copy of his two books which are still available: Company F: Thomson Guards and Company K: Hamilton Rangers.
During this age of wokeness, Tom and I strongly believe that we all need to work together to promote historic preservation and to save our heritage. Your efforts in researching and presenting accurate information is vital for today’s “Cause.”

Books for UDC
We are proud to say that our local friends are the first to contribute for this campaign:

Donna Faulkner Barron -- The Man Who Carved Stone Mountain
David Butler — 2 books on veterans’ gravesites in Columbia County, GA
Tom Holley — 2 Columbia County CSA companies
F. Lewis Smith — J. Edgar Thomson
Thomson Memorial Cemetery -- Listing of Burials and Sectional Maps, includes 110 Confederate soldiers

Do your bookshelves need cleaning out? You do not have to be an author to donate.
The UDC library will appreciate high quality WBTS nonfiction books and monetary donations.
Let me know and I will send you the UDC mailing details.
Thank you in advance for supporting this cause! Karen Holley

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United Daughters of the Confederacy
Memorial Building and General Headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. The bronze doors were donated
by the Children of the Confederacy.

UDC Grand Hall -- The chairs were previously used in the Confederate veterans’ home that was located on the grounds, previously known as the Robinson Farm. Its house is still standing.

President General’s Office -- Karen Holley (left),
Teresa Roane, archivist (center) and
Jinny Widowski, UDC President General (right)

UDC Headquarters Dining Room
Portrait of Winnie Davis,
daughter of Jefferson Davis.

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W. H. T. Walker Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy

This local Augusta chapter, chartered in 1958, is joining the Thomson Guards for our Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration which is scheduled for April 20. Kelli Spearman, long-time chapter president, will bring greetings from the Georgia Division. Dollie Lacefield and Karen Holley are also long-time members of this chapter.
Kelli, who works at the Augusta Canal Authority, will present our program in November on the Enterprise Mill, Augusta Canal and their Civil War boat tours.

UDC Objects: Historical, Educational, Benevolent, Memorial and Patriotic

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Oliver Hardy Festival -- October 7, 2023 -- Harlem, Georgia

Donna Faulkner Barron and husband Ron
were our special guests sharing the Thomson Guards' booth.
Her book, The Man Who Carved Stone Mountain,
tells the incredible story of how her father was the man in charge for the magnificent
Confederate Memorial carving on Stone Mountain.

Thank you to all who helped man our booth for the third year at the Oliver Hardy Festival.
Morning: Jimmy Crawley, Mike Lacefield, Tom Holley, Lewis Smith and Jimmy McDaniel (seated)
Afternoon: David Butler, Joe Patrick, Gary Wilkes and Mark Wren

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Battle of Ball’s Bluff, Loudoun County, VA | Oct 21, 1861

On the evening of October 20, 1861, Union army commander George B. McClellan ordered Gen. Charles Stone to send a scouting party across the Potomac River to identify the positions of Confederate Col. Nathan Evans’s troops near Leesburg. In the darkness the party’s inexperienced leader, Capt. Chase Philbrick, mistook a line of trees for a line of tents, and reported that he had stumbled across an unguarded Confederate camp. Early the next day, Col. Charles Devens was sent across the river to attack the camp, and after realizing that the supposed “camp” was nothing but a line of trees, his men encountered a company of Mississippi infantry and a skirmish began. Col. Edward Baker, a U.S. Senator, decided to reinforce Devens, but with only four small boats available to transport men, Union reinforcements arrived slowly. Evans used the Federal delay to organize his men, and when Col. Baker was killed in the afternoon, Union resistance crumbled. The victorious Confederates drove the Yankees over the bluff and into the Potomac, where many drowned and hundreds surrendered rather than risk escape into the river. The battle, while small in scale, had major political implications that would haunt the Union army for the rest of the war.

The Wounding of Col. Baker

The Battle of Ball’s Bluff led to the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of War.

After the embarrassing loss at Ball’s Bluff, the third major Union defeat of the war, Congressional Republicans had enough of what they considered the incompetency of the officers Lincoln had appointed, and determined to take a larger role in waging the war. On December 9, 1861, they established the Joint Committee on the Conduct of War to oversee the administration of the Army and the Navy. Throughout the war, the Committee was chaired by the Radical Republican Senator from Ohio, Benjamin Wade. The Radical Republicans wanted to pursue a more aggressive course of war than did President Lincoln, and used the Committee to oversee generals and promote men who they believed would support harder war policies.
Source: American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/balls-bluff

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Commander’s Post
Can the World Ever Recover from the Present?
Email Shared by Lewis Smith
This essay was written by Rabbi David Siruill of the AYS synagogue in Augusta.

See Editorials by Lewis Smith

September 2023 Dispatch

Annual Camp Work Session
Tuesday, September 26

5:30 pm --
Dinner and Fellowship at Fernanda's Grill and Pizzeria

7:00 pm -- Meeting
The presences of all members is needed to ensure that Camp 91 can:
1. Develop a consensus for goals.
2. Plan the best methods for action.
3. Utilize everyone’s talents.
4. Continue to uphold the “Charge.”

EAT,

WORK

&

SHARE

“We have different gifts,
according to the grace given to each of us.
If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving, then serve;
if it is teaching, then teach;
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;
if it is giving, then give generously;
if it is to lead, do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
Romans 12:6-8

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Milburn Durham
(second from left)
Honored by Camp 91for 20 years
of service to SCV

August 2021

On August 8, 2023, our beloved Compatriot Durham Milburn crossed over the river; he was eighty-eight years old.  We will all miss his bright smile and enthusiasm.  He came to nearly every camp meeting and participated in nearly every camp function.  Even though he was suffering from esophageal cancer and undergoing harsh treatments he never complained.
          It occurred to me recently that he was emulating the virtues of our Confederate ancestors.  He was always pleasant, warm and inviting.  He was always willing to chip in and work to help others.  He was optimistic in spite of bad circumstances.  He showed that he loved our camp and that he loved us.  Durham Milburn showed grace.
          Mr. Milburn lived a full life.  He was a Golden Glove boxer. He was in the army for over 20 years; he was a machine gun specialist.  He managed the auto parts store in Louisville.  He raced automobiles; he owned a heavy haul trucking company.  He flew airplanes and rode motorcycles.  But, most importantly, Mr. Milburn led a Godly life and walked with the Lord.
          Mrs. June gave him a wonderful funeral.  It truly was a celebration of a full life well spent.  We will miss our awesome friend, Durham Milburn; may he Rest In Peace.
Respectfully submitted:   Tom Holley

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

GA Confederate - the hard copy has become too expensive to mail. For those of you that have email, would you accept email vs hard copy via the postal service. If so, please let them know at [email protected] For those of you without email or if you do not wish to change, you will still receive by regular mail.
Next year the convention is in North Charleston, SC. The registration information is already on the website, scv4.org I strongly recommend you consider attending. They are offering some great tours. The hotel is Embassy Suites, Airport, North Charleston. The promo code for a discounted room at $149 night is - SCV.

3. Please continue to pray for our Compatriot Woody Woodard (back issues), Compatriot Jimmy McDaniel (slowly healing broken ribs) and Compatriot Bob Stephenson (blood clotting issues in his legs).
4. At the July meeting the camp committed to donating $60 per month for two years to the National SCV Museum in Columbia, TN.  Our newest member, Mr. Barrett Smith has greatly assisted our cause by donating $1,440.  Thank you, Barrett!   We will continue to pay the $60 per month as
scheduled.
5. Camp 91 had an SCV friend make a generous donation to the legal defense fund.   Camp 91 voted to match that donation.  David has sent $1,000 to Division. You all are committed to the charge.
6. Thanks to all of you that continue to donate your time and efforts to working the Thomson Memorial Cemetery.   We are making great progress.   God bless you all.
7. At Mr. Milburn’s funeral, Jimmy McDaniel, as representative from Camp 91, presented a First National Flag to the widow as a token of our respect for our dear friend.  We don’t know what the future holds, but, if you would like this tradition done at your funeral you must let a camp officer
know.
8. Please mark your calendar for an SCV grave marker dedication and soldier memorial at the Old Wrightsboro Church Graveyard, on Thurs., Dec. 14, 5:30 p.m. We will be proud to honor Lt. Commander Jimmy Crawley’s ancestor, Colonel William Jefferson Crawley. In addition, members are invited to the Historic Wrightsboro Christmas event which will follow at 7:00 p.m.

