T HE
Publication of:
Private Samuel A. Hughey Camp 1452, Sons of Confederate Veterans and
the President Jefferson Davis Chapter, Military Order of the Stars and Bars
Volume 38, Issue No. 2
February 2014
February Meeting
Adjutant’s Report
This is your invitation to join our members and friends at our
next camp meeting, February 11. Past Commander Randy
Hailey will be showing a documentary on the Battle of
Chancellorsville. This is the famous battle where Lee and
Jackson proved unstoppable!
The battle of Chancellorsville (was fought from April 30 to
May 6, 1863) is considered General E. Lee's best victory. He
was outnumbered 2 to 1 (Confederates numbered 60,892
against Union 133,868).
Gentlemen of the South:
Your camp meeting in January was, as is customary, a
business meeting. The items discussed were:
1. The Horn Lake Christmas Parade. The event was full of
fun and well received by the citizens.
Compatriot Lynn Herron and his brave band placed the
cannon on a float well decorated with lights. It took a lot
of work, but it sure looked good1 thank all of you for
turning out on such a cold evening.
2. Southern Lights: Compatriot Blalock worked one night by
himself1 there was an error in communications he turned
out to be the sole person there. Thank you, sir. On Dec.
24, there were several members of the camp and Mrs.
McGan present to serve over 400 cars. Hopefully, we will
receive a nice check due to the hard work of these faithful
Southrons. All deserve our most sincere gratitude.
Lee and Jackson's Last Meeting
A major loss in this battle was the accidental mortal
wounding of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson by friendly
troops the evening of May 2, 1863. General Lee’s message to
General Jackson as he lay dying: "Give General Jackson my
affectionate regards, and say to him: he has lost his left arm
but I my right.”
Join us on the 11th at the Southaven Public Library on
Northwest Drive. The meeting will begin at 7:00 P.M. and all
are welcome.
Battle
Remembered
USS
Chancellorsville
3. The Battle of Hernando DVDs are in! We can sell them for
$15.00 each and make a nice profit. The camp spent
$500.00 to have them made, so we all need to get busy
and sell some. Please call Compatriot Paul Alford or
myself to pick up some copies to sell or buy some for
yourself. We also owe Compatriot Alford our appreciation
for all his work in putting the re-enactment together and
for acquiring the DVDs.
4. The Civil War Gun Show will be held again this year at the
Southaven arena, and once again we have been fortunate
enough to get the rights to the concessions stand. Last
year we had a profit of over 4500.00. We need you to
volunteer some of your time to work in the stand. It is
only for Saturday and Sunday. Please try to spare a few
hours of one day to assist your compatriots. As of now, I
do not know the dates. Please call compatriot Hailey for
more information.
5. In February, the Horn Lake Library is hosting a series of
programs on the War Between the States. Please go to
their website to see what is planned. On February 8, there
will be a re-enactment at the library. Please try to attend as
many of their programs as you can. It is not often we have
the support of such a major facility.
1
6. Compatriot Bill Witt was given a hearty round of applause
for all his work to preserve a true history of the War and
the truth concerning our ancestors. Thanks you, sir, for all
you do.
7. Compatriot Witt also suggested we send out invitations to
our meetings and have a sign in sheet at the meetings.
Both are excellent ideas.
8. On February 3, Mrs. Brown will be the speaker at the Horn
Lake Library. She remembers compatriot Hughey coming
to the school and giving the Rebel Yell. She is a most
gracious Southern lady and has spoken at our camp in the
past.
member Rev. and
Mrs. Cecil Fayard.
Combined
Boards
Chairman and Mrs.
Rick
Forte
were
somewhere in the
large
number
of
attendees.
At the end of the evening, those wonderful Ladies of the
South once again added more pounds to each of us. Thank
you, Ladies, for all the delicious food and for all your efforts
to support our camp.
Respectfully,
Allen Latimer, Adjutant
LOSS OF COMPATRIOT
We regret to announce the loss of a camp member.
Compatriot ROBERT COLE PLEASANT, 70, of Horn
Lake, MS, passed away January 21, 2014 at Baptist DeSoto
Hospital after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife,
Connie and beloved daughter, Ashton, three stepchildren and
eight grandchildren. Cole is also survived by his mother,
Elizabeth Ledsinger, siblings Leigh Mullen and husband
Larry, Lissa Chocas, and Jason Ledsinger, all of Memphis. A
memorial service will be held in the spring for family and
friends.
Our condolences to Mrs. Pleasant and the remainder of the
family on this loss.
AROUND THE DIVISION
_______
BEAUVOIR
If you have a television, then you know who we mean when
we say the name Emeril Lagasse. He is famous around the
world for his culinary works. December 12 found Emeril and
his wife, Alden, at Beauvoir for a
meet and greet. Events such as this
have brought publicity to Beauvoir.
Who else would be present for the
festivities as well as a book signing
than our own Past Division
Commander
and
Board
Vice
Chairman
and
Treasurer
Ed
Funchess, enjoying things as always?
Also present were Board of Trustee
____
Varina Davis Garden Complete
Soon after Jefferson Davis acquired Beauvoir in 1879, the
Davis' set about expanding the already beautifully developed
grounds of the estate. Varina Howell Davis (Mrs. Jefferson
Davis) was obviously very pleased with Beauvoir, but was
particularly proud of the new garden she created. In a
February 29, 1880 letter written to her daughter Winnie, who
was in school in Europe, Varina stated, "...I work very hard in
my garden as it is new, and quite large. I think about 2
acres...."
