MAIL CALL

Fort Blakeley Camp #1864

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Thomas B. Rhodes, III, LTC USA (Ret.)

Commander

Baldwin County, AL March 2016 Volume 17 Issue 03

Battle of Fort Blakely, April 1864

Dedicated to the memory of the Confederate soldier, the ideals for which he fought and those Southern Patriots who supported and sacrificed all for the Southern Cause.

MAIL CALL is the official newsletter of Camp 1864 and is published monthly by The Fort Blakeley Camp # 1864, Southwest Brigade, Alabama Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Isaac Brownlow III, EDITOR

Message from the Commander’s Tent:

Greeting from the Commander’s tent! I want to make sure you compatriots know that I am honored to serve as your Commander. I am proud of our camp; our meetings; our programs, our speakers; our activities; our involvements; you, our members; our growth; our Southern Heritage, our Southern History; our Confederate Ancestors; and the Cause in which they believed. Without you Compatriots, our camp would not be able to accomplish our duty to our ancestors. You all do me proud to be associated with such a fine group of Southern Compatriots. The 2017 AL SCV Div Executive Committee Meeting was held in Montgomery on Saturday, 18 Feb 2017. Your Chaplain, Adjutant, and Commander attended the meeting. There was a special seminar for Camp Chaplain while the Cdr. And Adj. attended the business portion of the meeting. The new Alabama Division Website was introduced. Check it out if you have not already done so. http://www.alscv.org/ For your information, SCV IHQ has a new website also. Be sure to check it out too. http://www.scv.org/new/ April is Alabama’s Confederate History and Heritage Month We have received the Alabama SCV Division Heritage Posters and will have them at the March meeting for you to pick up and deliver to businesses, libraries, museums, welcome centers, schools, VFW Post, American Legion Post, doctor’s offices, law offices, etc… We place them for the month of April but you can deliver them in March. You don’t have to wait till April. Get them out!!! Promote our Southern Heritage. Also at our March meeting, we will have 12” x 12” Battle Flags for you to pick up to place on our Confederate Veterans graves during the month of April which is Alabama’s Confederate History and Heritage Month. The camp will sponsor a Confederate Memorial Service in April at Confederate Rest in Point clear, AL. More info will be provided. Compatriot Woody Barnes of the Steven Mallory Camp in Pensacola was our speaker at our February meeting. He presented a video about “Raising the Hunley”. It was most interesting and informative. Our knowledge about the Hunley was greatly increased. On a sad note, we lost Trudy Rowley, our dear friend and wife of our Past Chaplain Jerry Rowley. She passed away peacefully on 1 Mar 2017. Compatriot Rowley was with her until the end. She is now at peace with her Lord and Savior. She always enjoyed attending our meetings and did so faithfully until she was no longer able. She will be missed. Please keep Jerry in your prayers. A memorial service will be conducted. A date is to be determined. The Alabama SCV Division will sponsor the 2nd Annual Education Conference in Prattville, AL on Saturday, 25 March 2017. Education Conference Information- http://www.alscv.org/education-conference/ Registration Form- http://www.alscv.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/AEC-Application.pdf Make plans to attend. Check out the new issue of the Alabama Confederate. It has the registration form and a list of the speakers in it. You will be glad you did. It will be well worth your time. We will have a fun day with our compatriots from across the Alabama Division. CAMP NOTES: The Ft. Blakeley Camp #1864 now has 37 AL Division Guardian Members. Thanks you Compatriot Richard Sheely for all your efforts. Four more are in the works. The camp also has seven National Guardian Members. The camp now has Life Memberships available. We have had camp Life Membership made and also have a nice Life Membership Certificate. We have two Compatriots who plan to check out a Parrot cannon in Mississippi to see if it is what we need. Check out our camp website. http://www.fortblakeley1864.org/ Thank you Webmaster Chris your contribution to the camp.