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Camp 91 Goals -- June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024

1. Clean the Confederate Ladies Association Monument at the old depot between now and Spring.
2.   Recruit to 40 voting members to Camp 91 by June 2024. The camp has 34 regular members and one associate member as of June 15, 2023. We need to add a minimum of 6 new members. Every member to commit to bring at least 2 like-minded guests or family members to a meeting in the next 9 months.
3.    Participate for community exposure and recruiting purposes:
        •    Harlem’s Laurel & Hardy Festival    —   October 7
        •    Thomson’s Camellia City Festival     —   October 21
        •    Warrenton’s Sportsman’s Festival   —   November 12
4.   Have group attendance at the Lee-Jackson Banquet, January 2024, at Bobby’s BBQ, Highway 1, Clearwater, SC.

Have group attendance at the Lee-Jackson Banquet in Millen.
Have group attendance at the Berry Benson Memorial Service in North Augusta

5.    Flag the cemetery 1st Saturday in April for the GA Confederate Memorial Day.
6.    Have an official Confederate Memorial Service on Saturday, April 20, at Thomson Memorial Cemetery with guest speaker.   The W. H. T. Walker Chapter of the UDC will co-sponsor our event. The service would be in lieu of the regular fourth Tuesday April meeting.
7.    Thomson Memorial Cemetery to be kept thoroughly cleaned. Continue to wash all veterans gravestones.
8.    Have a group carpool to the Confederate Memorial Service at Stone Mountain in April.
9.    Mark all U.S. Veterans graves with U.S. flags in May for Memorial Day and in November for Veterans Day.
10.   Send four voting members to the Georgia reunion in June.
11.   Send at least two voting members to Charleston for the National reunion in July.
12.   Continue presence in GA Confederate. Continue upkeep of scrapbook. Continue the Dispatch and website.
13.   Continue camp’s excellent and generous support of the GA Division Legal Defense Fund.
14.   We must support the Hunley Award for a local JROTC member. Camp members,(preferably veterans) to
          become liaisons to Thomson High School JROTC supervisor.
15.    Continue to have camp members join both National and Georgia Guardian programs.
16.    The camp to continue to post U.S. flag, GA flag, and all military service flags along Tom Watson Way during
           holiday periods.
17.     Continue our monetary commitment to the SCV National Museum at Elm Springs.
18.     Continue to have well vetted, fact based, quality speakers at each camp meeting.
19.     Create a network of liaisons to interact with other community organizations: museum, library, county
commission, city government, rotary, etc.
20.    Continue to be among the finest contributing SCV camps in the Confederation.
21.    Memorial service for Col. William Jefferson Crawley at Old Wrightsboro Church, Thurs., Dec. 14, 5:30 p.m.

**********

October and November 2023
We will have calendars and the goals printed for your use at the September work session.
This will everyone to make appropriate notes.

**********

Commander's Post -- "Choices"
While this article was written ten years ago,
Mr. Lonsberry’s observations become more evident with each passing year.

See Two Americas -- See Editorials by Tom Holley

Two Americas
by
Bob Lonsberry

boblonsberry.com
9 December 2013

**********

August 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor
Next Meeting: Tuesday, August 22

Berry Benson
By Teresa Pittman
Come learn more about the soldier atop the
Augusta Monument on Broad Street.

Mrs. Pittman was born in Augusta, GA. Her roots run deep in Georgia and South Carolina. She is married to Jerry D. Pittman, Commander of the Sgt. Berry G. Benson SCV Camp. They live in Edgefield County South Carolina.
          She joined the Berry Benson Chapter 2584, in North Augusta, SC and has been a member for 27 years. She currently serves as Chapter President (again).
          She was one of the founding members of the Cantonniers. She marched in parades, served as a color guard for Dedications, participated in Education Day at
the Battle of Aiken, and other events. She has served as Corresponding Secretary to the SC Division President, elected Third Vice President Division, elected Vice
President Division and President of the SC Division UDC. She is currently Ex-Division President of SC.
She loves the South, our culture and especially our Confederate History and of course, our Confederate soldiers. She has brought greetings to many Camps,
Chapters, Children of the Confederacy, and events
          We are honored to have her speak Sgt. Berry Greenwood Benson, his life, his un-surrendered rifle, escape from Elmira prison and his life after the War Between the States.

More info online:
Cashin, Edward. "Berry Benson." New Georgia Encyclopedia,
last modified Mar 22, 2021.
https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/berry-benson-1843-1923/

**********

Georgia Guardian Awards are presented to Jerry Holley and Lewis Smith.
Compatriot Jerry Holley (left) is responsible for the long-term care of
Captain Thomas James Hamilton, Company K, Hamilton Rangers, 48th Georgia Infantry,
BG Ambrose Ransom Wright’s Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia.

Compatriot Lewis Smith is responsible for the long-term care of
Captain William Grissett Green, Company F, Thomson Guards, 10th Georgia Infantry,
BG Paul Jones Semmes’ Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia.

Thank you to Jerry, Lewis and JoAnn for always helping with camp clean-up days.

**********

Announcements

Please remember the family of Durham Milburn in your prayers. We will all miss this dedicated and our most senior member. Members of the Thomson Guards have been invited to serve as honorary pall bearers for his funeral which will be held at the James Funeral Home in Wrens.

Visitation — Sunday, August 13 — 4:00—6:00 p.m.
Service — Monday, August 14 — 11:00 a.m.

*** Please let Tom know if you will be able to attend on Monday.

2. GA Confederate   --   The hard copy has become too expensive to mail.  For those of you that have email, would you accept email vs hard copy via the postal service? If so, please let them know at [email protected].  For those of you without email or if you do not wish to change, you will still receive by regular mail.
3. At the national convention there was Good News! The SCV did political poling of known Republicans in
each state.   There was overwhelming support (90% or greater) for keeping all monuments.  They also poled Democrats and they too strongly supported with over 60% keeping the monuments. Public opinion is on our side.
4. One proposed change to the National SCV bylaws was to allow the Commander in Chief and Lt CIC serve two 2 year terms if re-elected. After a contentious and extended debate the measure failed.
5. Two of our members were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the SCV.  Mr. Mike Lacefield and Mr. Lewis Smith were named to receive Distinguished Service medals.  Mike was noted for his expert training on monument cleaning and restoration.  Lewis was noted for his newspaper editorials, editorials for the camp and stories in Georgia Backroads magazine.  They are part of our camp’s strong foundation.  Congratulations!  The medals will be awarded at the 2024 GA Reunion.
6. National SCV is having a fund drive to pay off the museum.  Their monthly note is $13,500.   They are looking for 256 sources to pay $60 per month for 24 months.   The purpose of this fund drive is two-fold.

Funds from this drive will be applied to the principal so the SCV will save a considerable amount of money by paying less interest.
In this woke political environment the SCV organization and museum itself will be better protected from potential incursions in the future if the property has been paid in full and the SCV has clear title.

            *** Thank you Camp 91 for making this commitment.  Adjutant Butler has made the first payment.
7.    Next year the national convention is in North Charleston, SC.  The registration information is already on
        the website, scv4.org.   I strongly recommend you consider attending.  They are offering some great
        tours.  The hotel is Embassy Suites, Airport. The promo code for discounted room at $149 night is - SCV.
8.     Please pray for our Compatriots Terry Johnson, Jimmy McDaniel and Woody Woodard.

**********

Sons of Confederate Veterans 128th National Reunion Opening Ceremony
in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Commander in Chief Jason Boshers (left) and Tom Holley.
Karen and I represented both the camp and the GA Division
and Tom was the only GA member present.

This is a table centerpiece at the John Wilkes Booth lecture and banquet.
The photo shows the g-g-grandfathers of Compatriots Tom and Jerry Holley.
Although in different Army of Tennessee brigades, both privates were captured
on December 14, 1864, in battle near Nashville.
Both men were taken to different northern prisons where each died.

