Forrest’s Dispatch
General Nathan Bedford Forrest Sons of Confederate Veterans, Rome, GA.
Camp 469 Newsletter – September, 2004
“A Historical Education & Preservation Organization”
COMMANDER DON ADAMS RECEIVES HONOR
Camp 469's Commander Donald E Adams received the Georgia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Brigade Commander's Award for distinguished service to the SCV in Georgia. The award reads "Know all men by these presents that Commander Don Adams, Nathan B Forrest Camp # 469, is hereby recognized for exemplary performance, and noteworthy achievement, and ardent service to the Eleventh Brigade Georgia Division SCV." Signed by: Charlie Lott, Eleventh Brigade Commander, and Jack Bridwell, Georgia Division Commander.
McEVER MEMORIAL SERVICE PLANNED
Our Commander, Don Adams, informs me that he is in possession of the grave marker for Andrew Ripley McEver, great grandfather of fellow member Alan McEver. Confederate Soldier McEver is buried in a grave in the woods near White, Georgia. The Camp has undertaken the distinguished honor of conducting a memorial service at the grave site, making sure the grave is maintained, and installing the marker for a more honorable internment. The date of the service will be announced in next months' newsletter. It will be mid-October.
CAMP ELECTIONS
Camp elections are just around the corner. In compliance with our by-laws, Camp Commander Don Adams will appoint a four man committee to seek and recommend nominations for Camp officers for the ensuing year. Please come and inform the committee of anyone you think would represent the members and serve the Camp with honor and dignity in 2005. The Committee will announce its recommendations by the following meeting. Anyone may be nominated for the floor.
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 2nd: Camp meeting, Rome - Floyd County Library, 7:00 pm
October 7th: Camp meeting, Rome - Floyd County Library, 7:00 pm
Mid October: Andrew Ripley McEver Memorial Service
November 4th: Camp meeting, Rome - Floyd County Library, 7:00 pm
December 2nd: Camp meeting, Rome - Floyd County Library, 7:00 pm
December 6th: Christmas Parade in Chickamauga, 6:00 pm
December 11th: Christmas Parade in Calhoun. Time to be announced
CAMP REPRESENTED AT LOCAL UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY
Camp 469 was represented by our own 1st Lt Commander Hugh Durden at an underwater archaeological exploration July 24th and July 25th. Hugh met with Jason Burns, The Georgia State Underwater Archaeologist, and with the group from M.A.H.S. (Marine Archaeology & Historical Society). They dove on four sites at the convergence of the Oostanaula & Etowah Rivers forming the Coosa River. They dove on two sites on Saturday and the other two on Sunday.
Site #1: A wharf on the Oostanaula right at the steps down to the river from the park between 1st and 2nd Streets in downtown Rome. All that is left of the wharf is some timbers that stick out from the bank. They were interesting but with less than one foot of visibility they could not see very much. More studies are planned later.
Site 2: A sand barge that was beached to help with erosion where an old storm drain dumps into the river. They measured the barge by standing in the river. They did get to dive on the wreck, but again visibility was less than one foot. After this dive the divers went tot he Days Inn in Rome to do research and class work on the construction of the barge. On Sunday, July 25th, they met in the 'classroom' again to learn about where to research and fill out a site report.
Site 3: Another Wharf. This one on the Etowah River. It is called 'The Myrtle Docks', located at the base of Myrtle Hill. This time the visibility was about five feet and the divers could get a good look at the construction and archaeology of the site. According to Hugh, Jason Burns had used his political position to stop the operations at the Allatoona Dam so the flow of the waters of the Etowah could slow down and clear up. The group did some survey work and measured part of the structure. Hugh informs me that most of the solid timbers are at the bottom of the river and the City of Rome could easily reconstruct the Docks.
Site 4: The paddle-wheeled Steamship "Dixie" which lies at the head waters of the Coosa River. The "Dixie" caught fire and burned to the water line. The story has it that the cook caught the ship on fire and cut the ship loose from the dock so the dock would not burn down. The ship drifted down the river to the headwaters of the Coosa where it lies today. Sometime in the 80's someone used a clam shell boom crane to excavate the ship out of the water, but all they did was destroy most of it. You can still see some of it, but it is in thigh deep water. Visibility was bad from the people walking around rather than swimming. The M.A.R.C. group took numerous magnetometer readings along the river for future exploration. The magnetometer is a device used to locate and help identify metal objects underwater. It uses satellite global positioning to mark underwater artifacts that look promising to within one foot anywhere in the world. One problem is pollution in the river, old cars, scrap metal and shopping carts to name a few. At the next Camp meeting, Hugh took a show of hands of those that would volunteer to help clean up the river by using trucks, winches, and muscle to remove junk from the river so we can explore it more fully, reason being the magnetometer cannot tell a shopping cart from a cannon. The Camp voted to assist with further excavations. If you or any one you know would like to get involved either in the clean up or diving, please call Hugh Durden at 235-6316. Projects such as these will only enhance our image to the public and to the State Officials in charge. Hugh has e-mailed Mr Burns and informed him of our support.
