We of the Bryan Camp are failing in our duties to uphold the Charge. The Executive Council wastes its time planning activities when the membership isn't willing to participate.
The last weekend in August the Bryan Camp was a no-show at the Lake Charles gun and knife show because I would have been there alone all day Saturday and our Quartermaster Sgt. would have spent Sunday alone. As if this weren't bad enough the very next weekend our Adopt-A-Hiway cleanup was cancelled due to the fact that the only people there to do it were myself and color Sgt. Gragg. Sgt.Gragg and myself have done this cleanup alone half a dozen times at least in the past. If you are a member of this Camp then ask yourself how many times you have attended this clean-up! We have been doing it at least 3 years now!
This past weekend the Bryan camp was to attend the Jennings Living history event that this Camp is supposed to be a host of. The only members of the Bryan Camp that attended were there as members of Semmes Battery who was the active host.I know why some of you were not there and I am not addressing you. We missed a great opportunity to recruit for our Camp. I suffered a heat stroke there and had to be hospitalized. So much for personal sacrifice huh?
This Commander has apparently failed in his efforts to inspire the membership to do what it should be doing on its own...fight for the preservation of our history and heritage. Many of you call yourselves members yet when a meeting is held the room is empty.When an event is planned it is only attended by the few. Attending a meeting once a month and reading a newsletter is not going to save your heritage. I cannot stress enough how much under attack our Heritage is.
Some members of this camp need to put aside all their personal differences with other members, past or present, and rejoin the fray before it's too late. Is there any loyalty to the Bryan Camp left in you inactive members? Many of you have disappeared since about the time I was elected and slightly before. If I am the reason that some of you are not attending then it is unknown to me and can be fixed in November by the membership who can vote me out of office for I will not step down nor will i give up on my ancestors, my heritage or the fight to preserve their memory.
I am sorry if I have "offended" some of you but I did not accept the nomination of Commander to make friends. I did it to honor my ancestors and that is exactly what I am going to do! Who's with me?
Your Obedient Servant
Terrance L. Lee CMDR
Capt. James W. Bryan Camp#1390
The next meeting of the chapter will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Southwest Louisiana Genealogy Library. The program will be on the "Confederate Officers in Buried in Southwest Louisiana." All SCV members and friends of Confederate heritage are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The chapter adopted as a program creation of an "Honour Roll of Confederate Officers Buried in Southwest Louisiana." Besides cataloguing and compiling biographies of each of these officers, to be deposited in local libraries and archives, it will offer "Certificates of Honourable Service" to the descendants of these officers, plaques or certificates to owners of historic homes once owned by a Confederate officer.
The Lt. Isaac Ryan Chapter also adopted a new newsletter, "Confederate States Rangers," which will carry stories about MOS&B activities as well as historical stories about Confederate officers and Confederate government civil officials.
The MOS&B is an independent organization affiliated with the SCV with the special mission of preserving the heritage of the Confederate officers corps and the Confederate governmental officials. Membership is based on being a lineal or collateral descendant of a commissioned Confederate officer, or elected or appointed member of the Confederate government. Members must also be members in good standing with the Sons of Confederate Veterans. For assistance in finding a Confederate officer ancestor or for a membership application, contact Mike Jones at 582-6154 or [email protected].
Chretien Point Plantation has graciously invited anyone who would like to spend Saturday night on the grounds to do so, but they must arrive after 5:00 p.m. Many of us will be camping Saturday night. If any heritage organization is interested in placing a wreath during the ceremony or need additional information, please contact Johanna Pate at 337-463-7692 or email at: [email protected]. You may also call Chretien Point Plantation at 1-800-880-7050 for directions.
Johanna Pate
The Fall Assembly will convene at 9:00 am. There will be a luncheon at noon. The Assembly will re-convene at 1:30 pm and will end by 3:00 pm. There is another event, the Confederate Harvest Ball at Unionville, LA at 7:00 that evening. This event has been announced previously on the LASCV List and will be announced again. Ending the Fall Assembly at 3:00 pm affords the opportunity for those who wish to attend both events to do so.
On the evening of Friday, October 11 at 8:00 pm, the LA Division Executive Council will meet--also at the Louisiana Convention Centre.