CAMP LIBRARY: Books are available for check-out at our Camp Library. Contact Camp Librarian Judy Johnson if you are interested. [email protected]

CAMP LIBRARY: If you have some books you would like to donate, please bring them to a meeting or contact her or the Commander and we can make arrangements to pick them up. All donations are appreciated.

Remember, we are a 501-C-3 organization which means your donations are tax deductable. We can give you a letter documenting your donation for you to use for tax purposes.

“The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory, destroy its books, its culture, its history, then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was. The world around it will forget even faster.” Milan Hubl, Czech Historian

SHOW YOUR COLORS! Ask Adjutant Doster about a Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Lapel Pin. Purchase one and wear it with pride.

FACT: The war fought from 1861 to 1865 was NOT a “civil war.” Civil war suggests two sides fighting for control of the same capital and country. The South didn’t want to take over Washington, D.C., no more than their forebears wanted to take over London. They wanted to separate from Washington, D.C., just as America’s Founding Fathers wanted to separate from Great Britain. The proper names for that war are either, “The War Between the States” or, “The War of Southern Independence,” or, more fittingly, “The War of Northern Aggression.” Had the South wanted to take over Washington, D.C., they could have done so with the very first battle of the “Civil War.” When Lincoln ordered federal troops to invade Virginia in the First Battle of Manassas (called the “First Battle …

WBTS Q & A: Question - What Kentucky battle also has, as part of its landscape, a Bull Run? Answer – See below Monthly Confederate Quote: “Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern school teachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the War; will be impressed by all the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit subjects for derision.” Major General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, CSA, KIA- 30 November 1864, Battle of Franklin, TN

War of Northern Aggression Fact: Union commanders typically named battles after the nearest river or creek. Confederates typically named battles after the nearest city or town. But these rules did not always apply; they were highly dependent on the names employed by the victors, the public and the media.

Alabama War of Southern Independence Fact: Lloyd Bowers was the Confederate Postmaster of Mobile, Alabama

. Nathan Bedford Forrest, CSA, was the only man in either the Confederate or the Union army who rose in rank from an enlisted private to a Lieutenant General

Damn Yankee Quote: Sometime, during the war, when a civilian badmouthed Grant, Sherman defended his friend, saying, “General Grant is a great general. He stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk; and now, sir, we stand by each other always.” Major General William Tecumseh Sherman, USA

Southern Quote: “It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny, slavery is not all our enemies are fighting for. It is merely the pretense to establish sectional superiority and a more centralized form of government, and to deprive us of our rights and liberties.” - Major General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, CSA

Northern Quote: From the commencement of the titanic American strife the workingmen of Europe felt instinctively that the star-spangled banner carried the destiny of their class.. Lincoln is the single-minded son of the working class, who has lead his country to the matchless struggle for the rescue of the communist revolution and the reconstruction of the social order. - Carl Marx WBTS Q & A: Question – How long was Andersonville in use as a prison site? Answer – 14 months. Another Southern Quote: "All this has been my fault." - Robert E. Lee repeatedly spoke this line to the survivors of Pickett's Charge as they stumbled back to Confederate lines.

Black Confederate: With the South’s surrender, men stacked arms and went home. Many had no home to go to. During the early 1900s, many members of the United Confederate Veterans advocated awarding former slaves rural acreage and a home. There was hope that justice could still be served to those slaves who were once falsely promised “forty acres and a mule.” In 1913, this plan was printed and promoted by the Confederate Veteran Magazine, as “the right thing to do.” There was much gratitude toward former slaves, which stated, “thousands were loyal, to the last degree,” now living with total poverty in the big cities. Regrettably, this proposal fell on deaf ears on Capitol Hill.

