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Detailed information about Lt. Col. W. J. Crawley and this memorial service can be found in the December 2023 and January 2024 issues of the Dispatch on this website.
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. IF NOT US, WHO? IF NOT NOW, WHEN? 
Donna Faulkner Barron and husband Ron were our special guests sharing the Thomson Guards' booth at the Oliver Hardy Festival. 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.
Before and After Photos On May 12, the camp began the cleaning of Confederate gravestones in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery. Twelve down and ninety-eight to go. Thanks to all who helped.  History enthusiasts wearing period clothing help set the mood for emphasizing the importance of historic preservation. Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration The Thomson Guards, Camp 91, Sons of Confederate Veterans held its annual Confederate Memorial Day Commemoration on Saturday, April 15, at the Thomson Memorial Cemetery. Historic preservation was the theme for the day, with regards to the cemetery itself, veterans’ recognition, the qualities of the Confederate soldier and important values that need to be upheld for all American citizens in today’s world. As explained by David Moore, chairman of the Thomson Memorial Cemetery Committee, much progress has been made over the past year in refurbishing headstones, fences and landscaping and updating information on the cemetery’s website. The cemetery dates back to 1854 and is the resting place for 110 Confederate soldiers as well as other McDuffie County residents buried as recently as three years ago. Since no financial support comes from city or county resources, a fundraising effort remains in progress since more work is needed. Eventually it is hoped that the cemetery will become a beautiful respite for those visiting gravesites or touring McDuffie County historical sites. Donations may be mailed to the Thomson Memorial Cemetery Committee, 104 Cobb St., Thomson, GA 30824.
In addition to the much appreciated financial donations received from individuals in our community and several local foundations, the Thomson Guards has made this cemetery its community project. Members have provided hundreds of hours toward landscaping improvements and have marked most Confederate graves with the Cross of Honor. During the major holidays, all American veterans are honored by flying our military service flags along Tom Watson Way. The Captain John Wilson Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, was pleased to present its Excellence in Historic Preservation Award to Philip J. Turner, poet and historian. Turner (below, left) has recorded interviews with over 200 World War II veterans, plus additional Vietnam veterans and well-known Augusta and Columbia County residents to preserve local history. He has helped protect documents dating back to 1905 in the Harlem Bank Project and served on the Columbia County Historic Commission and as chairman for the Harlem Museum. Also known as the “The Gray Poet,” he has written poetry about the Civil War, WWII and the Vietnam era.
The keynote address was “Respecting the Qualities of the Confederate Soldier,” presented by David Hollingsworth, PhD (above, right). The virtues based on Aristotelian and Christian origins, further embraced by our American Founding Fathers, were examined from the perspective of the Confederate soldier, their circumstances which included their dedication to home and family, morality, valor, merit, duty and dignity in defeat. While current day circumstances may vary, each individual’s reactions to adversity still require the same need for fortitude.
********** For article and photos about the Southern Cross of Honor, go to Our Heroes / Cross of Honor. **********  **********    On April 1, 2023, Camp 91 had 13 members flag all Confederate soldiers’ graves in Thomson Memorial Cemetery with small Confederate battle flags. It began to rain so only five stayed for this photo at the Confederate monument at the Historic McDuffie County Courthouse on Main Street.  On Saturday, November 26, Camp 91, Thomson Guards worked to clean our Confederate Monument at the old courthouse on Main Street. Team leader, Mike Lacefield, who has taken many courses on stone cleaning, provided the correct soap, brushes and proper procedures. Our goal was to remove the grit, dirt and soot. The results were fantastic. We will return in the late spring to remove the liken and mold.  Thanks to everyone who helped staff the recruitment booth at the Warrenton Sportsman’s Festival on November 12. We collected $90 for the GA Division Legal Defense Fund, we collected 20 names of potential new members and we put forth a great public image. It was a very good day. Each potential new member from each of the three festivals is being sent the monthly Dispatch. We hope they will join us at dinner and a meeting.  Camp 91, Thomson Guards, Sons of Confederate Veterans is honored to mark the graves of our United States military veterans in the Thomson Memorial Cemetery. Each veteran grave site is noticeable by a small U.S. Flag. The camp also provided the new large flags along the graveyard frontage on Tom Watson Way. They include the U.S., Georgia, and each of the armed forces service flags. The camp provided 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 your service. We owe our freedoms to you! May God bless you all.  Compatriots Durham Milburn and David Butler helped staff the recruiting booth at the Thomson Camellia City Festival October 22. Camp 91 collected for the Legal Defense Fund, made a great public impression and collected 9 well qualified names as potential recruits. |
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