Confederate National Flag Stirs Emotions In Downtown Kinston
The flag flies atop the CSS Neuse II, a replica of the ironclad battleship that was built in Kinston during the Civil War.
Feb 22, 2012
The second national flag of the Confederate States of America flies in downtown Kinston, and some people aren't too happy about it.
"I think it's very offensive to some people, including myself," says Judiea Ruffin of Kinston. "I think it shouldn't be flying like that, I feel it's wrong."
The flag is flying atop the CSS Neuse II, a replica of the ironclad battleship that was built in Kinston during the Civil War. The white flag has the stars and bars in the upper left corner. It's widely know as the "stainless banner" and not a symbol of racism, according to the CSS Neuse II Foundation.
John Nix says the Confederate flag associated with hatred is the battle flag. "I understand the sensitivity, but that flag (the battle flag) has been used in the wrong way and it gets that connotation because it's been used as a symbol of hatred and that's not what it's about at all. It happens to be the flag used in battle," Nix told WITN.
The replica of the CSS Neuse was built from the outside in, to resemble the way the ship would looked back during the war. The foundation says they wanted their ship to be an exact copy of the actual ironclad, even down to the flag.
"We need to remember where we came from and remember the mistakes in the past. so we don't repeat them," said Nix.
http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Confederate_Flag_Stirs_Emotions_In_Downtown_Kinston_140043033.html
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Membership Has International Growth
Israeli-American joins Sons of Confederate Veterans
Self-proclaimed ‘Jewish redneck’ is son of former Ocean Springs police chief
By PRISCILLA LOEBENBERG
BILOXI -- Arieh O’Sullivan left South Mississippi in 1981 to join the Israeli army. He has made a life as a journalist and olive farmer in that country, but holds tight to his Southern heritage in ways that sometimes perplex his friends, co-workers and even his mother. On Wednesday, he further tightened his connection to the region of his birth by taking the oath of the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Beauvoir.
O’Sullivan, who holds dual American and Israeli citizenship, is proud of the service given by his great-great-grandfather, Alabama Calvary Lt. George A Johnson. In the oath administered by Wallace Mason of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, O’Sullivan pledged to uphold the traditions of faith in God; honor; chivalry and respect for womanhood; a passionate belief in freedom for the individual; and a military tradition of valor, patriotism, devotion to duty and a spirit of self-sacrifice.
O’Sullivan said there is an unconscious nationalistic soul many Jews carry with them that is similar to the camaraderie shared by Confederate descendants.
“I feel it flowing through me,” he said. “If you have a sense of history that you carry with you, you are enriched by it.”
O’Sullivan is the son of former Ocean Springs Police Chief Efraim O’Sullivan.
A self-proclaimed “Jewish redneck,” O’Sullivan carried a Confederate flag with him into battle with his unit, the Fighting Farmers. He kept the flag, purchased at Gettysburg when he was 12, in the spare grenade pocket of his Israeli army uniform.
He named his jeep the General Lee and attached an image of the Confederate leader to the dashboard. The jeep has a battle flag for a spare tire cover. O’Sullivan said he gets bizarre looks from people sometimes because of his conspicuous affinity for the Confederacy.
“I try to educate them,” he said. “It’s about people who stood up for something they believed in.”
O’Sullivan has worked as an Associated Press journalist and military correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. He is Mideast bureau chief for The Media Line, a news agency. He has written a book, “Redneck in the Holy Land.”
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/02/22/3770962/israeli-american-joins-sons-of.html?storylink=addthis#.T0lpFix8mKQ.facebook#storylink=cpy
Self-proclaimed ‘Jewish redneck’ is son of former Ocean Springs police chief
By PRISCILLA LOEBENBERG
BILOXI -- Arieh O’Sullivan left South Mississippi in 1981 to join the Israeli army. He has made a life as a journalist and olive farmer in that country, but holds tight to his Southern heritage in ways that sometimes perplex his friends, co-workers and even his mother. On Wednesday, he further tightened his connection to the region of his birth by taking the oath of the Sons of Confederate Veterans at Beauvoir.
O’Sullivan, who holds dual American and Israeli citizenship, is proud of the service given by his great-great-grandfather, Alabama Calvary Lt. George A Johnson. In the oath administered by Wallace Mason of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, O’Sullivan pledged to uphold the traditions of faith in God; honor; chivalry and respect for womanhood; a passionate belief in freedom for the individual; and a military tradition of valor, patriotism, devotion to duty and a spirit of self-sacrifice.
O’Sullivan said there is an unconscious nationalistic soul many Jews carry with them that is similar to the camaraderie shared by Confederate descendants.
“I feel it flowing through me,” he said. “If you have a sense of history that you carry with you, you are enriched by it.”
O’Sullivan is the son of former Ocean Springs Police Chief Efraim O’Sullivan.
