SCV National Leadership Workshop Planned
As we approach the challenging years of the Sesquicentennial, leadership training has become even more important to the defense of our Southern heritage. In an effort to insure that our members better understand the challenges of leadership roles and to aid our leaders in acquiring the knowledge to better perform their duties, the SCV has scheduled a 2011 National Leadership Summit.
This year's event will be held October 1, 2011 at the Terrace Restaurant on the campus of the Twin Lakes Retirement Center, located at 100 Wade Coble Drive, Burlington, NC 27215. It will be hosted by the Col. Charles F. Fisher Camp #813. A tentative schedule for the day is posted below along with registration and lodging information.
Please note that this event will include relevant presentations and individual workshops for more specialized training for Commanders and Adjutants; however, ALL members are invited to attend!
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Schedule:
8:00 - 8:15 Welcome & SCV Protocol - Cmdr. Mitch Flinchum, Camp 813
8:15 - 8:30 Introductions & Overview - Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow
8:30 - 9:15 Commanders & Command - CIC R. Michael Givens
9:15 - 9:30 BREAK
9:30 - 10:15 Adjutants & Administration TBA
10:15 - 10:30 BREAK
10:30 - 11:15 Camp Programs & Projects - ANV Councilman Gene Hogan
11:15 - 12:15 DINNER
12:15 - 1:00 Camp Operations & Success - Past Ga.Div Cmdr Scott K. Gilbert, Jr
1:00 - 1:15 BREAK
1:15 - 2:00 Commander's & Adjutant's Workshops - CIC, Lt. CIC & Past AIC
2:15 - 2:30 BREAK
2:30 - 3:15 Recruiting & Retention - Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow
3:15 - Concluding Remarks & Discussion - Lt. CIC Charles Kelly Barrow
Benediction
Registration, which includes lunch, is only $12 per person and will be handled through our General Headquarters at Elm Springs. You may mail a reservation with a check or call 1 (800) 380-1896 ext 209 (Cindy) or email accounting@scv.org with credit card information (MC, VISA or AMEX)
___________________________________
Courtyard - Marriott 2.4 miles to Corporate Suites 3.5 miles to
3141 Wilson Drive 2912 Saconn Drive
Burlington, NC 27215 Burlington, NC 27215
Tel. (336) 585-1888 Tel. (336) 343-4000
Comfort Inn 3.5 miles Best Western 3.6 miles Ramada Inn 5.4 miles
2701 Kirkpatrick Road 770 Huffman Mill Rd 2703 Ramada Road
Burlington NC 27215 Burlington NC 27215 Burlington NC
Tel. (336) 584-4447 Tel.(336) 584-0151 Tel.(336) 227-5541
Registration Sheet
Name________________________
Address____________________________________________
_____________________________
Email address_______________________________________
Camp number_________________ Check enclosed ( ) or
Credit Card (MC, VISA, or AMEX) Number ___________________ Expires
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Texas Fights for SCV Plates
Abilenians debate controversial Confederate Texas plates
By Brian Bethel
Abilene Reporter-News
June 24, 2011
The possibility of a Texas vanity license plate sporting the Confederate battle flag has created controversy.
Supporters say that they wish to merely honor Texans who served in the Civil War, while others have a more visceral reaction to even the possibility.
Petty Hunter, president of Abilene's NAACP, was blunt in saying the concept was "tasteless and inconsiderate," given the suffering that characterized the "war to end slavery."
Abilene Christian University history professor Fred Bailey agreed.
"The issue of whether to allow the Sons of Confederate Veterans to have their logo on Texas license plates is a classic example of the continuing tragedy of the American Civil War 150 years beyond the event," he said.
But retired Army Colonel Alan Huffines, a member of the local branch of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said that the organization simply wants the same consideration given other nonprofit organizations, ranging from 4-H to the Girl Scouts to the YMCA, which have already been approved for plates.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans, a heritage group that says it honors the legacy of family members who served in the Confederacy, is such a nonprofit organization, he said.
Huffines, who said the design is "long overdue," has been following its potential progress.
The state has yet to approve the plate, designed by the organization, though it was considered at a meeting in April.
