The Fort Brooke Record

HERITAGE REPORT

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Develops National Battle Plan

Situation

The nationwide assault on Southern, and specifically Confederate, culture and heritage has now reached a crisis. Our numbers and resources are too small to prevail against it head-on. Attempts to reason with, educate, or show our opponents what nice people we are, have been spurned or ignored. We must take the fight to the enemy, on ground of our own choosing.

The chosen ground is public opinion, or, more accurately, public perception. There is a vast uninformed and uncommitted segment of the American public who are totally unaware of the persecution that has been leveled at us, their fellow Americans, merely for attempting to exercise our right to our own cultural identity. The news media, with their effective blackout of any news about us that is not derogatory, have seen to that.

Meanwhile, the opposition, which has ready access to the media, as well as deep pockets and tremendous political clout, continues to turn up the heat. The NAACP now openly acknowledges that it is following a 10-year plan to eradicate all vestiges of Confederate history, and indeed all Southern history that it does not find convenient to its own advancement. This plan was undertaken in 1991. This is the tenth year, and the NAACP has said that things are proceeding on schedule. Our heritage is literally slated for extinction by the end of this year.

Thus we have arrived at do-or-die time.

Mission

Our mission is to take our case to the public by means of a Confederation-wide day of demonstrations against organizations, institutions, business entities, politicians, law enforcement and/or governmental agencies who have defamed our heritage and symbols; or who have persecuted or failed to protect those who have displayed them; or who have made false or malicious statements or allegations about our symbols, heritage or people. This mission will be executed at 0900 hours, your local time, on Monday, 18 June 2001.

Our objective is not merely to call attention to ourselves and the wrongs done to us, but also to promote identification with our situation by letting the people know that what has happened to us with respect to our rights can just as easily happen to them.

Summary

(A Memorandum from the Chief of Heritage Defense)

At the Battle of Culloden, the Highland clans suffered most of their casualties before they ever came to grips with the enemy. They were forced to stand in ranks under a galling artillery fire while Prince Charles Edward and his advisors dithered over what to do next. Chieftains wept with rage and frustration and cried out to be allowed to charge, and when the situation became unbearable the clans rushed at their tormentors piecemeal and were cut down or driven back accordingly.

For months, as the attack on our heritage and culture has intensified, our members have been crying out for the signal to attack. I am not talking about a few individuals; I mean a daily chorus of anger and frustration in the form of phone calls, e-mails and letters from Compatriots who know their duty and are insisting on the opportunity to do it. As much as anything else, the purpose of this attack plan is to honor their demands to take the battle to the enemy.

The premise of this plan is simple: choose some entities within your state that have given our Cause, or your Division in particular, trouble and go picket them. Those who can’t actually do that bombard them with e-mails, faxes and phone calls. I am aware that in several Divisions there are ongoing protest efforts; they can be readily adapted to include this one-day action. I am also aware that this is being undertaken on short notice, but we dare not postpone it any longer.

The keys to the success of this operation are surprise and coordination. We MUST have people in place all across the Confederation at 0900 hours local target time on Monday morning, 18 June. Yes, folks will have to arrange to be off work; I assure you “those people” do. If we attempted this action on a weekend, we would picket empty buildings and stand little if any chance of spontaneous news coverage. The whole idea is to make people notice us.

Remember “Prince John” Magruder’s famous trick of running the same troops through a clearing over and over, so that the Yankees thought they faced an enormous force. It worked. It still works. Let the public see Southern heritage defenders out in force, not in one or two places, but all over the map on the same day, and the conclusion will be that we have finally risen up in strength to deal with our oppressors ... and for those still on the sidelines, that will be the wake-up call.

So this is the “what” and “when” of the attack plan. The “where” and “how” are up to you. If you have questions or concerns, I am at your disposal. Our foes would have the world believe our Cause is at the beginning of the end; let us show the world instead that we are at the end of the beginning.

Deo vindice,
Roger W. McCredie

Why are we doing this?

Partly because of the ignorance of folks like Mr. Ruth. No, let me correct that. Ignorance implies ‘un-knowing’ and Mt. Ruth knows EXACTLY what he is doing. Just like the school administrators and self styled teachers across the country who are demonizing our culture and disciplining our children for displaying pride in there heritage. There are currently over 60, yes 60, lawsuits filed against the schools across the country for violating our children's Constitutional Right to free speech with more coming every day. The situations in the schools has deteriorated to such an extent there peers now can beat unconscious a fellow student in impunity for having a library book with a Battle Flag on it. Don’t believe this can happen? Well it has. And the school officials and local law enforcement DID NOTHING! Well, something IS being done now thanks to the Southern Legal Resource Center.