In this and subsequent letters she wrote over the next few
months, Mrs. Davis described in both words and sketches the
lay-out of the garden and the
great variety of flowers, fruits
and vegetables she planted. Her
kitchen garden produced items
for her table such as strawberries,
artichokes, radishes, peppers,
eggplants, Irish potatoes, and
asparagus. There were both
common and exotic fruit-bearing
trees, including oranges, citrons,
figs, peaches,
apples, pears,
quince, pomegranate, and
jujube.-Flowers and
fragrant
flowering
shrubs
abounded-gardenias,
jasmine,
(restored gardens)
anemones, gladiolus, Japan lilies, St. Joseph lilies, fire lilies,
and mignonette. Roses, however, were the star attraction of
The Southern Comfort 2
her circular flower garden, and Varina collected and
cultivated cuttings of many different varieties.
When Mrs. Davis left Beauvoir following her husband's death
in 1889, her lovely gardens slowly fell into neglect. The
remnants of them were largely eradicated by Hurricane
Katrina. Although over the years various efforts have been
made to restore the gardens, until now no comprehensive
restoration has been attempted. The present project to restore
Varina's renowned gardens at Beauvoir is the result of several
years of exhaustive research and study and is funded by
grants from the Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History
and the National Park Service. Reconstruction of visitor
walkways and fences destroyed by Katrina are being funded
by FEMA.
As the Beauvoir estate is a National Historic Landmark,
designated by the Secretary of the Interior, it is very
important to preserve both the main house and its historic
landscape setting. Restoration of Varina's garden will not
only reestablish a significant historic feature of Beauvoir's
landscape, it will also provide an important attraction for the
Gulf Coast's heritage tourism industry. Just as the gardens
brought much joy to the Davis' and their guests in the late19th-century, the restored garden will, no doubt, continue to
bring beauty and enjoyment to future generations of
Mississippi families and visitors to our state.
-Kenneth H. P'Pool
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
CDV of Confederate dead near Battery Robinett at Corinth. The
bearded man on the far left of the picture is Colonel William Rogers
of the 2nd Texas Infantry
_____
Information
Compatriots!
The Colonel William P. Rogers Camp is honored to host the
2014 State Convention. The following is some additional
information that may be helpful to you. The registration
forms are available at this site - battleofcorinth.com.
Motels
Headquarters Motel – Holiday Inn Express is located at the
junction of Routes 45 & 72 (662-287-1407). The Hampton
Inn is across the street (662-286-5949). The SCV rate of $89
a night is good if rooms are booked before May 23, 2014.
The price is the same at both motels.
Historical Tours:
1. We are offering an early bird tour of the Davis Bridge
Battlefield on Friday June 6, at 1:00 pm. The tour will be led
by NPS Ranger Tom Parson the leading expert on the battle.
This is a pristine site that is seldom seen by visitors. A real
treat!
(The above information is taken from
http://www.beauvoir.org/news/index.html.)
2. On Saturday afternoon we will offer a bus tour of the many
battlefield sites in Corinth- (Limited to 55 persons). A
driving/walking tour will also be available for those who
want to do it on their own.
We do need to know the number of persons wanting to go on
these tours so we can provide guides and buses so please
indicate your interest on the Registration Form.
3. On Sunday we recommend a tour of nearby Shiloh and the
Brice’s Crossroads Battlefields.
For the Ladies:
Beauvoir under the January 2014 snow
Mississippi Division Convention
Mississippi Division of Sons of
Confederate Veterans State Meeting
119TH
Corinth Mississippi, June 6-8 2014
Corinth has a number of very interesting shops with many
different choices. On Saturday morning from 8:00 am to
approximately 3:00 pm there will be Corinth’s monthly
“Green Market” where local persons sell their Arts and Crafts
and homemade items like jellies, pickles, baked goods,
clothes, and jewelry. No trip to Corinth would be complete
without a trip to Borroum’s Drugstore (opened in 1865) for
an old fashion ice cream treat and a “Slugburger.” Directions
will be provided.
The Southern Comfort 3
Friday Evening Reception:
Our Friday night opening reception will be held at the
Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center. It is a wonderful
building on the Corinth Battlefield with great exhibits on the
Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Corinth.
We look forward to having you in Corinth where history
comes alive!
Contact Information:
Larry Mangus - lmangus1941@gmail.com or (H) 662-2870766 (C) 662-872-9180
CAMP CHAPLAIN GREG LUTZ
5221 Brenda Cove, Horn Lake, MS 38637
(662) 781-1749
E- mail:
olerebdixie@live.com
EDITOR JOHN L. ECHOLS
8477 Southaven Circle West, Southaven, MS
38671
(662) 393-2803
E- mail: soucom@att.net
PROGRAM AD FORM
Ad Sizes and Prices
Please Circle One:
Full Page:
$100
½ Page:
$50
¼ Page:
$25
Business Card: $15
Please Submit Your Own Ad Layout, Business Card or Other.
Contact Person: ___________________________________
Name of Business: _________________________________
Address: _________________________________________
Phone Number: ___________________________________
Cell: ___________________________________________
Email: ___________________________________________
Make Checks Payable to:
Col. W. Rogers SCV Camp 321
Mail to: Larry Mangus, 56 County Road 615,
Corinth, MS 38834
(The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a 501-3C tax deductible
organization.)
CONTACTS
THE SOUTHERN Comfort IS A MONTHLY
PUBLICATION OF THE Pvt. SAMUEL A.
Hughey
Camp
#1452,
SONS
OF
CONFEDERATE
VETERANS
AND
PRESIDENT JEFFERSON DAVIS CHAPTER,
MILITARY ORDER OF THE STARS AND
BARS., DeSOTO COUNTY , MS.
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRINT
ANY ARTICLE.