There are no tax dollars involved "at all" in the design, something that Huffines said many do not understand.
Applicants provide designs for license plates, according to state guidelines.
"Where taxpayer support will come in is if it's rejected," Huffines said, explaining a lawsuit would be likely.
"It'll go to a lawsuit, and they'll lose," he said. "Every state that's attempted to block it has lost on First Amendment grounds."
Most recently, Florida adopted an SCV vanity plate after a judge ruled that the state acted unconstitutionally in rejecting a design approved by its motor vehicles department but blocked by its state Legislature.
Texas' Sons of Confederate Veterans "applied directly" to the state's department of motor vehicles to create the plate, said DMV spokeswoman Kim Sue Lia Perkes.
According to the DMV's website, nonprofit organizations may apply to create a license plate. Qualifying organizations must complete an application and submit an $8,000 deposit, refunded once 1,900 sets of an organization's license plates are sold or renewed.
Under Consideration
The department of motor vehicles' board voted on the plate design and ended up with a split, 4-to-4 decision in April, Perkes said. One member was absent at the meeting, and the board's chairman suggested the plate be "reconsidered when a full board could be present," she said.
The next meeting was canceled because of the death of a board member.
"The chairman, Victor Vandergriff, has stated that probably the earliest the plate could be reconsidered is this fall," Perkes said. "We will not have a full board until the governor makes a new appointment, and we really don't know how soon that will happen."
Texas was the seventh state to secede from the union, with about 90,000 Texans serving in the Civil War, Huffines said.
"There's just no getting around the fact that Texas was part of the Confederacy, and for some of us, that was our ancestry," he said. "We're supporting our ancestry."
Robert Lilly, owner of Abilene's Know Thyself book store and a local activist, took a somewhat middle ground when examining the concept."I think people have the right to represent what they believe is their core identity," he said. "So if there's someone amongst us in this society that identifies with the Confederate legacy, that's their prerogative, no one can deny that."
And Lilly said that he has no personal problem with a person who comes from a family with Confederate ties saying to the world that they are connected to that piece of history.
"But I also think that they should be prepared to be honest in a discourse about what was really happening," he said, particularly on matters related to the question of slavery.
McMurry University history professor Don Frazier said that he didn't see "anything particularly wrong" with offering the plate, though he knew many people would take offense.
"The thing about the Confederacy is that it's ultra-complex," he said. "It doesn't fit very well onto a bumper sticker."
Frazier questions the vanity plate program in general, saying determining "what is a tasteful license plate symbol and what is not" was inherently fraught with difficulty.
"It becomes an inherently political process," he said.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2011/jun/24/abilenians-debate-confederate-texas-plates/
By Brian Bethel
Abilene Reporter-News
June 24, 2011
The possibility of a Texas vanity license plate sporting the Confederate battle flag has created controversy.
Supporters say that they wish to merely honor Texans who served in the Civil War, while others have a more visceral reaction to even the possibility.
Petty Hunter, president of Abilene's NAACP, was blunt in saying the concept was "tasteless and inconsiderate," given the suffering that characterized the "war to end slavery."
Abilene Christian University history professor Fred Bailey agreed.
"The issue of whether to allow the Sons of Confederate Veterans to have their logo on Texas license plates is a classic example of the continuing tragedy of the American Civil War 150 years beyond the event," he said.
But retired Army Colonel Alan Huffines, a member of the local branch of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said that the organization simply wants the same consideration given other nonprofit organizations, ranging from 4-H to the Girl Scouts to the YMCA, which have already been approved for plates.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans, a heritage group that says it honors the legacy of family members who served in the Confederacy, is such a nonprofit organization, he said.
Huffines, who said the design is "long overdue," has been following its potential progress.
The state has yet to approve the plate, designed by the organization, though it was considered at a meeting in April.
There are no tax dollars involved "at all" in the design, something that Huffines said many do not understand.
Applicants provide designs for license plates, according to state guidelines.
"Where taxpayer support will come in is if it's rejected," Huffines said, explaining a lawsuit would be likely.
"It'll go to a lawsuit, and they'll lose," he said. "Every state that's attempted to block it has lost on First Amendment grounds."