Damn Yankee Trivia: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., future chief Justice, was wounded three times during the Civil War: in the chest at Ball’s Bluff, in the back at Antietam and in the heel at Chancellorsville

Confederate Quote: “I am with the South in life or death, in victory or defeat. I believe the North is about to wage a brutal and unholy war on a people who have done them no wrong, in violation of the Constitution and the fundamental principles of government. They no longer acknowledge that all government derives its validity from the consent of the governed. They are about to invade our peaceful homes, destroy our property, and murder our men and dishonor our women. We propose no invasion of the North, no attack on them, and only ask to be left alone.” Major General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, CSA

Damn Yankee Trivia: During the Civil War was the first time that the U.S. Army commissioned chaplains. Confederate Fact: Lemons were the favorite fruit of Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan “STONEWALL” Jackson

Damn Yankee Fact: In 1864, Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to Lieutenant General and led the 533,000 men of the Union Army, the largest in the world.

Alabama War of Northern Aggression Fact: May 25, 1865 was the date of the powder magazine explosion in Mobile, Alabama killing some 300 persons.

True Slave Quote Note: In the U.S. during the Great Depression (1930s), more than 2,300 oral histories on life during slavery were collected by writers sponsored and published by the Works Progress Administration. The following quotes are from those actual interviews. Interesting Fact: 86% of the 2,300 former slaves that were interviewed in the 1930s had positive things to say about their masters and/or slavery.

True Slave Quote from the Slave Narratives: Maggie Snow and Charlie Snow, Arkansas - "Papa said the Yankees made all the slaves fight they could run across. Some kept hid in the woods. Seem like from way he told bout it they wanted freedom but they didn't want to go to war.

True Slave Quote from the Slave Narratives: Martha Organ, North Carolina - "I 'members 'specially what mammy said 'bout when de Mankees come. She said dat it was on a Thursday an' dat de ole master was sick in de bed an' had sent some slaves ter de mill wid grain. When dese men started back frum de mill de Yankees overtook 'em an' dey killed de oxes in de harness, cut off de quarters an' rid ten de house wid dat beef hangin' all over de horses. Dey throwed what dey ain't wanted away, but of course dey took de meal an' de grain.”

True Slave Quote from the Slave Narratives: Elizabeth Hines, Arkansas - “My father never told me what his master was to him, whether he was good or mean. He got free early because he was in the army. He didn't run away. The soldiers came and got him and carried him off and trained him.”

Southern Quote: “by his presence at the right place at the right moment among his men, by the exhibition of characteristic coolness, and by his words of encouragement to the men of his command, he infused a confidence and spirit that contributed largely to the success of our arms on that day” – Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard referring to Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, July 1861 (Beauregard’s report on First Manassas)

WBTS Q & A: Question – What Confederate Major General, a nephew of Robert E. Lee, later served as a Major General in the U. S. Army during the Spanish American War? Answer – Fitzhugh Lee

Damn Yankee Trivia – During the Peninsular campaign in the spring of 1862, as many as 5,000 wounded were brought into a hospital where there was only one medical man and five hospital stewards to care for them.

WBTS Q & A: Question – What was the name of the CSS Virginia before it became a Confederate Iron Clad? Answer – The Merrimack

Confederate Tidbit Question Answer to last month’s question: The nicknames of Lt. Gen. Thomas Jonathan Jackson, C.S.A. was “Stonewall” ”Old Blue Light” “Old Jack” “Tom Fool”

Confederate Tidbit Question: What were the nicknames of General Robert Edward Lee, C.S.A.?

Black Confederates: Blacks fought for the very same reason as whites – to defend their homes and their families. Historical data can sometimes be a matter of interpretation and the facts can sometimes contradict themselves. But, one must remember that day and time and judge it accordingly, for a man of the 19th century should not be compared to a man of today’s world and evaluated by current standards. Regardless of how black Southerners participated, whether voluntary or involuntary, one thing is certain: the thousands of slaves and free persons of color in the South are the most forgotten group of the Civil War. They, too, should be remembered for the suffering, sacrifices and contributions they made.

War Fact: Rifles were by far the war’s deadliest weapons, but deadlier still was disease. In 1861, as armies massed, men once protected from contagion by isolation marched shoulder to shoulder and slept side by side in unventilated tents. Camps became breeding grounds for childhood diseases such as mumps, chicken pox and measles. One million Union soldiers contracted malaria, and epidemics were common.

