SAM DAVIS SCV CAMP 1293 AUGUST 2008
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IT’S BIG, IT’S PROUD, IT’S REBEL
itting upon one of the most visible promontories in West Tennessee, a massive
Confederate flag and plaza are ready for their dedication. The flag’s location, visible from the future I-69 and halfway between Canada and Mexico, made it suitable for the SCV to contribute to the construction cost. The Parks Cemetery Ridge Memorial Plaza is a circular sitting area with an 85-foot pole and a 20-by-30-foot Confederate flag flying overhead as the focal point. Four granite markers on the plaza from a former unCivil War era theater in Richmond, Virginia, include the SCV charge and other inscriptions dedicated to Confederate soldiers. Trimble, Tennessee resident Hamilton Parks, a life member of the SCV, donated a 50-by-50 foot parcel north of where his great-grandfather's log cabin was located, adjacent to Pierce Cemetery. Parks had a pavilion constructed to commemorate the location of his great-grandfather's log cabin. The pavilion is designed in the style of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Eleven Confederate veterans are buried in the nearby cemetery, which make the place ideal for the flag and plaza. The project is part of an effort to place the “mega-flags” on prominent locations across the South. The flag will be lighted at night, said Parks. Bill Foster, past commander of the SCV camp in Union City, has coordinated the plaza and flag work with Parks. “We hope it will draw some interest from people who want to know more about the Confederacy,” said Foster. “It’s about heritage.
We don't want to give the wrong impression to anyone. This is about true history and heritage.”
the CourierS
Hamilton Parks stands with Bill Foster where the flag now flies.
Parks Cemetery RidgeConfederate Battle Flag Dedication
Saturday, August 2nd at 2:00 p.m.
Parks Cemetery Ridge ConfederateMemorial Plaza
Highway 51 at Highway 105Trimble, Tennessee Exit
Speakers: Dr. Bradley and Dr. ManessMusic: Rick Revel
Cannon Fire and Musket Salute
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Happenings in Concord The new national SCV Commander-in-Chief is Chuck McMichael from Louisiana. He won by acclamation after his opponent withdrew. Kelly Barrow of Georgia was re-elected as the Army of Tennessee Commander by a large margin. The AoT Councilman is Tom Stain of Alabama who won by just 16 votes, beating a well respected opponent. The big disappointment in the elections was the race for Lt. Commander-in-Chief. Ed Butler from Cookeville got beat by the outgoing Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. Out of 1,103 votes cast, Ed lost by only 157. The truth of the matter is that too few camps from Tennessee attended the reunion to support him. I will miss Chris Sullivan as our CiC. He is a very polished, dignified, and intelligent leader. In his departing speech, he told about how he got into the SCV and about some of his early experiences. One amusing anecdote related to his first camp. He quickly learned that if you used the phrase “Civil War,” you were fined $1.00. He kept his mouth shut for almost a year because he didn’t know what else might be penalized. Chris said, “We must not remember just what our ancestors did, but what they represented.” He quoted Winston Churchhill as saying, “The hope of the World is
America.” Chris added, “The hope of America is the South. The hope of the South is the SCV.” There was definitely some excitement on the first night at the Wingate Hotel by Wyndham where I was staying. One of our compatriots was arrested for refusing to remove our battle flag hanging in his window. Even though the police tried to resolve the situation with the hotel management, our compatriot was charged with criminal trespass and will have to return to Concord to appear in court later this year. The following day at the reunion’s business session, the situation was described and a motion was made to present the Heritage Defense Award for the year to the fellow. It was unanimously agreed upon by all present in the hall that his standing his ground deserved that recognition. You might want to think about what happened at the Wingate Hotel by Wyndham when considering your next stay. The PR committee gave an overview of a very professional website which should be accessible very soon. Its aim is to make information available about the SCV and to clear up misconceptions. As soon as it is up, I will get the word out. A new CD was passed out at the reunion entitled, “The Truth Concerning the Confederate Battle Flag.” It contains factual information and a message by
Pastor John Weaver. The CD is a not-for-profit project of the Chattahoochee Guards Camp 1639 in Mableton, Georgia. They feel that the message on this CD is so necessary for the public to hear that they are making them available to anyone at their cost, 35 cents. They will send you 100 CDs for $35 plus $5 for shipping and handling. If you would like to help spread this message for less than the cost of a postage stamp, write a cheque payable to Camp 1639 and send it to: Joel Coleman, 8405 Jenkins Road, Winston, GA 30187. After one of the business sessions, a representative from footnote.com took the podium and presented what their website has to offer. The war records for 9 of the 13 Confederate states are available. A special reduced cost to join footnote was announced. Of the 51 real sons who still survive, two were present at the reunion. One of them was present last year and he told me he was going to attend next year, if he was still alive. We got word during the reunion that a real son who attended last year had just died. It is amazing and fascinating to me to realize that I have been with men who are the sons of men who fought in the War. The reunion was held in Concord, North Carolina, just North of Charlotte. The meetings were held in a remote area 15 miles from all of our hotels, and