**********

Hot Springs Confederate Monument
The Hot Springs Confederate Monument is located in Landmark Plaza in central Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is a marble representation of a Confederate Army soldier, manufactured by the McNeel Marble Company of Marietta, Georgia. The figure is 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, and is mounted on a granite base 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and 6 feet square. The monument was placed in 1934 by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and was the last Confederate monument placed in one of Arkansas' major cities. Lynchings took place at the site in the decades before its construction.
The monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Source: Wikipedia

Hot Springs During the Civil War
The outbreak of the American Civil War left Hot Springs with a declining bathing population. After the Confederate forces suffered defeat in the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, the Union troops advanced toward the Confederate city of Little Rock. Confederate Governor Henry M. Rector moved his staff and state records to Hot Springs. Union forces did not attack Little Rock, and the government returned to the capital city on July 14, 1862.
Many residents of Hot Springs fled to Texas or Louisiana and remained there until the end of the war. In September 1863, Union forces occupied Little Rock. During this period, Hot Springs became the prey of guerrilla bands loosely associated with either Union or Confederate forces. They pillaged and burned the near-deserted town, leaving only a few buildings standing at the end of the Civil War.
Source: Wikipedia

**********

Please Study Our Camp Goals on the Following Page
Gentlemen, these are the goals we will discuss at the September business meeting. The goals will be posted again in the September Dispatch. Please consider each carefully and come prepared to discuss how you might be involved in making each stated goal a success. Concentrate on item number two. Who will you bring?
If not me, WHO? If not now, When?

**********

Camp 91 Goals -- June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024

Clean the Confederate Ladies Association Monument at the old depot between now and Spring.
Recruit to 40 voting members to Camp 91 by June 2024. The camp has 34 regular members and one associate member as of June 15, 2023. We need to add a minimum of 6 new members. Every member to commit to bring at least 2 like-minded guests or family members to a meeting in the next 9 months.
Participate for community exposure and recruiting purposes: Harlem’s Laurel & Hardy Festival — October 7 Thomson’s Camellia City Festival — October 21 Warrenton’s Sportsman’s Festival — November 12
Have group attendance at the Lee-Jackson Banquet, January 2024, at Bobby’s BBQ, Highway 1, Clearwater, SC. Have group attendance at the Lee-Jackson Banquet in Millen. Have group attendance at the Berry Benson Memorial Service in North Augusta
Flag the cemetery 1st Saturday in April for the GA Confederate Memorial Day.
Have an official Confederate Memorial Service at Thomson Memorial Cemetery with guest speaker. Participating members go to the Confederate monument for photos. The service would be in lieu of the regular fourth Tuesday April meeting.
Thomson Memorial Cemetery to be kept thoroughly cleaned. Continue to wash all veterans gravestones.
Have a group carpool to the Confederate Memorial Service at Stone Mountain in April.
Mark all U.S. Veterans graves with U.S. flags in May for Memorial Day and in November for Veterans Day.
Send four voting members to the Georgia reunion in June.
Send at least two voting members to Charleston for the National reunion in July.
Continue presence in GA Confederate. Continue upkeep of scrapbook. Continue the Dispatch and website.
Continue camp’s excellent and generous support of the GA Division Legal Defense Fund.
We must support the Hunley Award for a local JROTC member. Camp members,(preferably veterans) to become liaisons to Thomson High School JROTC supervisor.
Continue to have camp members join both National and Georgia Guardian programs.
The camp to continue to post U.S. flag, GA flag, and all military service flags along Tom Watson Way during holiday periods.
Continue our monetary commitment to the SCV National museum at Elm Springs.
Continue to have well vetted, fact based, quality speakers at each camp meeting.
Create a network of liaisons to interact with other community organizations: museum, library, county commission, city government, rotary, etc.
Continue to be among the finest contributing SCV camps in the Confederation.

**********

In June, Mike and Dollie Lacefield
participated in another tombstone preservation course
in Americus, GA, given by world renowned specialist,
Jon Appell (center) of Atlas Preservation.

Mike continues to be the camp’s resource for cleaning the
Confederate Veterans’ gravestones.

Thank you Mike and Dollie!

One of the gravestones Mike cleaned in the Confederate Cemetery in Americus was that of William W. Reilly, Company F, 10th GA Infantry. Reilly was part of our Thomson Guards. When I researched Reilly, the only information I could find was in the 1860 census. He was a 20 year old printer, born in England, and residing in Thomson. This is a fantastic find. Now we know his birthdate and exact death date. What a stroke of luck. Hopefully, now I can go to those local county records and learn more. Thank you Mike.

July 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

Next Meeting: Tuesday, July 25

The Bible and the Constitution
by Bernard Martin -- Veteran, Historic Preservationist and Minister

Bernard T. Martin Sr., from Waynesboro, Georgia, grew up in the CSRA, and joined the Navy in 1983 after graduating from high school. He is a United States Navy veteran having served from 1983 to 1987. He was a crew member aboard the USS Stark on May 17, 1987, when she was attacked by Iraq. His replacement that came in that morning was killed in the attack.
          Bernard is also a veteran of the United States Army National Guard and the United States Army having served in the 1st 214th Field Artillery Battery C during OEF-1, 2003 to 2004, attached to the 3rd Infantry division. He is retired from the Georgia Department of Transportation with 31 years since 2019.
          As an ordained minister with the Sons of Thunder Outreach Ministry, he presents a weekly Christian ministry via the USS Stark (FFG-31) group on Facebook every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. This is a private group for family, friends and former crew members of the USS Stark to connect, with access to 1.5K followers. If interested in hearing his broadcasts, he can provide Facebook users with an invitation to join this group.
          He is an active re-enactor with memberships including the Brier Creek Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Waynesboro Camp 207 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the Briar Creek Artillery. He serves as chaplain for the Second Georgia Company D of the Burke Sharp Shooters which hosts the annual Battle of North Brier Creek, held the first weekend in November.

As a member of the Briar Creek Artillery, he helped build a British verbruggen cannon on a Revolutionary War double trellis carriage, handcrafted limber box and implements, all made from scratch. He also makes his own black powder using charcoal sulfur potassium nitrate, handcrafted cannonballs with the sabot, and homemade canister rounds using the book Artillery through the Ages for his reference source.

As a re-enactor, he represents a veteran of the French and Indian War who would have taken sides with the Americans for his freedom during the American Revolution. He portrays a fur trapper, a mountain man, a guide and a practicing survivalist tanning hides and foraging.
With these group efforts supporting SCV and SAR events, he strives to keep history alive and to remember the sacrifices of so many that have come before us.

During the July 25th meeting, the Captain John Wilson Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will be honored to present Bernard T. Martin Sr. with its Excellence in Historic Preservation Award for his research-based interpretations involving early American clothing, weapons, accoutrements, skills and traditions. He truly exemplifies a modern-day patriot, a good citizen and a man who uses his gifts from God to benefit others.
Submitted by Karen Holley, Honorary Chapter Regent
Captain John Wilson Chapter, NSDAR
Member of CSRA Santas

**********

Camp 91 had fabulous attendance at the June meeting.
There were 4 women and 28 members present.
It was great learning about the pistol factory and
Battle of Griswoldville.
Thanks for coming and in July,
please bring a like-minded friend or relative.

On June 10, three members of Camp 91 had the pleasure of participating in the Georgia Division Reunion
in Perry, GA.
Photo: Historian Lewis Smith and
Color Sergeant Mike Lacefield are being greeted by
Commander in Chief Tim Pilgrim.
Tom Holley also represented the camp.

**********

Announcements

Please continue to pray for our brothers Mr. Durham Milburn and Mr. Woody Woodard. And Shawn King and his mother are in need of continued prayers.
If you haven’t yet, please forward your SCV dues payment to David Butler as soon as possible.
Thanks to all that helped clean Confederate tombstones June 30, in TMC. We’ll make another play date soon.
The SCV National Reunion in Hot Springs, Arkansas is finally here, July 19-22. Tom and Karen Holley will serve as our Camp 91 representatives.
Please read Lewis Smith’s newest article on our website. Go to Local History / James M. Barr. Lewis provides excerpts and commentary from a published book about his Civil War ancestor. These letters reveal an often overlooked or unrealized perspective of the relationship between a farmer, his wife and slaves during the WBTS.

**********

Camp 91 Events & Goals -- June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023 -- Congratulations!

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 -- Done

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 June 1, 2023, the camp had 36 members, a twenty percent increase.

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:

Harlem’s Laurel & Hardy Festival -- October 1 -- Done
Thomson’s Camellia City Festival -- October 22 -- Done
Warrenton’s Sportsman’s Festival -- November 12 -- Done

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.

Camp sent 11 participants to the Lee-Jackson Banquet at the Ft. Lawton Camp in Millen.
Also, group attend the Berry Benson Memorial Service. -- Done

6. Flag the cemetery 1st Saturday in April. The GA Confederate Memorial Day is Monday, April 24. -- Done
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. -- Done

8. Thomson Memorial Cemetery to be kept thoroughly cleaned. -- Done
9. Have a group carpool to the Confederate Memorial Service at Stone Mountain in April 2023.