Most recently, Florida adopted an SCV vanity plate after a judge ruled that the state acted unconstitutionally in rejecting a design approved by its motor vehicles department but blocked by its state Legislature.
Texas' Sons of Confederate Veterans "applied directly" to the state's department of motor vehicles to create the plate, said DMV spokeswoman Kim Sue Lia Perkes.
According to the DMV's website, nonprofit organizations may apply to create a license plate. Qualifying organizations must complete an application and submit an $8,000 deposit, refunded once 1,900 sets of an organization's license plates are sold or renewed.
Under Consideration
The department of motor vehicles' board voted on the plate design and ended up with a split, 4-to-4 decision in April, Perkes said. One member was absent at the meeting, and the board's chairman suggested the plate be "reconsidered when a full board could be present," she said.
The next meeting was canceled because of the death of a board member.
"The chairman, Victor Vandergriff, has stated that probably the earliest the plate could be reconsidered is this fall," Perkes said. "We will not have a full board until the governor makes a new appointment, and we really don't know how soon that will happen."
Texas was the seventh state to secede from the union, with about 90,000 Texans serving in the Civil War, Huffines said.
"There's just no getting around the fact that Texas was part of the Confederacy, and for some of us, that was our ancestry," he said. "We're supporting our ancestry."
Robert Lilly, owner of Abilene's Know Thyself book store and a local activist, took a somewhat middle ground when examining the concept."I think people have the right to represent what they believe is their core identity," he said. "So if there's someone amongst us in this society that identifies with the Confederate legacy, that's their prerogative, no one can deny that."
And Lilly said that he has no personal problem with a person who comes from a family with Confederate ties saying to the world that they are connected to that piece of history.
"But I also think that they should be prepared to be honest in a discourse about what was really happening," he said, particularly on matters related to the question of slavery.
McMurry University history professor Don Frazier said that he didn't see "anything particularly wrong" with offering the plate, though he knew many people would take offense.
"The thing about the Confederacy is that it's ultra-complex," he said. "It doesn't fit very well onto a bumper sticker."
Frazier questions the vanity plate program in general, saying determining "what is a tasteful license plate symbol and what is not" was inherently fraught with difficulty.
"It becomes an inherently political process," he said.
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2011/jun/24/abilenians-debate-confederate-texas-plates/
Budget and Finance Committee to Meet In Montgomery
Compatriots,
The Budget and Finance Committee will meet on Thursday, July 14 at 2 PM to review requests for funding that have been made. All members are invited to attend but especially those who are representing or wish to speak for / answer questions about funding request from their camp, division etc...
The recommendations on each funding request made by the Budget and Finance Committee will be presented to the GEC for action at the Saturday afternoon Post Reunion GEC meeting. Those who are knowledgeable and can wish to speak for the various funding requests are also encouraged to attend the GEC meeting as often the GEC will have additional questions.
The location of the Thursday Budget and Finance Meeting and the Saturday GEC meeting will be announced on the floor of the Reunion during a business session.
The Budget and Finance Commitee, with endorsement by the GEC at the March 2011 meeting, uses the funding guidelines found at the link below as a tool in evaluating funding requests.
http://www.scv.org/pdf/FundingProposalGuidelines.pdf
I look forward to seeing you at the Reunion in Montgomery.
Chuck Rand
Adjutant In Chief
chuckrand3@gmail.com
The Budget and Finance Committee will meet on Thursday, July 14 at 2 PM to review requests for funding that have been made. All members are invited to attend but especially those who are representing or wish to speak for / answer questions about funding request from their camp, division etc...
The recommendations on each funding request made by the Budget and Finance Committee will be presented to the GEC for action at the Saturday afternoon Post Reunion GEC meeting. Those who are knowledgeable and can wish to speak for the various funding requests are also encouraged to attend the GEC meeting as often the GEC will have additional questions.
The location of the Thursday Budget and Finance Meeting and the Saturday GEC meeting will be announced on the floor of the Reunion during a business session.
The Budget and Finance Commitee, with endorsement by the GEC at the March 2011 meeting, uses the funding guidelines found at the link below as a tool in evaluating funding requests.
http://www.scv.org/pdf/FundingProposalGuidelines.pdf
I look forward to seeing you at the Reunion in Montgomery.
