THE GILMOR BLADE Those who allow the surrender of their history, also surrender their future! Official Newsletter of THE COL. H.W.GILMOR CAMP, No. 1388, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

June 2016 June 8 Camp meeting : Randy Drais on “Exploring Gettysburg”

The Col. Harry W. Gilmor Camp #1388 A graduate of York College of Penn- will hold its next meeting June 8th, at 7:30 sylvania with a B.A. in International The Charge PM at the County Historical Studies, Randy has worked in the "To you, Sons of Society, 9811 Van Buren Lane, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Confederate Veterans, we Cockeysville, MD 21030. We will be the Pennsylvania Department of State, submit the vindication of discussing Confederate Memorial Day and and the Pennsylvania Senate. Married the Cause for which we the recently dedicated monument to with two daughters, Randy retired on fought; to your strength William Clark that was part of the day’s January 1, 2015 and will be able to will be given the defense of events. devote even more time to his main the Confederate soldier's passion, learning even more about the good name, the Our guest speaker this, Randy Drais, was Battle of Gettysburg and sharing that guardianship of his born and raised in York, Pennsylvania. information with others. history, the emulation of Randy developed a keen interest in the his virtues, the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Randy’s presentation today is on perpetuation of those Campaign immediately after a 5th grade “Exploring” the Battle of Gettysburg. principles he loved and field trip to that famous Civil War battle- which made him glorious field. A lifelong passion to learn more Did you know that there were three and which you also resulted in his creation in March of 2008 of privately-owned parks and a trolley line a website, on the battlefield, all roughly operating cherish. Remember, it is http://battleofgettysburgbuff.com/ , for at the same time? Did you know that in your duty to see that the individuals who wish to learn and do more addition to “citizen soldier” John Burns, true history of the South is than the average visitor to the battlefield. the 70+ year old civilian who fought presented to future A “companion” website, alongside Union troops, there were other generations." http://battleofgettysburgbuff.net , Facebook citizens who fought as well, including an page, and a quarterly newsletter soon African-American? Did you know that followed. See “June 8 meeting,” p. 3 We need YOU! Minutes: May 1 1, 201 6 Camp meeting Saturday The meeting was opened at est members, Compatriots MOTION: To accept the June 4 7:36 p.m. by Commander Darrell Kolscher and Minutes as summarized. Dan Pyle. Commander Chuck Johnson. PASSED Confederate Pyle offered the Invocation Memorial Day and led us in the Pledge of Scott Mingus gave an Commander Pyle reported Allegiance to the U.S. flag excellent talk and Power on the April 23, 2016 clean 8:00 Help us set up and the Salute to the Con- Point presentation on the up at Confederate Hill, and install flags federate Flag. Commander "2nd Battle of Winchester." . Pyle read The Charge of 9:00 Military units General Stephen Dill Lee. BREAK There was a discussion on arrive and meet Twenty-two members and the upcoming June 4, 2016 10:30 Ceremony guests were in attendance. Adjutant Elliott Cummings Confederate Memorial Day and program summarized the Minutes of Ceremony at Confederate The Camp had the honor the April 13, 2016 Gilmor Hill, Loudon Park. Cleanup afterwards of swearing in its two new- Camp meeting. See “June Minutes,”p.2

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June 2016

Confederate Memoria l Day ceremony slated for June 4, 201 6 Confederate Memorial Day is Johnson, and Colonel James R. I-695. We would like to have all celebrated in each Herbert. Almost all of the states military units meet at Confed- year on the first weekend in June that gave troops to the Cause of erate Hill between 9 and 10:00 nearest to the birthday of Presi- Southern Independence are rep- AM. dent Jefferson Davis. Once resented by the honored dead at again this year the Colonel Loudon Park. The United Daughters of the Harry W. Gilmor Camp of the Confederacy will provide re- Sons of Confederate Veterans We would like to cordially invite freshments (lemonade, cookies, has the honor of assisting the you and all the members and etc.) for all participants and spec- Maryland Division of the United friends of your organization to tators following the ceremony. Daughters of the C onfederacy in participate in this important planning and presenting the annual ceremony. Confederate Please consider dressing as you Confederate Memorial Day cer- Memorial Day will be held on would for a parade, not field emony at Loudon Park Cemet- Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 10:30 duty. We ask that reenactors ery, Baltimore, Maryland. AM. The cemetery is located at under 16 years of age not carry the 3800 block Frederick Road muskets or edged weapons. The purpose of the ceremony is in southwest Baltimore, about to honor the thousands of sol- three to four miles east of Exit13 For additional details, contact diers who served the Confed- of the Baltimore beltway, Route Elliott Cummings. eracy during the War Between the States. Over 600 Confeder- ate soldiers are buried at Loudon Park, including Colonel Harry June Minutes Continued from p.1 W. Gilmor, General Bradley T. -Arrival time to place flags and Announcements: other set up tasks, 8:30 a.m.