Camp had 9 participants attend the memorial service.

10. Mark all U.S. Veterans graves (perhaps 20) with U.S. flags in May for Memorial Day and in November for Veterans Day.   --   Done
11. Send three voting members to the Georgia reunion June 2-3, 2022.   --   Done
12. Send at least one voting member to the National reunion July 2022.   --   Done
13. Continue presence in GA Confederate.  Continue upkeep of scrapbook. Continue the Dispatch and website.   --   Done
14. Continue camp’s excellent support of the GA Division Legal Defense Fund.   --   Done
15. Hunley Award for local ROTC member.  Camp member, (preferably veterans) to become liaison to Thomson High School ROTC supervisor.

Cadet was contacted but then he cancelled with no explanation.

16. Discuss the National Guardian Program. Jimmy McDaniel has been a Guardian for over 20 years. -- Four members joined.
17. The camp to purchase 6 holders and 6 U.S. flags for mounting to brick posts at Thomson Memorial Cemetery.

Done -- Flags have been flown during patriotic holidays.

**********

Living “The Charge”
On Friday, June 30, a small crew of Camp 91 cleaned gravestones at Thomson Memorial Cemetery.
Tom, JoAnn, David and Jerry washed 18 stones while Lewis sprayed weeds that have sprouted in the graveled plots.

**********

Commander's Post

Why Grandpa Carries a Gun...

See Editorials by Tom Holley

June 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

Next Meeting: Tuesday, June 27

SCV MEMBERSHIP DUES

It won’t be long before we each receive a membership dues notice from the SCV. Please give this immediate consideration. Like last year we need to have 100% retention in our membership.
WHY?

We have a great camp with great members doing a great job in community service. Your help makes the camp a great team!
Our membership is all about learning our history, protecting our heritage and honoring our ancestors. What is more important?
With two significant judgments in our favor by the Georgia Supreme Court, we are slowly winning the battle to save our monuments.
We need you in our numbers when we approach our legislators. Simply put, the more of us the stronger our voice.

We must win the fight to save our culture and our country! Do it for our next generation. Be a strong part of our membership and stay the course!
If not ME, who? If not Now, when?

**********

Since it is SCV dues time, you may wish to become a life member. Should you wish to do so these numbers would represent your investment. Especially if one is older in age, if one looks at this long term, it is quite a deal.

National Life Membership:
- $875.00 for ages 12-64
- $437.50 for ages 65-79
- $218.75 for ages 80 and above

Division Life Membership:
- $500.00 for ages 12-64
- $250.00 for ages 65 and above

**********

June 27th Program:
Griswoldville: Confederate Pistol Factory and Battle
by Robert C. Jones

Robert C. Jones served as President of the Kennesaw Historical Society for 21 years (1994-2015),
and also served as a member of the executive board of the Kennesaw Museum Foundation for 17 years (1998-2015).
The Museum Foundation helped fund the 45,000 square foot Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, GA. Robert has written 50+ books on historical topics, including “Top Innovations of World War II, “A Guide to the Civil War in Georgia”, and “Heroes and Heroines of the American Revolution”. He will have some books available for sale. In 2018, Robert was awarded the Women in American History medal from the National Society of the Daughters of the American.

**********

Cleaning Our Confederate Monument
See Community / Activities / May 2023

**********

Announcements

Please pray for our compatriot Woody Woodard. Recently, Woody has undergone back surgery and his road to recovery has not been easy. Please, continue to pray for Compatriot Durham Milburn. And, please pray for Compatriot Shawn King’s mother who is sick in Arkansas.
Work has begun on cleaning Confederate veterans gravestones at Thomson Memorial Cemetery. A notice will be sent out several days before we intend to work. There will be multiple opportunities.

**********

June 1862, WBTS

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, in which the Army of the Potomac reached the outskirts of Richmond.
On May 31, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston attempted to overwhelm two Federal corps that appeared isolated south of the Chickahominy River. The Confederate assaults, although not well coordinated, succeeded in driving back the IV Corps and inflicting heavy casualties. Reinforcements arrived, and both sides fed more and more troops into the action. Supported by the III Corps and Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick's division of Maj. Gen. Edwin V. Sumner's II Corps (which crossed the rain-swollen river on Grapevine Bridge), the Federal position was finally stabilized. Gen. Johnston was seriously wounded during the action, and command of the Confederate army devolved temporarily to Maj. Gen. G. W. Smith. On June 1, the Confederates renewed their assaults against the Federals, who had brought up more reinforcements, but made little headway. Both sides claimed victory.[3]
Although the battle was tactically inconclusive, it was the largest battle in the Eastern Theater up to that time (and second only to Shiloh in terms of casualties thus far, about 11,000 total). Gen. Johnston's injury also had profound influence on the war: it led to the appointment of Robert E. Lee as Confederate commander. The more aggressive Lee initiated the Seven Days Battles, leading to a Union retreat in late June.[4] Seven Pines therefore marked the closest Union forces came to Richmond in this offensive.
Source: Wikipedia

**********

Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania
David and Myrna rode horses where his Confederate ancestor fought July 1-3, 1863.

**********

Commander’s Post
Dennis Prager is a columnist for The Daily Signal,
nationally syndicated radio host, and creator of PragerU.
Slavery, the Left, and Truth
By
Dennis Prager

See Editorials by Tom Holley

May 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

Next Meeting -- Tuesday, May 23

Sam Davis: Confederate Hero
by Lewis Smith

Lewis Smith, born in 1947 at University Hospital, attended local schools and graduated from Richmond Academy in 1965. He attended Georgia Tech two years as a co-op with Southern Railroad and then served four years from 1967-1971 in the US Navy. Graduating from Augusta College in 1974, Lewis worked for CPA firms in Augusta before moving to Thomson to start his own firm in 1981. Lewis retired when his son Jason bought his practice in 2006.
Lewis was the Thomson - McDuffie Museum volunteer Curator and Director for 10 years and has been its Treasurer for 20 years. Lewis wrote many columns for The McDuffie Progress newspaper and has had four articles published in Georgia Backroads magazine. Lewis and his wife JoAnn co-wrote McDuffie County’s 150th Anniversary book. Lewis is a proud member of the Sons of American Revolution and the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

**********

National Confederate Memorial Day Service
Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Park
Saturday, April 29
Outstanding Keynote Address by Pastor John Weaver:
He examined why Confederate soldiers felt it necessary to fight,
defending their homeland from invading armies and
preserving their freedoms, esp. for self rule.
Camp 91 had 9 representatives to enjoy the fellowship
and Support the Cause.

**********

Announcements

The 126th Annual SCV Reunion, Georgia Division, is Saturday, June 10, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA. Note: it is a one-day event this year. We are sending four voting delegates: Jimmy Crawley. Tom Holley, Mike Lacefield and Lewis Smith.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans national reunion is July 19-23 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is hosted by James M. Keller Camp #648.

**********

For flag marking and our cleaned monument, see Community / Activities / April 2023.

***********

WBTS Dates for May

May 24, 1861 - United States forces cross the Potomac River and occupy Arlington Heights, the home of future Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It is during the occupation of nearby Alexandria that Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, commander of the 11th New York Infantry and a close friend of the Lincolns, is shot dead by the owner of the Marshall House just after removing a Confederate flag from its roof. Ellsworth is the first US officer killed in the war.
Late May, 1861 - Richmond becomes the capitol of the Confederacy. Richmond was the Confederacy's second largest and most industrialized city.
May 25, 1862 - First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. After two weeks of maneuvering and battles at Cross Keys and Front Royal, Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson attacks US forces at Winchester and successfully drives them from the city. The victory is the culmination of his 1862 Valley Campaign.
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".

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".

May 1, 1863 - The Confederate Congress passes a Retaliatory Act in line Jefferson Davis' earlier proclamation and in response to the Emancipation Proclamation. The act establishes that the Confederacy considers the enlistment of black troops to be the equivalent of inciting a servile rebellion, white officers of black troops are to be executed, and black troops taken prisoner are to be sent to the states, where they could be executed or re-enslaved.