Chuck Rand
Adjutant In Chief
chuckrand3@gmail.com
Friday, June 24, 2011
Study of The Hunley Continues
Confederate sub upright for first time since 1864
Friday, June 24, 2011
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship is upright for the first time in almost 150 years, revealing a side of its hull not seen since it sank off the South Carolina coast during the Civil War.
Workers at a conservation lab finished the painstaking, two-day job of rotating the hand-cranked H.L. Hunley upright late Thursday.
The Hunley was resting on its side at a 45-degree angle on the bottom of the Atlantic when it was raised in August 2000 and scientists had kept it in slings in that position in the lab for the past 11 years.
But they needed to turn it upright to continue with the job of conservation.
Scientists hope the hidden side of the sub will provide clues as to why the Hunley sank with its eight-member crew in February, 1864, after sending the Union blockade ship Houstonic to the bottom.
While there was no immediate clue from a first look at the hidden hull but "we are seeing some tantalizing clues on that side," Hunley archaeologist Maria Jacobsen said Friday.
Scientists knew there were large hull breaches on the starboard side that remained out of view all these years. Jacobsen said the area around the holes is smooth, as the sediment that has hardened on the hull was blasted away. It's not clear whether the breaches are manmade — caused by an explosion or the like — or simply caused by nature.
She said it likely could have been scoured away by water and tides.
"We may be dealing with nature here. How can these massive hull breaches occur?" she asked.
"Nothing jumps out at me" from seeing the starboard side, said state Sen. Glenn McConnell, the chairman of the South Carolina Hunley Commission. "But we will be examining it for any clue that might be there to help us solve the mystery."
There are various theories why the sub sank. It could have been damaged by fire from the Housatonic or the sub's crew was knocked out by the concussion from the blast that sank that ship. Or it could have been damaged by another Union vessel rescuing the Housatonic.
Studies show the crew died of a lack of oxygen and didn't drown. The remains of the crew, who were buried in 2004, were found at their stations and there seemed no rush to the escape hatch.
McConnell said seeing the submarine upright brings it alive.
"Instead of looking like an artifact, it now looks like a stealth weapon," he said.
"It's as if you are looking at the submarine for the first time," agreed conservator Paul Mardikian. "Before it was more like a mass of inert metal. Now it looks like something that had a life."
The next step in conserving the Hunley comes next week when it will be lowered onto keel blocks to hold it upright. It will probably be a month before a truss and the slings that suspended the sub from it will be removed, providing an even better view of the submarine.
The delicate process of righting the sub involved rotating it between 800 and 1,000 millimeters. A team of workers adjusted the slings by 2 millimeter increments during the two days the job took.
"It went better than it had any right to do," said Mike Drews, the director of the conservation center. "Knowing there were unknowns, we always erred on the side of caution."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_confederate_submarine
Friday, June 24, 2011
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The first submarine in history to sink an enemy warship is upright for the first time in almost 150 years, revealing a side of its hull not seen since it sank off the South Carolina coast during the Civil War.
Workers at a conservation lab finished the painstaking, two-day job of rotating the hand-cranked H.L. Hunley upright late Thursday.
The Hunley was resting on its side at a 45-degree angle on the bottom of the Atlantic when it was raised in August 2000 and scientists had kept it in slings in that position in the lab for the past 11 years.
But they needed to turn it upright to continue with the job of conservation.
Scientists hope the hidden side of the sub will provide clues as to why the Hunley sank with its eight-member crew in February, 1864, after sending the Union blockade ship Houstonic to the bottom.
While there was no immediate clue from a first look at the hidden hull but "we are seeing some tantalizing clues on that side," Hunley archaeologist Maria Jacobsen said Friday.
Scientists knew there were large hull breaches on the starboard side that remained out of view all these years. Jacobsen said the area around the holes is smooth, as the sediment that has hardened on the hull was blasted away. It's not clear whether the breaches are manmade — caused by an explosion or the like — or simply caused by nature.
She said it likely could have been scoured away by water and tides.