Confederate Quote: “a particularly taciturn man” - an acquaintance of Longstreet describes him

Alabama WBTS Trail: Admiral Raphael Semmes House - Rear Admiral Raphael Semmes moved to Alabama in 1842. When Alabama withdrew from the Union in 1861, Semmes resigned from the U.S. Navy and was commissioned a commander in the Confederate Navy. He was promoted to Captain and assumed command of the CSS Alabama. During its 22-month career as a commerce raider, the Alabama cruised for nearly 75,000 miles and captured 65 Union vessels worth more than $6 million. The Alabama was sunk off the coast of Cherbourg, France, on June 2, 1864, by the USS Kearsage.

Black Confederates: Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest had both slaves and free men serving in units under his command. After the war, Forrest said of the black men who served under him, “These boys stayed with me ... and better Confederates did not live.” And, in an address given by Col. William Sanford, at the Confederate Veterans Reunion of the 7th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment of Cavalry, Forrest’s Corps, at Columbia on September 22, 1876, Col. Sanford said: “And to you, our colored friends ... we say welcome. We can never forget your faithfulness in the darkest hours of our lives. We tender to you our hearty respect and love, for you never faltered in your duty nor betrayed your trust.”

Confederate Quote: "Tonight we will water our horses in the Tennessee River"- Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston made this unfulfilled prophecy shortly before he was killed at Shiloh, which probably cost the CSA the victory.

WBTS Q & A: Answer - Perryville Alabama Unit Fact: The Perote Guards were organized in 1859 in Perote, presently in Bullock County, Alabama. The first Captain was George William Dawson. They were sent to Pensacola, Florida, where they became Company D of the 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment. The 1st Alabama Infantry surrendered on April 7, 1862, at Island No. 10.

Name Badge with Ancestor Bars- Order forms are available. Just ask. Honor your ancestors. Wear it with pride.

Please remember to join us at our Lee-Jackson Salute on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at the Gift Horse Restaurant, 209 W. Laurel Ave, (US Hwy 98 W), Foley, Alabama. We hope you can make plans to join us. Guests are always welcome.

Please don’t forget the men and women serving in our armed forces. Keep them and their families in your prayers.

Deo Vindice,

Thomas B. Rhodes, III, LTC (USA Retired) Commander

Alabama State Motto- "Audemus Jura Nostra Defendere" (We Dare Defend Our Rights)

Upcoming Events Saturday, 25 Mar 2016 – AL SCV Div, Education Conference, Prattville, AL Tuesday, 14 Mar 2017 – Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse, Foley, AL Fri-Sat-Sun, 31 Mar– 2 Apr 2017- Blakeley Battlefield Reenactment, 152nd Anniversary April 2017 – Alabama’s Confederate History and Heritage Month Tuesday, 11 Apr 2017 – Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse, Foley, AL 23 April 2017 – Alabama’s Official Confederate Memorial Day Monday, 24 Apr 2017 – Alabama Confederate Memorial Day Holiday- Celebration at 10:00 at Confederate Monument on the Capitol Grounds Tuesday, 9 May 2017 – Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse, Foley, AL Fri-Sat 9-10 Jun 2017 – Alabama SCV Division Reunion, Cullman, AL Tuesday, 13 Jun 2017 – Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse, Foley, AL Tuesday, 11 Jul 2017 – Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse, Foley, AL