Further details on the Fall Assembly will be forthcoming and will be posted on the LASCV List.
IT IS VITAL that this post be shared with Compatriots who are not subscribers to the LASCV List by reading, or copying and distributing the copies, at your next Camp meeting.
Edward O. Cailleteau
Operator, La. Division, SCV E-mail List
Commander (1984-86)
Louisiana Division, SCV
Troy Chandler
"Chaplain" Gen. Franklin Gardner
1421 SCV
Gov. Alexandre Mouton 120 MOSB
WOODVILLE, Miss. - Rosemont Plantation was built about 1810 by Samuel and Jane Davis, the parents of Jefferson Davis, Rosemont was the Davis Family home until 1895.
The youngest of ten children, Jefferson Davis was two years old when the family moved here from Kentucky. It was home to President Davis and he visited here throughout his life. It is the only Davis built home which survives.
Many Davis furnishings remain in the home, among them the Davis four Poster bed and several family portraits.
Five generations of the Davis Family lived here and are buried here in the cemetery at Rosemont.
An original (c. 1843 ) oil chandelier dominates the center hall.
Huge wood-grained doors open at either end onto galleries which run the length of the home.
Here is an early to mid-life chronology of Jefferson Finis Davis:
1824-28 West Point
1828-35 US Army
1845-47 US Congress
1847-48 Mexican War
1848-53 US Senate
1853-57 US Secretary of War
1857-61 US Senate
1861-65 President, Confederate States of America
Rosemont is located one mile east of Woodville, Mississippi on Highway 24 East. It is 35 miles south of Natchez and 130 miles north of New Orleans.
It is open Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. From March 1st through December 15th, weekends during the Natchez Spring and Fall Pilgrimages.
For more information write Rosemont Plantation, P. O. Box 814, Woodville, MS 39669, phone, 601-888-6809.
Judge Hunter King set the bond at $50,000, which the museum immediately paid, rather than UNO's requested bond of $1,675,000, according to Bill Myers, SCV La. Div. Representative on the Confederate Memorial Hall board of directors.
On July 19 Hunter granted the UNO Foundation's petition for a summary judgment, declaring that they were now the owners of the museum. Memorial Hall planned to appeal to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, he said.
The way the law works, when the museum notifies the judge that they have filed their appeal, the judge sets a bond. If the museum can pay the bond, they get what is called a suspensive appeal - that means they can stay in Memorial Hall until the appeal is heard and decided, which will probably take 12 to 18 months, he said.
If they can't post the bond, then they get a non-suspensive appeal and the UNO Foundation could evict them at any time. UNO's lawyers were urging the UNO Foundation to ask for a $500,000 to $600,000 bond.
Late on Friday, August 2, the museum filed its appeal to the 4th Circuit Court. Judge King had already left for the weekend so the bond was set by the "duty" judge - who set it at $5,000 - which the museum immediately paid, Myers said.
The UNO Foundation was apoplectic when they found out what had happened and on August 16 filed a motion for a hearing before Judge King at which they intended to ask that the bond be increased to $1,675,000.00 , he said.
After a couple of false starts, the hearing was held this morning. Judge King set the bond at $50,000, which the museum will be able to pay, so it looks as if they will be able to stay in Memorial Hall at least until their appeal is decided, Myers said.
Send donations to Memorial Hall Foundation - Confederate Civil War Museum, 929 Camp St. New Orleans, LA 70130; (504) 523-4522 phone (504) 523-8595 fax.
More than a century later, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) and The History Channel are teaming up to encourage amateur shutterbugs to follow in the footsteps of Brady and Gardner. Together, the two organizations are sponsoring a national Civil War photography competition to promote appreciation of America's rich Civil War heritage.
"Civil War battlefields are beautiful reminders of this tumultuous period in American history," remarked CWPT President James Lighthizer. "Sites like Antietam and Lookout Mountain scream out to be photographed for posterity."
Amateur photographers are invited to submit Civil War-related photos in six different categories: (1) Endangered Battlefields, featuring a battlefield under threat of destruction; (2) Scenic, showing the natural beauty of Civil War sites; (3) Historic, capturing the solemn effect of a historic structure or monument; (4) Reenactment, depicting the drama of a Civil War reenactment; (5) Close-up, examining a detail of a monument or landscape; and (6) Junior Photographer, a special category for photographers under the age of 18.