"We may be dealing with nature here. How can these massive hull breaches occur?" she asked.
"Nothing jumps out at me" from seeing the starboard side, said state Sen. Glenn McConnell, the chairman of the South Carolina Hunley Commission. "But we will be examining it for any clue that might be there to help us solve the mystery."
There are various theories why the sub sank. It could have been damaged by fire from the Housatonic or the sub's crew was knocked out by the concussion from the blast that sank that ship. Or it could have been damaged by another Union vessel rescuing the Housatonic.
Studies show the crew died of a lack of oxygen and didn't drown. The remains of the crew, who were buried in 2004, were found at their stations and there seemed no rush to the escape hatch.
McConnell said seeing the submarine upright brings it alive.
"Instead of looking like an artifact, it now looks like a stealth weapon," he said.
"It's as if you are looking at the submarine for the first time," agreed conservator Paul Mardikian. "Before it was more like a mass of inert metal. Now it looks like something that had a life."
The next step in conserving the Hunley comes next week when it will be lowered onto keel blocks to hold it upright. It will probably be a month before a truss and the slings that suspended the sub from it will be removed, providing an even better view of the submarine.
The delicate process of righting the sub involved rotating it between 800 and 1,000 millimeters. A team of workers adjusted the slings by 2 millimeter increments during the two days the job took.
"It went better than it had any right to do," said Mike Drews, the director of the conservation center. "Knowing there were unknowns, we always erred on the side of caution."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_confederate_submarine
SCV Works for Texas Plates over Ignorant Opposition
Confederate Flag License Plate Sparks Debate
Texas Might Allow Confederate Flag On License Plates
June 23, 2011
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Would you buy a license plate with a Confederate flag on it? State officials are looking at possibly launching a new Texas state license plate honoring veterans of the War Between the States.
Mr. Hilary Shelton, with the NAACP in Washington, D.C., said that the Civil War may not be something we want to celebrate.
“When many look at that history, we think about it in terms of secession, that is we were seceding from the Union in the southern parts of the country,” explained Shelton. “Many would view that, quite frankly, as treason, because they meant to actually destroy the existing governmental structure. But when we dig deeper, the issue becomes even more offensive to many African Americans and those that sought freedom for those of darker skin in our country.”
“When you understand the Confederate history, and what it stood for,” said Dallas resident Mark Jones, “it’s directly slapping African Americans in the face.”
In terms of the Civil War, Shelton said that the Confederate flag was actually very un-American. “It was the flag that was flown during a war to actually tear the nation apart,” Shelton explained.
“I don’t think that this will unify us,” said Carrollton resident Carolina Arreola. “Our patriotism is to the Unites States flag.”
But the Texas Sons of Confederate Veterans have renewed their push for a Texas license plate that includes the rebel flag in its design.
Thomas Muhammed founded an organization to recover reparations for slavery. Still, he would not oppose the license plates. “I don’t see how a flag hurts someone, as long as the people displaying these license plates are not killing people physically who are of African descent.” Muhammed said.
Currently, nine states already allow the license plates. A statement in a recent newsletter from the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said, “…the Florida Division, the eleventh state, has just filed a lawsuit against the DOT there after their request was denied. I am confident their case will prevail, because legal precedents are in place. I am hopeful that the Texas DOT also realizes this as they consider our application.”
Shelton said that, ultimately, the issue is not about feelings over the Confederacy or those who fought in the Civil War. “The issue here is whether or not we should allow state dollars to be utilized to actually continue to advance these notions of the ‘Old Confederacy,’ and somehow or another that slavery and all those other things that were parts of that Confederacy were something worth celebrating. I think many, many of us would say the answer is absolutely ‘no.’”
However, the City of Dallas already has a large Confederate memorial and several schools named after Confederate generals.
The state board that regulates license plates has rejected Confederate flag license plates before, but the issue is set to come up again at an upcoming meeting that has not yet been scheduled
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/06/23/license-plate-featuring-confederate-flag-hot-topic-at-txdot/
Texas Might Allow Confederate Flag On License Plates
June 23, 2011
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Would you buy a license plate with a Confederate flag on it? State officials are looking at possibly launching a new Texas state license plate honoring veterans of the War Between the States.