A self-proclaimed “Jewish redneck,” O’Sullivan carried a Confederate flag with him into battle with his unit, the Fighting Farmers. He kept the flag, purchased at Gettysburg when he was 12, in the spare grenade pocket of his Israeli army uniform.
He named his jeep the General Lee and attached an image of the Confederate leader to the dashboard. The jeep has a battle flag for a spare tire cover. O’Sullivan said he gets bizarre looks from people sometimes because of his conspicuous affinity for the Confederacy.
“I try to educate them,” he said. “It’s about people who stood up for something they believed in.”
O’Sullivan has worked as an Associated Press journalist and military correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. He is Mideast bureau chief for The Media Line, a news agency. He has written a book, “Redneck in the Holy Land.”
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/02/22/3770962/israeli-american-joins-sons-of.html?storylink=addthis#.T0lpFix8mKQ.facebook#storylink=cpy
Rally in Richmond Honors Confederate Heritage
Several hundred Civil War re-enactors marched down Monument Avenue today as the Sons of Confederate Veterans held a Heritage Rally at the Robert E. Lee statue.
A small plane with a banner reading "Richmond, Embrace Your Confederate History" circled the gathering as speakers denounced Abraham Lincoln and praised Lee and Jefferson Davis.
Capitol Police estimated the crowd at between 300 and 400.
The national event commemorated the establishment of the Confederate government in Richmond and the inauguration of Davis as president on Feb. 22, 1862. Davis had been inaugurated as provisional president about a year earlier.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/feb/25/civil-war-re-enactors-march-down-monument-ave-ar-1715877/
A small plane with a banner reading "Richmond, Embrace Your Confederate History" circled the gathering as speakers denounced Abraham Lincoln and praised Lee and Jefferson Davis.
Capitol Police estimated the crowd at between 300 and 400.
The national event commemorated the establishment of the Confederate government in Richmond and the inauguration of Davis as president on Feb. 22, 1862. Davis had been inaugurated as provisional president about a year earlier.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/news/2012/feb/25/civil-war-re-enactors-march-down-monument-ave-ar-1715877/
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
British Honor Confederate Submariners
British submariners honor crew of Confederate sub
Associated Press
Friday, February 17, 2012
CHARLESTON — British submariners are in South Carolina to pay tribute to the crew of the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship.
Members of the Portsmouth Submariners Association in the United Kingdom place a poppy wreath Friday at the graves of the crew of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley in Charleston. The poppy is a symbol of courage and sacrifice.
Association members have sent a poppy wreath to the grave every year since 2004, when the last Hunley crew was buried in what has been called the last Confederate funeral.
It was 148 years ago Friday that the hand-cranked sub sank the Union blockade ship Housatonic off Charleston. But the Hunley itself sank before returning.
The sub was raised from the Atlantic Ocean 12 years ago.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/17/british-submariners-honor-crew-confederate-sub/
Associated Press
Friday, February 17, 2012
CHARLESTON — British submariners are in South Carolina to pay tribute to the crew of the first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship.
Members of the Portsmouth Submariners Association in the United Kingdom place a poppy wreath Friday at the graves of the crew of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley in Charleston. The poppy is a symbol of courage and sacrifice.
Association members have sent a poppy wreath to the grave every year since 2004, when the last Hunley crew was buried in what has been called the last Confederate funeral.
It was 148 years ago Friday that the hand-cranked sub sank the Union blockade ship Housatonic off Charleston. But the Hunley itself sank before returning.
The sub was raised from the Atlantic Ocean 12 years ago.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/feb/17/british-submariners-honor-crew-confederate-sub/
Statue to Be Restored in Texas
February 16, 2012
Soiree to help with statue repairs
By Heather Pilkington
Gainesville Daily Register
Feb 16, 2012
Gainesville — The Red River Rose Chapter No. 52 Order of the Confederate Rose and the Lee-Bourland Camp No. 1848 Sons of the Confederacy are hosting a Sweetheart Soiree at 6 p.m., Feb. 25 at the First State Bank Conference Center.
“The evening will include dinner, period music offered by Wes Hamilton of Abilene Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp and a silent auction,” said Angie Hare, president of the Red River Rose Chapter No. 52 Order of the Confederate Rose of Gainesville.
“This is not a ball,” Hare said. “It is a soiree, which is a dance that is not as large and formal as a ball. This is the first year to hold an event such as this,” Hare said.
She added the goal is to work in baby steps toward a ball of the magnitude of which was held in 1998, when the Red River Rose Chapter of the Order of the Confederate Rose held a Sweetheart Ball.
The ball was a “big deal and attended by more than 400 people,” she said. “It was a huge event.”
Hare said they are trying to start that tradition again, with the Sweetheart Soiree. But, the soiree serves two purposes, the second of which is that the proceeds will benefit the restoration efforts for the Confederate Memorial Statue in Leonard Park in Gainesville.
The Confederate Memorial Statue was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The dedication ceremony was attended by hundreds and celebrated with a ball and parade, Hare said.