Student Beaten Unconscious for
Confederate Flag
Picture in School Library Book
Neill H. Payne 06.02.01
The Sierra Times

Houston--Another student fell victim in April to the escalating campaign for the ethnic cleansing of Dixie. Ryan Zane Oleichi, a 13-year-old student at Labay Middle School outside of Houston, Texas, required hospitalization for the treatment of injuries he received when he was viciously assaulted as he was leaving school. The two perpetrators, a Black and an Hispanic classmate objected to a book that Ryan was carrying home because it had a picture of the Confederate battle flag on the cover. Ryan got the book from the school library for a report that he was doing on Gen. Robert E. Lee.

This outrage is the direct and proximate result of a hostile learning environment created by the administration of the Labay Middle School. Particularly culpable is the Assistant Principal, Ms. Cheryl Morrison.

Back on 19 February, which was a Monday, Ryan's mother Melinda Hill was called to the school. Ms. Morrison met with Ryan's mom to tell her that Ryan was to start 3 days detention as punishment for his wearing of a Confederate flag patch on his shirt. The offending emblem measured all of one inch by one and one-half inches. Overruling the fact that the rulebook only calls for a one-day penalty for infractions of the school dress code, Ryan was to be made an example. You see, Ms. Morrison told Mrs. Hill, "We must make an example of Ryan. He is a racist."

Mrs. Hill was confused by this turn of events. Ryan had worn this shirt several times before without incident. He is proud to wear the Confederate flag because of his love for his Southern Confederate heritage. He is a good student with good grades. He is not a troublemaker nor is he a racist. In fact, he is half Lebanese. Ms. Morrison would only say that an "extreme example" must be made. Ryan would be given three days detention and then forced to apologize publicly to all the Black students for being a "racist."

Thus the Assistant Principal's auto-da-fe set in motion the wheels of persecution that lead to Ryan's beating. Students began verbally abusing Ryan and harassing him. On 20 April events began to escalate. A student, Christina Nelson, walked up and slapped Ryan's face. She then threatened to sic her "posse" on him. "Posse" is generally understood to be a slang term among Blacks that means "a gang."

Then on 26 April, which is Confederate Memorial Day in Texas, Ryan was working on his book report on Confederate General Robert E. Lee in his first period class. He was looking at the book that he had checked out from the school library. A classmate of his, a Black student named Andrew Foster asked, "What's that?" Ryan replied, "It's a book." Andrew then asked, "Why do you have that flag on it?" Ryan responded, "It's the only one in the school library."

At this point an Hispanic student, Leonardo Suarez chimed in, "You racist . . . you racist! I'm gonna kick your a__! I don't know when, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, but I'm gonna kick your a__!"

When leaving the classroom, the Black student, Foster, tripped Ryan then slammed him against the lockers and issued his own threat to kick Ryan's a__. They made good on their threats as soon as school was over. In a sickening display of how diversity is our strength, this multi-ethnic duo caught Ryan outside the school fence. Foster got to Ryan first and began punching him in the face and stomach until Ryan hit the ground. Foster then hollered for Suarez to join him. Foster shouted, "Hey Leonardo, Ryan doesn't like Mexicans, he wants you to go back to Mexico." Suarez ran up and with his steel toed boots and started kicking Ryan in the head as Ryan lay on the ground. Suarez continued "kicking his a__" as he had threatened to do until Ryan lay unconscious at their feet.

At no time did Ryan fight back even though he holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Even at the tender age of thirteen, Ryan understands the political landscape of the Political Correctness Empire. He knew that if he were to do anything against this pair he would be painted as the aggressor. Don't forget, he now bore the scarlet "R". He was a racist according to the judgment of an assistant principal and by virtue of his own coerced confession and apology. It was open season. He was to be made an example.

Unfortunately, even his refusal to fight back did not help his cause. The school, when it learned of the "incident", did nothing. The excuse that they used for their do-nothing policy was that the "incident" had occurred out side of the school grounds. In spite of witnesses they declared it was "mutual combat," because Ryan had the audacity to put his hands up to protect his face. The District Attorney was contacted and he has refused to file charges. So far nothing has been done and apparently no official or agency will do anything to bring some justice to this situation.

Ryan subsequently spent three days in the hospital, was treated and released to convalesce at home. When Ryan returned to school he received more verbal abuse and death threats. A particularly odious harpy, a student by the name of Carrie Neumann, made a small career out of shouting loud insults at Ryan every day. She issued veiled threats saying that she was "connected." She sent a package to Ryan's home that his mother is afraid to pick up. This entire outrageous experience is causing a great deal of strain on this single mom and her son. Until they contacted the SLRC, no one that they called would dare lift a finger to help them.

No amount of pleading or protest by Ryan's mother could get the school or district officials to intervene on Ryan's behalf. Assistant Principal Morrison made good on her promise to make an "extreme example" out of Ryan.

What must it be like to be thirteen and to be thrown to these wolves? Ryan learned that Suarez was saying that he was, "not satisfied and won't be until Ryan is dead." One week after he returned to school his mother withdrew him and she will school him at home.

Will your child or grandchild be next?

