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August 2013
The Confederate Informant
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The Official Newsletter of the
Major James Morgan Utz Camp # 1815 SCV
Founded April, 30 1998
And the BG Francis Cockrell Chapter # 84 MOSB
Commander's Corner;
The next meeting of the Major James Morgan Utz Camp will be held on Saturday, August 10th,
2PM at the St. Peters Lions Club. The program will feature a talk on Bellefontaine Cemetery,
and the speaker will either be a representative from the cemetery or the author of the
"Confederate Tour Guide of Bellefontaine Cemetery". The 327 acre cemetery, located in north
S. Louis has more than 83,000 interments and more than 60 Confederate officers and men have
been identified there so far. Please join us for an informative and interesting program on the
final resting place of some of our most prominent Confederate ancestors.
The Utz camp has been very busy this month and several of our activities are listed in this
newsletter. At the top of the list is our sponsorship of the Florida stock car, and an article by
Compatriot Rojer Snyder details our involvement. So far we have gained four new members
from this venture and four more in the wings.
The camp is also considering awarding "War Service" medals to all of our camp members who
are veterans. We will do a survey to determine just how many are eligible and how we will
afford to do this. The $44 fee for the medal would be paid for by the camp. We are also looking
at a program to install "Iron Crosses of Honor" for Utz camp member's ancestor's graves. For
now, we will need to restrict the installations to local graves. If you are interested in this
program, contact Adjutant Dave Roper so we can get an idea how many of the "Iron Crosses"
we need to order.
Our "Utz Camp Handbook" is near completion, and will be provided to all members as soon as
possible. It contains an excellent "mission statement", complete with an outline of our
organizational structure and the methods we will use to accomplish our goals as a camp.
At a meeting with the Hazelwood Historic Preservation Commission last week we were granted
tentative permission to install a plaque in the Utz home honoring Major Utz' service to the
Confederacy. We were also asked to assist with a kiosk in front of the home detailing Major Utz
service. There is a possibility that some time in the future, we may be invited to have a special
meeting inside the home, and invite the public. This would be an excellent opportunity to
distribute applications and informational brochures...Recruit, recruit, recruit!
On Saturday, September the 14th we have been invited to Huntsville, Missouri for a Bar-B-Q
given by the "Bloody Bill" Anderson Camp. After the Bar-B-Q we will convoy to Moberly,
Missouri for an evening at the stock car races.
On the 28th of September we have been invited by the Elijah Gates camp of Fulton, Missouri to
participate in the "Walk Back in Time" event in Mexico, Missouri. This is an excellent annual
event that pays tribute to our servicemen who have served from the Revolutionary War to the
recent conflict in Afghanistan. Those with uniforms are encouraged to dress-out and....recruit,
recruit, recruit! We also have scheduled several gun shows for the fall. Details to be given at
the August 10th meeting.
We have a tentative agreement to place a flag plaza at Danville, Missouri adjacent to highway
70! Details are yet to be worked out, but this is a very promising opportunity to advertise the
Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Utz camp.
If you happen to be near Kingdom City, Missouri stop in the Firefighters museum at the
North/West corner of the intersection of Highway 70 and Highway 54. Inside you will find a
large Confederate battle flag, proudly displayed as well as large interpretive panels featuring
the Sons of Confederate Veterans efforts in the local area.
In October we are planning a road trip to Palmyra, Missouri to commemorate one of the worst
civil rights violations committed by the federal government against its citizens. On October
18th, 1862 ten Confederate prisoners were pulled out of their cells and murdered by yankee
general John McNeil. McNeil was thereafter known as the "Butcher of Palmyra". The murders
created repercussions around the world, and protests from many European countries were
received by Lincoln's government. There is an impressive monument to this atrocity on the
courthouse lawn, and with the help of compatriot John Lewis (who lives in Palmyra) we will pay
our respects, and possibly get a tour of the town on Saturday the 19th of October.
Come to the August 10th meeting to get the details about these upcoming events.
Chaplains Corner;
General Robert E Lee was indeed the model of the Southern gentleman. Dignified, resolute,
courteous, loyal, kind, honest and impeccable. He was revered by his Southern countrymen as
well as respected by his Northern opponents. Illustrations abound on his outstanding character.
But what did this idolized man think of himself?
Two chaplains once visited General Lee, representing a "Chaplains Committee". After a fruitful
meeting, one of the chaplains, Rev. B.T. Lacy remarked, :I think it right I should say to you
general, that the chaplains of this army have a deep interest in your welfare and some of the most
fervent prayers we offer are in your behalf. "The chaplain noticed the old hero's face flushed and
a tear appeared in the general's eye as he replied with deep emotion.
"Please thank them for that sir- I warmly appreciate it. I can only say that I am nothing but a poor
sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation, and need all of the prayers they can offer for me."