SCV PROTEST REMOVAL OF LEE PORTRAIT IN RICHMOND
"The Sons of Confederate Veterans strongly protest the removal of the Robert E Lee mural from the canal walk scheduled to open to the public tomorrow. We will not mince words. The removal of this artwork from this project, which is designed to bring people together and attract tourists to this city while showing off the rich heritage of Virginia, is an affront to every right-thinking person. Until the mural is returned, we urge every citizen to boycott this project and show your distaste for the cowardly removal of this honorable American and Virginian from the project. Do not support this desecration of our history by financially supporting anything about this project. Robert E Lee and his family have contributed so very much to this state. His honorable past is a lesson to all people of every race. Never was his character questioned. His honor and honesty was unquestioned. We deserve better than the knee-jerk reaction of removing his likeness based on the complaint of councilman Saad El Amin. The success of the project is important to both Virginia and this city, but it is simply wrong to allow political correctness to dictate our every action instead of relying on historical correctness. The removal of Virginia's history severely wounds both the state and nation. The Sons of Confederate Veterans will never allow a desecration like this to occur. We won't go silently into the night and turn our heads. We will explore every avenue to have our heroes remembered. Once again we urge a boycott of this project, its opening, and any fundraising projects related to it. Until the mural is returned to its rightful place, we will continue to boycott and should it not be replaced, the Sons of Confederate Veterans demands that every mural be removed. Robert E Lee is a great Virginian. He is a Confederate. The Sons of Confederate Veterans recognize this, but he is not simply our hero. He is a hero to all Virginians and this boycott is not simply for the SCV but for all Southerners and Virginians. Virginia was paramount in the building of America and without a remembrance of the past there will be not future.
Robert Barbour, Commander, Virginia Division
NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting will be held September 2nd at 7:00 PM at The Rome-Floyd County Library. New member Tony Warren will give a short talk about the events surrounding the memorial services for The Hunley. He will also tell the story of L T Dixon's 1860 twenty dollar gold coin that his girl friend Queenie gave him for god luck. The coin stopped a bullet at Shiloh and saved Dixon's life. The coin was found during the Hunley archaeological excavation and is now considered the rarest and most expensive coin in the world. The Hunley commission struck exact copies of the coin and there will be one at the meeting for your inspection and information on how you can get one. Dixon inscribed the back of the coin "Shiloh, April 6th, 1862, My life preserver, G.E.D." The Hunley Commission sells these coins for $10.00 each. The speaker for the October meeting will be fellow Camp member Tommy Smith who will speak on Johnson's Island Prison Camp. Established in 1861, the 300 acre island on Lake Erie received its first Confederate prisoners on April 11, 1862. The prison was home to thousands of Confederate prisoners. Dan Roper will speak in November. The topic to be announced and in December, our Chaplain Rev Kenneth Studdard will speak on the subject of Faith and Religion in the Confederate army. You don't want to miss any of these. Please come and take part in your heritage.
O'NEAL LECTURES ON ROBERT TOOMBS
Mr O'Neal, an attorney from Smyrna, Georgia, gave a very thorough and comprehensive speech about the life and times of Robert Augustus Toombs, a Representative and a Senator from Georgia; born in Wilkes County, Ga., July 2, 1810; attended the University of Georgia at Athens and graduated from Union College, Schenectady, N.Y., in 1828; studied law at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville; was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Washington, Wilkes County, Ga., in 1830; commanded a Company in the Creek War in 1836; member, State house of representatives 1837 - 1840, 1841 - 1843; elected as a Whig to the Twenty-ninth and the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1845 - March 3, 1853); elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1852; re-elected in 1858 and served from march 4, 1853, to February 4, 1861, when he withdrew in support of the Confederacy; member of the State sovereignty convention at Milledgeville, Ga., in 1861; during the Civil War served in the Confederate Provisional Congress; Secretary of State of the Confederate States; Brigadier General in the Confederate Army; in order to avoid arrest at the end of the Civil War, fled to Havana and then to London; returned to his home in Washington, Ga., in 1867; died in Washington, Ga., December 15, 1885, interment in Rest Haven Cemetery.
JOIN THE SCV
If you are interested in perpetuating the ideals that motivated your Confederate ancestor, the SCV needs you. The memory and reputation of the Confederate soldier, s well s the motives for his suffering and sacrifice, are being consciously distorted by some in attempts to alter history. Unless the descendants of Southern soldiers resist those efforts, a unique part of our nation's cultural heritage will cease to exist. Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either direct or collateral family lines, and kinship to a veteran must be documented genealogically. The minimum age for membership is 12. Proof of kinship to a Confederate soldier can take many forms. One method is to contact the archives of the state from which the soldier fought and obtain a copy of the veteran's military service record. All Southern states' archives have microfilm records of the soldiers who fought from that state, and a copy of the information can be obtained for a nominal fee. In addition, the former Confederate states awarded pensions to their veterans and their widows. All of these records contain a wealth of information that can be used to document military service. The SCV has a network of genealogists to assist you in tracing your ancestor's Confederate service. To join, contact any member of the SCV.