SCV Ft. Blakeley Camp #1864 Minutes February 14, 2017

Opening Welcome – Commander Tommy Rhodes Invocation – Chaplain Bill Morgan Meal – Seafood Buffet Open Meeting: Call to Order  Flag Pledge and Salute – Color Sergeant Craig Stoffle  Introduction of Guests – Adjutant Herman Doster  Program: Compatriot Woody Barnes – “Raising the Hunley”  Chaplain’s Report: - Asst. Chaplain Wayne Gilley  Call for report on illness, etc. Prayer List- David Mader, Past Chaplain Jerry Rowley, Trudy Rowley, Tom Ball, Helen Myers, Raphael Waldburg, and HG Judy Johnson Member Induction Ceremony- n/a  Heritage Guard Induction: Ron Ludwig  Associate Membership: Jerry Garner: Mallory Camp #1315, Pensacola, FL  SCV Supplemental Certificates – n/a  Reinstatements and Transfers- n/a Commander’s Report:  Camp Membership Pins are available.  Camp Life Memberships are available. Camp Life Member Pin and Certificate  Awards Presentations- N/a  Officer Appointments: Compatriot Craig Stoffle- Sergeant-at-Arms Compatriot Richard Washburn- Color Sergeant Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Herman Doster  Treasurer’s Report 1st Lieutenant Commander’s Report: 1st Lt. Cdr. Tony Shoemaker  Upcoming programs o Mar 14th – Compatriot Jake Pigott – “Vindication the Cause” o Apr 11th – Bill and Wendy James- "The English Connection". o May 9th – TBD o Jun 13th – Past AL Cdr Gary Carlyle – “The War Through the Eyes of a Southern Citizen” Adjutant’s Report: Adjutant Herman Doster  Membership Status – 104 Total Members – (Life Members- Nat 22, AL Div 7, Camp- 13) 4 Cadet Members 9 Associate Members 11 Heritage Guard Members Total- 128 Graves and Monuments Chair Report: Compatriot Richard Sheely  Monuments/VA Markers Report  Guardian Program Report o 37 AL Division Guardian Members- (One pending) (Number in progress _3_) o Seven National Guardian Members Old Business:  SCV Name Badges  AL SCV Car Tags and SCV Motorcycle Tags  Heritage Guard Applications  Recruit- Family members, friends, co-workers, church members, etc… Invite them to come to a meeting with you. New Business:  Forrest Monument Brick for the Camp - $30.00 - Approved

Upcoming Events Saturday, 18 Feb 2017 – AL SCV Division Executive Committee Meeting, Montgomery, AL Tuesday, 14 Mar 2017 - Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse Restaurant, Foley, AL Saturday, 25 Mar 2017 – AL Education Conference: AL SCV Division, Prattville, AL Tuesday, 11 Apr 2017 - Ft. Blakeley Camp 1864 Meeting, Gift Horse Restaurant, Foley, AL Fri-Sat-Sun, 31 Mar– 2 Apr 2017- Blakeley Battlefield Reenactment, 152nd Anniversary Door Prizes: Treasurer Herman Doster and HG Members Announcements: Next Meeting- Lee Jackson Salute, Tuesday, 6:00 PM, 14 Mar 2017 Benediction: Chaplain Bill Morgan Commander Recites: The SCV Charge Commander Recites: The SCV Closing Dixie: Camp Musician Craig Bruce - “Dixie”.

Current Events Alabama Education Conference

The Alabama Education Conference will be held on March 25th 2017. There is a great lineup of speakers for the event. There is a form online at the Division website under the Education tab and there is one in the October edition of the Alabama Confederate. First 100 to register gets a free copy of the book "Understanding the War Between the States" written by 16 members of the Society of Independent Southern Historians. .

Beauvoir ; The Unknown Confederate Soldier Special ceremony at Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home & Presidential Library, Pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. February 11, 2017 at 11:00am. The Ceremony of Remembrance is for those who have given their lives to preserve and ensure the principals of the “American way of life”. This ceremony was first instituted at the Arlington National Cemetery on June 17, 1934, by the IOOF, who will be conducting the ceremony for the first time in the state of Mississippi. Beauvoir’s Unknown Soldier was discovered in December 1979 by Rick Forte, Sr, of Hattiesburg, MS, Past Chairman of The Combined Boards of Beauvoir and Lifetime Member of SCV. Accompanying Compatriot Forte was SCV members Ben Akselson of Beaumont TX, Mike Phillips, of Hattiesburg, MS, and Rick Forte, Jr, of Hattiesburg, MS. The remains of the Confederate Soldier were found on a battlefield of the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863. Those remains were laid to rest here on the Beauvoir property and the IOOF will have their first ceremony of Remembrance to the Unknown Soldier at Beauvoir. A special thanks to 2nd Lt. Cdr. Bob Ridle for attending the ceremony and for the photos.