According to an original magazine article from the time of the unveiling, the memorial statue was erected in honor of the centennial birth of Jefferson Davis and was celebrated here in Gainesville by the unveiling of this monument by the Lou Dougherty Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor the heroes from the South.
“It is a huge endeavor to try and restore the statue,” Hare said, adding the statue is missing a hand and the muskett.
“But the sisters of yesterday built it and its is our job as the sisters of today to restore it.”
The restoration of the monument is in conjunction with the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War, Hare said. “We are trying to bring this tradition back by starting off small with the Sweetheart Soiree.”
And,according to the invitation, “Period dress is favored but not required.”
“There will be just as many in everyday evening wear as those dressed in period attire,” Hare said.
It will blend with the flavor of the evening to have people dressed in that sort of attire, she added.
Advance tickets are $30 per person with a reservation deadline of noon Feb. 20.
For more information or to make a reservation call Angie Hare at (940) 634-9122.
http://www.gainesvilleregister.com/local/x960122867/Soiree-to-help-with-statue-repairs
Soiree to help with statue repairs
By Heather Pilkington
Gainesville Daily Register
Feb 16, 2012
Gainesville — The Red River Rose Chapter No. 52 Order of the Confederate Rose and the Lee-Bourland Camp No. 1848 Sons of the Confederacy are hosting a Sweetheart Soiree at 6 p.m., Feb. 25 at the First State Bank Conference Center.
“The evening will include dinner, period music offered by Wes Hamilton of Abilene Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp and a silent auction,” said Angie Hare, president of the Red River Rose Chapter No. 52 Order of the Confederate Rose of Gainesville.
“This is not a ball,” Hare said. “It is a soiree, which is a dance that is not as large and formal as a ball. This is the first year to hold an event such as this,” Hare said.
She added the goal is to work in baby steps toward a ball of the magnitude of which was held in 1998, when the Red River Rose Chapter of the Order of the Confederate Rose held a Sweetheart Ball.
The ball was a “big deal and attended by more than 400 people,” she said. “It was a huge event.”
Hare said they are trying to start that tradition again, with the Sweetheart Soiree. But, the soiree serves two purposes, the second of which is that the proceeds will benefit the restoration efforts for the Confederate Memorial Statue in Leonard Park in Gainesville.
The Confederate Memorial Statue was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The dedication ceremony was attended by hundreds and celebrated with a ball and parade, Hare said.
According to an original magazine article from the time of the unveiling, the memorial statue was erected in honor of the centennial birth of Jefferson Davis and was celebrated here in Gainesville by the unveiling of this monument by the Lou Dougherty Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor the heroes from the South.
“It is a huge endeavor to try and restore the statue,” Hare said, adding the statue is missing a hand and the muskett.
“But the sisters of yesterday built it and its is our job as the sisters of today to restore it.”
The restoration of the monument is in conjunction with the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War, Hare said. “We are trying to bring this tradition back by starting off small with the Sweetheart Soiree.”
And,according to the invitation, “Period dress is favored but not required.”
“There will be just as many in everyday evening wear as those dressed in period attire,” Hare said.
It will blend with the flavor of the evening to have people dressed in that sort of attire, she added.
Advance tickets are $30 per person with a reservation deadline of noon Feb. 20.
For more information or to make a reservation call Angie Hare at (940) 634-9122.
http://www.gainesvilleregister.com/local/x960122867/Soiree-to-help-with-statue-repairs
Condensed Account of Feb 18 GEC Meeting
Condensed Account of February 18, 2012 GEC meeting held at Elm Spring, Tennessee
1. Reviewed and adopted minutes of 15 October, 2011 GEC meeting
2. Heard report of 2012 Murfreesboro Reunion Host Committee
3. Heard Judge Advocate report concerning certain aspects of Sam Davis youth Camp liability
4. Heard Heritage Defense report. GEC voted to place $10,000.00 in heritage defense funds at the disposal of the Kentucky Division to continue the Childress
case, which is due to come to trial within a few weeks.
5. Heard report of Budget and Finance Committee. Five requests for funds were heard. Two were turned down, one was approved pending receipt of matching funds, and two others were approved.
6. The GEC went into Executive Session. As a result of Executive Session, (1) the GEC voted to use the remaining "banner plane" time from Lexington in Richmond later this month, and (2) to accept a document from the Virginia Division regarding the disposition of certain property.
Meeting Ended at Noon.
After lunch several members of the GEC travelled to Franklin, TN, and toured the Carter House.
1. Reviewed and adopted minutes of 15 October, 2011 GEC meeting
2. Heard report of 2012 Murfreesboro Reunion Host Committee
3. Heard Judge Advocate report concerning certain aspects of Sam Davis youth Camp liability
4. Heard Heritage Defense report. GEC voted to place $10,000.00 in heritage defense funds at the disposal of the Kentucky Division to continue the Childress
case, which is due to come to trial within a few weeks.