CAMP COMMANDER JOHN JONES
5853 Iroquois Dr., Horn Lake, MS 38637
CAMP ADJUTANT ALLEN LATIMER
5205 Horn Lake Rd, Horn Lake, MS 38637
(662)393-4448
E- mail: bullfrogreb@att.net
http://www.mississippiscv.org/news.html
Civil War Re-enactment at
Okolona, MS
The 150th anniversary of the Battle of Okolona will
be held February 22nd and 23rd, 2014. The reenactment will be held on the original battlefield,
located about five miles West of Okolona, Mississippi,
on Hwy 41.
This is the battle where General Forrest defeated
Union General Sooy Smith.
For re-enactor and sutler registration, and additional
info, go to www.battleofokolona, or contact the
Okolona Chamber of Commerce at 662-447-5913.
The Southern Comfort 4
MID-SOUTH CIVIL WAR
AND ANTIQUE MILITARY
SHOW
February 15 and 16, 2014
Southaven Arena,
7360 Hwy 51 North, Southaven, MS
ADMISSION:
Adults……………………………. $8.00
Children 12 and under.……….. $1.00
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
9:00 A.M. – 5:00 PM., SAT.
9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M., SUN.
A BURIAL DETAIL AT CORINTH
Something you generally don’t read much about is what
happened in the aftermath of a major battle – in particular, the
unpleasant task of burying the dead, both human and
animal. Thus I was very interested to see the following
article, which was written by a member of the 39th
Mississippi infantry, identified only as “Junius,” who was a
member of the Confederate burial detail sent back to Corinth
in the aftermath of the October 1862 battle. This Confederate
soldier had a unique view of the closing moves of the Corinth
campaign: as a member of a burial detail under a flag of
truce, he was able to witness the Union army moving against
his own comrades. This article was published in The Daily
Mississippian, November 6, 1862; the newspaper was very
faded, but I was able to transcribe most of it, with the
exception of a few words here and there:
The Corinth Flag of Truce
To Our Readers Who Are On
Facebook
Yes, we will agree that there is a lot of junk on FB, but few
realize there are a lot of sites that are of interest to those of us
who have a lot for the South and our Confederate ancestors.
Let us recommend you take the time to visit these sites and
you will see what we mean. Some may join. It is also very
interesting to talk to people of the same feelings around the
world.
SONS AND FRIENDS OF CONFEDERATE
VETERANS VOICE OF DIXIE ENGLISH FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH SOUTHERN OWNED & SOUTHERN OPERATED YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM MISSISSIPPI
WHEN....
Another website of interest is “And Speaking of Which…”
http://andspeakingofwhich.blogspot.com/
All of these are sites you will enjoy and avenues for
expanding your knowledge of both the War Between the
States as well as Mississippi.
"The old are our relics. They link us to the dead generations;
like the crumbling towers of a ruined city they linger to
remind us of bygone splendor. They are lone columns from a
social fabric which, once grand and beautiful, has yielded to
the waste of years. Precious treasures they are. Let no vandal
hand pollute them with its touch. It is a sacrilege--an insult to
the past--a stab at the heart of history--an outrage to our
memories of our fathers and mothers--to neglect and slight
the old." ~ William Eldridge Hatcher
Ed. Mississippian – As a good many false rumors and
erroneous fabrications have gone forth, relative to the Corinth
“flag of truce,” we deem it the duty incumbent upon us to
make a brief, plain and unvarnished statement of facts, and
request its insertion in your paper, for the benefit of the
public in general.
On Sunday morning, the 5th instant – the next morning after
the long to be remembered battle near Corinth – thirty men
from the Bloody 39thMississippi, under our command; thirty
from the 12th Louisiana under Captain Dickson; thirty-three
from the 1st Confederate Battalion and the 33d Mississippi,
under Lieutenant Felder, together with one hundred and
seventeen from General Maury’s Division, under Captain
Lamb, and one hundred and twelve from General Little’s
Division, under the command of the chivalrous Capt. Haven,
of the 20th Arkansas, were detailed to go back to Corinth
under a flag of truce to bury our gallant dead, slain in battle
on the two preceding days.
Colonel William S. Barry, formerly of Columbus, now the
popular and much loved Colonel of the 35 thMississippi,
commanded the detail. On arriving within two miles of the
battle-field, we were met and halted by some Yankee cavalry,
who informed us that they could not permit us to pass,
without permission from Headquarters. A messenger was
dispatched, who arrived in about two hours with a dispatch,
the contents of which were about as follows: “The rebel dead
are now being buried, and there is no necessity for admitting
a flag of truce within the Union lines. The detail, unmolested,
will be permitted to return. We immediately obeyed
instructions and started on after our army: but on arriving
opposite Chewalla, Tenn., ten miles north of Corinth, on the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad, we were again halted and
ordered to await further instruction.
Here we remained all night, during which time General
Rosencranz, with seven brigades of infantry and sixty pieces
of artillery, passed on in hot pursuit of our retreating army.
The General is a fine looking, intelligent and well informed
“chap.” He said our men, on the two days previous, did the
The Southern Comfort 5
bravest but the most rash fighting he had ever known. He
expressed his intention of making special mention in his
official report of the unparalleled bravery of Colonel Rogers,
of General Maury’s Division, who fell while gallantly leading
his men in a desperate charge over the breastworks in the
town of Corinth. Some of his officers say the General had
him taken up, his face washed and his likeness taken. For the
truth of this we cannot vouch, as the General said nothing of
it himself.
At the right of this, the most magnificently equipped and fine
looking army we ever saw, you may be sure our poor hearts
bled within us, and more especially were they wrung with
anguish when, on the following morning, a courier was
dispatched to Corinth with the intelligence that General Price
had told his men to _____ for themselves, he himself had fled
to the swamps, and his entire baggage and artillery captured,
together with a great portion of the army, and what remained
were scattered through the woods in every direction; in short,
it was completely annihilated. As to the correctness of this,
you all know as much as we do. Comment is unnecessary.