See you on Monday the 18^th.

Richard Warner, 3rd Lt. Cmdr.,
John T. Lesley Camp 1282
Florida Division Heritage Chairman
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Boy Scouts Remove Mississippi State Flag

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Boy Scout uniform patch worn in southwest Mississippi that features the state flag and its Confederate battle emblem is being replaced by a patch showing the face of Andrew Jackson.

Officials with the Andrew Jackson Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which represents troops in 22 Mississippi counties, said the change was not based on complaints.

``We just decided it was time for a change,'' Larry Smith, the council's assistant executive director, said Thursday.

Mississippi voters overwhelmingly voted to keep the flag in April, rejecting a new design that would have replaced the Confederate emblem with a cluster of stars.

But Josie Loveless, a Boy Scout leader in Jackson, said he had heard complaints from parents in the black community through most of the 32 years the flag had been on the patch.

``I like the new one,'' Loveless said. ``It has a picture of our namesake and it does not have the Confederate flag, which offends some of our parents.''

At least two other councils in the state have depicted the flag on patches. One replaced it with an eagle; the other still displays the flag.

(Rebmaster's note:  Over the past years, my husband and I have stood by the Boy Scouts in their stand on the politically correct issue of who or who they can't have as scoutmasters.  I WILL be writing a letter withdrawing my support, maybe you should too).

Eight Flags will fly again

By GEOFF PENDER
THE SUN HERALD

GULFPORT - Boycotts, lawsuits and a drive to oust some county politicians in the next election are possible, Coast NAACP leaders said after the Harrison County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to again raise the Rebel flag on the public beach.

But representatives of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who have fought for more than a year to have the county's Eight Flags beach flag display put back up, told supervisors not to worry.

"Boycotts don't work," said John French of the local SCV. "If they worked, we would have seen one from the NAACP after that state flag vote (to keep the Mississippi flag, which contains a Confederate battle emblem). Tourists just don't care about this. That was proven in South Carolina. The boycott there didn't work."

The image of the Coast and the state will be further tarnished by the Rebel flag again flying over the beach, black civic leaders said.

"I think the only things Harrison County supervisors are going to understand are votes, when they come up for re-election, and economics," said James Crowell, Biloxi Branch NAACP president.

Crowell and Richard Marsh, Gulfport NAACP spokesman, said they will talk with their local boards and then the national NAACP about what steps to take. The national organization meets in July in New Orleans, and the Coast flag issue and a boycott are likely to be topics, they said.

"I hate to say it, but there's going to be a price to pay for Harrison County," Marsh said.

Supervisors voted 4-1, along racial lines, to put the Eight Flags display back up at the line between Biloxi and Gulfport. There was little comment from those voting yes, other than to say they were doing what they believed most of their constituents wanted. Supervisor William Martin, the only black person on the board, cast the lone vote against the display, which is supposed to represent the eight governments that have ruled the Coast since 1699.

Martin reminded supervisors that they all voted more than a year ago to hire a historian to determine whether the "naval jack" version of the battle flag flown for decades at Eight Flags was historically correct. The historian reported that the flag was incorrect, and said it was doubtful that a Confederate battle flag ever flew prominently on the Confederate Coast. The Confederate "Stars and Bars" flag, he said, would be accurate. Martin challenged the SCV, or anyone else, on Monday to present a prominent historian willing to say the Rebel flag is accurate.

“It's been tried, and you couldn't find one," Martin said. "Why are we living a lie? Why are we telling our children that those are the flags that flew over us, when that's not accurate?

"Ever since we've dealt with this, it's polarized our community. Let's get out of the flag business, and bulldoze that thing on the beach and move along. As a member of the black race and a taxpayer ... It's just not right."

In March 2000, the supervisors took down the Eight Flags display in an effort to diffuse tension after a series of flag thefts. There were also anti- and pro-flag protests that drew hundreds of angry people and included a visit from former Klansman David Duke.

A citizens' group had planned to seek donations to create a new beach display, which would fly only the American flag, but the drive fizzled. The Sons of Confederate Veterans have since gathered thousands of signatures on petitions and asked supervisors to put the flags back up.

After a statewide referendum in April, in which voters overwhelmingly chose to keep the Mississippi state flag with its Confederate battle emblem, SCV leaders pressed the supervisors again for a vote on the Eight Flags display.

"Sooner or later, you are going to have to do what the people want," Wallace Mason, commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, told them Monday.

The Biloxi NAACP on Monday also asked the supervisors to quit flying the state flag at county government buildings. Supervisors didn't act on the request.

The crowd of about 100 at the Gulfport Courthouse on Monday was split between those who were for and against replacing the flag display. Some waved small Rebel flags. Many wore T-shirts that said "Never Again," and pictured a black fist crunching a Rebel flag, and carried posters with slogans such as, "Jeff Davis owned over 5,000 black citizens."