5. Heard report of Budget and Finance Committee. Five requests for funds were heard. Two were turned down, one was approved pending receipt of matching funds, and two others were approved.
6. The GEC went into Executive Session. As a result of Executive Session, (1) the GEC voted to use the remaining "banner plane" time from Lexington in Richmond later this month, and (2) to accept a document from the Virginia Division regarding the disposition of certain property.
Meeting Ended at Noon.
After lunch several members of the GEC travelled to Franklin, TN, and toured the Carter House.
NASCAR Makes Poor Decision - Insults Supporters
Former congressman, 'Dukes of Hazzard' star blasts NASCAR on Confederate flag issue
By Jim Utter
Former Georgia congressman Ben Jones, who starred as ace mechanic "Cooter" Davenport on the hit television series "The Dukes of Hazzard", issued a statement on Friday criticizing NASCAR for its decision to prevent the use of the popular "General Lee" 1969 Dodge Charger at the Phoenix Sprint Cup race in March.
"At a time when tens of millions of Americans are honoring their Union and Confederate ancestors during this Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, NASCAR has chosen to dishonor those Southerners who fought and died in that terrible conflict by caving to 'political correctness' and the uninformed concerns of corporate sponsors," Jones said in a release.
"This is also an extraordinary insult to rural Southerners, who are NASCAR's oldest and most fervent fan base, and it sends a message against inclusion and against the need for diversity. Many of us who are descended from ancestors who fought for the South see this as a crude dishonoring of our kinfolks and our heritage. Our ancestors were proud Americans who had fought for our Nation before the Civil War and have served honorably in every conflict since then.
"The Confederate Battle Flag is on display at many National Battlefields and is displayed by countless historical and heritage groups who are descendants of those who fought in that crucible of the American experience. 'The Dukes of Hazzard' remains a beloved classic television show which is watched by Americans of all races and regions and is watched internationally as an upbeat reflection of the American Spirit. It is also watched by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world.
"While it is true that the Confederate Battle Flag has been used by extremist groups like the KKK, these groups also display the American Flag and the Christian cross in their rituals. However, the vast majority of the display of the St. Andrews Cross Flag is in a benign spirit of remembrance and reverence. I am a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, a Life Member of the NAACP, and a proud member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
"As a cast member of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and the owner of several 'General Lees', I can attest that the car and our show reflect the very best of American values, and that Hazzard County was a place where racism was not tolerated. This action by NASCAR
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/02/17/3760934/former-congressman-dukes-of-hazzard.html?story_link=email_msg#storylink=cpy
By Jim Utter
Former Georgia congressman Ben Jones, who starred as ace mechanic "Cooter" Davenport on the hit television series "The Dukes of Hazzard", issued a statement on Friday criticizing NASCAR for its decision to prevent the use of the popular "General Lee" 1969 Dodge Charger at the Phoenix Sprint Cup race in March.
"At a time when tens of millions of Americans are honoring their Union and Confederate ancestors during this Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, NASCAR has chosen to dishonor those Southerners who fought and died in that terrible conflict by caving to 'political correctness' and the uninformed concerns of corporate sponsors," Jones said in a release.
"This is also an extraordinary insult to rural Southerners, who are NASCAR's oldest and most fervent fan base, and it sends a message against inclusion and against the need for diversity. Many of us who are descended from ancestors who fought for the South see this as a crude dishonoring of our kinfolks and our heritage. Our ancestors were proud Americans who had fought for our Nation before the Civil War and have served honorably in every conflict since then.
"The Confederate Battle Flag is on display at many National Battlefields and is displayed by countless historical and heritage groups who are descendants of those who fought in that crucible of the American experience. 'The Dukes of Hazzard' remains a beloved classic television show which is watched by Americans of all races and regions and is watched internationally as an upbeat reflection of the American Spirit. It is also watched by our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world.
"While it is true that the Confederate Battle Flag has been used by extremist groups like the KKK, these groups also display the American Flag and the Christian cross in their rituals. However, the vast majority of the display of the St. Andrews Cross Flag is in a benign spirit of remembrance and reverence. I am a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, a Life Member of the NAACP, and a proud member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
"As a cast member of 'The Dukes of Hazzard' and the owner of several 'General Lees', I can attest that the car and our show reflect the very best of American values, and that Hazzard County was a place where racism was not tolerated. This action by NASCAR
Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/02/17/3760934/former-congressman-dukes-of-hazzard.html?story_link=email_msg#storylink=cpy
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monroe, LA Leadership Conference After Action Report
On Saturday, February 11, a Leadership Conference was held at the Clarion Hotel in Monroe, LA. I had no idea that it would go as well or be so well attended as it was. When contacted by the LTCIC about this project I did as requested thinking that I would do my part and hide my eyes when the head count was made. I was wrong. 58 SCV members registered for the conference and 55 actually showed up. I feel that this is an incredible percentage of people, registered/attended, who wanted to help lead our organization forward.
