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 March , 201 6 March meeting to feature Dave Booz as speaker The Col. Harry W. Gilmor Camp Booz, a long-time friend of the #1388 will hold its next meeting Camp is currently an instructor in “The Charge” March 9th, at 7:30 PM at the Balti- the Civil War Era Studies at Get- more County Historical Society, tysburg College. He will be pre- "To you, Sons of 9811 Van Buren Lane, Cockeys- senting on “Marylanders in the Confederate Veterans, we ville, MD 21030. The swearing in Confederacy” and he will present a of most of the Camp officers for slate of famous and maybe not so submit the vindication of the 2016 was held, with Commander famous, Marylander’s who served in Cause for which we fought; Williams swearing in 1 st Lieutenant the Confederate military. He will to your strength will be Commander Leasure, followed by tell you about their stories and of given the defense of the st 1 Lieutenant Commander Leasure their service in defense of the South. Confederate soldier's good swearing in 2 nd Lieutenant Com- mander Williams, Historian Jeremy Speaking of Election of Maryland name, the guardianship of Cook, Chaplain John Ross, Adjutant Division Officers, the Maryland his history, the emulation of Elliott Cummings and Judge Ad- Division Convention will be held his virtues, the perpetuation vocate Carroll Holzer. Hopefully April 23 rd , 2016 at the American of those principles he loved the rest of the officers for 2016 will Legion Post in Ridge, MD, near and which made him be sworn in at this meeting. We will Point Lookout. All are welcomed to discuss the upcoming Election of attend, you do not need to be a glorious and which you also Maryland Division Officers for the Camp officer. Hopefully everyone cherish. Remember, it is next two years. had a chance to see the convention your duty to see that the Our guest speaker this month, Dave flyer at the February meeting. true history of the South is presented to future Minutes: Camp meeting February 1 0, 201 6 generations." The meeting was opened at 7:32 Michael Williams – 2nd Lt Com- p.m. by Commander Michael K. mander Inside this issue: Williams. Commander Williams John Ross - Chaplain offered the Invocation and led us in Elliott Cummings - Adjutant The Davis’ Irish 2 the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Carroll Holzer - Judge Advocate housekeeper flag and the Salute to the Confed- erate Flag. Commander Williams Our guest speaker, Dan Toomey, Irish regimental 2 read The Charge of Gen. Stephen gave a very good talk on the "Civil flags Dill Lee. Fourteen members and War on the Eastern Shore.” guests were in attendance. Com- Lee, American 3 mander Williams welcomed several BREAK icon guests. Adjutant Elliott Cummings sum- CW prison train 4 Commander Williams swore in marized the Minutes of the January wreck Compatriot Gene Leasure as 1st Lt 13, 2016 meeting. Commander. 1st Lt Commander Leasure swore in other Camp MOTION: To wave the Treasurers Rare MD WBTS 7 officers: Report. PASSED artifacts Jeremy Cook - Historian See “Camp Minutes,” p. 6 1 March, 2016 Photo found of Irish housekeeper of Confederate White House From O’Melia, whose name has been http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/h spelled a variety of ways throughout istory/Photo-found-of-Irish- the years—O’Melia, O’Malley and housekeeper-of-Confederate-White- O’Malla, left little by way of a writ- House -.html ten account of her years in Rich- By Jane Walsh mond. A photograph has been found of the O’Melia eventually returned to Irish woman who was hired as the Baltimore, where she operated housekeeper for Jefferson Davis at boarding houses. In 1889, O’Melia the White House of the Confed- Image of Mary O’Melia now at The attended a memorial ceremony in eracy in Richmond, VA during the American Civil W ar Museum. Photo the city for Jefferson Davis after his Civil War. by: American Civl War Museum passing. A reporter said she “attract- ed considerable attention” and Mary O’Melia, who left Ireland for Although details are unknown, she described her as “a well-preserved America as a young widow with settled in Baltimore with her child- old lady.” three children, has always been a ren around 1850. In 1861, she left mystery. But earlier this year, a her children with relatives while she She died in 1907. woman with an "Irish lilt to her went to visit friends in Rich-mond. voice" called the American Civil She was stranded in Virginia when War Museum and said O’Melia was the state left the Union. related to