Before voting on the flags, supervisors discussed the issue in a closed-door session, and kept the crowd waiting for about an hour. The board held the closed-door meeting because, supervisors said, the county will probably face lawsuits over the flag.

Before voting, Supervisor Connie Rockco said to the crowd, "I hear two groups that are very emotional ... I know both sides want to see Mississippi move ahead. Is there any way your groups can work together and find a compromise?"

The answer was no.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans said their national organization has adopted the Confederate battle flag, and they can't do otherwise.

Coast radio talk-show host Rip Daniels, an ardent opponent of the Rebel flag, told supervisors, "There are a lot of ways (the county) can deal with this, but I can think of but one right way."

In 1995, Daniels took down the Rebel flag from the Eight Flags display, then sued the county. The state Supreme Court eventually ruled that the county had the right to fly the flag on public property. Daniels, last year during Mardi Gras, took the flag down again, and replaced it with the Stars and Bars, sparking another round of protests.

Daniels, who broadcast live via cell phone from the courthouse Monday, told his listeners, "These folks with their flag are hell-bent on Mississippi not progressing."

Although some Coast business leaders last year took a stand against flying the Rebel flag, tourism officials have not.

On Monday, tourism leaders said they hoped there would not be a boycott, and that they continued to plug the Coast as a friendly place where all are welcome. To date, they said, the Coast flag battle has not affected tourism.

Linda Hornsby, director of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Hotel-Motel Association, said, "Hopefully, our hospitality will continue to shine through any of these issues."

That's doubtful, said Boyd James III, co-founder of Keepers of the Pledge.

"That flag dishonors every one of my ancestors who were kidnapped from Africa and forced to work as slaves in Mississippi," James said. "We have an opportunity to move forward, to stop Mississippi being 50th ... To put that Confederate battle flag back up pours salt into a gaping wound. There will be demonstrations. There will constantly be a war, if you fly a battle flag."

How they voted

After deliberating behind closed doors, the Harrison County Board of Supervisors on Monday voted to put back up the Eight Flags beach display, including the Confederate battle flag.

Voting yes: Larry Benefield, Bobby Eleuterius, Marlin Ladner, Connie Rockco.

Voting no: William Martin.

(rebmaster's note:  yee-haw)

TX: SCV to File Lawsuit against Bush Staff
Sierra Times 06.02.01

The Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is proceeding with its lawsuit against the state of Texas, including members of President Bush´s White House staff.

The suit cites the "unlawful" removal of two Confederate dedicatory plaques from the Texas Supreme Court Building. A 1954 amendment to the Texas Constitution transferred money from the Confederate Pension Fund to build the Supreme Court Building.
The amendment says the building was to be a memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy, and be "properly designated."

Then-Gov. George W. Bush, under pressure from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, ordered the plaques removed last June 9, after the building had closed for the day.

     The Yankee Taliban
    

 "In early March, most of the sensitive people of the world were shocked by reports that the Taliban, who control almost all of Afghanistan, were destroying all of the relics of the Muslim nation´s Hindu and Buddhist past. Their most spectacular depravation involved two huge statues of the Buddha carved into a cliff face. . . .
      "In the United States, or more precisely, in the states that formed the old Confederacy, there are American 'Talibans´ at work, seeking to remove all memory of part of the heritage of the region and the nation. The year 2000 saw the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Columbia, S.C., Statehouse under pressure from black activists and right-thinking liberals from the North and South. . . . The state of Georgia has adopted a new flag, removing the Confederate banner from a prominent place. . . . In the state of Louisiana, schools named for slave-owners such as George Washington . . . have been renamed to honor less-famous figures of African-American heritage.

      "As . . . civilized nations recoil in horror at the destruction of the stone Buddhas, we should reflect on the fact that we have our own variety of Taliban revisionism, and while we are not yet blowing them to bits,

 Chaplain's Corner

WHY REMEBER

by Rev. Calvin Martin    

We recently observed Memorial Day (and I might add it was not on May 30, as it originally started out to be ). For my sermon on Sunday 27 May 2001 I spoke of remembering. I found in my research, in The American Peoples Encyclopedia, Copyright 1969, that " Memorial Day or Decoration Day , observed May 30 in many states of the United States to honor members of the armed forces who gave their lives in the nation's wars. The day is marked by parades, patriotic meetings and oratory, and the decoration of graves of military dead, usually under sponsorship of veteran's organizations.

     The formal observation of Decoration Day began in 1868 when Gen John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, named May 30 for decorating the graves of men killed in the Civil War. New York made the date a legal holiday in 1873; Rhode Island, 1874; Vermont 1876; New Hamphire 1877; Wisconsin 1879; Massachusetts and Ohio, 1881. It is a legal holiday in most northern states. ( Now here's the part I like ) Most Southern states commemorate war dead on Confederate Memorial Day, the date of which varies among southern states."