Johnson’s Island Prisoner of War Camp

In late 1861, Federal officials selected Johnson’s Island as the site for a prisoner of war camp to hold up to 2,500 captured Confederate officers. The island offered easy access by ship for supplies to construct and maintain a prison and its population. Sandusky Bay offered more protection from the elements than on other nearby islands, which were also closer to Canada in the event of a prison break. Woods of hickory and oak trees could provide lumber and fuel. The U.S. government leased half the island from private owner Leonard B. Johnson for $500 a year, and for the duration of the war carefully controlled access to the island.

The 16.5-acre prison opened in April 1862. A 15-foot-high wooden stockade surrounded 12 two-story prisoner housing barracks, a hospital, latrines, sutler’s stand, three wells, a pest house, and two large mess halls (added in August 1864). More than 40 buildings stood outside the prison walls, including barns, stables, a limekiln, forts, barracks for officers, and a powder magazine. They were used by the 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which guarded the prison.

The prisoners had a lively community, with amateur theatrical performances, publishing, and crafts projects available.

After the unraveling of a Confederate espionage ring which had been plotting the seizure of the Great Lakes warship USS Michigan and a mass breakout of prisoners, Forts Johnson and Hill were constructed over the winter of 1864–65. They were not operational until March 1865, in the war's final months, when the prisoner population peaked at 3,200. More than 15,000 men passed through Johnson’s Island until it was closed in September 1865. Wardens lost only about 200 prisoners as a result of the harsh Ohio winters, food and fuel shortages, and disease. Johnson's Island had one of the lowest mortality rates of any Civil War prison. Confederates made many escape attempts, including efforts by some to walk across the frozen Lake Erie to freedom in Canada. A handful of escapes were successful.

Robertsdale Gun Show Compatriots pose for a picture at the February, 2017 Gun Show in Robertsdale, AL. Pictured L-r: Cdr Tommy Rhodes, Chaplain Bill Morgan, Compatriot Price Legg, MC Editor Isaac Brownlow, III, 1st. Lt. Cdr. Tony Shoemaker, Color Sergeant Richard Washburn, and Compatriot Don Lambert. Seated: Adj. Herman Doster. Not pictured: Ralph DuBose, Kerry Hill.

February Meeting in Photos

Spotlight on Compatriot Bryan H Englett

My name is Bryan H Englett. I live in Robertsdale, but I was raised in a small town west of Mobile called Wilmer, AL.

My family has always had strong southern roots. We believe in the stand that all of our ancestors made for us to make our USA even better.

The ancestors I enlisted under in the SCV have two things in common with me. We both love the confederacy and we carry the same middle name / last name. His name was John H Englett and he was in Alabama Co K 23rd infantry. I am honored to be a descendent of such a brave man. There are more from the Englett family that were defenders of the South, but I choose John Harrison Englett because of the name we share.

I always wanted to be in the SCV but never knew how to locate them. My family and I were on a trip when I saw the flag and sign on I-65 just above Montgomery. I wrote down the number and later was disappointed when I lost the info. It wasn't long after that my son had a JROTC award ceremony and while I was attending the ceremony I heard a man say he was with the Sons of Confederate Veterans, he was giving out the Hunley award. That man is Richard Sheely. After the award ceremony, I tracked him down and I was invited to the meeting. So now here I am an extremely proud member of our beloved SCV.

Bryan Englett

Short Takes #6, WHO WAS EDMUND PETTUS? By David Mader

WHO WAS EDMUND PETTUS?