We had participants from as far away as Illinois, Indiana, and San Antonio, TX. Our speakers were the SCV's leadership - Michael Givens (CIC), Kelly Barrow (LTCIC), Thomas Hiter (Heritage Defense), and Chuck Rand (AIC) spoke on their respective areas. All of their talks were interesting and informative with no time really dragging by. It seemed to me that the people who came to this event came to learn because they were listening and taking notes instead of gossiping and giving "Well this happened to me" stories. The only part of the day that was a little messed up was lunch didn't arrive as planned and there wasn't anything that could be done about that.
I would like to thank our leadership for taking their weekend off to show that they do care about our organization's future and all of the men who came to see what they can do to improve their own areas of the Confederation. I also appreciate the members of the Captain Thomas O. Benton Camp who helped decorate the room. I do not know what camps attended from outside our Division but I can list the camps from Louisiana who had representatives. If I leave any out it is purely by accident and I will correct it if notified.
Attendence List:
Capt Thomas O Benton Monroe
Sgt. James W Nicholson Ruston
Lt. Elijah Ward Farmerville
Maj. Thomas O McGuire West Monroe
Gen. Alfred J J Mouton Opelousas
Claiborne Invincibles Claiborne Parish
Gen. Richard Taylor Shreveport
Gen. Henry W. Allen Baton Rouge
Indiana Division
Illinois Division
South Carolina Division
Georgia Division
Kentucky Division
Mississippi Division
Arkansas Division
Texas Division
Oklahoma Division
Thomas E. Taylor
Northeast Brigade Commander
Louisiana Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Note: the Next Conference is scheduled for the end of August in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Details will be published as soon as they are available.
We had participants from as far away as Illinois, Indiana, and San Antonio, TX. Our speakers were the SCV's leadership - Michael Givens (CIC), Kelly Barrow (LTCIC), Thomas Hiter (Heritage Defense), and Chuck Rand (AIC) spoke on their respective areas. All of their talks were interesting and informative with no time really dragging by. It seemed to me that the people who came to this event came to learn because they were listening and taking notes instead of gossiping and giving "Well this happened to me" stories. The only part of the day that was a little messed up was lunch didn't arrive as planned and there wasn't anything that could be done about that.
I would like to thank our leadership for taking their weekend off to show that they do care about our organization's future and all of the men who came to see what they can do to improve their own areas of the Confederation. I also appreciate the members of the Captain Thomas O. Benton Camp who helped decorate the room. I do not know what camps attended from outside our Division but I can list the camps from Louisiana who had representatives. If I leave any out it is purely by accident and I will correct it if notified.
Attendence List:
Capt Thomas O Benton Monroe
Sgt. James W Nicholson Ruston
Lt. Elijah Ward Farmerville
Maj. Thomas O McGuire West Monroe
Gen. Alfred J J Mouton Opelousas
Claiborne Invincibles Claiborne Parish
Gen. Richard Taylor Shreveport
Gen. Henry W. Allen Baton Rouge
Indiana Division
Illinois Division
South Carolina Division
Georgia Division
Kentucky Division
Mississippi Division
Arkansas Division
Texas Division
Oklahoma Division
Thomas E. Taylor
Northeast Brigade Commander
Louisiana Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans
Note: the Next Conference is scheduled for the end of August in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Details will be published as soon as they are available.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
South Carolina Black Confederate Veteran Honored
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012
100 gather to honor black Confederate soldier
By JENNIFER CROSSLEY-HOWARD - Anderson Independent-Mail
SENECA, S.C. — In a Craig family portrait, a man to the right sits in the back row. He wears a black suit and hat, his hand resting on a woman's shoulder.
In the grainy photo copy, it's hard to tell that he is black.
Henry Craig is posing with the family in which he grew up, the family that he served as a slave, and the family he stood by during the Civil War.
About 100 people gathered at the Craig Family Cemetery off state Highway 183 north of Seneca on Sunday to honor the Confederate soldier's service. The sky was blue, painting a hopeful background for the old cemetery.
Henry followed his childhood friend, John Craig, to fight in Virginia. They fought under the Company A. First South Carolina Rifles from 1861 to 1864. When John lost his arm because of a wound, Henry brought him home to Pickens. The two remained close friends, and when Henry married, he named one of his five children John.
The ceremony Sunday was part of a national search to identify the graves of Confederate soldiers, said Ron Sloan, commander of the Joseph Norton Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group performed the ceremony that has been in the works since November.
Men dressed in gray Civil War uniforms fired a series of shots, creating a cloud of smoke above them. A bagpiper played "Amazing Grace," and women stood under an oak tree wearing hoop skirts and black, feathered hats.
Near the service's close the soldiers engaged in a tradition that recognizes their deceased brothers. They stood in a line and drank from the same canteen. When they finished they simply said, "You are not forgotten."
"This is a significant day if you like history," said Al Robinson, a former Norton camp commander. "If you don't like history, what's wrong with you?"