On Monday we removed to Chewalla Station, where rations
were issued as follows: to each man ¾ lb. of hard bread, ¾ lb.
of bacon, and some sugar and coffee, all of which would have
done well enough if we had have had any utensils in which to
have done our cooking. The water was very scarce, extremely
filthy, and miserably badly tasted.
While here, about 150 prisoners were brought in, mostly
stragglers. In company with Captain Haven, we obtained
permission to visit them, and had the pleasure, over the left,
of finding in the number, two members of Company I of the
39thMississippi – Frank Burt and a Mr. Woodford, of
Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Woodford’s fellow prisoners stated
that immediately after his capture, he went to the General to
have the oath administered, and expressed great concern as to
how he should manage to get his family away from the South.
On Thursday morning we were released, and sent with a
guide toward our army, and halted again on Friday, and
detained until Tuesday, when we were again permitted to
resume our journey for the balance of the time unmolested.
We were sent by Baldwin on the Mississippi and Ohio
Railroad, which made it about one hundred miles to Holly
Springs from Chewalla, Tennessee, where we had been so
long, uselessly detained.
On Saturday evening, the 18th instant, we reached Cold
Water, seven miles north of Holly Springs, where we had the
exquisite pleasure of finding “our boys” in fine spirits, good
health, clean shirts, smoothly shaved faces, and looking as
cheerful, contented and happy as though they had never
received a sound drubbing at the hands of the “Yanks,” who
now, by their hated presence, _____ the already polluted
plains of Corinth.
_____ ______ account of our second attempt to visit a place
we never were ever anxious to see.
Junius
39thMississippi
Camp Moore, La., Oct. 28th 1862
I did a little research, and did confirm that a Confederate
burial detail was sent back to Corinth under the command of
Colonel Barry. In the Official Records of the War of the
Rebellion, I found the following statement by Brigadier
General John C. Moore: “Colonel William S. Barry was not
present on the 5th, he having been sent to Corinth under a
flag of truce to bury the dead. He is a gallant and efficient
officer, of whom his state may well be proud.” – O.R. Series
1, Vol. XVII, Part 1, page 400.
PRIVATIONS, SUFFERING AND
DELIBERATE CRUELTIES
“Starvation, literal starvation, was doing its deadly work. So
depleted and poisoned was the blood of many of Lee’s men
from insufficient and unsound food that a slight wound which
would probably not have been reported at the beginning of
the war would often cause blood-poison, gangrene, and
death.
Yet the spirits of these brave men seemed to rise as their
condition grew more desperate . .
. it was a harrowing but not
uncommon sight to see those
hungry men gather the wasted
corn from under the feet of halffed horses, and wash and parch
and eat it to satisfy in some
measure their craving for food.”
General John B. Gordon, “Reminiscences of the Civil War.”
“Winter poured down its snows and its sleets upon Lee’s
shelterless men in the trenches. Some of them burrowed into
the earth. Most of them shivered over the feeble fires kept
burning along the lines. Scanty and thin were the garments of
these heroes. Most of them were clad in mere rags.
Gaunt famine oppressed them every hour. One quarter of a
pound of rancid bacon and a little meal was the daily portion
assigned to each man by the rules of the War Department.
But even this allowance failed when the railroads broke down
and left the bacon and the flour and the mean piled up beside
the track in Georgia and the Carolinas. One-sixth of the daily
ration was the allotment for a considerable time, and very
often the supply of bacon failed entirely.
At the close of the year, Grant had one hundred and ten
thousand men. Lee had sixty-six thousand on his rolls, but
this included men on detached duty, leaving him barely forty
thousand soldiers to defend the trenches that were then
stretched out forty miles in length from the Chickahominy to
Hatcher’s Run.” Henry Alexander White, “Life of Robert E.
Lee.”
“When their own soldiers were suffering such hardships as
these in the field, the Confederate leaders made every effort
to exchange men so that helpless prisoners of war would not
suffer in anything like equal measure, offering even to send
The Southern Comfort 6
back prisoners without requiring an equivalent. Hence, the
charges brought against the Confederate government of
intentional ill-treatment of prisoners of war are not supported
by the facts.
Prayerfully, tediously, he reached his own lines safely.
Having also a hand wound, he was, within ten days admitted
on September 27, 1862, to Chimborazo Hospital in
Richmond. He was furloughed and sent home to recover.
[In the South] the same quantity and quality of rations were
given to prisoners and guards; but that variety in food could
not be had or transported on the broken-down railway system
of a non-manufacturing
country, which system
could not or did not
provide sufficient clothes
and food even for the
Confederate soldiers in the
field.
Dec. 8, 1839-Dec. 6,1942
[The] control of the prisons
in the North was turned over by Secretary Stanton and the
vindictive and partisan men (who were later responsible also
for the crimes of Reconstruction) to the lowest element of an
alien population and to Negro guards of a criminal type, and
such men as President Lincoln, Seward, McClellan, and the
best people in the North were intentionally kept in ignorance
of conditions in Northern prisons while officially furnished
with stories as to “the deliberate cruelties” practiced in the
South.”
UPDATE: Burke County investigators are still looking for
the grave robbers responsible for digging up soldier grave
sites at the Old Church Cemetery.
(The Women of the South in War Times, Matthew Page Andrews,
Norman, Remington Company, 1920, pp. 399-406)
ROBERT EDWIN MILES
By the spring of 1861 Robert Edwin Miles was 22 1/2 years
old. Few soldiers saw more of the war than he. Accordingly,
on July20, 1861, he enlisted in his home county, his papers
signed by Capt. E.T. Bridges. That November 1st he was
promoted to corporal, and shortly he became a sergeant in
Company C, 57th Virginia Infantry, Armistead's Brigade,
Huger's
Division,
Army
of Northern Virginia.