The grand prize winner will be selected from among the first place winners in the 6 categories. The grand prize winner will receive a free registration (a $500 value) to CWPT's annual conference or $500 cash. The History Channel will award $250 to the remaining first place winners in each category. In addition, second and third place winners are eligible for CWPT merchandise and The History Channel gift certificates.
Participants must be amateur photographers. The entry fee is $20 and includes a half-year membership to CWPT. There is no entry fee for current CWPT members. The deadline for entries is January 1, 2003. For contest rules, visit CWPT online at www.civilwar.org.
CWPT is a 41,000-member nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields and promoting appreciation of these hallowed grounds. With more than 71 million Nielsen subscribers, The History Channel is "Where the Past Comes Alive." The History Channel reveals the power of history as a place where people connect with the great lives and events of the past.
Lt. Dixon, who commanded the Hunley on its historic mission, was the center of a local legend that emerged during the Civil War. The legend told the story of a gold coin Dixon was given as a good luck charm by his girlfriend when he left home to go to war. In 1862, during the Battle of Shiloh, Dixon was shot. According to legend, the bullet struck the gold coin in Dixon's trousers and saved his life, leaving a deep impression on the coin's surface.
Recent X-rays and CT scans have revealed radio-dense particles imbedded in the bone that could be pieces of the lead mini-ball; but further ballistics' tests still need to be completed. "We originally thought the coin took most of the impact. Dixon was fortunate he didn't sever an artery," said Jacobsen.
"This discovery shows that there is no doubt that if Lt. Dixon had not carried his lucky gold coin with him into this battle, taking the brunt of the impact from the mini-ball, that Dixon's leg would have been shattered," said Warren Lasch, Chairman of Friends of the Hunley.
Forensic experts from the Smithsonian Institution will be back in September to further study the remains of the 8 crewmembers of the Hunley. Mr. Lasch says that it will be interesting to see what other characteristic features of the crew are discovered in the future. "Dixon might have walked with a limp from the injury. Our forensics' team will have to look not only at the femur, but the knee and ankle to determine this," said Lasch.
The Hunley made history 138 years ago on the night of February 17, 1864, when it rammed an explosive spar torpedo into the Union blockade ship Housatonic off the coast of Charleston. The Housatonic sank, and mysteriously, so did the Hunley. The hand-cranked submarine was raised in 2000. In that same year, during excavation of the Hunley, the $20 dollar gold piece, minted in 1860, was discovered next to the remains of Lt. Dixon. It was deeply indented from the impact of a bullet and inscribed with the following words:
Shiloh
April 6, 1862
My life Preserver
G. E. D.
Web site: Save Silent Sam
In 1991, the N.A.A.C.P. resolved that it was their mission to eradicate all monuments to the South in the War Between the States. In 2000 a University of North Carolina professor decided to push for the removal of the beloved Silent Sam (Confederate Monument) from the UNC campus. We do not know how this unnecessary controversy will end, but for the first time you can own a beautiful glossy 36 " by 24 " poster of the monument. This is a must for UNC Grad, especially if you have Confederate ancestry.
Here is order information:
Network Mall
P.M.B. 295
3903 South Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28209
Quantity _______ X $25.00 (includes shipping) = _________ money order or check only made out to: Network Mall. Indicate the address to which the items should be sent.
Name:_________________________
email address:___________________
Address:_______________________
City, State, Zip:_______________________________ ____________
Please allow 3- 4 weeks for shipping.
Note: posters will begin shipping Sept 5, 2002.
The following letter was written by William Nalle, born ca. 1848, Culpeper, Virginia; graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1872; Civil Engineer and farmer; Adjutant General of Virginia; Col., 4th Virginia Infantry, Spanish-American War; Board of Visitors, VMI, 1898-1906; died July 30, 1911 in Culpeper, Virginia. (the) Letter of October 16, 1870 from Cadet William Nalle to his mother, Mrs. Thomas Botts Nalle, contains a detailed account of the death and funeral of General Robert E. Lee. Nalle describes mourning activities at VMI, Washington College, and Lexington; standing guard over Lee's body with other cadets; funeral procession. Nalle also mentions flood in Rockbridge County that destroyed canal locks, bridges and other property.