BEHIND ENEMY LINES: COMMENTS FROM THE GRAND POOPAH
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with no restaurants nearby. It was very inconvenient. For instance, after the business meeting was over at noon on Saturday, you had to return to your hotel, find something to do, then travel the distance again for the banquet, a total of 60 miles. It was evident from the beginning that this reunion, held in a warehouse setting, was not catering to attendees. From no coffee or water being furnished during business meetings, no microphone for the awards luncheon, not enough places for everyone to sit down and eat in that room, the three armies trying to hear candidate speeches with only thin curtains separating them, to a banquet costing $65 apiece where plastic was used to serve food much inferior to a TV dinner, the entire experience was an insult to our membership. The GEC recommended Montgomery, Alabama as the 2011 site for the national reunion. It won approval from the delegates. The location for next year’s reunion is Hot Springs, Arkansas. The host hotel is the most prominent building in the heart of historic downtown, the famous and fabulous Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, built in 1924. According to their publicity, “The Arlington has all of the ambiance and hospitality of a traditional, grand old Southern hotel, as well as full spa service and the Thermal Bath House, three fabulous restaurants, and a national park outside any door.” Their website
is www.arlingtonhotel.com. Mention the SCV for a group rate. I already have my reservation -- come join me. From the online information that has already been posted(www.scv2009reunion.org), planning and effort are evident, and it promises to be a reunion on par with the recent ones held in New Orleans and Mobile. If this is not the case, the SCV will suffer a big drop off in future reunion attendance.
www.tndiv09.org At the national reunion, a lot of progress was made on designing a handsome commemorative medal and getting vendors for the Tennessee Division Reunion next April. I especially need someone to chair the committee that gets ads for the program. I would be most appreciative if someone would volunteer to be the ads chairman.
TN DIV Lifers We now have ten Life Memberships in the Tennessee Division. This is a real bargain for all our members at only $100. A membership application can be downloaded from our Tennessee Division website. If you join, you will get those hefty $5.00 annual dues behind you.
CW Roundtable The next Franklin CW Roundtable will be Sunday, August 10th. The speaker will be
Kraig McNutt, who will discuss stories behind the Tennessee Confederate soldiers buried at the McGavock Cemetery at Carnton. For more information visit the website: www.fcwrt.org. The meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. at the Williamson County Library on Columbia Pike.
Speaking Next Month Our August 28th camp meeting speaker is Dr. Michael Bradley. His topic will be of definite interest: “Southern Civilians Targeted by the US Army.”
A Big Thank You Gene Andrews says, “A tremendous thanks goes out to all of the Confederate patriots who donated so much of their time and hard work to make the 2008 Forrest Homecoming such a great success. The workers, cooks, salesmen and sales ladies, SCV, UDC and OCR, re-enactors, our special guest entertainers and lecturers and especially all of the young men and ladies -- the future of our Confederate Cause -- for their help and long hours. When we settle up all of our expenses and donations this will be one of our best years financially.”
Did ’Ya See Us? On page 34 of the May/June issue of the Confederate Veteran, there was a very nice picture of a fine group of folks who marched in the ’07 Veterans Day Parade.
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COMPATRIOT JOHN T. HERBERT
t has been said of Mr. John Herbert that he loved, and put above all else, his God. On
Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, he was at church or something was wrong. After his faith, he put his family as the next most important thing in his life. He and his wife Betty were rarely seen apart. A very nice resolution from SCV HQ was presented to Mrs. Herbert in honor of her husband’s life. The document mentioned his military service, during which he served in two wars, WWII and Korea. No one can recall anyone not liking Mr. Herbert or hearing a bad thing said about him. One thing about Mr. Herbert though, if he got you cornered about something, you were there for a while until he got through talking. The following statements express some thoughts about Mr. Herbert from compatriots who knew him well.