His most indelible ordeal came at the Battle of Sharpsburg,
where he was severely wounded in the legs. Unable to walk,
limp, or even to go
on hands and knees,
Sgt. Miles narrowly
escaped
capture
when he crawled
slowly toward what
he supposed were
Confederate lines.
Upon discovering his
error and already
faint from loss of
blood,
he
was
compelled to reverse
himself and quietly
(sparing not the
luxury of a groan) crawled away from danger.
GRAVE ROBBERS STEAL
CONFEDERATE AND REVOLUTIONARY
CLOTHING FROM THE DECEASED
By Elizabeth Rawlins - Apr 22, 2013
BURKE COUNTY, GA (WFXG) -
"Somebody
is
very sick to do
something
like
this, to desecrate a
grave," said Post
Commander
Leroy Bell Jr.
Bell oversees the
cemetery that is a
secluded location where people from every century are buried
dating back the 1700's.
"I just didn't think of anything like this ever happening," said
Bell. "We've never had it happen before as long as this
cemetery has been here."
Bell said the gates to the cemetery remain locked all the time
and it wasn't until he came out here to cut the grass that he
realized that five of the graves were disturbed.
"It would have to be that they thinking they could get some
kind of relics," said Bell.
The grave robbers knocked over head stones and dug up
graves of Revolutionary, Confederate and World War I
soldiers and also some children, taking whatever was in those
graves and leaving the bones behind.
"Any of the artifacts that would have been buried on some of
these soldiers is most likely what the grave robbers were
hunting for, whether to keep them for themselves or to sell,"
said Sgt. Sean Cochran of Burke County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators cannot pinpoint exactly when these graves were
disturbed but believe it happened within the last two weeks.
They told FOX54, they are determined to find whoever is
responsible.
"They are going to sell it to the wrong person," said Sgt.
Cochran. "They are going to say something, they are going to
do something and somebody is going to tell me."
The Southern Comfort 7
Investigators are restlessly working to bring these graves to
rest once again. The post commander said they plan to
properly re-bury the soldiers and children soon.
Moncure and heard the latter's account of the mission—still
survive and still recall the events, the disclosures, and the
accepted conclusions growing out of it.
Southern Historical Society Papers.
Vol. XXXVIII. Richmond, Va., January-December. 1910
Copyright 2013 Raycom News Network.
ORGINAL STORY:
Burke County Sheriff's Office is investigating Confederate
and Revolutionary graves that were robbed at Old Church
Cemetery off Idlewood Road in Burke County. Investigators
said grave robbers turned over head stones, removed caskets
from the ground and proceeded to remove the clothes worn
by the soldiers, leaving their bones exposed.
The cemetery is under the care of the American Legion, Post
120. A $1,000 reward is being offered for any information.
Thanks to Susan Frise Hathaway for the above article/
LOST CHAPTER IN HISTORY
We have reason to believe that, toward the close of the war,
Prince Polignac, then commanding a brigade in the
Confederate Army, under Lieutenant-General E. Kirby Smith,
head of the Trans-Mississippi Department, was sent to
Europe upon a very delicate and important mission. He was
accompanied by Major John C. Moncure, a brilliant Southern
officer. This much was well known among the officers at
department headquarters, Shreveport, La. Gossip had it that
Polignac went authorized from Richmond to offer to Louis
Napoleon all that part of Louisiana Purchase, then included in
or claimed by the Southern Confederacy, the consideration
being that France would send an army to the aid of Jefferson
Davis and otherwise co-operate in the establishment of his
government in the rest of the Southern States. The scheme did
not have the approval of all the leading Confederates—
perhaps it was not liked by a majority of them; but
disapproval of Mr. Davis was by no means uncommon at that
time—indeed, it had been the rule rather than the exception
since his removal of Joseph E. Johnston, at a critical moment
in the Tennessee campaign some months before. At all
events, Polignac, accompanied by Moncure, went to Paris—
via Galveston, we think—and, though their mission was
barren of result, so far as concerned the Confederacy, it
leaked out when Moncure returned that Louis Napoleon had
frequently consulted with Lord Palmertson, and that, so far
from refusing to consider the proposition at all—whatever it
may have been—the latter had given it a great deal of his
time, and had finally dismissed it with reluctance. We have
since been told that the Queen herself intervened, but we
rather think that the appearance of the Russian fleets at New
York and San Francisco—with orders, as afterwards
transpired, to place themselves at the disposal of the United
States Government—cut at least some figure in Lord
Palmertson's philosophy.
It is hardly probable that the details of this remarkable
incident will ever find their way into authenticated history;
but many men who knew of it—who knew Polignac and
Give the Lady An-At-A Girl
All across
Virginia, you will
find this lady
presenting the
colors. She will
stand tall with and
against anyone.
All patriots of the
South owe Mrs.
Susan Hathaway
and all the others
like her, including
some presenting
the flag in our
area. Thanks,
Susan and all of
you for helping
preserve Southern
heritage.
Thanks to Peter Dore, English Friends of the South, for
sending this picture.
A New Book to add to your
Library
Another great book
is now ready for
purchase.
This
is
another
outstanding work by
noted author Tim
Burgess. Tim has
done
considerable
research on Confederate graves, especially those in the
Nashville area.
While these are in
the Nashville area,
many of us have
Confederate ancestors buried there.
This editor’s great
great uncle died in a yankee hospital in Nashville. Following
the War, his remains were moved with other Confederate
remains to Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
The Southern Comfort 8
So now is the opportunity to learn more about our Confederate ancestor through a different light. Buy your copy now and
take time to enjoy.