-We need a volunteer to be Program: June 24-26 - Corbitt’s Charge, Wreath Coordinator. *March on of troops Westminster, Md. -2nd Lt Cmdr Mike Williams is *Invocation by UDC coordinating the event with the Chaplain Treasurer Bruce Null reported that *Pledge of Allegiance to the UDC. we have two donated War Be-

US flag tween the States prints to be used Commander Pyle reported that *Salute to the Confederate as a fund raiser. Compatriot Lou Fritz of the Gen- flag eral Isaac Trimble Camp, SCV *Introduction and Commander Pyle reported that he has purchased a plot adjacent to welcoming remarks by SCV, received a call from the Historian MOSB, and UDC Confederate Hill at Loudon Park of Aberdeen Proving Ground Cemetery and has erected a mon- representatives inviting the Camp to tour the site ument to William Clark. William *Guest speaker of Col. 's train raid. Clark was killed on April 19, *Presentation of memorial This area is normally off limits to 1861 on Pratt Street in Baltimore wreaths and floral tributes the general public. by various patriotic while resisting the federal inva-

organizations and military sion of the City. The UDC has The meeting was adjourned with a kindly agreed to include the units prayer at 9:15 p.m. William Clark monument *Rifle salute dedication in the June 4, 2016 *Benediction Respectfully submitted, Confederate Memorial Day cere- *Refreshments G. Elliott Cummings mony. Adjutant

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Historic flag returns home by Steve Beavers college, left school and enlisted in the Confederate Army. Only four From: http://dailycorinthian.com/bo students reported for classes in the okmark/27171937/article- fall of 1861, so few the university Historic+flag+returns+home closed temporarily.

The 11th Mississippi Infantry Regi- The unit carried the flag in the mental Flag has returned home. Battle of First Manassas on July 21, 1861. The flag was used in one The flag is set to be formally don- major battle before being retired, ated to Shiloh National Military according to Shiloh Superintendent Supervisory Park Ranger Ashley Park during a Wednesday, May 4 Dale Wilkerson. Berry gets the 11th Mississippi ceremony at the Corinth Civil War Infantry Regimental Flag ready for Interpretive Center. The ceremony The Greys, as Company A of the a formal donation ceremony. / Staff will begin at 5 p.m. 11th Mississippi and the Army of photo by Steve Beavers Northern Virginia, served in many Chief Park Ranger Stacy Allen and of the most famous and bloodiest pi numerous times throughout the Supervisory Park Ranger Ashley battles of the war. war,” said Wilkerson. Berry drove over 10 hours to Edwards this week to transport the Wednesday’s ceremony will include The ceremony date also marks the flag back to the Interpretive Center. a living history presentation by Dr. 155th anniversary of the flag. Corinth native John N. Palmer Ben Kitchens. Kitchens will portray donated the flag to Shiloh National Governor John Marshall Stone. “This type of donation doesn’t Military Park. happen very often,” said Wilkerson. “Gov. Stone served as brigade “It is a unique opportunity to “It is a big deal to have the flag commander over the 11 th Mississip- receive such a remarkable artifact.” here,” said Berry. “This marks the eighth in a collection of flags we have either on loan or have been June 8 meeting Continued from p. 1 donated to the park.” one monument, with an interesting We are looking for volunteers to The 11th Mississippi flag will be story behind it, includes a depiction meet us at Confederate Hill starting put up in the lobby entering the of a hornet’s nest with hornets ang- about 8:00 a.m. to help us place the auditorium of the Interpretive rily buzzing about? Join Randy over 600 flags on the graves, set up Center. Drais, amateur Civil War historian the flag pole, set up tables, chairs and Battle of Gettysburg buff, for a and canopies for our guests to sit The ladies of Crawford presented look at many of the lesser known under. the flag to the 11th Mississippi facts, individuals, and locations soldiers prior to their leaving for the pertaining to the Battle of Gettys- Of course, we will also be looking Eastern Theater. burg and the Gettysburg National for volunteers to help us after the Military Park. ceremony to recover the flags, take The 11th Mississippi was made up down, fold and stack the chairs, take of 10 companies from the northern Saturday June 4, 2016 is Confed- down the tables, take down the flag portion of the state. All 1,000 mem- erate Memorial Day in Maryland, as pole, and clean up the area before bers were volunteers, including the we will be assisting the Maryland everyone leaves. University Greys – a company of Division, UDC in their annual com- students who left the University of memorative event at Loudon Park Look forward to seeing everyone on Mississippi to join the war. Cemetery to honor our brave and Confederate Hill. noble Confederate soldiers who rest Almost the entire student body, in eternal peace on Confederate --Dan Pyle, Commander including many professors from the Hill.