May 18, 1863 - Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi begins. US forces under General Ulysses S. Grant attack Confederate defenses outside the city on May 19-22. If Vicksburg falls, the Mississippi River will be completely controlled by the United States.
May 22, 1863 - The US War Department issues General Order No. 143 establishes the United States Colored Troops.
May 5-6, 1864 - Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, the opening battle of the Overland Campaign. US General Ulysses S. Grant, accompanying the Army of the Potomac under General Meade, issued orders for the campaign to begin on May 3. Lee responded by attacking the Federal column in the dense woods and underbrush of an area known as the Wilderness, west of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
May 7, 1864 - Beginning of the Atlanta Campaign. With three US Armies under his command, General William T. Sherman marched south from Tennessee into Georgia against the Confederate Army of Tennessee under General Joseph Johnston, the objective being the city of Atlanta.
May 8-21, 1864 - Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia. Lee successfully stalls Grant's drive toward Richmond.
May 11, 1864 - Battle of Yellow Tavern. Six miles north of Richmond, Confederate cavalry under General J.E.B. Stuart block Federal cavalry under General Philip Sheridan. General Stuart was mortally wounded during the encounter.
May 4, 1865 - General Richard Taylor surrenders Confederate forces in the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana.
May 10, 1865 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured near Irwinville, Georgia.
May 12, 1865 - The final battle of the Civil War takes place at Palmito Ranch, Texas. It is a Confederate victory.
May 23, 1865 - The Grand Review of the Army of the Potomac in Washington, DC.
May 24, 1865 - The Grand Review of General Sherman's Army in Washington, DC.
May 26, 1865 - General Simon Bolivar Buckner agrees to terms of surrender of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, which are agreed to on June 2, 1865. With this surrender of the last large Confederate army, the Civil War officially ends. (Confederate Brigadier General Stand Waite did not surrender until June 23, and one Confederate ship, the CSS Shenandoah, docked in Liverpool and surrendered to the Royal Navy on November 6, 1865.)

Source: Civil War Timeline. Gettysburg National Military Park, PA.

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Columbus, Georgia: A Great Place to Visit & Learn about Confederate History

Left: Dr. Samuel Hollingsworth Stout was the Director of Georgia Hospitals. Camp 91 enjoyed a great presentation about him.
Center & Right: Magnificent museum with largest Confederate warship, the CSS Jackson, and largest collection of Civil War naval flags anywhere.

**********

Left: Linwood Cemetery, founded in 1828, in Columbus, GA, has over 200 Confederate graves.
Center: Grave of General Paul Jones Semmes, led Semmes Brigade: 10th, 51st, 52nd, and 53rd infantry regiments of Georgia. *** Included 10th GA, Co. F, Thomson Guards *** Semmes was mortally wounded the second day at Gettysburg.
Right: Capt. Henry Wirz, although hanged for war crimes, is remembered by local citizens for his valiant efforts in managing the ill equipped Camp Sumter prison in Andersonville, GA.

**********

Dr. John S. Pemberton,
pharmacist,
Confederate soldier
and originator of the
Coca-Cola formula

**********

Commander’s Post

What Did We Expect?

See Editorials by Tom Holley

April 2023 Dispatch -- Supplement
Tom Holley, Editor

Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration
Thomson Memorial Cemetery -- April 15

Go to the following sections of this website:
Community / Activities / April 2023
and
Our Heroes / Cross of Honor

April 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

Next Meeting -- Saturday, April 15
Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration

10:30 a.m. -- Thomson Memorial Cemetery, 212 Tom Watson Way, Thomson

Please attend our most important event of the year.
Note that this memorial service will replace our regular monthly meeting.
Bring friends, children and lawn chairs.
Period clothing encouraged; we may change clothes at McDuffie Museum before lunch.

*** Inclement Weather Contingency -- Meet at McDuffie Museum, 121 Main St. ***
12:00 noon -- Lunch and Fellowship at Fernanda’s Grill and Pizzeria

127 Main St. -- Parking behind building or in Knox Shopping Center.
RSVP -- Respond to this email or text Tom. We expect a large crowd so we need to give the restaurant an approximate number for better service.

Respecting Qualities of the Confederate Soldier
By David Hollingsworth, PhD

Dr. David Hollingsworth is the keynote speaker for our camp Confederate Memorial Day ceremony. He will discuss the qualities of the Confederate soldier that we all admire. Dr. Hollingsworth received his BA degree in history from Augusta College. He earned his MA degree in Church History at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He received his PhD at the University of Kentucky with a concentration in US and Southern Religious studies. David is married with two college aged children. Since 1998, he had been a high school teacher or a college professor. He often shares his lectures with Sons of Confederate Veterans camps.

**********

A Special Treat
David Donehoo and his music students provided a wonderful program on the
History of Appalachian Music for our March 28th meeting.
The program was enjoyed by everyone!
Many positive comments on their music and their overall presence were expressed.
These students are a fine example of what the youth of America can accomplish with proper leadership.
Thank you to David and Terisa Donehoo for coordinating these efforts.
Thank you, Students, for your willingness to share your talents with us.

**********

At the March meeting of Camp 91, Thomson Guards,
Mr. Jeffrey Martin Hathorn was inducted into the
Sons of Confederate Veterans. Jeffrey entered via his ancestor
Private John Younger Hathorn of the 7th Mississippi infantry.
Shown in the photo are (l) 1st Lt Commander Jimmy Crawley reading the ceremony script to Jeffrey Hathorn (center) while Commander Tom Holley presents the certificate and pin. Congratulations Jeffrey and welcome to the SCV!

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. 20th Annual National Confederate Memorial Day Service

Stone Mountain, Georgia
Saturday, April 29, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Georgia Division, SCV
10:00 a.m. -- Bluegrass Music by Jubilee
11:00 a.m. -- Cook-out provided by Division
11:45 a.m. -- Memorial Service followed by Cannon and Honor Guard Salute
We are making plans for a group to attend. Let Tom know if you could drive or would like to carpool.

2. The John C. Carter Camp will hold its Confederate Memorial Service on Sunday, April 23, 3:00 p.m., at the Confederate Cemetery in Waynesboro.
3. The E. Porter Alexander Camp in Augusta will hold its annual Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration service Saturday, May 6, at 10 a.m. It is always held in the Confederate dead section in Magnolia Cemetery. They always do a good job; please support their efforts.
4. The 126th Annual SCV Reunion, Georgia Division, is Saturday, June 10, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA. Note: it is a one-day event this year. Camp 91 can send four voting delegates.
5. The Sons of Confederate Veterans national reunion is July 19-23 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is hosted by James M. Keller Camp #648.

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WBTS Dates for April

April 12, 1861 - Confederate forces fire upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The Civil War formally begins.
April 15, 1861- President Lincoln issues a public declaration that an insurrection exists and calls for 75,000 militia to stop the rebellion. As a result of this call for volunteers, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee secede from the Union in the following weeks. Lincoln will respond on May 3 with an additional call for 43,000+ volunteers to serve for three years, expanding the size of the Regular Army.
April 6-7, 1862 - The Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing), the first major battle in Tennessee. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, a veteran of the Texas War of Independence and the War with Mexico considered to be one of the finest officers in the Confederacy,

is killed on the first day of fighting. The Federal victory further secures the career of US General Ulysses S. Grant.

April 24-25, 1862 - A Federal fleet of gunships under Admiral David Farragut passes Confederate forts guarding the mouth of the Mississippi River. On April 25, the fleet arrived at New Orleans where they demanded the surrender of the city. Within two days the forts fall to Federal forces and the mouth of the great river is under United States control.

April 1863 - Federal forces in the east begin a new campaign in Virginia to flank Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Fredericksburg. In the west, a Federal army has begun a campaign to surround and take Vicksburg, Mississippi, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.

April 30-May 6, 1863 - Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia. US General Joseph Hooker's plan to flank Lee falls apart and Union forces retreat. Lee's victory at Chancellorsville is marred by high casualties, including the mortal wounding of "Stonewall" Jackson, who dies on May 10. Soon after, Lee asks Jefferson Davis for permission to invade the North and take the war out of Virginia.

April 8, 1864 - Battle of Sabine Crossroads or Mansfield, Louisiana, the first major battle of the Red River Campaign in Louisiana.