     Now folks I remind you that this was taken from an encyclopedia. But you go to today's encyclopedias and see what kind of an explanation you get. I will bet you that there is probably no mention of Confederate Memorial Day any more. The ones who make the news and write the books and papers are trying to make us a homoginized nation without any mention of things past and near and dear to most of our hearts.

     Let me remind you that in II Peter 1:12 - 15 and II Peter 3:1 - 2 that he said "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. And II Pet 3: 1-2  " This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts."

     Folks, we people of the South have been putting up with these scoffers for the past 135 years. And it's about time that we stand up and let it be known that we are a people of Confederate ancestors and that they were led by their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and their faith was past on down to us and by the grace of God we will pass along this faith to our descendents and we will constantly remind them of the invasion of our homeland by the order of President Lincoln to take over our lands. I will not let my children forget that their Great Grandfather fought against the dreaded Blue Bellies and he fought bravely and that we are proud of all of the soldiers and sailors of the Confederate States of America and it is to their memory and their faith and belief in the Lord above that carried them through enormous hardships. Then to have to suffer through "Reconstruction" with all of the carpetbaggers coming down here to take over things.

     No, By golly, I will not forget that I'm a SOUTHERNER and proud of it and by the grace of God those of us who still care will still hold up that great battle flag with reverance and devotion. If you tread it that flag then you tread on thousands and thousands of us who will defend it to the death and God help those who try to strike it down . God bless the CSA and all of you SCV 'ers.    

DEO VINDICE      

What would YOUR ancestor say????

How would your ancestor answer the following grips? If you were ever fortunate enough to meet in him face to face in the hereafter, what would his reactions be to when you said.

1. IT’S TOO FAR TO TRAVEL TO THE EVENT TO HONOR MY ANCESTOR WITH A WREATH.

2. IT’S TOO HOT TO MANN A DISPLAY TABLE IN THE LIVING HISTORY AREA

3. IT’S TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO PORTRAY MY ANCESTOR

4. IT’S TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO WEAR PERIOD CLOTHING AND HAVE TO CHANGE.

5. IT’S TOO MUCH TROUBLE HAVING TO DRIVE FROM WHERE WE’RE STAYING, TO THE EVENT GROUNDS; BACK AND FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE WEEKEND.

6. I CAN’T MISS ONE DAY FROM MY WORK TO ARRIVE ON FRIDAY TO HELP PREPARE FOR THE EVENT.

7. I CAN’T STAND THE MOSQUITOS, TICKS, GNATS AND THE HEAT (NOT TO MENTION IF IT WAS TO RAIN)!!

8. THERE’S TOO MUCH TO DO...PREPARE THE SITE, GO TO THE MEMORIAL SERVICE, PARTICIP ATE OR ATTEND THE LIVING HISTORY AREA, PREPARE/ATTEND MEETINGS AND THEN BACK GAIN FOR SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE SO EARLY IN THE MORNING!

9. THE NEAREST RESTAURANT IS 17 MILES AWAY.

10. IT WAS AN ALL-WORK WEEKEND! I DIDN’T GET TIME TO JUST RELAX AND SOCIALIZE.

Has your ancestor ever looked down from above and heard you say any of the above? If so, he’s hanging his head in shameful disbelief. He would be remembering all that he endured for you while in combat. He was hot, but he didn’t have any fresh water to drink or bath in. A lot of them manned a little table, selling/bartering their wares. He was bitten by mosquitoes and gnats. He missed his family, but he went all the way to the front line to take a stand for the generations to follow in his footsteps. He didn’t have clothing to change. He was ragged and barefooted. He didn’t have fresh fruits, vegetables, bread and meat to eat. But, he did attend church service every day of the week and twice on Sunday! He traveled many, many miles to get to and to leave from the front and it wasn’t by cars or airplanes as we arrive in. And when he left the battlefields to the prison camp he was in, most of time it was on foot. Those who left by boat didn’t go but so far, before they were on foot walking home. But, then again 14,000 didn’t even get to go home! They’re still there. Many of our ancestors spent several months in Pt. Lookout or other camps. We go to an event for “one weekend” periodically. Yes, the weekend “ may be crammed’ with many tiring things for us to do. Please remember, we have use these weekend events to tell our ancestors’ side of the story. We had over 500+ spectators at most of the events we participate in. One weekend, it’s important that we do this “for our ancestors.” They’ve already had their flag taken from them, please don’t take their memory and honor that they deserve from us. It’s hard on all of us to do so much during one event, but don’t you think that your ancestor deserves it? We’ve been pampered in our modem life styles. We couldn’t begin to even image what our ancestors went through in the field or in that POW Camp. Some of our members are elderly, have health problems, or live so far away, that doing these things are not feasible. That’s different. However, for those of us who possibly can, there is no excuse.

Our ancestors were hot, hungry, under equipped, homesick and had to face the reality that many would die during these engagements of war - but the cause of freedom was worth all the discomfort and sacrifice. We just don’t have the slightest comprehension of what they really felt - our comfort zones are too real to even be able to imagine it. There may be times you dislike our tight weekend schedule but there will be many times you will see and understand the reasons for it and be glad to pay tribute to your ancestor in such a small way.

