June Meeting  Thursday the 17th at the Watts house on Hwy 221. Hot dogs and Chips at 6:30. The speaker will be Gene Barron from the Bee Camp in Aiken. We'll raffle off an SCV Wall Clock. We have some important items of business to discuss at the June meeting.

Cemetery  Workday Saturday, June 19th we will have a cemetery workday. Please plan to join with us behind Verdin’s Farm and Garden at 9:00 am as we continue with our endeavors to honor the brave Confederate soldiers from our area. It is our duty---no one else will do it for us!

Atwood Cabin Work Day  Saturday, June 26th at 9:00  a.m. Dianne Culbertson, President of the Gray Court - Owings Historical Society has scheduled a work day on the Atwood Cabin Project in Owings.  Last  summer a number of SCV compatriots gathered to assist in the demolition of the  old home and extraction of the cabin. Bring some tools and come and lend a hand  as we assist in the restoration of this fine old Confederate Cabin in  Owings.

Memorial Service and Marker Dedication    Saturday, June 26th at 9:00 a.m. in Owings at the Friendship Church. Tom Wiedner from the 16th Regiment in Greenville is dedicating the marker to his Grandfather Private Clark Smith who served in the 9th SC Reserves. Tom would appreciate a copy of any specific historical information anyone might have about the 9th SC Reserves, and has asked for several volunteers to come dressed in period uniform for the dedication ceremony. Tom can be reached in Greenville at 864-235-6527.

2004 Sam Davis Youth Camp   June 26th - July 3rd in Crawfordsville, Georgia. Cost  is $395.00. Registration Deadlline is June 15th. See your last issue of Confederate veteran for more details.

2004 SCV National Reunion in Dalton Georgia    July 28th - 31st. This is a National Election Reunion and the McGowan Camp will discuss  Candidate positions and determine how our delegate votes will be cast at the  July 15 meeting. You will need to be present to voice your concerns and opinion  on how we shall vote. A more in-depth outline of Reunion events can be seen at  the following link: http://www.georgiascv.com/scvdalton2004

Police say that a fire at Jefferson Davis' house in Biloxi was arson. The house was saved.

Guardian Report David Tillman Several members of the McGowan camp joined together on May 22nd to place markers on Confederate soldier’s graves in Laurens county. A total of five monuments were placed that day. The following men were honored: William Y. Jones Thomas J. Jones Jacob J. Burton James M. Owings George Milton Brown We did not have an official cemetery workday during the month of April, due toall of the activities going on. In the last newsletter, I neglected to recognize those gentlemen who showed up at Fairview Presbyterian the evening of April 16th to assist the compatriots from the Fowler camp in placing three markers in that cemetery. Special thanks to Bill, Drayte, and Gary for being willing to help with less than a 24 hour notice.

Confederate Memorial Day Observations Mike Marshall I went to three Confederate Memorial Day observations this year - Columbia, Laurens and Clemson University. I spoke at the Clemson observance,  and I described  the Columbia and Laurens observations to the attendees: At the Columbia observation on May 1st this year, a combined effort by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, many Confederate reenactors  and others included Canons, a band, distinguished speakers and  a processional march from Elmwood cemetery through the cordoned-off streets of the capitol city to the grounds of the capitol building. When the canons were fired in the direction from which Sherman’s marauders advanced over 140 years ago, the very foundations of the city trembled. It was quite an event to attend. On May 8th, I attended the Confederate Memorial observation in Laurens. Two local Sons of Confederate Veterans camps worked together with others to bring together a ceremony on the historic courthouse square under the watchful eye of Laurens’s well maintained Confederate soldier monument. Each camp’s colors were proudly displayed, wreaths were laid, prayers were said and we were treated to oratory from state senator Danny Verdin. It was a memorable ceremony for all who attended. Henry Hopkins of the Orr's Rifles camp in Walhalla attended the Clemson observation, and described it to me in email as "sweet as iced tea."

Mrs. Alberta Martin, the last known widow of a Confederate soldier, died on Memorial Day. She was 97