In the spring of each year, an anniversary is observed in Selma, Alabama. On March 7, 1965 an event of social significance occurred that the news media has labeled ‘Bloody Sunday.’ This date saw several hundred blacks participate in a civil rights protest march to Montgomery. It began in Selma with the protesters crossing the ‘Edmund Pettus Bridge’ on Hwy. 80 over the Alabama River. Law enforcement used draconian methods of breaking up the crowd and quelling the ‘riot’, hence the label ‘Bloody Sunday.’ Each year, on or near the anniversary, a symbolic recrossing of this bridge becomes a hyped up media event. Politicians and so-called civil rights leaders flock to Selma to participate and obtain free media coverage. Never is there an explanation given to tell who Edmund Pettus was or what he did, and therein lies a quandary and the subject of this Short Take. Edmund Winston Pettus, was born on July 6, 1821 in Limestone county, Alabama. His father died when he was an infant, and he was raised by his mother. He studied at Clinton College, Tennessee and prepared himself to become a lawyer. Pettus was admitted to the bar in 1842 and was elected district solicitor in Gainesville, Al in that same year. In 1855 he was elected judge of the circuit court. He was a co-organizer of the Twentieth Infantry Regiment in the spring of 1861, and was elected major. On October 8, 1861 he was made lieutenant colonel. The Twentieth Alabama saw some very heavy fighting throughout the war. Most notable of the battles, campaigns and sieges they saw action at were: Vicksburg, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Chattanooga, Atlanta, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Jonesboro, Carolinas, Kinston, and Bentonville. Pettus is remembered for his own acts of personal bravery during the war, for leading men to charge Union works, and he was captured twice, but both times was able to return to his command. When the colonel of the regiment died, Pettus took command and was promoted to colonel. On September 18, 1863, he was commissioned Brigadier General. In his last battle he was severely wounded. After the war he resumed his legal practice in Selma, and became distinguished in that profession. Pettus was elected twice to the United States Senate and served from 1897 until his death on July 27, 1907. He is interred in Live Oak Cemetery in Selma. Now the next time you hear about the ‘Edmund Pettus Bridge’ in Selma, you will know what the facts are about the man whose name is used to identify an infamous historical site. The quandary is that the powers that be are stuck with the name Edmund Pettus, as they cannot change the name of this bridge because the recognition factor would be lost, so their tactic is to obscure who Edmund Pettus was. But you know the truth. Be sure to tell everyone you can.

1862 Troop Engagements

March Confederate Army of the West and Missouri Confederate 2,000,

Pea Ridge, Arkansas 6–8 State Guard, Union Army of the Southwest Union 1,384[31] Confederate gunboat CSS Virginia, Union March Confederate 24,

Hampton Roads, Virginia gunboats Monitor, Minnesota, Congress, and 8–9 Union 409[32] Cumberland. March Confederate garrison, Union North Carolina Confederate 609,

New Berne, North Carolina 14 Expeditionary Corps Union 476[33] March Confederate Company A, Arizona Rangers, Confederate none,

Stanwix Station, Arizona 23 Union cavalry from California Column Union 1 wounded[34] March Confederate Army of the Valley, Union Confederate 718,

Kearnstown, Virginia 23 division, V Corps Union 590[35] March Confederate 4th Florida Infantry, Union 4th Confederate one, La Villa, Florida 25 New Hampshire Infantry Union eight[36] Confederate 227, March Apache Canyon and Glorieta, Confederate Army of New Mexico, Union Union 132[37] 26–28 near Santa Fe, New Mexico Department of New Mexico

Black Confederate Veterans Alabama General Officers Series, C.S.A.