April 9, 1864 - Battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. The United States Army under Banks defeats the attempt by Confederate forces under General Richard Taylor to drive them out of Louisiana. The result of the campaign would be less than desired as it drew to a close in the first week of May with Confederates still in control of most of the state.
April 12, 1864 - Capture of Fort Pillow, Tennessee. After a rapid raid through central and western Tennessee, Confederate cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked and overwhelmed the Federal garrison at Fort Pillow, located on the Mississippi River. Forrest's troops murdered nearly 300 United States soldiers after they had surrendered, most of whom were African American. Congress investigated the affair and while Confederate authorities denied any wrongdoing, the events at Fort Pillow cast a pall over Forrest's reputation and remained an emotional issue throughout the remainder of the war and after.
April 17, 1864 - Grant forbids prisoner exchange talks to progress unless Confederate authorities agree to treat black soldiers the same as white and until Confederates release enough US soldiers to make up for the large number of Confederates paroled at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
April 26, 1865 - General Joseph Johnston signs the surrender document for the Confederate Army of the Tennessee and miscellaneous Confederate troops attached to his command at Bennett's Place near Durham, North Carolina.
April 15, 1865 - Vice President Andrew Johnson is sworn in as 17th President of the United States.
April 14, 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. On the same day, Fort Sumter, South Carolina is re-occupied by US troops.
April 9, 1865 - Battle of Appomattox Court House and Surrender, Appomattox Court House, Virginia. After an early morning attempt to break through Federal forces blocking the route west to Danville, Virginia, Lee seeks an audience with General Grant to discuss terms. That afternoon in the parlor of Wilmer McLean, Lee signs the document of surrender. On April 12, the Army of Northern Virginia formally surrenders and is disbanded.
April 6, 1865 - The Battle of Sailor's Creek, Virginia. A portion of Lee's Army, almost one-third of it, is cornered along the banks of Sailor's (or "Saylor's") Creek and annihilated.
April 3, 1865 - US troops occupy Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia.
April 2, 1865 - The Fall of Petersburg and Richmond. General Lee abandons both cities and moves his army west in hopes of joining Confederate forces under General Johnston in North Carolina.
April 1, 1865 - The Battle of Five Forks, Virginia. The Confederate defeat at Five Forks initiates General Lee's decision to abandon the Petersburg-Richmond siege lines. Source: Timeline, Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania.

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Edwin Pierce Morris

T. A. Cheatham

Jesse Skeen

Thomas C. Williams

CITIZEN-SOLDIERS

The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South’s decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built.
Today, the SCV is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes so that future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.
The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to ensuring that a true history of the 1861 - 1865 period is preserved. Membership is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces.
Source: Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans, "The Sentinel" Monthly Newsletter.

William Miles Watson

John Lewis Singley

Iverson Graves Worrill

**********

Strengthening Our Local Camps Workshop

Jimmy Hill,
Commander of the
Army of Tennessee

Donnie Kennedy,
1st Lt. Commander
in Chief of SCV

Ronnie Kennedy,
Head of Heritage Operations, SCV

Jason Boshers,
Commander in Chief
of SCV

On March 10, I attended an Army of Tennessee workshop held in Foley, Alabama.
The event was coordinated by the Fort Blakely Camp 1864 which did an excellent job.
The topic for discussion was, “Strengthening Our Local Camps”.
The essence of this was to increase and engage our membership to better fight
against the destruction of Southern culture.
It was a very good meeting and I will share what I learned at the next meeting.
The subject was very serious as was evidenced by the pedigree of the speakers.

March 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

NEXT MEETING -- MARCH 28

History of Appalachian Music
By David Donehoo and His Music Students

David Donehoo is a retired educator and an amateur luthier who grew up in the small rural town of Roswell, Ga., which at the time was much like Lincolnton is today. His family had come to America from Ireland in the early 1700s and settled in North Georgia in the 1790s. According to Donehoo, “when they came they brought their music with them and have been playing ever since.”
As a child he never thought much about his family’s musical heritage but as he grew older he began to question his elders and soon learned of its history and origin.
He is dedicated to preserving the tradition of Old Time Mountain Music; not only does he teach young folks how to play it, he even makes the instruments. Also, he and his group play all over the local area demonstrating the music and explaining its genesis and evolution.
He is presently involved in mentoring a rather large group of young folks who range in age from 11 to 17. Much of the music he has taught these young people covers American history from Revolutionary War days through the Civil War era.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dr. John Derden, Professor Emeritus of History at East Georgia College will present Sherman’s March to the Sea event on March 25. The tour bus leaves the Swainsboro campus at 9am and returns at 6pm. Call 478-289-2033 or go online www.ega.edu/shermansmarch for information and tickets.
Camp 91 will flag the Confederate soldiers graves in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, April 1 at 9:30 am. A photo will be taken afterward at the newly scrubbed Confederate Monument in front of the old McDuffie Courthouse.

3. Camp 91 will hold its annual Confederate Memorial Day Service in the
Thomson Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, April 15 at 10:30 am.

Dr. David Hollingsworth of Waynesboro will be our guest speaker: Respecting Qualities of the Confederate Soldier
Please attend our most important event of the year. Bring friends, children and lawn chairs.
Please note that this memorial service will replace our regular monthly meeting.
Many will lunch afterwards at Fernanda’s.

4. The 126th Annual SCV Reunion, Georgia Division, is Saturday, June 10, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA. Note: it is a one-day event this year. Camp 91 can send four voting delegates.
5. The Sons of Confederate Veterans national reunion is July 19-23 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is hosted by James M. Keller Camp #648.

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WBTS Dates for March

March 4, 1861 - Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the sixteenth president of the United States in Washington, DC.
March 11, 1861 - Confederate delegates in Montgomery approve the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.
March 7-8, 1862 - Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern), Arkansas. The US victory here loosened the Confederate hold on Missouri and disrupted southern control of a portion of the Mississippi River.
March 8-9, 1862 - The Battle of Hampton Roads pits USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (the old USS Merrimack), the first ironclads, against one another off the Virginia coast. On March 8, the CSS Virginia destroys two wooden-hulled Federal ships. On March 9, the USS Monitor arrived and the two ironclads fought for hours, neither inflicting much damage on the other.
March 3, 1863 - Conscription, or the drafting of soldiers into military service, begins in the North. It had begun in the Confederacy the year before.

March 2, 1864 - US General Ulysses S. Grant is appointed lieutenant general, a rank revived at the request of President Lincoln. Grant assumes command of all United States Armies in the field the following day.
March 10, 1864 - The Red River Campaign begins. As part of an overall Federal strategy to strike deep into various parts of the Confederacy, a combined force of army and navy commands under General Nathaniel Banks begins a campaign on the Red River in Louisiana.

Source: Civil War Timeline. Gettysburg National Military Park, PA.

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The Berry Benson Camp 1652, South Carolina Division, SCV, held a
birthday and memorial service in honor of Sargent Berry Benson
at his gravesite on Sun., Feb19.
Commander Jerry Pittman led the service.
Our own Phil Turner read a beautiful poem.
The E. Porter Alexander Honor Guard presented the colors and
fired a three volley salute. It was a wonderful event.

**********

On Thursday, February 16, Camp 91 Historian Lewis Smith was guest speaker to the Berry Benson SCV camp in
North Augusta. He gave an excellent presentation on
Sam Davis, a true southern hero.
Thank you Lewis for sharing your time and talents.

**********

February 22, Tom, Karen, Gene and Marshall visited
Old Fort Jackson
on the
Savannah River
just south
of Savannah.

It is a Georgia Historical Site run by the Coastal Heritage Society with NO funding from the state.
Sergeant Braddock gave a spectacular tour of the facility, a medical lesson,
rifle loading drills with firing and finally fired a cannon.
It is one of the best living history presentations I have ever seen and we loved it.
We all agreed that this was the highlight of our trip.
This same re-enactor presents the Loyalist & Liberty Battlefield Tour at the Savannah History Museum.