Mr. Hilary Shelton, with the NAACP in Washington, D.C., said that the Civil War may not be something we want to celebrate.
“When many look at that history, we think about it in terms of secession, that is we were seceding from the Union in the southern parts of the country,” explained Shelton. “Many would view that, quite frankly, as treason, because they meant to actually destroy the existing governmental structure. But when we dig deeper, the issue becomes even more offensive to many African Americans and those that sought freedom for those of darker skin in our country.”
“When you understand the Confederate history, and what it stood for,” said Dallas resident Mark Jones, “it’s directly slapping African Americans in the face.”
In terms of the Civil War, Shelton said that the Confederate flag was actually very un-American. “It was the flag that was flown during a war to actually tear the nation apart,” Shelton explained.
“I don’t think that this will unify us,” said Carrollton resident Carolina Arreola. “Our patriotism is to the Unites States flag.”
But the Texas Sons of Confederate Veterans have renewed their push for a Texas license plate that includes the rebel flag in its design.
Thomas Muhammed founded an organization to recover reparations for slavery. Still, he would not oppose the license plates. “I don’t see how a flag hurts someone, as long as the people displaying these license plates are not killing people physically who are of African descent.” Muhammed said.
Currently, nine states already allow the license plates. A statement in a recent newsletter from the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said, “…the Florida Division, the eleventh state, has just filed a lawsuit against the DOT there after their request was denied. I am confident their case will prevail, because legal precedents are in place. I am hopeful that the Texas DOT also realizes this as they consider our application.”
Shelton said that, ultimately, the issue is not about feelings over the Confederacy or those who fought in the Civil War. “The issue here is whether or not we should allow state dollars to be utilized to actually continue to advance these notions of the ‘Old Confederacy,’ and somehow or another that slavery and all those other things that were parts of that Confederacy were something worth celebrating. I think many, many of us would say the answer is absolutely ‘no.’”
However, the City of Dallas already has a large Confederate memorial and several schools named after Confederate generals.
The state board that regulates license plates has rejected Confederate flag license plates before, but the issue is set to come up again at an upcoming meeting that has not yet been scheduled
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/06/23/license-plate-featuring-confederate-flag-hot-topic-at-txdot/
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Castle Pinckney to Be Donated to SCV
New hope for old fort: SPA to transfer Castle Pinckney to Sons of Confederate Veterans
By David Slade
dslade@postandcourier.com
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Mark Schara was part of a National Park Service crew that completed a detailed electronic survey of Castle Pinckney this year to help jump-start a conversation about its future. The State Ports Authority has since agreed to turn over the neglected historic site to a new owner.
The SPA said it has been approached by people who had commercial proposals for the property, such as building a home on the site. Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1269Commander Philip Middleton said he was concerned about the possibilities.
"We didn't want to see something out there like a sports bar, with neon lights," he said.
The group has no immediate plans for Castle Pinckney.
"I would say that we are in the very early stages of exploring the conservation options available to our camp," said Bill Snow, another leader in the organization who attended the SPA board meeting.
The SPA acquired the property in 1958 as a possible site to dump dredge spoils, but didn't use it for that purpose and has twice attempted to give the property away. The SPA gave Castle Pinckney to the Shriners in 1964, but the Shriners gave it back the following year.
The SPA then gave the property to the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1269, in 1969, but that organization returned the property in 1984.
This time, the transfer is for keeps -- or at least that's the SPA's hope.
Byron Miller, spokesman for the SPA, said the maritime agency has been unable to use the property for business purposes, and had to spend some money protecting the small island from erosion.
"For some time, we've wanted to find a more appropriate owner," he said. "What we communicated to ... (Camp 1269) is that we view Castle Pinckney as an important part of Charleston's maritime heritage, that needs to be protected."
Castle Pinckney sits at the end of a spit of sand in Charleston Harbor known as Shute's Folly. Most of the uninhabited island is owned by a family trust with a mailing address on South Battery.
The eastern tip of the island has been home to Castle Pinckney since its completion in 1809 or 1810. It's one of two round, brick fortifications from that era that survive today, with the other two being in New York Harbor.