"Va Military Institute Lexington Oct 16th 1870
"Dear Mother,
"I expect you have been looking for a letter from me for some time and in fact I would have written but about the time I thought of writing the rains & the flood came on, destroying bridges canals, & cutting off communication generally.
"I suppose of course that you have all read full accounts of Gen Lee's death in the papers. He died on the morning of the 12th at about half past nine. All business was suspended at once all over the country and town, and all duties, military and academic suspended at the Institute, and all the black crape and all similar black material in Lexington, was used up at once, and they had to send on to Lynchburg for more. Every cadet had black crape issued to him, and an order was published at once requiring us to wear it as a badge of mourning for six months. The battalion flag has heavily draped in black, and is to stay so for the next six months. The Institute has been hung all around with black. The College buildings were also almost covered with black. All the churches and in fact the town looked as if they had been trying to cover everything with festoons of black cambric, and every sort of black that could be procured. The morning after his death we marched up and escorted the remains from the house to Washington College Chapel, where they lay in "state" until the burial yesterday morning. After the remains were placed in the Chapel on the morning of the 13th the entire procession was marched through the Chapel, past the corpse, which they were allowed to look at. The lid of the coffin having been taken off for that purpose. I saw the General after his death, and never saw a greater change than must have taken place in him a short time before he died. Some days before he was taken I met him in the path leading into town, coming in direction of the barracks. He was walking, and seemed to be the picture of health, and when I saw him in his coffin, he looked to be reduced to half his original size, and desperately thin. When first taken with the paralytic stroke or whatever it was, he fell on his dining room floor, a bed was placed under him and he died where he fell. The doctors forbid anyone to move him. Myself and four other cadets with Gen Smith's permission sat up all night with the corpse on Friday night, perfect silence was kept the whole night, no one speaking except in a low whisper. It was considered a great honor to be allowed to sit up with the remains, and a great many applied for the privilege but one of the college professors on arrival took only five of us, whom he requested to stay. The day following the funeral procession after marching all around town and through the Institute grounds, formed around the college chapel and he was buried in the chapel under the floor of the basement. The procession was a very large one, a great many persons from a distance being here. Our brass band with muffled drums, went ahead of the hearse playing the dead march. Cannon of our stationary battery were fired & &. The hearse however was perfectly empty the corpse being all the time in the Chapel where it was placed at first.
"The flood of which I spoke, did a great deal of damage in this part of the country, carrying off some ten or fifteen houses, some dwelling houses some ware houses situated at the canal boat landing near here all the bridges in the river were carried off and the canal running to this place entirely ruined, all the locks being torn up and carried off. It was a rare sight to see large houses, bridges, mills & every sort of lumber go sailing at a rapid rate, down the river. Up to a week or two since, we could get no mails or any thing that had to come from a distance, and it is still very difficult to get provisions. Mails come and go regularly now, as they have fixed ferries for stages.
"I was made a sergeant in Co A about three weeks ago, and the evening after the first appointment, I was appointed color sergeant. I have to carry the battalion flag and have charge of the color guard, do not wear any such accoutrements as cartridge box and bayonet scabbard, when I am in charge of the guard, as the other sergeants have to do, but wear only a sword and sash, go to church in the staff, and enjoy various other privileges. Jessie is getting along very well, he seems to be a great favorite. I had him put in a room, with the best new cadets that I could find. One of them is a son of Col. Dulaney of Loudoun, the others seem very nice little fellows, and they are all about the same size. I am getting along pretty well I think, and I written about all that I can think of at present. Let me hear from you soon and let me know whether or not Gen Smith sent pa the receipt for the deposit.
"Your affectionate son,
"W. Nalle"
 | Lee's body lies in state at the college chapel, guarded by 2 VMI cadets. |
 | The house in which Lee died, looking into the room in which he died. |
 | The funeral procession with hearse, in Lexington, Virginia. |
 | Washington University during Lee's funeral. Notice the black crape wrapped around the columns of the building on the left. |