MEMBERS TO START M.O.S.B. CHAPTER
Member Tommy Smith announced at the last meeting that he would like to pursue establishing a Chapter of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. He asked for volunteers to help him establish a Rome, Ga. Chapter. If your ancestor was an Officer or elected official, you may be a part of the Chapter. The Military Order of the Stars and Bars is similar to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the two share a national headquarters at Elm Springs in Columbia, TN. Here the research and ancestral information collected by our membership is stored for future generations. Our records are preserved for posterity. Instead of Camps on the local level, the MOS&B has established Chapters which meet separately. The state organization is called a Society. Societies are grouped into three Departments. We have our conventions jointly with our SCV counterparts. At the annual national convention held jointly with the SCV, the MOS&B sponsors a historical symposium where renowned speakers deliver presentations on aspects of the War. In 1992, the national organization began publishing a bi-monthly newsletter entitled The Officer's Call, which is sent to all members of the organization. This newsletter is published as a supplement to The Confederate Veteran, and is distributed during the even numbered months. Join the Military Order of the Stars and Bars and help preserve our true Confederate history. Purpose of the Order: "Why a separate organization for commemoration of the Confederate Officer Corps and the officials of the civilian Confederate Government?" With few exceptions, the officers of the armed forces on the Confederate States of America are without memorials, biographies, or any other commemorations. The attention given to the memory and history of the Confederate elected and appointed officials is even less. These heroic men suffered unbelievable hardships for their honored cause, without once wavering, without shying from their terrific responsibilities. The story of the "Immortal Six Hundred" chronicles the conditions in which the Confederate officers were held while prisoners of war. Even after the war had ended, the officers were singled out by their former adversaries for revenge. Through every test, these brave men stood tall. Though not usually exposed to service in the field, the elected and appointed members f the Confederate Government exhibited the necessary moral courage to lead the heroic Southern people through a vicious four-year struggle for personal freedom. Their homes were singled out for destruction by the invading Yankee armies, mane were charged with treason by the U.S. Government, and after the war they faced imprisonment. Despite threats, abuses, and deprivations, these civil leaders held the Confederacy together when lesser men would have capitulated. The members of the MOS&B bear an extra responsibility to their Confederate heritage. Not only should we take an active part in the affairs of our local Camps of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, we should also strive to preserve the special place in our Southern history for the Confederate officers and civil leaders. In doing so, we accomplish the goals of both organizations. To find out more about joining this new Chapter, see Tommy at the next meeting.
WHY COME TO MEETINGS?
"All that was, or is now, desired is that error and injustice be excluded from the textbooks of the schools and from the literature brought into our homes; that the truth be told, without exaggeration and without omission; truth for its own sake and for the sake of honest history, and that the generations to come after us not be left to bear the burden of shame and dishonor unrighteously laid upon the name of their noble sires." Rev James Power Smith, last survivor of the staff of "Stonewall"
We all would be better off by attending our meetings. Not only would you meet many friendly people of whom we all share a common bond and enjoy the bonds of brotherly affection, but also you would gain knowledge to better your life and to pass that knowledge on to future generations. Don't be left out. Come and enjoy the meetings.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest Camp 469 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the memory and heritage of the Confederacy and our Confederate ancestors through memorial, historical, and educational activities. Based in Rome, Georgia, the General Nathan Bedford Forrest Camp has been active, having completed several projects including the placement of military markers on the graves of Confederate soldiers through Memorial Services, erecting an historical roadside marker commemorating the Battle of Farmers Bridge, and the donation of microfilm records to Sara Hightower Regional Library. We are also proud to announce that our Camp in general, and one of our members in particular, Gilbert Smith, was instrumental in having Ft Norton - situated in the center of Rome - preserved as a Civil War Battlefield site on October 20, 2001. Sadly, Gilbert 'crossed over the river' in December of 2000, but his memory will last forever since the main trail meandering through the site is named in his honor. Camp 469 also has numerous members who are always willing and eager to speak to and educate organizations on various aspects of the Civil War. The main cemetery used by the city of Rome to bury the Civil War dead was Myrtle Hill Cemetery, 1 of 17 Victorian-style cemeteries still being used in the U.S. today. Located in the center of the city, Myrtle Hill, home to Fort Stovall during 1863 to 1864, was 1 of the 7 fortified hills that protected Rome during the Civil War. Mrs Ellen Axson Wilson, first wife of President Woodrow Wilson, is buried there. Also laid to rest there is The Known Soldier - Charles Graves. Another important, albeit considerably smaller, cemetery in the Rome area that received Civil War dead was Mizpah Church Cemetery, located about 10 miles east of Rome on highway 293.
Anthony N Warren, Editor
683 Marion Dairy Road
Lindale, Georgia 30147
706-235-5900 e-mail: [tonywarrensr@aol.com]
Ideas, questions, comments, and suggestions welcomed