Lee knew that God requires us to put aside our earthly deeds and pride in ourselves to trust in
Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and salvation. Salvation is all by God's grace and not of our
own works. We are all but "poor sinners trusting in Christ alone for salvation"
A Letter from our Missouri Division Commander Darrell
Maples
Gentlemen,
I’ve recently returned home from the SCV National Reunion, and attending these reunions
always leaves me feeling reinvigorated and excited to be a member of the Sons of Confederate
Veterans. Like many of you, I’ve belonged to numerous organizations in my life, but none have
had more meaning than the SCV. Do you realize that we are descendants of the most unique
group of Americans ever known?... Confederate Americans! For four years our ancestors were
part of their own nation, the Confederate States of America. They fought for what we know was
just and right and they fought for something we all hold dear, liberty. That very liberty they
fought and died for continues to erode -- year by year, month by month and day by day. It is fair
to say that our ancestors undoubtedly saw the future in their time on this planet and were willing
to risk everything to preserve what our Nation’s founding fathers had envisioned... liberty! We
honor our Confederate ancestors by being members of the SCV. I feel that it is my very duty to
belong to this organization, which is the only organization that is the direct heir to the
Confederate Veterans themselves. They ask us to preserve their good name and to tell the truth
about why they is fought. The very least we can do is to honor their request. Unfortunately,
nothing in this world free, and membership in the SCV comes with a cost, which comes in the
form of dues. It is that time of year again, when we begin the dues collection process. I am
asking each and every one of you to remain with the SCV and to make the dues collection
process easy for your Camp Adjutants & Camp Commanders. Let’s not even wait to receive a
“dues notice”, let’s just get our dues payment to our Adjutants now, right after payday.
Procrastination leads to forgetfulness, something I’ve been guilty of myself. If you don’t know
your dues amount, call your Adjutant. Save your camp the postage and the effort and talk to your
fellow camp members about paying their dues right away too. Paying honor to our Confederate
ancestors will always be worth the cost of our dues, it is the very least we can do.
Confederate Regards,
Darrell L. Maples
Darrell L. Maples - Commander
Missouri Division – SCV
Here is some Pictures Darrell took in Vicksburg Mississippi.
The Camp would like to Welcome our New Members
Rojer Snyder, Alan Scott and Chris Scott.
From Your Adjutant
This is what the Sons of Confederate Veterans is all about. As they say, were
the rubber meets the road.
Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans
“To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause for
which we fought. To you strength will be given the defense of the Confederate Soldier’s
good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the
perpetuation of those principles which he loved and which you love also, and those
ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish”
Lieutenant General Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General, United Confederate General
United Confederate Veterans,
New Orleans, Louisiana, April 25 1906
Missouri Facts From the Civil War 150 YearsAgo.
August 4 - Steamer Ruth is burned near Cairo, IL, with $2.6 million in payroll for
Grant's army by Missouri Confederate Robert Louden.
August 9 - Skirmish at Garden Hollow near Pineville, McDonald County
August 13 - Yankee jail in Kansas City collapsed by jayhawkers killing five young
Southern Girls and maiming a child who had a ball and chain on her leg.
These young ladies were sisters and relatives of men serving under
Quantrill. This atrocity triggered the Lawrence Raid.
August 18 - Yankee BG Thomas Ewing frees slaves of pro Southerner Missourians
but not the pro union Missourians.
August 19 - 21 - Colonel William Clarke Quantrill raids the "Damned Yankee Town" of
Lawrence, KS. This was the most successful Guerrilla Raid in American
History. His men burned the homes and executed redlegs and jayhawkers
working from a death list. Quantrill with 453 soldiers killed 143 men. Quantrill
and his men returned to Missouri. The only guerrilla killed returned to
Lawrence his body was mutilated.
August 25 - BG Thomas Ewing issues the infamous Order NO. 11. Yankee's begin
burning the homes, crops and barns of suspected and known Southern sympathizers,
leaving women, children and the elderly to the elements in 4 Missouri Counties.
Race Car Flying the Missouri Battle Flag
And the Utz Camp Logo
# 97 Pit Crew Alan Scott, Rojer Snyder,
Bryan Sossie, Dave King and Dave Hazetine.
New Camp Members Driver Chris Scott, Rojer Snyder and Owner Alan Scott.
# 97 Pit Ready to go Racing.
The Race Car is also Sponsored by the SCV Mechanized Calvary
Commander Gene Dressel, New Camp Member Larry Strassburger and Chaplain
Duane Mayer. Picture was taken just after Larry was sworn into the SCV at the July
meeting.
I would like to close by saying the Camp Memberships has grown to 33 members.
The Missouri Division had 399 Members as of 22 March 2013 and now has 441.
I believe the Utz Camp and the Missouri Division are doing something right.
I would like to thank everyone for their help. Great Job!!!
Don’t forget the August 10 Camp Meeting 2:00 PM at the Lion’s Den 9
Park St., Saint Peters, MO.
NationalMissouri Division-
http://wwwmissouridivision-scv.org/
Major James Morgan Utz Camp 1815- http://utzmc.wordpress.com/
Dave Roper Email- daveroper166@gmail.com Phone # 618-304-7758