The above article was furnished us by Peter Doré of
ENGLISH FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH.
The price is only $22.00 which includes postage. Send your
check/money order to:
Tim Burgess
128 Maple Drive, Hendersonville, TN 37075
Barksdale’s Mississippians
In 1878 former Confederate General Lafayette McLaws paid
tribute to Brigadier General William Barksdale and the
gallant brigade of Mississippians that he led at the Battle of
Gettysburg. He said of them:
Barksdale had been exceedingly impatient for the order to
advance, and his enthusiasm was shared in by his command.
Barksdale was standing in front ready to give the word and to
lead. He was not far from me; and so soon as it was signified
to me I sent my aid-de-camp, Captain G.B. Lamar, Jr., to
carry the order to General Barksdale, and the results I express
in Captain Lamar’s words: ‘I had witnessed many charges
marked in every way by unflinching gallantry; indeed, I had
the honor of participating when in the line with the First
Georgia Regulars, but I never saw anything to equal the dash
and heroism of the Mississippians. You remember how
anxious General Barksdale was to attack the enemy, and his
eagerness was participated in by all of his officers and men,
and when I carried him the order to advance his face was
radiant with joy. He was in front of his brigade, hat off, and
his long, white hair reminded me of the white plume of
Navarre. I saw him as far as the eye could follow, still ahead
of his men, leading them on. The result you know. You
remember the picket fence in front of the brigade? I was
anxious to see how they would get over and around it. When
they reached it, the fence
disappeared as if by magic, and
the slaughter on the other side
was
terrible.
Barksdale,
gallantly leading his men in the
terriffic fight, fell mortally
wounded. The last words of
that ardent patriot to fall on the
ears of one of his countrymen
were, “I am killed. Tell my
wife and children I died
fighting at my post.
This photo of William Barksdale was taken in 1859 while he
was serving as a United States Congressman from Mississippi
- Library of Congress
Military Order of the Stars and Bars
Gentlemen,
The South Carolina Society is honored to host the 2014
MOSB National Convention in the “Holy City” of
Charleston, South Carolina. The dates are Thursday July 10
to Saturday July 12, 2014. Our host hotel will be:
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Charleston - Historic
District - 181 Church Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Please call the hotel directly at (843) 577-2644 to reserve
your accommodations and ask for the MOSB special rate of
$159
per
night.
We will kick
off
the
meeting with
the
GEC
meeting on
Thursday
afternoon.
Thursday evening Bill LeFevre, Past Commander of the Capt.
Stephen Dill Lee Chapter #301 in Charleston, has arranged
for a private tour of the CSS Hunley conservatory. A private
cocktail reception with open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres
will follow at the conservatory.
Friday will begin with the Forrest Cavalry Corps breakfast
followed by the business meeting of the Order. The annual
Awards Luncheon will follow the business meeting. Bill
Lefevre has arranged another special treat for Friday evening.
We will take a private tour boat to Fort Sumter for an afterhours tour of the fort. On the return trip we will tour
Charleston Harbor to include the Battery and hold the
Commander General’s Reception aboard the tour boat
including passed hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Saturday will begin with the annual Prayer Breakfast
followed by the concluding business meeting of the Order.
Saturday lunch and afternoon are free for you to enjoy eating
in and touring the historic district. On Saturday evening I
will be the member host sponsoring the Commander
General’s Banquet at the Carolina Yacht Club in the Fort
Sumter Ballroom overlooking historic Castle Pinckney and
Charleston Harbor.
We in the South Carolina Society encourage all of our
members to attend what will be a wonderful gathering in
Charleston, the Conde Nast #1 tourist destination in America.
The Southern Comfort 9
We plan to have the registration forms available by mid
January 2014.
Sincerely,
Harold Davis, Commander South Carolina Society
The Heroic John Pelham
Pelham wrote his sister-in-law, the new wife of his brother
Charles, on March 9. In perhaps his most moving letter, he
stated, “You need not be afraid of piquing my southern
feelings by respecting the ‘Stars and Stripes.’ Although I am
a most ultra Secessionist, I am still
proud of the American Flag. It does not
belong to the North any more than to us
and has never had anything to do with
our wrongs. I think that both sides
ought, in justice to the illustrious dead,
lay it aside as a memento of our past
greatness and of our Revolutionary
renown. I would fight harder and longer to tear the ‘Stars and
Stripes’ from every Northern battlement than for any other
cause. They have no right to use it, and we should not permit
them. It should be stored away with our other household
goods, cherished and preserved spotless and unstained ‘not a
single stripe erased or polluted, not a single star obscured.’”
Taken from the January 2014 Officer's Call, newsletter of the
Military Order of the Stars and Bars.
General William E. Jones
William Edmondson Jones, known as Grumble Jones, (May
3, 1824 – June 5, 1864) was a planter, a career United States
Army officer, and a Confederate cavalry general, killed in the
Battle of Piedmont Jones was born in Washington County,
Virginia. After graduating from Emory and Henry College in
Virginia in 1844, he graduated from the United States
Military Academy in 1848 and was commissioned a brevet
second lieutenant in the U.S. Mounted Rifles. He served with
the cavalry fighting Indians in the west until he resigned his
commission in 1857 to become a farmer. His nickname,
"Grumble", reflects his irritable disposition, undoubtedly
exacerbated by the death of his wife, who was washed from
his arms in a shipwreck shortly after their marriage in 1852
while en route to Texas.