her late husband, and that she had a necklace Confederate Friends told her that the First Lady Flags show Irish pride First Lady Varina Davis had given could help her return home and she the housekeeper, reports the appealed to the Roman Catholic Numerous regiments fighting for Washington Post. bishop to help her. the Confederacy created and displayed flags reflecting their Irish “What really took my breath away Varina Davis persuaded O’Melia to heritage. Here are two examples: is she said she had a photograph of take the position of housekeeper at Mary,” said Cathy Wright, curator the White House, where she was at the Civil War Museum, formerly among a staff of 20 and served as a the Museum of the Confederacy, confidante to the first lady. located next door to the White House. O’Melia remained behind to over- see the mansion when the South's “Considering that it’s been almost first family left Richmond in April 150 years since she left the White 1865 and may have been in the Georgia Irish Regiment flag House that anyone has been able to White House when President Abra- look at her face is just remarkable,” ham Lincoln visited that same Wright said. month. “One of the more elusive figures “Mrs. Omelia behaved just as you was Mary O’Melia.” Mary Larkin described her, but seemed anxious was born on April 7, 1822 in Gal- to serve and promised to take care way and educated in a convent. She of everything which may mean wed Matthias O’Melia, a ship cap- some things,” President Jefferson 10 th Tennessee Irish Regiment, tain, but was widowed at age 25 Davis wrote to his wife from Dan- “Sons of Erin” when he was lost at sea. ville days after his departure. 2 March, 2016 The son of Virginia defended the South and rejoiced in abolition… Robert E. Lee, American icon By Phillip McMath loudest against the South. New said [that] slavery is all we are Washington Times, Monday, England had convened a secession fighting for, and to give it up is to January 18, 2016 convention about the War of 1812, give up all. Even if true, which we mooted only by the end of that deny, [the abolition of] slavery is war. not all our enemies are fighting Robert E. Lee rode south on a morning in April 1861, crossing for. It is merely a pretense to establish sectional superiority and the Potomac to his estate in Still, Lee, who was born on this Arlington. He had turned down day 209 years ago, could see the a more centralized form of gov- ernment, and to deprive us of our President Lincoln’s offer of every folly of secession, but there it was. soldier’s dream — command of He could not “raise my hand rights and liberties.” the army of the United States, a against my relatives, my children, position he had longed for, and my home.” In a word, Virginia. Slaves who fled plantations in the now he rode toward a position and late months of the war were often a destiny he had neve r dreamed of. Slavery had caused the schism. forced back to the plantations by He could not know what lay But secession was far more comp- Union soldiers, or interned in ahead, but he could see a storm licated than some in later genera- camps where they died by the gathering. tions would surmise. Gen. George thousands. The historian C. Vann B. McClellan, like many Northern Woodward, a professor of history Lee had hoped Virginia would not Democrats, was for the Union but at Yale, wrote that the handling of secede, indeed, hoped that none of against abolition. Ulysses S. Grant the freed slaves by the Union army the states would. The man who has owned five slaves, four through “wrote some of the darkest pages been called America’s greatest his wife and one that he bought of war history.” soldier hardly resembles the mean himself. caricature drawn by the politically Slavery as an issue gradually correct in the strife and tumult of Confederate Gen. Patrick Cle- became less important to the South the present day. He had opposed burne of Arkansas, a native of than independence, and Cle- secession, and he had opposed Ireland who was called “the burne’s petition pushed the South slavery, writing in 1856 that “Sla- Stonewall Jackson of the West,” to within a step of abolition. In very as an institution is a moral died in defense of Southern March 1865, with the war lost and and political evil.” He would free independence, but worked against Cleburne dead at the Battle of his own slaves and declare, “I am slavery. In January 1864, he wrote Franklin in Tennessee, the petition rejoiced that slavery is abolished.” a letter to Jefferson Davis, presi- became moot.