Thursday, June 26, 2008
Business & Elections Schedules at Concord
The schedule for business meetings and elections at the national reunion is set by the Commander-in-Chief, subject to changes voted on by the convention itself (as happened last year so that delegates could attend the funeral of a Confederate submariner). This year the intent of the Commander-in-Chief is for all voting on amendments and resolutions to take place on Friday, and for elections to take place on Saturday, and for all business - including elections - to be concluded by 1pm on Saturday. Please keep in mind that this can only be considered as tentative since all is subject to the will of the convention.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Confederate enthusiast isn't one-dimensional
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- William Oden Jr., a man with controversial views, wants to celebrate the bicentennial. Grab your chairs and hold tight.
He's not talking of Greensboro's 200th birthday. He wants to hail a person who wandered Greensboro a defeated man in April 1865 — Confederacy President Jefferson Davis. Davis was born in Kentucky in 1808 the same year Guilford commissioners peeled off $98 to buy land to start Greensboro.
Oden, with gray eyebrows and hair, believes that those who vent outrage about Davis and the Confederacy haven't done their homework.
He says before the Civil War, Davis served the United States in many ways and was wounded in the Mexican War. The Civil War would have been avoided, Oden says, if Davis had run for president in 1860 as some friends urged. The war would kill 680,000 Northern and Southern soldiers.
The News & Record of Greensboro reported that like many with views equal to dynamite sticks, Oden isn't one-dimensional. Although he loves conservative columnist Thomas Sowell, he also likes liberal Maureen Dowd for how she beats up on President Bush.
Liberals, and some conservatives, would shout hooray when Oden declares, "Bush is the worst president," but many would cringe when he adds, "since Lincoln."
Oden says Bush's war in Iraq doesn't match what he calls the Civil War debacle — which he blames on Abraham Lincoln — "but it comes pretty dang close."
See Full Story;
Fox News Coverage of the Giant Tampa Flag
The very large Battleflag and memorial established by the Florida Division near the intersection of two busy interstates in Tampa has generated an incredible amount of media coverage. Some of the best coverage on the story was done by Fox News, and you can view (requires Adobe Flash) that clip by going to:
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=1711589&referralPlaylistId=search
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Amending history; Confederate soldier’s grave finally gets proper marker
June 20, 2008 - 12:00 a.m. EST
LONG CREEK — As far as Doug Blackwell is concerned, 99 years was long enough for his great-grandfather’s grave to lie, marked only by a rock, in the cemetery at Holly Springs Baptist Church.
Blackwell knew that his great-grandfather was a brave soldier of the Confederacy and a prisoner of war. It just didn’t seem right that there was no marker.
Recently, that all changed, but it wasn’t easy.
Little did Blackwell know, however, that when he set about to get a marker from the Sons of the Confederacy he would have to set a few records straight along the way.
Born in 1843, Benjamin F. Blackwell enlisted in the Confederate Army at the age of 18, being assigned from the Walhalla-Pickens District to the 12th South Carolina Infantry. His regiment saw action on the coast and went on to participate in some of the biggest battles of the war in northern Virginia.
On July 14, 1863, members of the 6th Michigan Mounted Cavalry at Falling Waters, Md, took Blackwell prisoner. Two days later he arrived at Maryland’s Point Lookout prison.
See Full Story;
Monday, June 23, 2008
Confederate Veteran Establishes Blog
The Confederate Veteran, the official publication of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has established its own blog, with even more information of goings on in the Confederation. We'll establish a link from here to there (and vice versa) so that navigation back and forth is easy. To see the new Confederate Veteran blog, visit www.confederateveteran.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Confederate group offers statue to Civil War Center
By STEVE SZKOTAK – 1 hour ago
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Southern heritage group that opposed a statue of President Abraham Lincoln at the American Civil War Center is offering to donate a $100,000 statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis for the same site.
Brag Bowling, a spokesman for the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said the gift is intended to celebrate Davis's birth 200 years ago this month in Kentucky.
It is not, he said, payback for the Lincoln statue unveiled in 2003.
"We're not offering the statue for controversy at all," Bowling said. "We've had enough of that with the other statue."
The offer has led to some delicate postwar diplomacy between the SCV and the Civil War Center, which strives to offer a neutral, historical perspective. Officials from each organization met Tuesday, but no immediate decision was expected.
The symbolism of statues is strong in a former capital of the Confederacy where monuments to Confederate heroes, including Davis, already line its most elegant boulevard.
Monument Avenue also includes memorials to Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, both depicted on horseback. The addition of a statue dedicated to tennis great Arthur Ashe, a Richmond native, was opposed by purists who argued the boulevard was intended to honor Civil War greats.
Davis is interred at Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery, where thousands of Confederate soldiers are buried in a rolling green expanse overlooking downtown and the James River.