**********

Commander's Post

Essay for Patriots
by
Victor Davis Hanson

See Editorials by Lewis Smith

**********

February 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

NEXT MEETING -- February 28

A Most Famous Man of Georgia of Whom We Know Very Little

By Rev. Alan Smith

      Alan Smith is a native of Savannah, Georgia. He and his wife Judy Loyless Murph Smith have two sons, two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. He is a retired United Methodist Elder and an active historic preservationist. He and Judy restored an 1842 Greek Revival Sand Hills cottage in Thomson, which is on the National Register.
          He is the chair of the Wrightsboro Quaker Foundation and the chair of the Rock House Advisory Board in McDuffie County. Alan is the past State Chaplain of the Georgia Society SAR, Past President and current registrar of the William Few Chapter GASSAR. He is also the Assistant General of the Mayflower Society for GA, the Eder and Past Governor of the Pilgrim William White Society. He is the assistant secretary of the Society of the Cincinnati in GA. He is “just” a member of several other lineage groups: Jamestowne, First Families of GA, and the Huguenot Society of SC. Judy is a member of the Manakin Huguenot Society and the Huguenot Society of SC and is serving as registrar of the Capt. John Wilson Chapter NSDAR. So they have at least one group in common.
          He has written several family histories. He is in the final stages of editing of a book on Pilgrim history and religion. Their younger two grandchildren are junior members of the GA Mayflower Society and the Pilgrim William White Society. Their son Thomas and older grandson Harper are also members of the Mayflower Society.
          Both Alan and Judy were awarded the DAR Excellence in Historic Preservation Medal in 2021 by the Captain John Wilson Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, for their many and varied contributions which benefit historic preservation.

**********

ANNOUNCEMENTS

There is an SCV, Army of Tennessee workshop being held in Foley (south of Mobile), Alabama, on Saturday, March 11. The purpose is to teach various methods for strengthening the local camps. You may have read about it in the AOT newsletter, The Sentinel. It sounds very promising and I will be attending. It is a great opportunity for us to hear new ideas, make new contacts and learn information that will help to accomplish our goals. If you are interested please call Tom Holley, 706-466-3678.

2. You can be a tremendous help to our newsletter editor. When you do something Confederate, i.e. visit a battlefield, view a monument, lecture at a brother SCV camp, enjoy a historical event, etc., please take some photos and send them with a small write-up to the editor. Let others in the camp enjoy and learn from your experience.
3. God has been very good to many of our sickly members. Phil Turner has recovered nicely. Bob Gibson’s jaw issue has greatly improved. Durham Milburn’s cancer has shown intermittent improvement. However, Terry Johnson has developed a severe eye issue that requires God’s healing hand and please continue to pray for all and our compatriot, Woody Woodard. Also, please pray for Tami Awe whose father passed.
4. Thanks to all of you who supported the Ft. Lawton Brigade, Millen camp at their wonderful Lee-Jackson
Banquet. We had twelve make the trip. The Christian fellowship was great, the food was superb, the entertainment great and the program about our two most famous Southern heroes was enlightening. It was a great evening.
5.   The Battle of Aiken is February 24, 25 and 26. This is a premier event in our area. If you have any possibility carry a child to enjoy this livinghistory.
6. Congratulations William! Our youngest member will be attending North Georgia College in the fall. He intends to study business administration. Best wishes William; we are extremely proud.
7. Please remember that the Camp 91 April meeting will be our annual Confederate Memorial Day service on Saturday the 15th. This service will be held in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery at 10:30 am. Our special guest speaker is Dr. David Hollingsworth from Waynesboro, Georgia. We will flag the cemetery on Saturday, April 1, at 9:30 a.m.  Bring a lawn chair, your wife, children and your friends.
8. At the January meeting Camp 91 voted to send our “pass the hat” collection to support the Confederate Museum in Columbia, TN.   Adjutant Butler sent a check for $150. Thanks fo the generosity.

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Join the Confederate Legion

Membership in the Legion supports the Southern Victory Campaign.
Dues and donations are used almost exclusively for a two-thrust marketing and public relations effort which is part of the Southern Victory Campaign led by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Objectives include:

Rebuilding public support for the principles of liberty that America’s founding fathers gave us.
Rebuilding respect for the Confederate States of America that preferred to leave the Union rather than abandon the principles of liberty as the Northern states were doing under Leftist influences of the day.

Products, tools and services supporting the campaign are being developed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans for deployment through this website. Direct action by the SCV is one prong of the offensive. A second prong includes action by people such as yourself, acting alone or through any honorable organization, including the camps of the SCV.
We depend on God and you for the victory we seek. To join go to: http://www.makedixiegreatagain.com/

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Adjutant David Butler and his wife Kelli
at the Lee Jackson Banquet in Millen.
David, whose ancestry is Scottish,
wore his new family history colors.

David was recently a speaker to the Berry Benson Camp in North Augusta.
He discussed the Columbia County soldiers (today’s McDuffie County) at South Mountain and Sharpsburg.
As usual, he did a terrific job and represented our camp wonderfully.

Would you like to own a hot/cold insulated drinking cup that
sports our flag?
The camp will consider
purchasing some to resale
at the local festivals,
but you could own one now.
Ask Tom about it.

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Questions That Every Liberal Should Answer

Why is it that when archaeologists find human remains, they always determine that they are either male or female and none of the other dozen genders?
How is it that the government can’t control petrol prices…but the weather is something they can fix?
Why are we told to lower our domestic power usage on hot days to prevent overwhelming the electric grid, while being urged to trade in our petrol cars for electric vehicles?
Why is cancelling student debt a good idea? Does it make sense to reward people who do not honor their financial commitment by taxing the people who do?
Are we living in a time where intelligent people are silenced so that stupid people won’t be offended?
Why is talking sexually to adults in the workplace considered sexual harassment…but talking about sexuality to Grade 3 children at school is considered education?
If your electric car runs out of power on the motorway, do you walk to a charging station to get a bucket of electricity?
Why are we running out of money for Social Security and Medicare and not for welfare?
We’re churning out a generation of poorly educated people with no skill, no ambition, no guidance and no realistic expectations of what it means to go to work.
Mice die in mouse traps because they do not understand why the cheese is free. Just like socialism.
The most powerful governments on earth can’t stop a virus from spreading…but they say they can change the earth’s temperature if you pay more taxes.
If you don’t want to stand for the National Anthem, perhaps you should give your legs to a veteran who lost his. That way a real man can stand in your place.

And finally....
History is not there for us to like or dislike ....... It's there for us to learn from it.
If it offends you, even better…because, then you are less likely to repeat it.
It is not anyone’s to erase…it belongs to all of us.
Source: Unknown, it was sent by email.

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Adjutant David Butler (r) presents new member certificate to Bob Stephenson. He joined under his ancestor 1st Sergeant Asa Castleberry Stephenson of Co. C,
4th Battalion, Georgia State Troops.
The sergeant fought in the Battles
of Atlanta and he later became a minister at Fredonia Baptist Church in Thomasville, Georgia.
Welcome Bob!

Bob and Camille Stephenson
visit the Hunley Museum
in Charleston.

Tom, Karen and Lewis Smith visited historic Oakley Parkin Edgefield, SC during the tour of homes and SCV Winter Muster, January 28. The home was built in 1835 and purchased several years later by Confederate Major-General Martin Witherspoon Gary. He was the leader of the 1876 Red Shirt Movement and his home was headquarters. Today the UDC operates the house museum and it is dedicated to the history of the WBTS.

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WBTS Dates in February

February 4, 1861 - The southern states that had seceded assemble delegates at Montgomery, Alabama to organize the Confederate States of America. The delegates are tasked with drafting a Confederate Constitution and establishing a provisional government.
February 18, 1861 - The delegates at the Montgomery Convention appoint Jefferson Davis as provisional President of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama, a position he will hold until elections can be arranged.

February 6, 1862 - Surrender of Fort Henry, Tennessee. The loss of this southern fort on the Tennessee River opened the door to Federal control of the river.
February 8, 1862 - Battle of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. A Confederate defeat, the battle resulted in US occupation of eastern North Carolina and control of Pamlico Sound, to be used as Northern base for further operations against the southern coast.
February 16, 1862 - Surrender of Fort Donelson, Tennessee. This critical fort on the Cumberland River left the river in Federal control. It was here that US General Ulysses S. Grant gained his nickname "Unconditional Surrender" Grant.
February 22, 1862 - Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederate States of America.
February 9, 1864 - Escape from Libby Prison, Richmond. After weeks of digging, 109 United States officers made their escape from the notorious Libby Prison, the largest and most sensational escape of the war. Though 48 of the escapees were later captured and two drowned, 59 were able to make their way into US lines.
February 27, 1864 - In Georgia, Camp Sumter Prison Camp opens. Universally referred to as Andersonville Prison Camp, it will become notorious for overcrowded conditions and a high death rate among its inmates.
February 14-20, 1864- Federal capture and occupation of Meridian, Mississippi. Federal forces under William T. Sherman enter the city of Meridian, Mississippi after a successful month of campaigning through the central part of the state. The capture of this important Southern town, well known for its industry and storage capabilities, severely hampers the efforts of Confederate commanders to sustain their armies in the Deep South, Georgia and west of the Mississippi River.
February 17, 1864 - First successful submarine attack of the Civil War. The CSS H.L. Hunley, a seven-man submergible craft, attacked the USS Housatonic outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Struck by the submarine's torpedo, the Housatonic broke apart and sank, taking all but five of her crew with her. Likewise, the Hunley was also lost and never heard from again until discovered in 1995 at the spot where it sank after the attack.
February 1, 1865 - Sherman's Army leaves Savannah to march through the Carolinas.
February 17, 1865 - Sherman's Army captures Columbia, South Carolina while Confederate defenders evacuate Charleston, South Carolina.
February 22, 1865 - Wilmington, NC, falls to Federal troops, closing the last important Southern port on the east coast. On this same day, Joseph E. Johnston is restored to command the nearly shattered Army of the Tennessee, vice John B. Hood who resigned a month earlier.