Skip Earle writes, “I regret to post notice of the passing of Mr. John Herbert, a decades-long member of the Sam Davis Camp of Brentwood and a past camp commander. Mr. Herbert and his wife, Betty, were fixtures at our meetings. Miz Betty always brought post-meeting refreshments. Together they were responsible for our camp's continuing use of Woodson Chapel Church of Christ or the adjoining community center as our meeting place. Mr. Herbert was one of a thinning line of true Southern gentlemen, a devoted family man, and a faithful Christian.”
Ed Butler writes, “I too will miss Mr. Herbert as we always visited when our paths crossed. He is the only SCV member I know of outside of the General Hatton and Dillard-Judd camps that contacted me to get directions to the grave site of two Confederate soldiers that were murdered in Chestnut by Yankee trash home guards. They were beaten, shot in the arms and legs, and tortured for hours before someone mercifully killed them. They are buried in ‘Tom Hollow’ which is a mountain pass in Putnam County. “Mr. Herbert made the two or three mile hike to the grave site when he was not able to get around as well as many of us. He was a true Southern patriot and gentleman! I wish we had ten thousand more like him!”
Jerry Raymer writes, “The passing of John Herbert is a big loss to the Sam Davis Camp. He was one of the first members of 1293 to take me under his wing and let me know I was a welcomed addition to the camp. “For those who do not know, John Herbert's grandfather was a member of the famed ‘Coleman Scouts.’ This group also had men such as Sam Davis & DeWitt Smith Jobe. “My prayers go out for Mrs. Betty Herbert and the whole Herbert family. May God bless them during this time. Without a doubt, Mr. John Herbert will be missed!”
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John and Betty Herbert were married almost 68 years.
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HERE A FLAG, THERE A FLAG, EVERYWHERE A BATTLE FLAG
he following are comments about an exciting event held on July 19th and 20th:
We had an excellent day this past Saturday at Uncle Dave Macon Days bluegrass festival. It was held in Cannonsburg Pioneer Village in Murfreesboro. There was great support throughout the day from several members working the booth. We had purchased 5 gross (720) of the hand held Confederate stick flags, and instead of selling them we just had a donation jug on our display table. The flags cost $177 and the jug brought in $315! All of the flags were given away by about 7:00 p.m. and we could have given away another hundred or so. It was real good to see all of the flags being carried around the village. We still had people coming up and asking for a flag long after they were gone. Next year we might need to get 1,000!
James Patterson, AdjutantMurfreesboro Camp 33
Donna and I were there selling Donna's Fried Pies and I can attest to all the flags being carried. Kids had them. Adults had them too. Ladies had them plugged in their hair. Even dogs had them in their collars. Baby carriages had them. I even saw some Indians (from India, not our native kind) with them. Ray Miller, AdjutantSavage Goodner Camp 1513 It honestly boggles my mind to think about 700-plus Confederate flags being carried around that event. The sight, alone, would have been spectacular, but it's icing on the cake to hear that donations actually gained you a profit. What an incredibly good idea. James TurnerSam Davis Camp 1293
DAVIS RETURNS TO RICHMOND WHO’S YOUR DADDY?f you are interested in furthering your own genealogical research, the SCV has made
arrangements to allow our members to do this research using their DNA by sending it to a company called Family Tree DNA. Genetic genealogy through the use of DNA is increasing in popularity. It allows a person to connect with other people who perhaps may have more information to add to a family’s history. Family Tree DNA has set up a group program, offering the SCV discounts and profit sharing. If you are interested, visit the Family Tree DNA website, www.familytreedna.com, and look it over. If you decide you would like to join theSonsofConfederateVet surname project, you can do so at www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.aspx?code=K17699.
t the national reunion, two requests were made to go back to your respective camps
and encourage support for the Jefferson Davis statue which is to be completed soon. The chosen site for the statue is the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia. The reason for selecting Tredegar is twofold. The iron works was the major cannon and armaments center for the Confederacy and is today the headquarters of the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Another reason for the choice of the location is the presence of a statue of Abraham Lincoln that the Park Service allowed to be erected. In the May/June issue of Confederate Veteran, there is an article about the statue and a letter from Chris Sullivan. Please consider a donation.