Besides John and Henry Craig, three other Craig men fought in the Civil War and now reside in the family cemetery. William, Arthur and Lawrence were John's brothers.
Henry Craig chose to stay with the Craig family after he was granted freedom. When the elder John Craig died, Henry Craig moved away. But he returned to Pickens in his last years. He died on July 18, 1927.
Craig was buried with the family in a spot eventually covered by Lake Keowee in Oconee County. The family was reinterred in the cemetery within sight of the Oconee Nuclear Station and Old Pickens Presbyterian Church.
Jackson Parris, caretaker of the Craig Family cemetery, is the great-great-grandson of John Craig. "It was something I grew up listening to, the story of Uncle Henry," he said. "This is something I was hoping would happen."
State Sen. Robert Ford, a Charleston Democrat, drew laughs and claps from the crowd that gathered at the graveside."We need to make sure history books are reprinted in South Carolina to include people like Henry Craig," he said.
Ford proposed a bill that in 2000 moved the Confederate flag from the roof of the Statehouse in Columbia to the Confederate soldier monument near the South Carolina Capitol. Ford sponsored another bill that made Confederate Memorial Day a state holiday, which drew ire from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Ford still deals with the aftermath of his decision to support recognition of Confederate history. An evening on the Senate floor turned him on to the history.
He was debating with a senator who supported keeping the flag on the Statehouse. About 900 Sons of Confederate soldiers listened to him. "I look out, ladies and gentlemen, and I saw tears from big, tough Lowcountry men," Ford said. "That's when I decided, maybe we should do something different."
Though the flag came off the Statehouse roof, it didn't disappear from Columbia. Ford supported flying it at the corner of Gervais and Main streets with a monument of a Confederate soldier.
Ford's stance caused one man to call him Uncle Tom when he was in Newberry County a few weeks ago. Ford was incensed and said he pointed out that he also proposed the bill for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial holiday in the state. His work is a compromise, he said, and he stands behind it. "I'm not a scholar, none of that," Ford said. "I'm not an educator. I just want to do the right thing."
Ford sat in a Marks, Miss., jail when he was 17 years old. He was arrested during the Civil Rights movement, and he could hear rallies of men outside threatening his life. When he left jail he saw the Confederate Flag flying."That was my first experience with the flag," he said.
On Sunday, four of the flags fluttered behind him.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/12/2149949/100-gather-to-honor-black-confederate.html#RSS=untracked#storylink=cpy
100 gather to honor black Confederate soldier
By JENNIFER CROSSLEY-HOWARD - Anderson Independent-Mail
SENECA, S.C. — In a Craig family portrait, a man to the right sits in the back row. He wears a black suit and hat, his hand resting on a woman's shoulder.
In the grainy photo copy, it's hard to tell that he is black.
Henry Craig is posing with the family in which he grew up, the family that he served as a slave, and the family he stood by during the Civil War.
About 100 people gathered at the Craig Family Cemetery off state Highway 183 north of Seneca on Sunday to honor the Confederate soldier's service. The sky was blue, painting a hopeful background for the old cemetery.
Henry followed his childhood friend, John Craig, to fight in Virginia. They fought under the Company A. First South Carolina Rifles from 1861 to 1864. When John lost his arm because of a wound, Henry brought him home to Pickens. The two remained close friends, and when Henry married, he named one of his five children John.
The ceremony Sunday was part of a national search to identify the graves of Confederate soldiers, said Ron Sloan, commander of the Joseph Norton Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group performed the ceremony that has been in the works since November.
Men dressed in gray Civil War uniforms fired a series of shots, creating a cloud of smoke above them. A bagpiper played "Amazing Grace," and women stood under an oak tree wearing hoop skirts and black, feathered hats.
Near the service's close the soldiers engaged in a tradition that recognizes their deceased brothers. They stood in a line and drank from the same canteen. When they finished they simply said, "You are not forgotten."
"This is a significant day if you like history," said Al Robinson, a former Norton camp commander. "If you don't like history, what's wrong with you?"
Besides John and Henry Craig, three other Craig men fought in the Civil War and now reside in the family cemetery. William, Arthur and Lawrence were John's brothers.
Henry Craig chose to stay with the Craig family after he was granted freedom. When the elder John Craig died, Henry Craig moved away. But he returned to Pickens in his last years. He died on July 18, 1927.
Craig was buried with the family in a spot eventually covered by Lake Keowee in Oconee County. The family was reinterred in the cemetery within sight of the Oconee Nuclear Station and Old Pickens Presbyterian Church.
Jackson Parris, caretaker of the Craig Family cemetery, is the great-great-grandson of John Craig. "It was something I grew up listening to, the story of Uncle Henry," he said. "This is something I was hoping would happen."
State Sen. Robert Ford, a Charleston Democrat, drew laughs and claps from the crowd that gathered at the graveside."We need to make sure history books are reprinted in South Carolina to include people like Henry Craig," he said.