At the start of the War, Jones joined the 1st Virginia Cavalry
Regiment as a captain, commanding a company he had
raised. On May 9 he was promoted to major in Virginia's
Provisional Army, and later that month both Jones and the
regiment were transferred into the Confederate Army. Jones
served under Col. J.E.B. Stuart in the First Battle of Bull Run
in July 1861. The following month he was promoted to the
rank of colonel was given command of the 1st Virginia
Cavalry.
In the fall of 1861 the Confederate forces underwent a
massive reorganization, during which the enlisted men could
elect their officers. As a result Jones was not re-elected to his
post as commander of the 1st Virginia Cavalry. That
September he was appointed to command the 7th Virginia
Cavalry. He led the regiment into Western Virginia, along the
Potomac River. In March 1862 Jones was given command of
all cavalry in the Valley District.
Returning to eastern Virginia, Jones's cavalry was
distinguished in the Second Bull Run Campaign; he was
wounded in a skirmish at Orange Court House on August 2.
He was part of Stuart's ostentatious raid around Maj. Gen.
George B. McClellan's army preceding the Seven Days
battles. He was promoted to brigadier general on September
19, 1862, and on November 8, was assigned to command the
4th Brigade of Stuart's Cavalry Division in the Army of
Northern Virginia. This brigade was known as Robertson's, or
the "Laurel brigade," and consisted entirely of Virginians,
formerly commanded by Turner Ashby. Based on the request
of Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, on December 29,
1862, he assumed command of the Valley District.
In the spring of 1863, Jones and Brig. Gen. John D. Imboden
raided the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad west of Cumberland,
Maryland, destroying much of the railroad and public
property in the area, including the Burning Springs Complex
on May 9, 1863. Rejoining Stuart, he fought in the largest
cavalry engagement of the war, the Battle of Brandy Station,
June 9, 1863, at the start of the Gettysburg Campaign. He was
surprised, as was all of Stuart's command, to be hit out of
blue by Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton.
Jones's brigade was outnumbered by the division of his West
Point classmate, Brig. Gen. John Buford, but it held its own
and ended the fight with more horses and more and better
small-arms than at the beginning, capturing two regimental
colors, an artillery battery, and about 250 prisoners.
As the Gettysburg Campaign continued, Jones screened the
Army of Northern Virginia's rear guard during the advance
north through the Shenandoah Valley, by holding gaps in the
mountains that separated them from Union observation and
This photograph shows
Confederate Cavalry
General William E.
Jones is shown while
still a colonel with the
7th Virginia Cavalry in
1862
interference. As the Battle
of Gettysburg commenced
on July 1, 1863, Jones'
brigade
crossed
the
Potomac
River
at
Williamsport, Maryland, but stayed away from the principal
battlefield, guarding the trains and Harpers Ferry. Jones was
disgruntled that Stuart had not taken him on his movement
around the Union flank to join up with General Richard S.
The Southern Comfort 10
Ewell's Second Corps on the Susquehanna River. Before
moving into Pennsylvania, General Robert E. Lee ordered
Ewell to capture Harrisburg if practicable. The disagreeable
Jones often clashed with Stuart. On July 3, Jones's brigade
fought a sharp battle with the 6th U.S. Cavalry at Fairfield,
Pennsylvania, then again at Funkstown, Maryland, a few days
later. After Lee's army completed its retreat back to Virginia,
Jones's men fought twice again with Buford at Brandy
Station, on August 1 and October 10, 1863.
In October, Stuart's dissatisfaction with Jones reached a boil
and he court-martialed Jones for insulting him. Although
Grumble was found guilty, Robert E. Lee intervened, and he
was transferred to the Trans-Allegheny Department in West
Virginia. Jones recruited a brigade of cavalry there and
campaigned in eastern Tennessee with Lt. Gen. James
Longstreet's forces during the winter and spring of 1864. In
May, Jones assumed command of the Confederate forces in
the Shenandoah Valley who were defending against the
halting advance of Maj. Gen. David Hunter towards
Lynchburg, Virginia, in the Valley Campaigns of 1864. In the
Battle of Piedmont on June 5, 1864, Jones was shot in the
head and killed while leading a charge against a superior
attacking force.
Grumble Jones is buried in the Old Glade Spring Presbyterian
Church graveyard, Glade Spring, Virginia. His fellow cavalry
general, Brig. Gen. Imboden, wrote that Jones ... was an old
army officer, brave as a lion and had seen much service, and
was known as a hard fighter. He was a man, however, of high
temper, morose and fretful. He held the fighting qualities of
the enemy in great contempt, and never would admit the
possibility of defeat where the odds against him were not
much over two to one.
Thanks again to Peter Doré for the above article
SOUTHERN DUTY
When Lincoln called up 75 thousand men to invade the
Independent Southern States on April 15, 1861, his
unconstitutional act prompted the states of Virginia, North
Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas to secede, joining the
newly formed country, the Confederate States of America.
Thus, with the invasion of the South, this began the bloodiest
war in our American history.
When the South was invaded, Southern States called upon
their sons to do their duty to defend their state, homes and
family from invasion. These men went to do their duty, not as
aggressors or in the spirit of conquest, but to protect their
homeland from an unjust invasion.
More than half of all the casualties on both sides were from
the hardships and disease found in camp life. This was
especially true for the Southern troops who nearly always
lacked the basic necessities of food, clothing and medical
supplies, unlike the Northern troops, who had plenty.
The sacrifices made by the Confederate soldier are
incomprehensible today. They would march for days with
little or no rest, very little food, some with no shoes and in the
heat of summer and the frigid cold of winter. Fatigue, hunger
and sickness were common place for these soldiers.
Despite the hardships endured by the Confederate soldiers
they pressed on to perform their duty. In nearly every conflict
these soldiers were typically outnumbered and out gunned 3
to 1.