The majority-black city of 200,000 has taken a more reflective approach to the Civil War in recent decades, recognizing that the symbols and personalities of the period can be offensive to those who associate them with slavery.
The executive director of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP said Richmond does not need another monument to a Confederate figure.
"There's not a need for any more Confederate anything. We're maxed out," King Salim Khalfani said Tuesday. He called the Davis proposal "tit-for-tat" for the Lincoln monument.
"It's very offensive to me personally because if their cause was successful I would still be picking tobacco," he said.
Christy S. Coleman, president of the Civil War Center, said her organization is approaching the donation as it would any other gift: Officials will examine whether it fits with the center's collections strategy and consider its future upkeep, among other issues. The board of the nonprofit center will likely take up the matter in August.
"If someone offers us a sword, we may turn it down because we have too many swords," Coleman said. "Or we'll turn something down if it's not authentic, obviously."
Bowling described Tuesday's meeting as very cordial.
"I think they understand exactly what we want and why that is a very good place to have it," he said.
Bowling says the statue is right for Richmond historically and it's the most precise depiction of the angular statesman cast in stone or bronze.
Artist Gary Casteel also brought a little-known aspect of Davis's life to his work: Davis is depicted with his son, Joe, and a mixed-race child, Jim Limber, who was taken in by the Davis family.
"There are lots of places that this statue would be accepted in a second," Bowling said.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Southern heritage group that opposed a statue of President Abraham Lincoln at the American Civil War Center is offering to donate a $100,000 statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis for the same site.
Brag Bowling, a spokesman for the Virginia division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said the gift is intended to celebrate Davis's birth 200 years ago this month in Kentucky.
It is not, he said, payback for the Lincoln statue unveiled in 2003.
"We're not offering the statue for controversy at all," Bowling said. "We've had enough of that with the other statue."
The offer has led to some delicate postwar diplomacy between the SCV and the Civil War Center, which strives to offer a neutral, historical perspective. Officials from each organization met Tuesday, but no immediate decision was expected.
The symbolism of statues is strong in a former capital of the Confederacy where monuments to Confederate heroes, including Davis, already line its most elegant boulevard.
Monument Avenue also includes memorials to Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, both depicted on horseback. The addition of a statue dedicated to tennis great Arthur Ashe, a Richmond native, was opposed by purists who argued the boulevard was intended to honor Civil War greats.
Davis is interred at Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery, where thousands of Confederate soldiers are buried in a rolling green expanse overlooking downtown and the James River.
The majority-black city of 200,000 has taken a more reflective approach to the Civil War in recent decades, recognizing that the symbols and personalities of the period can be offensive to those who associate them with slavery.
The executive director of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP said Richmond does not need another monument to a Confederate figure.
"There's not a need for any more Confederate anything. We're maxed out," King Salim Khalfani said Tuesday. He called the Davis proposal "tit-for-tat" for the Lincoln monument.
"It's very offensive to me personally because if their cause was successful I would still be picking tobacco," he said.
Christy S. Coleman, president of the Civil War Center, said her organization is approaching the donation as it would any other gift: Officials will examine whether it fits with the center's collections strategy and consider its future upkeep, among other issues. The board of the nonprofit center will likely take up the matter in August.
"If someone offers us a sword, we may turn it down because we have too many swords," Coleman said. "Or we'll turn something down if it's not authentic, obviously."
Bowling described Tuesday's meeting as very cordial.
"I think they understand exactly what we want and why that is a very good place to have it," he said.
Bowling says the statue is right for Richmond historically and it's the most precise depiction of the angular statesman cast in stone or bronze.
Artist Gary Casteel also brought a little-known aspect of Davis's life to his work: Davis is depicted with his son, Joe, and a mixed-race child, Jim Limber, who was taken in by the Davis family.
"There are lots of places that this statue would be accepted in a second," Bowling said.
Friday, June 13, 2008
New War Service Record Research Tools
Military Research at the National Archives. The SCV was contacted by Kelley Bevis, a law student in Washington DC who is an avid researcher at the national archives and will obtain that hard to find service record quicker and more cheaply than the using the government’s service. Kelley will provide full Confederate service records for only $30 with a two-week turnaround which is both faster and cheaper than going through the federal government. Email texlabooks@gmail.com or visit www.kelleybevis.com.
Many of you are looking for your Confederate Ancestor's service records. Through their partnerships with organizations such as the National Archives, Footnote.com currently offers over 4 million Confederate Soldier service records. These documents will help you obtain your ancestor's proof of service. Currently available: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers for the states of Alabama, Texas & Virginia with more states to come soon, Confederate Amnesty Papers, Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 & much more… Why not start your Footnote free trial now? http://www.footnote.com/scv.php?xid=69
Future Reunions
The 2009 SCV National Reunion will be held in Hot Springs AR and hosted by the James M. Keller Camp 648, and the 2010 Reunion will be held in Anderson County SC and hosted by the Manse Jolly SCV Camp 6. Montgomery AL is the proposed site for 2011 Reunion, and the GEC will be recommending this location to the 2008 Annual General Reunion attendees at Concord NC in July 2008.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Stolen Confederate memorial ends up in creek
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
By SCOTT HEWITT, Columbian Staff Writer
Even when he’s all wet, he looks so darned ... rebellious.