For those of you wondering if it is going to make a difference if you go, if all the effort is worth it...when you leave you’ll be better to answer those questions, for you not only CAN make a difference by your presence, but you’ll feel better for having done so “for your ancestor.” Your ancestor, against overwhelming odds, risked losing his home place, his family and his own life for YOU. Can you not stand by with a bowed head and say “Thank you” to those who were there and to those who didn’t go home? Those soldiers buried there are crying from their graves for you to “speak for them” and not let their memory be forgotten. (adapted from an article in “The Parapet” the newsletter of the Point Lookout POW Organisation.)

Flagpole at my home

This Flagpole erected in memory of my G—G---Grandfather, Private John A. Doke who served in Company A 6th Georgia Infantry, Confederate States Army, He died during the fighting near Richmond, Virginia in January 1865 and his brother, Private Richard Alexander Dolce, who served in Company F 4th Florida Infantry, Confederate States Army, He was severely Wounded and died in a Field Hospital at Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Pvt. John A Doke left a widow, Lura Simmons-Doke, Sons William Buchanan Doke, Charles Doke, daughter, Ida Doke—Currie, another son, Augustus Doke.

When the War Between The States ended on April 9, 1865, a corrupt carpetbagger Government came to power, property taxes were raised to 400% to 1200% depending on location. The taxes were ostensibly to build schools and roads, few if any schools were ever built and virtually no roads. The Tax Money was paid out in bribes to each other.

My G—G—Grandmother, Lura Doke lost her home and property because she was unable to pay the outrageous taxes, she was left in extreme poverty, she died near Trenton, Florida in 1885.

Pvt. Richard Alexander Doke left a widow, Susan Simmons—Doke, daughter; Zemlar Susan Doke, son Thomas Doke, son Lacey Baker Doke.

Thomas Doke recalled many years after the war how his father came home on sick leave from the Army and after he recovered, he mounted his horse with a new saddle to return to the War₁ Thomas opened and held the gate while he rode of f never to see his family again, he lies in an unmarked grave at the site of the battlefield at Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

This Confederate Naval Jack Flag to me does not represent slavery or bigotry, it is a Tribute and Honor to my family who were fighting for Southern Independence and who lost their lives in the War 1861-1865, may their souls rest in heaven forever.

James B. Hayward, Commander
John T. Lesley Camp No. 1282
Sons of Confederate Veterans
May 20th 2001

This flag pole, the memorial to Jim Hayward’s ancestors was vandalized. Over night ‘those people’ climbed the 6 ft. chain link fence, entered Jim’s back yard and under the cowardly cover of night, knocked down the flag poke and stole the Confederate Battle Flag Jim so proudly displays.. Not to fear the pole is back up and our flag, once again, proudly waves in Brandon.

To My Southern Brothers:

As a new member of SCV I would like to take a few lines to express some feelings that we all have had and sometimes don’t think much about. We as descendants of the old South have a duty to keep our heritage alive. From our honored Confederate Fathers to our children and grandchildren the legacy of the south lays in our hands. From how we think to the way we act to the way we speak. (I would like to say that there is no prettier sound than a southern gent or belle carrying on a conversation).

We have a proud Southern Heritage. Our forefathers were brave and honorable men. Their blood flows in our veins. We have a responsibility to keep that heritage alive not only to ourselves but to our families. No matter where you go in life your southern heritage goes with you. You have a duty to honor it. It is the birth rite and the responsibility as a Son of the South to keep the sacrifice your fathers made alive. Do it for them but most of all do it for yourselves. They passed the torch on to us, don’t let them down.

When you hear someone, read some book, watch some television show or news cast reporting about our honored forefathers in a negative manner correct them if you can by e-mail, letter or phone call if possible. Like most of you I am passionate about my heritage. Just remember the only person to out rank a Southern General is a Southern Gentleman. We, my brothers have been bestowed that rank. NEVER BE DEMOTED.

In conclusion I would like to say that there is no conclusion to this sentiment. If ever there comes an end to this feeling, this pride and this reverence we have for our SOUTH…. OUR SOUTHERN HERITAGE, then our forefathers fought and died for naught. I am sure that will not happen. I would like to leave you with this thought…Your forefathers gave you a proud name…ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL, BE A WARRIOR WHEN CALLED UPON AND ALWAYS BE A SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN. God bless you and the South.

MICHAEL MITCHAM
John T. Lesley Camp #1282
Sons of the Confederate Veterans

Xray Photo of Lantern Recovered from H. L. Hunley

Tue, May 22 05:04 PM

The remains of the captain of the H.L. Hunley were found in sediment inside the submarine, officials said on May 21, 2001, bringing archaeologists a step closer to solving the mystery of why the vessel sank on the final leg of its historic mission during the Civil War. Archaeologists excavating the forward hull of the Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy warship in battle, also unearthed a lantern, shown in this X-ray photo, believed used by the crew to signal to Confederate sentries on shore near Charleston, South Carolina, that they had completed their mission and were heading back to port./Copyright © 2001 Friends of the Hunley/Handout.