Ford proposed a bill that in 2000 moved the Confederate flag from the roof of the Statehouse in Columbia to the Confederate soldier monument near the South Carolina Capitol. Ford sponsored another bill that made Confederate Memorial Day a state holiday, which drew ire from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Ford still deals with the aftermath of his decision to support recognition of Confederate history. An evening on the Senate floor turned him on to the history.
He was debating with a senator who supported keeping the flag on the Statehouse. About 900 Sons of Confederate soldiers listened to him. "I look out, ladies and gentlemen, and I saw tears from big, tough Lowcountry men," Ford said. "That's when I decided, maybe we should do something different."
Though the flag came off the Statehouse roof, it didn't disappear from Columbia. Ford supported flying it at the corner of Gervais and Main streets with a monument of a Confederate soldier.
Ford's stance caused one man to call him Uncle Tom when he was in Newberry County a few weeks ago. Ford was incensed and said he pointed out that he also proposed the bill for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial holiday in the state. His work is a compromise, he said, and he stands behind it. "I'm not a scholar, none of that," Ford said. "I'm not an educator. I just want to do the right thing."
Ford sat in a Marks, Miss., jail when he was 17 years old. He was arrested during the Civil Rights movement, and he could hear rallies of men outside threatening his life. When he left jail he saw the Confederate Flag flying."That was my first experience with the flag," he said.
On Sunday, four of the flags fluttered behind him.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/12/2149949/100-gather-to-honor-black-confederate.html#RSS=untracked#storylink=cpy
Saturday, February 11, 2012
City Councilman Flies Flag
West St. Paul City Council member defends flying Confederate flag at home
By Nick Ferraro
02/10/2012
West St. Paul City Council member Ed Hansen has a Confederate battle flag hanging off the back deck of his house and says "it's cool."
Others, including the city's mayor, have a different opinion of the flag, which is visible off busy Butler Avenue and to visitors at nearby Thompson Park. Written on the flag is the word "redneck."
"I don't like it," Mayor John Zanmiller said. "Do I wish the flag wasn't there? Yes."
Hansen, a first-term council member elected in 2010, said he put the flag out last summer and has heard no complaints.
"It's my house," said Hansen, 41. "What's the problem?
"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty," he continued. "It's my free speech, and that's my choice."
Hansen said he is not concerned that the Confederate battle flag has historically been known as a controversial symbol of racism.
"I'm not a racist, and I don't think it's racist," he said. "People like to play the race card, though, when they don't get their way."
Jay Brunn, a developer who is building a house next door to Hansen's, said the flag caused one prospective buyer to shy away Thursday after touring the property in the 1100 block of Felix Street.
"He said he was going through the house and saw the flag and that he was no longer interested in buying in West St. Paul," Brunn said.
Brunn is building the house on a former city-owned lot he bought from the city's Economic Development Authority. He believes the flag will make the house a harder sell.
"I'm very concerned about that," he said. "The flag has negative connotations for certain ethnic groups and brings back a lot of bad memories.
"I just would like to know what message he is trying to send."
When told the flag made one potential buyer turn away, Hansen said: "Good. I don't want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that's their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty."
Council member Ed Iago said some
A Confederate flag with the word "redneck" on it hangs off the back deck of West St. Paul City Council member Ed Hansen's house on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. ( Pioneer Press)residents have brought it up to him and "asked why it's there."
"I heard it mentioned by different citizens," he said. "It's pretty visible for people driving down Butler. But there are people in his ward that have asked me if I had seen his rebel flag on his house."
Zanmiller said he is not aware of any complaints made to the city. On Friday, he asked Hansen to take it down.
"I reached out to Mr. Hansen and asked him to remove the flag...because it does not represent West St. Paul or what we stand for," Zanmiller said. "The decision is entirely his to remove it. That's about all I can do."
Hansen said he won't oblige and that being an elected official should not matter one way or the other.
"That's my private property," said Hansen, who owns a Little Canada pizza shop and has been conservative on taxes and spending while on the West St. Paul council. "What I choose to do there does not represent the city."
The flag doesn't bother Bob Bushelle, Hansen's next-door neighbor. Bushelle, 48, said he considers Hansen a friend.
"As long as he's doing a good job as a council member and is not being biased or racist or anything, I don't care," he said.
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_19940491?source=rss
By Nick Ferraro
02/10/2012
West St. Paul City Council member Ed Hansen has a Confederate battle flag hanging off the back deck of his house and says "it's cool."
Others, including the city's mayor, have a different opinion of the flag, which is visible off busy Butler Avenue and to visitors at nearby Thompson Park. Written on the flag is the word "redneck."
"I don't like it," Mayor John Zanmiller said. "Do I wish the flag wasn't there? Yes."
Hansen, a first-term council member elected in 2010, said he put the flag out last summer and has heard no complaints.
"It's my house," said Hansen, 41. "What's the problem?