The 4-by-8-foot Jefferson Davis Park sign that was stolen recently from a private park near Ridgefield turned up Wednesday afternoon when Larry Clement walked out his back door and looked down on Salmon Creek.
Clement, who lives on dead-end Northeast 121st Street — just yards east of the Northeast Highway 99 bridge that’s being replaced — spotted the stoic visage of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, peeking over the Salmon Creek water line, trapped by a log jam.
“It’s sitting there, waiting for someone to come get it,” Clement said. “It looks like it floated down the creek. Somebody must have dumped it in the creek upstream and it got this far and got stuck.”
The Columbian contacted Brent Jacobs, mastermind of the Jefferson Davis Park and Oregon division commander for the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
See Full Story;
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Statue of Jefferson Davis is proposed
Confederate group seeks spot near Lincoln statue at Tredegar in RichmondBy WILL JONES
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
A life-size statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis could stand with the one of Abraham Lincoln at Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is offering to donate a bronze statue of Davis for placement at the National Historic Landmark site to mark this year as the bicentennial of his birth.
The $100,000-plus statue by Lexington sculptor Gary Casteel would help educate the public about the Confederate president and how his family took in a mixed-race orphan and serve as a counter to the Lincoln statue that was dedicated in 2003, said Brag Bowling, a Richmond resident and a board member with the national Southern-heritage group.
"There were two sides of the war," he said.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans fought the Lincoln statue, which depicts him with his son Tad on his visit to the burned-out Confederate capital in 1865. Bowling said the group isn't trying to cause an uproar but sees a need for historic balance at Tredegar.
"The acceptance of that statue would soothe some feelings of Southerners from a few years ago," he said.
Representatives of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are expected to meet next Tuesday with officials from the American Civil War Center, which controls the Tredegar site through an agreement with its owner, NewMarket Corp.
See Full Story;
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-06-10-0139.html
Monday, June 2, 2008
Debate Over Plans to Fly 'World's Largest' Confederate Flag Over Busy Tampa Intersection
A giant Confederate battle flag may soon be flying near a Tampa highway intersection.
A Confederate heritage group called the Sons of Confederate Veterans plans to fly the 30-by-50 flag atop a 139-foot pole, the highest the FAA will allow.
The group, which bills its Confederate flag as the "world's largest," expects to have it in place by 2009, The St. Petersburg Times reported.
The group has building permits but still needs $30,000 to complete the project, which will be located on private property at the intersection of Interstates 4 and 75.
Organizers say the flag is not a racist statement but a piece of history. They hope it encourages people to stop and see a monument to Confederate soldiers that they plan to build.
Local NAACP president Curtis Stokes, however, says he was shocked to hear about plans to have the flag flying next year.
"I'm surprised that they would allow something like this to go on in Hillsborough County," he told The St. Petersburg Times.
See Full Story;
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,361161,00.html
A Confederate heritage group called the Sons of Confederate Veterans plans to fly the 30-by-50 flag atop a 139-foot pole, the highest the FAA will allow.
The group, which bills its Confederate flag as the "world's largest," expects to have it in place by 2009, The St. Petersburg Times reported.
The group has building permits but still needs $30,000 to complete the project, which will be located on private property at the intersection of Interstates 4 and 75.
Organizers say the flag is not a racist statement but a piece of history. They hope it encourages people to stop and see a monument to Confederate soldiers that they plan to build.
Local NAACP president Curtis Stokes, however, says he was shocked to hear about plans to have the flag flying next year.
"I'm surprised that they would allow something like this to go on in Hillsborough County," he told The St. Petersburg Times.
See Full Story;
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,361161,00.html
Jefferson Davis' restored home opens Tuesday as prime tourism site
BILOXI --Preservationists say Beauvoir is the most heavily damaged national landmark by Katrina, here or elsewhere. Beauvoir is also a Mississippi Landmark, and both designations made it eligible for historic-preservation money totaling $3.9 million.
"With that horrendous hurricane image of Beauvoir, you couldn't help but wonder if it would ever look the same," said Richard Forte Sr., who chairs Beauvoir's boards of trustees and directors. "I thought I knew I a lot about Beauvoir, being on the board 28 years, but I now have a Ph.D. in restoration. The public will be amazed on Tuesday."
Among national media that have interviewed the Beauvoir staff are PBS, Southern Living, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Associated Press, said Forte, and some will be there for the reopening.
See Full Story;