The fort was seized by Confederate forces without a fight prior to the bombardment of Fort Sumter, and later was used as a prison for Union soldiers.
In the late 1800s a lighthouse -- now just a memory -- was built at the site. The fort was designated a national monument in 1924, but the federal government changed its mind in the 1950s and undesignated the site, leading to its sale to the SPA.
Now, for the second time, the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1269 will get a chance to preserve the historic but long-neglected fort.
"Our ultimate aim is to preserve this facility in a respectful and dignified way, to provide a visible link to the past for future generations in the Charleston area," Snow said. "The fort is a part of our Lowcountry heritage and will be honored as such by the Fort Sumter Camp of the SCV."
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jun/22/new-hope-for-old-fort/
By David Slade
dslade@postandcourier.com
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Mark Schara was part of a National Park Service crew that completed a detailed electronic survey of Castle Pinckney this year to help jump-start a conversation about its future. The State Ports Authority has since agreed to turn over the neglected historic site to a new owner.
The SPA said it has been approached by people who had commercial proposals for the property, such as building a home on the site. Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1269Commander Philip Middleton said he was concerned about the possibilities.
"We didn't want to see something out there like a sports bar, with neon lights," he said.
The group has no immediate plans for Castle Pinckney.
"I would say that we are in the very early stages of exploring the conservation options available to our camp," said Bill Snow, another leader in the organization who attended the SPA board meeting.
The SPA acquired the property in 1958 as a possible site to dump dredge spoils, but didn't use it for that purpose and has twice attempted to give the property away. The SPA gave Castle Pinckney to the Shriners in 1964, but the Shriners gave it back the following year.
The SPA then gave the property to the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1269, in 1969, but that organization returned the property in 1984.
This time, the transfer is for keeps -- or at least that's the SPA's hope.
Byron Miller, spokesman for the SPA, said the maritime agency has been unable to use the property for business purposes, and had to spend some money protecting the small island from erosion.
"For some time, we've wanted to find a more appropriate owner," he said. "What we communicated to ... (Camp 1269) is that we view Castle Pinckney as an important part of Charleston's maritime heritage, that needs to be protected."
Castle Pinckney sits at the end of a spit of sand in Charleston Harbor known as Shute's Folly. Most of the uninhabited island is owned by a family trust with a mailing address on South Battery.
The eastern tip of the island has been home to Castle Pinckney since its completion in 1809 or 1810. It's one of two round, brick fortifications from that era that survive today, with the other two being in New York Harbor.
The fort was seized by Confederate forces without a fight prior to the bombardment of Fort Sumter, and later was used as a prison for Union soldiers.
In the late 1800s a lighthouse -- now just a memory -- was built at the site. The fort was designated a national monument in 1924, but the federal government changed its mind in the 1950s and undesignated the site, leading to its sale to the SPA.
Now, for the second time, the Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1269 will get a chance to preserve the historic but long-neglected fort.
"Our ultimate aim is to preserve this facility in a respectful and dignified way, to provide a visible link to the past for future generations in the Charleston area," Snow said. "The fort is a part of our Lowcountry heritage and will be honored as such by the Fort Sumter Camp of the SCV."
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jun/22/new-hope-for-old-fort/
Virginia Ordinance of Secession To Be Displayed
Display of the Ordinance of Secession
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Time: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Place: Lobby of the Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad St., Richmond, VA
The Library of Virginia houses a unique and important document related to Virginia's Civil War history–the Ordinance of Secession.
Because of its age and fragile condition, this rare piece of Virginia history is rarely on public display.
Jan Hathcock
Public Information & Policy Coordinator
Library of Virginia
800 E. Broad St.
Richmond, Va 23219-8000
804-692-3592
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Time: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Place: Lobby of the Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad St., Richmond, VA
The Library of Virginia houses a unique and important document related to Virginia's Civil War history–the Ordinance of Secession.
Because of its age and fragile condition, this rare piece of Virginia history is rarely on public display.
Jan Hathcock
Public Information & Policy Coordinator
Library of Virginia
800 E. Broad St.
Richmond, Va 23219-8000
804-692-3592
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