"It represents sovereignty, individual rights and individual liberty," he continued. "It's my free speech, and that's my choice."
Hansen said he is not concerned that the Confederate battle flag has historically been known as a controversial symbol of racism.
"I'm not a racist, and I don't think it's racist," he said. "People like to play the race card, though, when they don't get their way."
Jay Brunn, a developer who is building a house next door to Hansen's, said the flag caused one prospective buyer to shy away Thursday after touring the property in the 1100 block of Felix Street.
"He said he was going through the house and saw the flag and that he was no longer interested in buying in West St. Paul," Brunn said.
Brunn is building the house on a former city-owned lot he bought from the city's Economic Development Authority. He believes the flag will make the house a harder sell.
"I'm very concerned about that," he said. "The flag has negative connotations for certain ethnic groups and brings back a lot of bad memories.
"I just would like to know what message he is trying to send."
When told the flag made one potential buyer turn away, Hansen said: "Good. I don't want him for a neighbor then. If people choose to be ignorant, that's their own fault. They should study history. It represents true sovereignty."
Council member Ed Iago said some
A Confederate flag with the word "redneck" on it hangs off the back deck of West St. Paul City Council member Ed Hansen's house on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. ( Pioneer Press)residents have brought it up to him and "asked why it's there."
"I heard it mentioned by different citizens," he said. "It's pretty visible for people driving down Butler. But there are people in his ward that have asked me if I had seen his rebel flag on his house."
Zanmiller said he is not aware of any complaints made to the city. On Friday, he asked Hansen to take it down.
"I reached out to Mr. Hansen and asked him to remove the flag...because it does not represent West St. Paul or what we stand for," Zanmiller said. "The decision is entirely his to remove it. That's about all I can do."
Hansen said he won't oblige and that being an elected official should not matter one way or the other.
"That's my private property," said Hansen, who owns a Little Canada pizza shop and has been conservative on taxes and spending while on the West St. Paul council. "What I choose to do there does not represent the city."
The flag doesn't bother Bob Bushelle, Hansen's next-door neighbor. Bushelle, 48, said he considers Hansen a friend.
"As long as he's doing a good job as a council member and is not being biased or racist or anything, I don't care," he said.
http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_19940491?source=rss
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
February IS National Recruiting Month!
February IS National Recruiting Month!
There is NO better month to PUSH recruiting; as an individual, as a Camp, or as a Division!!
The National “Proration” membership policy makes February the very BEST month to recruit new members to our organization! Check the “explanation” of the program at http://www.scv.org/pdf/proration.pdf.
Become familiar with it and USE IT! Reinstating former members are also eligible for the prorated dues structure which is another incentive to sign up our former members living in your community.
There is no better time for a new recruit or a former member to get the “best bang for his buck!” This means that for a total of $50, he will be paid in full until July 31, 2013, and receive nine issues of the Confederate Veteran magazine and membership privileges!
The prorated dues amount decreases on May 1st as our fiscal year winds down but of course the bargain benefits do as well! NOW is the time to do it!
Divisions, Camps or possibly individual members may even want to offer to pay the proration fee as an additional incentive to recruitment! NOW is the time to begin Camp and Division recruiting contests, as there is no better time to recruit or to simply give that gift membership that you always meant to give.
If YOU don’t make use of this GREAT recruiting tool you’re missing the very best opportunity we have to offer during the year!
“Every ONE, Recruit ONE!”
Let’s DOUBLE the membership of the Sons of Confederate Veterans!
Deo Vindice!
Charles Kelly Barrow
Lt. Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
1800mysouth.com
www.barrowscv.net
http://www.scv.org/pdf/proration.pdf
There is NO better month to PUSH recruiting; as an individual, as a Camp, or as a Division!!
The National “Proration” membership policy makes February the very BEST month to recruit new members to our organization! Check the “explanation” of the program at http://www.scv.org/pdf/proration.pdf.
Become familiar with it and USE IT! Reinstating former members are also eligible for the prorated dues structure which is another incentive to sign up our former members living in your community.
There is no better time for a new recruit or a former member to get the “best bang for his buck!” This means that for a total of $50, he will be paid in full until July 31, 2013, and receive nine issues of the Confederate Veteran magazine and membership privileges!
The prorated dues amount decreases on May 1st as our fiscal year winds down but of course the bargain benefits do as well! NOW is the time to do it!
Divisions, Camps or possibly individual members may even want to offer to pay the proration fee as an additional incentive to recruitment! NOW is the time to begin Camp and Division recruiting contests, as there is no better time to recruit or to simply give that gift membership that you always meant to give.
If YOU don’t make use of this GREAT recruiting tool you’re missing the very best opportunity we have to offer during the year!
“Every ONE, Recruit ONE!”
Let’s DOUBLE the membership of the Sons of Confederate Veterans!
Deo Vindice!
Charles Kelly Barrow
Lt. Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
1800mysouth.com
www.barrowscv.net
http://www.scv.org/pdf/proration.pdf
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