Confederate History Calendar

1861

June 1861-- West Virginia Is Born.
Residents of the western counties of Virginia did not wish to secede along with the rest of the state. This section of Virginia was admitted into the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863 in violation of the US Constitution.

June 3, 1861 Philippi / Philippi Races
June 10, 1861 Big Bethel / Bethel Church
June 17, 1861 Boonville
July 2, 1861 Hoke's Run / Falling Waters / Hainesville
July 5, 1861 Carthage
July 11, 1861 Rich Mountain
July 18, 1861 Bull Run / Blackburn's Ford
July 21, 1861 First Manassas / First Bull Run

1862

June 5, 1862 Tranter's Creek
June 6, 1862 Memphis
June 7-8, 1862 Chattanooga
June 8, 1862 Cross Keys
June 9, 1862 Port Republic
June 16 - Secessionville South Carolina

June 16 -- Secessionville South Carolina

June 16, 1862 Secessionville / Ft. Lamar / James Island
June 17, 1862 Saint Charles
June 21, 1862 Simmon's Bluff

June 21 -- Simmon's Bluff South Carolina

June 25, 1862 Oak Grove French's Field / King's School House
June 26, 1862 Beaver Dam Creek / Mechanicsville / Ellerson's Mill
June 27, 1862 Gaines' Mill / First Cold Harbor
June 27-28, 1862 Garnett's Farm / Golding's Farm
June 29, 1862 Savage's Station
June 30, 1862 White Oak Swamp
June 30, 1862 Glendale / Frayser's Farm / Riddell's Shop
June 30-July 1, 1862 Tampa

June 30 City of Tampa.

1863

June 7, 1863 Milliken's Bend

June 9 -- Battle of Brandy Station, 1863.
The victorious Confederate Army of Northern Virginia streamed into Culpeper County after its victory at Fredericksburg. Under the leadership of Gen. Robert E. Lee, the troops seemed invincible and massed around Culpeper preparing to carry the war north into Pennsylvania.
By June 5, two infantry corps under Longstreet and Ewell were camped in and around Culpeper. Six miles north of town, holding the line of the Rappahannock River, Gen. J.E.B. Stuart bivouacked his cavalry troopers, screening the Confederate Army against surprise by the enemy.

June 9, 1863 Brandy Station / Fleetwood Hill
June 17, 1863 Aldie
June 17-19, 1863 Middleburg
June 13-15, 1863 Winchester Second

June 13 -- The Gettysburg Campaign.
Confederate General Lee decided to take the war to the enemy. On June 13, he defeated Union forces at Winchester, Virginia, and continued north to Pennsylvania. General Hooker, who had been planning to attack Richmond, was instead forced to follow Lee. Hooker, never comfortable with his commander, General Halleck, resigned on June 28, and General George Meade replaced him as commander of the Army of the Potomac.

June 20 -- West Virginia admitted to the Union

June 20-21, 1863 LaFourche Crossing
June 21, 1863 Upperville
June 24-26, 1863 Hoover's Gap
June 28, 1863 Donaldsonville
June 29–30, 1863 Goodrich's Landing / The Mounds / Lake Providence
June 30, 1863 Hanover

1864

June The Battle of Cold Harbor.
Grant again attacked Confederate forces at Cold Harbor, losing over 7,000 men in twenty minutes.

June 1864 -- The Siege of Petersburg.
Grant hoped to take Petersburg, below Richmond, and then approach the Confederate capital from the south. The attempt failed, resulting in a ten month siege and the loss of thousands of lives on both sides,

June 5-6 Piedmont
June 6, 1864 Old River Lake / Ditch Bayou / Lake Chicot
June 9-July 3, 1864 Marietta / Pine Hill / Ruff's Mill
June 9 Petersburg
June 10, 1864 Brices Cross Roads / Tishomingo Creek
June 11-12 Trevilian Station
June 11-12, 1864 Cynthiana / Kellar's Bridge
June 15-18 Assault on Petersburg
June 17-18 Lynchburg
June 21-24 Jerusalem Plank Road / First Battle of Weldon
June 22, 1864 Kolb's Farm
June 24 Saint Mary's Church / Nance's Shop
June 25 Staunton River / Blacks and Whites
June 27, 1864 Kennesaw Mountain
June 28 Sappony Church / Stony Creek Depot
June 29 Ream's Station

The Last Meeting of Lee And Jackson

This painting, which artist Everett B.D. Julio first titled Heroes of Chancellorsville. depicts General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson as they discussed final preparations for Jackson’s attack against the Federal army at the battle of Chancellorsville.