Source: Timeline. Gettysburg National Battlefield Park, Gettysburg, PA

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COMMANDER’S POST

If not me, WHO? If not now, WHEN?
I first heard this little ditty, as I mentioned before, at the SCV national convention. It is simple but directly to the point. As SCV members, we are acutely aware that radical leftist are attempting and winning the game to destroy and remove our precious southern history and culture. The liberals are relentless and they will not be dissuaded with common courtesy. Action is required.
This leads me to the second phrase I’m hearing very often: Are YOU engaged?
As I have tried to make clear on numerous occasions, politics is very much about numbers. When our government representatives state that there is a voting block of some 3,000 constituents demanding to be heard on a particular subject it has real impact. But, imagine, what is the impact of 5,000 or 6,000 constituents? That is exactly why we must grow our camp, our division and the SCV at large. Many of our friends and acquaintances agree with us and we need their collective voice. So, next meeting, pledge to invite a like-minded friend. Everyone will be glad you did.
Inviting a friend to a meeting, of course, is being engaged. It is critically important. But, bringing that friend is even better. Introduce him to everyone especially to David Butler and me. Make sure we get his mailing address, email and cell phone number. I will see that he receives a ‘thank you for visiting card’ and future Dispatches. You follow up the meeting with a phone call and answer any questions. David is there to assist with questions and do the paperwork to join. A new person will come, perhaps join, and they too will share the message and join the struggle.
Remember this, the struggle must be met by US. There is no one else. If we quit, we lose it all. Once laws are made they are virtually impossible to change. Men, we have everything to lose. We must increase our numbers, We must win this culture battle and We must do it NOW!

BRING A FRIEND TO THE MEETING!

Respectfully submitted:
Tom Holley, Camp Commander

January 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

NEXT MEETING -- TUESDAY, JANUARY 24

Confederate Submariners

Our speaker, Mr. Steve Rathbun of Millen, Georgia, will present Confederate Submariners and their groundbreaking activities.
          Steve Rathbun graduated from Fitzgerald High School, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, in 1973, before enlisting in the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman in 1974. Completing his enlistment in 1976, he attended the University of Georgia, where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1980. After serving several years as a municipal police officer in both Perry and Warner Robbins, Georgia, he reenlisted in the Army in 1983, later earning a Second Lieutenant commission in the Military Police Corps through Officer Candidate School.
          As a commissioned officer, he served in numerous leadership and staff positions in both the United States and overseas. His overseas assignments included Korea, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, with combat deployments to Operations Just Cause in Panama, Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf, and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. Retiring from uniform as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2005, he continued to serve as a Department of the Army Civilian for an additional seven years specializing in Antiterrorism.
          His awards include, but are not limited to, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Superior Civilian Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and German Military Efficiency Badge. As a lifelong student of military history, he now serves as Camp Historian for the Buckhead-Fort Lawton Brigade, Camp No. 2102, in Millen.

Photos: Steve Rathbun and the Hunley

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thanks to all of you who generously donated to the Thomson Memorial Cemetery fund where Camp 91 helps care for the gravesites of 110 Confederate veterans. Currently, the massive volunteer oak trees that look beautiful but are causing so much damage to the gravesites are being removed.
Thank you for so generously supporting the Georgia Legal Defense Fund. Camp 91 was first to reach the milestone, $10,000. It appears that from the latest court rulings the GA Division efforts are working to save the monuments.
Thank you also for being so very involved with camp activities this past calendar year. Through December 2022, YOU achieved all Camp 91 established goals. You are living the “charge”.
Please continue to pray for our brothers Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Phil Turner and Woody Woodard.
The General Robert E. Lee birthday celebration Saturday, January 14, 2023, 11 am is in the Jefferson Davis Park, Fitzgerald, Georgia. There will be a BBQ lunch and speaker.
Please bring a visitor to the January meeting! The presentation on Confederate submarines promises to be very interesting.

National SCV Reunion
Hot Springs, AR. in 2023
www.2023scvreunion.org
Host Hotel is The Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa
Call 1-800-643-1502
Standard Room $109 + Tax and resort fee

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WBTS Dates in January

January 1861- Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas secede from the United States.
January 19, 1862- Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky. This Federal victory weakened the Confederate hold on the state.
January 1, 1863- The Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. The Emancipation Proclamation was a war measure that declared enslaved people in rebelling states to be free, authorized the enlistment of black troops, and outraged white Southerners. The proclamation was an important turning point in the war for the United States and in the eventual shift from the goal of restoring the Union as it was, to building a better Union without slavery.

January 15, 1865- Assault and capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina. United States occupation of this fort at the mouth of the Cape Fear River closes access to Wilmington, the last Southern seaport on the east coast that was open to blockade runners and commercial shipping.

Source: Civil War Timeline, Gettysburg National Battlefield Park, Pennsylvania

**********

On December 3,
Compatriot Mike and Dollie Lacefield
served as docents at
Confederate V. P. Alexander H. Stephens'
home in Crawfordville.
The home was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
The tour of the property, the museum and
the home was fantastic.

**********

COMMANDER’S POST

Dear Compatriots,
          I recently read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. This is a 2400 year old treatise about waging war. It suggests very simple tenets that explain who will win if certain conditions exist. No doubt, if circumstances were known at the start, Sun Tzu could forecast the winner. While I read the book, I tried to envision people and activities during the Confederate War.
          “The art of war then is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are: The Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; The Commander; Method and Discipline.
             The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger. Heaven signifies night and day, cold and heat, times and seasons. Earth comprises distances, great and small; danger and security; the chances of life and death. The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage and strictness. By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduation of ranks among the officers, the maintenance of roads for supplies, and the control of military expenditure.”
          Please reread the last paragraph but envision Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Apply each of the rules to the army being led by these men. Then consider which civilian population, North or South, might have the most to lose.
         “Which of the two sovereigns (North or South) is imbued with the moral law? Which of the generals has most ability? With whom lie the advantages of Heaven or Earth. On which side is discipline more rigorously enforced? Which army is the stronger? On which side are officers and men more highly trained? In which army is there the great constancy both in reward and punishment?”
         Were things equal at the start of the War? Had they been, would the outcome have been the same?   It is intriguing to think how the change in one or two variables might have made a huge difference. Have some fun considering it.

**********

Year 2022, was a dynamic and constructive year for our camp; it was great. Some would say it may be difficult to improve upon. But, we can!
          Let’s make 2023, the finest and most productive year ever for Camp 91, Thomson Guards. Since you cherish your ancestors, I know that each of you will continue to meet “the Charge.”
          At the national convention, I heard a motto repeated over and over again, and it relates to each of us in service to the SCV. “If not Us who? If not NOW, when?” By continuing to work together to meet our established goals, We can this year!

Respectfully submitted,
Tom

Thomson Guards Dispatch2023Tom Holley, Editor

November 2023 DispatchMeeting: Tuesday, November 28

October 2023 Dispatch

September 2023 Dispatch

August 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor​Next Meeting: Tuesday, August 22

July 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

June 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

May 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

April 2023 Dispatch -- SupplementTom Holley, Editor

April 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

March 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

February 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

January 2023 DispatchTom Holley, Editor

Thomson Guards Dispatch
2023
Tom Holley, Editor

November 2023 Dispatch
Meeting: Tuesday, November 28

August 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor
Next Meeting: Tuesday, August 22

July 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

June 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

May 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

April 2023 Dispatch -- Supplement
Tom Holley, Editor

April 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

March 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

February 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor

January 2023 Dispatch
Tom Holley, Editor