Brigadier General James Cantey

James Cantey (December 30, 1818 – June 30, 1874), was a Confederate States Army brigadier general during the War of Northern aggression. He was a lawyer, planter, state legislator in South Carolina and officer in the Mexican-American War before the war and a planter in Alabama both before and after the war. James Cantey was born in Camden, South Carolina. After graduating from South Carolina College, he studied law and practiced law in Camden. Cantey was a two-term state legislator in South Carolina. Cantey was an officer in the Palmetto Regiment in the Mexican-American War, rising to the grade of captain. He was wounded during the war. After the end of the Mexican-American War, Cantey became a planter in Russell County, Alabama. James Cantey helped form and was elected colonel of the 15th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1861. In 1862, he led the regiment in Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign. At the First Battle of Winchester, on May 25, 1862, Cantey's regiment fought in Brigadier General Isaac Trimble's brigade of Major General Richard S. Ewell's division and helped turn back the Union Army advance. At the Battle of Cross Keys, the 15th Alabama Infantry was nearly cut off from the main force but fought their way back. Later, as part of Trimble's attack, the 15th Regiment Alabama Infantry helped flank the Union force and drive them back. The regiment fought with Jackson in the Seven Days Battles in the Richmond, Virginia area. Thereafter, Cantey was detached and sent to Mobile, Alabama from January 1863 through April 1864, where he organized a brigade of 3 Alabama regiments and 1 Mississippi regiment. Then, Cantey was transferred to the Army of Tennessee. He was appointed a brigadier general to rank from January 8, 1863. He was frequently absent from his command due to illness but also led a division for short period of time in May and June 1864. His brigade fought in the Atlanta Campaign and Franklin–Nashville Campaign (Hood's Tennessee Campaign). When present, he led the brigade with distinction, such as when his brigade held off a much larger Union force at the Battle of Resaca, Georgia. Cantey and his brigade fought at General Joseph E. Johnston’s last battle, the Battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. Cantey's brigade surrendered with Johnston's forces at Durham Station, NC. Although Longacre (1986) states that Cantey surrendered with Johnston, Eicher (2001) and Warner (1959) state that no record of Brigadier General Cantey's capture or parole has been found. After the Civil War, James Cantey returned to his plantation near Fort Mitchell, Alabama. He died at the plantation on June 30, 1874. James Cantey is buried in the Crowell family cemetery at Fort Mitchell, Alabama.

Camp Officers 2017

Commander Tommy Rhodes (251) 979-2938 [email protected]

Adjutant Herman Doster (251) 971-2508 [email protected]

1st Lt Cdr Tony Shoemaker (251) 626-9903 [email protected]

2nd Lt Cdr Bob Ridle (251) 241-8463 [email protected]

Treasurer Herman Doster (251) 971-2508 [email protected]

Color Sgt Craig Stoffle (251) 421-0167 [email protected]

Sgt-at-Arms Craig Stoffle (251) 421-0167 [email protected]

Asst. Color Sgt Richard (513) 314-1360 [email protected] Washburn Quartermaster Vacant

Historian Bob Ridle (251) 241-8463 [email protected]

Genealogist Marvin Rhodes [email protected]

Graves Officer Richard Sheely (251) 979-3261 [email protected]

Judge Advocate Tim Garner (251) 968-5540 [email protected]

Camp Surgeon Wilson Wilhite, (251) 625-0422 [email protected] M.D. MC Editor Isaac Brownlow (251) 550-6075 [email protected] III Special Projects David Myers (251) 948-3066 [email protected]

Heritage Guard Lt Judy Johnson (251) 504-8039 [email protected]

Education Officer Judy Johnson (251) 504-8039 [email protected]

Commissary Officer Vacant

Chaplain Bill Morgan (251) 610-9218 [email protected]

Asst. Chaplain Wayne Gilley

Camp Musician Craig Bruce (251) 422-1471 [email protected]

Webmaster Chris Rice (251) 786-5705 [email protected]

Camp Website http://www.fortblakeley1864.org

FORT BLAKELEY CAMP #1864

BALDWIN COUNTY, ALABAMA

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

2003, 2011, 2012 ALABAMA DIVISION CAMP OF THE YEAR

Newsletter of the Year- AL Div - 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010. National – 2009

AL SCV DIVISION DISTINGUISHED CAMP DESIGNATION- 2016

AL SCV DIVISION CLEMENT C. CLAY NEWSLETTER AWARD- 2016