The late Confederacy had no shortage of painters and illustrators ready to depict its “exploits.” But, in contrast to others who had lived through the events and knew the men they depicted, Julio had no evident credentials to become the artistic chronicler of the Confederacy. Born on the island of St. Helena in 1843 of Italian and Scottish parents, Julio immigrated to the United States in 1860. In 1864, he established his studio in St. Louis.

Julio never met “the heroes of Chancellorsville,” but he had numerous models or “master images” on which to base their likenesses. Julio apparently used photographs by Mathew Brady for his portrait of Lee. For Jackson. Julio relied on a profile photograph taken just two weeks before the battle of Chancellorsville.

Lee was still alive when Julio set out to paint “pictures which will recall the souvenirs and exploits of the soldiers of the South..” Seeking accuracy and detail in his portraits, Julio wrote to Lee, who was then president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. On January 15, 1869, Lee answered Julio’s inquiry with this never-before-published letter now in the Museum’s collections:

Dear Sir

In compliance with your request I send such pictures of nn’self & Geni Jackson as / can procure. I am a poor judge of my own likeness. The description enclosed written by a friend I believe to be correct. Geizi Jackson had blue eves, receding forehead & fair complexion. Regretting that I can do nothing more to facilitate your purpose & wishing you success in your art

I am very resti your ohtservt

RE Lee

Conscious that Lee was the South’s greatest living hero and that any connection with the general gave his artworks greater credibility. Julio offered the finished painting to Lee. The general declined the offer. “it is not that 1 do not appreciate your feelings, or value your kindness, that I cannot accept your picture. but that I desire you to have all the benefit as well as the credit of your labors.” Lee wrote in late August 1869.

The general’s gracious refusal was bittersweet for the artist. “~T]he noble man.” Julio wrote of Lee. “would not listen to my idea of giving away my labor. it was his kind expression that induced me to look forward to a glorious future. and I felt, perhaps through proper study, I could proclaim myself the historian-painter of the South. toward which goal I am now struggling.”

Struggle and study did not, however, bring Julio the “glorious future” for which he and Lee wished.

While an admirer in Baton Rouge put him “among the first of the South’s great artists.” Julio did not

reap the benefits of his greatness. Typical of period artworks. prints of The Last Meeting of Lee and

Jackson became better known and more profitable than the original painting.

Prints from the first engraving, made in 1871 by Frederick Halpin. were apparently sold in a lottery for the purchase of the original painting. A chromolithograph (tinted print) executed in 1879 and a print produced at the time of Lee’s birthday centennial in 1907 proved even more popular. Post cards — declared to be “very well executed” — were sold at the 1910 United Confederate Veterans reunion.

In contrast, the original painting — the “master image” for all the prints, postcards, china plates and souvenirs that have born the familiar picture — faded from popular consciousness. Turn-of-the-century Southerners who displayed the tinted print on their parlor walls did not realize that there was a monumental painting on which those prints were based.

Julio died in debt in 1879 with the painting still unsold. Col. John B. Richardson bought the original from Julio’s estate and displayed it in the arsenal of his wartime military unit, the Washington Artillery of New Orleans. Richardson’s widow sold it to New Orleans businessman and Confederate veteran James B. Sinnott in 1910. As had Richardson. Sinnott displayed the huge painting in a public institution, the Louisiana State Museum.

The Last Meeting was out of public view from 1956 to 1987. when a South Carolina art dealer purchased it and sent it on a nationwide tour. Among the

sites of that tour was The Museum of the Confederacy. The Museum acquired the painting in August 1992.

At least one nineteenth century critic hoped that The Last Meeting was “the beginning. . of a series that shall perpetuate the deeds and prowess of the gallant and chivalrous soldiers of the South.” Though it proved to be the only such work that Julio produced. it stands as the most importarn idealized portrayal of Confederate military heroes.

(from information supplied by the Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond, Virginia, CSA)

From the Adjutant’s Desk:

The John T. Lesley Camp 1282 Membership Roster for June 2001 stands 186 Compatriots and 24 Legionaires.

The Lesley Camp takes pleasure in announcing the membership of two new men into our midst. Earl Lewis Hillis, his ancestor was Pvt. Woodson P. Hillis of Co E 22nd Bn. TN Inf. Larry Ernest Dodson, his ancestor was Sergeant James Wilson Dodson Co E 44th AL Inf Regt.

The 1841 Mississippi .54 CAL Rifle has been delivered and tickets will be mailed to you in the near future.

The Florida Division SCV & MOS&B Reunion May 18-20, 2001 at the Double Tree Guest Suites at Rocky Point was a huge success. Many in and out of state dignitaries were present. Dr. Terry Rude of Bob Jones University gave an excellent address on the WBTS.

If you have any questions concerning camp business or to process membership paperwork, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Adjutant Dwight Tetrick
19126 Amelia Circle
Lutz, FL 33549
(813) 949-4746