The “Rebel Yell” made these brave soldiers famous. It
demonstrated a fighting spirit, courage, tenacity and gallantry
allowing them to prevail in most of the major conflicts of the
war. Sadly they fought an invader with unlimited reserves
and resources, making victory impossible.
Even during the last year of the war when they knew that
victory was impossible, the Confederate soldier continued to
fight courageously to protect their homes and families, to the
very end.
They received no great bounty or pay for their service nor did
they ask for any monuments or special attention. They wished
only to be remembered with the truth behind their heroic and
noble struggle, in America’s second War for Independence.
April is Confederate History Month and commemorates the
men and women of the Confederate States of America who
came from all races and religions that include: Irish-born
General Patrick R. Cleburne, Black Confederate drummer
Bill Yopp, Mexican born Colonel Santos Benavides,
Cherokee Born General Stand Watie and Jewish born
Confederate Nurse Phoebe Pember who was the first female
administrator of Chimboraza Hospital in Richmond, Virginia
where she served until the end of War Between the States.
Nearly 258 thousand Confederate soldiers died protecting
their homes, families and our Constitution. They fought
bravely and nobly against overwhelming forces and odds.
They suffered incomprehensible hardships to the very end.
They were called to their duty as Americans....as fathers and
as sons. They served without hesitation and we owe each of
them to make sure the truth be told about them and the War.
These soldiers are our ancestors and without hesitation or
question, deserve respect, honor and dignity from each of us.
Deo Vindice!
GENERAL ARMISTEAD’S
MORTAL WOUND
Confederate Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead (lying wounded)
entrusted a pocket watch to Union Captain Bingham to be
delivered to the Armistead’s
family. The general was shot
during Pickett's Charge and
fearing that his personal
effects would be stolen by
Union soldiers, he gave a
Masonic sign to ask for help.
Union Captain Bro. Bingham
The Southern Comfort 11
then came to his aid.
CHANCELLORSVILLE
At Chancellorsville, Stonewall Jackson had surprised the
enemy and driven them to entrench their position. After
consulting with Lee, Jackson ordered his men forward. With
a terrifying rebel yell, his men ripped into the Federals and
sent them fleeing. When a Confederate officer commented to
Jackson, “They are running too fast \for us. We can’t keep up
with them!” Jackson replied, “They never run too fast for me.
Press them, press them.”
LET’S TRY SOMETHING NEW!
Stonewall Jackson operated under the principle “Always
mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy.” He also surprised
his own men. General Richard Ewell said that he never saw
one of Jackson's couriers approaching without expecting to
receive orders to assault the North Pole!
No higher record of martial glory will ever appear. There will
never be another Lee, Jackson or Pickett. We will do well to
cherish the spirit that our soldiers exhibited and to preserve
the traditions and chivalry of our Southland.” J.W. Pearson
from Confederate Veteran magazine July 1914
NOT GONNA FIX THIS WITH AN
ASPRIN...OUCH!
Corporal G.H. Swift, Company C, 18th Massachusetts, was
injured at the battle of Chancellorsville, Va. on May 3, 1863,
when a musket ball fractured the top of his skull. Surgeons
attempted to trephine the wound but halted the procedure
upon discovering that the inner surface of the skull was not
fractured. Corporal Swift died on May 17.
ONE LAST TIME
At a Richmond convention of Confederate veterans, a group
of survivors of the old Stonewall Brigade were found
sleeping around Stonewall’s statue in Capitol Square. One of
them explained, “We were his boys, and we wanted to sleep
with the Old Man once more.”
A LOSS TO THE CONFEDERATION
We have just learned that Compatriot Steve Williams,
formerly of Huntingdon, TN and very active in the reenactment at Parker’s Crossroads. Steve also served as this editor’s
Chief-of-Staff when I had the honor of serving as MOSB
CIC. Steve will be missed by those around the Confederation
who had the honor of knowing I.
A TRIBUTE TO OUR CONFEDERATE
SOLDIERS
Mrs. Debbie Sidle advises us that the Mid-South Flaggers
will hold a tribute to Confederate soldiers on Sunday, May 4,
2014. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 P.M. at The
Confederate Cemetery on the campus of Ole Miss behind Tad
Smith Coliseum. Our members and readers are all invited.
To Me…
“To me, the old Confederate soldier is the most unique
character the world has yet produced. It took sixty centuries
to make him and when the supreme hour came he made
good and taught the whole wide world a lesson it will never
forget.
IRREPRESIBLES
HONORING THOSE MEN WHO SERVED IN HORN
LAKE'S COMPANY A, 9TH MISSISSIPPI INFANTRY
SERVING WITH HONOR WHILE WEARING THE
GRAY. IN THEIR HONOR WE RECOGNIZE THOSE
WHOSE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE
EXHIBITED THAT SAME SPIRIT AND HONOR.
HONORABLE DARRELL BRITT, SOUTHAVEN
HONORABLE GEORGE M. CHURCH, MERIDIAN
DR. CHRISTOPHER CUMMINS, RIPLEY, MS
COMMANDER LOUIS FOLEY, NEWTON, MS
ADMIRAL ROBERT FULTON (RETD), MEMPHIS
HONORABLE LYNN HERRON, SOUTHAVEN
HONORABLE RON HOCKING, FREMONT, NE
SGT. TOMMY HUGHES, HERNANDO, MS
HONORABLE C. C. HOOVER, OLIVE BRANCH, MS
MRS. ROBERT KUHN, ROBINSONVILLE, MS
MRS. ANNE MCANALLY, HERNANDO, MS
IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO MIGHT WISH TO RECEIVE A COPY
OF OUR NEWSLETTER, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HAVE THEM
SEND THEIR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO THIS EDITOR AT
SOUCOM@ATT.NET.
The Southern Comfort 12