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June 2016

Mt. Olivet ceremony honors Captain Henry Wirz

Pictures courtesy of Eric Zhang

6,229 Confederate soldiers buried i n Chicago mass grave By Chuck Goudie The soldiers buried here at what is In the city's Greater Grand Crossing From: called Confederate Mound had been neighborhood nestled in Oak Woods http://abc7chicago.com/838784/http held captive during the Civil War at Cemetery is a 46-foot-tall memorial ://abc7chicago.com/838784/ Chicago's notorious Camp Douglas. to Confederate soldiers. A bronze CHICAGO (WLS) -- Most of the southern fighters died of rebel fighter atop the pillar looks Chicago may be nearly 200 miles illness or starvation. down on a mass grave - said to be from the Mason-Dixon line, but the largest in the western hemis- there is a remarkable Confederate "Originally they were interred in the phere - containing the remains of presence here. The largest Confed- city cemetery, which was the south- 6,229 Confederate soldiers. Names erate soldier burial ground in the ern end of Lincoln Park, but in 1867 of the dead are on bronze plaques north and a memorial to Confederate that cemetery was being closed. with cannons and stacked cannon- fighters are both on federal govern- They were moved to Oak Woods," balls marking the perimeter. ment land in a Chicago cemetery. Keller said.

"It is largely forgotten or ignored but More than just an interesting piece Every year, members of the Illinois is a major, major Civil War monu- of history, there are questions now Sons of Confederate Soldiers hold a ment right here in Chicago," said about what happens to that memorial See “Chicago Confederate grave,” David Keller, Camp Douglas Rest- if the federal government bans Con- p. 5 oration Foundation. federate symbols. 4

June 2016 Chicago Confederate grave Continued from p. 4

memorial event at the South Side Russell Lewis, Chicago History Both experts said even though the gravesite. Museum. "The Co nfederate soldiers Confederate flag has no place at were American soldiers and deserve public buildings, the monument But with the issue now enflaming some reasonable amount of honor," itself should remain. The National Capitol Hill, some calling for a full Keller said. Cemetery Administration that man- review of all Confederate symbols ages Chicago's Confederate Memor- on federal land - what happens to the Ironically, not far from the Confed- ial says they've received no com- Chicago Mound? erate monument are the graves of plaints about it. Chicago's first black Mayor Harold "You can't erase history from the Washington, African American It's a different story in landscape. You can't erase history Olympic star Jesse Owens and as the mayor wants the city council from people's memories," said business magnate John Johnson. there to declare four public Confed- erate monuments as public "nuis- ances" and taken down.

THE GILMOR BLADE

Bruce and Nancy Null 2600 Masseth Avenue Baltimore, MD 21219

The Gilmor Blade is the monthly publication of the Col. Harry W. Gilmor Camp #1388, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

SAVE THE DATES: Confederate Memorial Day at Loudon Park 6/4/16 • Come early and help us set up for this event! June Camp meeting 6/8/16 • Speaker: Randy Drais • Topic: Exploring Gettysburg

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