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BOLD ASSERTION OF SOVEREIGN RIGHTSOklahoma Rebellionby Dr. Walter E. Williams - CNSNews.com
ne of the unappreciated casualties of the War of 1861, erroneously called a civil war,
was its contribution to the erosion of constitutional guarantees of state sovereignty. It settled the issue of secession, making it possible for the federal government to increasingly run roughshod over 9th and 10th Amendment guarantees. A civil war, by the way, is a struggle where two or more parties try to take over the central government. Confederate President Jefferson Davis no more wanted to take over Washington, D.C., than George Washington wanted to take over London. Both wars are more properly described as wars of independence.
Dr. Walter E. Williams is a professor at George Mason University.
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Oklahomans are trying to recover some of their lost state sovereignty by House Joint Resolution 1089, introduced by State Rep. Charles Key. The resolution's language, in part, reads: “Whereas, the 10th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: ‘The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people’; and Whereas, the 10th Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and whereas, the scope of power defined by the 10th Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and Whereas, today, in 2008, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives and the senate of the 2nd session of the 51st Oklahoma Legislature: that the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States. That this serve as Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.” Key's resolution passed in the Oklahoma House of Representatives with a 92 to 3 vote, but it reached a bottleneck in the Senate where it languished until adjournment. However, Key plans to reintroduce the measure when the Legislature reconvenes. Federal usurpation goes beyond anything the Constitution's framers would have imagined. James Madison, explaining the Constitution, in Federalist Paper 45, said, “The powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people.”
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Bold Assertion, CONTINUED ...
Thomas Jefferson emphasized that the states are not “subordinate” to the national government, but rather the two are “coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government.” Both parties and all branches of the federal government have made a mockery of the checks and balances, separation of powers and the republican form of government envisioned by the founders. One of the more disgusting sights for
me is to watch a president, congressman or federal judge take an oath to uphold and defend the United States Constitution, when in reality they either hold constitutional principles in contempt or they are ignorant of those principles. State efforts, such as Oklahoma’s, create a glimmer of hope that one day Americans and their elected representatives will realize that the federal government is the creation of the states. A bit of rebellion by officials in other states will speed that process along.
New Marker Commemorates Nashville’s Barricade Battleby Gregory L. Wade - Civil War News
historical marker describing what is commonly known as the Battle at the Barricade was recently unveiled near the battle site on Nashville’s Granny White Pike.
The marker, the first new 1864 Battle of Nashville marker in Metro Nashville since 1992, was erected through a project sponsored by the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society (BONPS).
First New Battle of Nashville Marker in a Long Time
The new marker stands at the Richland Club entrance.
A BONPS President Jim Kay, a member of Richland Country Club, worked with both organizations to have the marker placed at the club’s entrance on the Pike. He said the club’s board members were all for it “and there may be other projects with the club in the future.” Granny White Pike, named for Lucinda White who operated an inn in the early 1800’s, is a major north/south artery into Nashville. Because of its location south of the city, it was a strategic part of the battle, with its narrow gaps and rugged terrain. It was at the Battle of the Barricade, after Confederate lines broke, that Rebel cavalry under Col. Edmund Rucker slowed Union Gen. James Wilson’s pursuit of the defeated Army of Tennessee under Gen. John Bell Hood. This delaying action saved the Confederates from more complete destruction and allowed their escape south. Rucker was wounded and captured in this action. The marker is the first to note the action known for the use of fallen trees as breastworks on the desperate dark night of December 16, 1864.
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Published byThe Sam Davis Camp 1293Sons of Confederate VeteransP.O. Box 3448Brentwood, TN 37024
Commander, Richard Rust: [email protected] Lt. Commander, Larry Cockerham2nd Lt. Commander, David EaganAdjutant, Chris SollmannTreasurer, Ronnie TownesChaplain, Tony RocchiettiStewart Cruickshank, Historian and GenealogistNewsletter Editor, Richard RustNewsletter Assistant, Bill PowellWebmaster, Allen Sullivant
Website: www.samdaviscamp.org
UPCOMINGCAMP CALENDAR
August 23 - 24Recruitment at Bob Pope’s Gun Show
August 28Meeting w/ Speaker: Dr. Michael BradleyThe OCR will be serving a Summer treatWoodson Chapel, 7:00 p.m.
September 25Meeting w/ Speaker: Dr. Carole BucyWoodson Chapel, 7:00 p.m.
October 11 - 12Recruitment at Bob Pope’s Gun Show
October 23Show and Tell (Share Anything CSA)Woodson Chapel, 7:00 p.m.
It’s That Time Again
Please see
Chris Sollmann to get
your dues paid.
Jeff Rector is ready for a fight.
