HERITAGE VIOLATION: Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, IN (UPDATED 3/30/2016, 7:21pm)

1993 Confederate Mound Rededication [Image Credit: Michigan Camps of the SCV]

 UPDATE: The following was posted on Facebook by the Indiana Division, SCV on Tuesday night (March 29, 2016): 

"Compatriots, I have today received the following email from the President of Crown Hill Cemetery. I deeply wish to thank each and every one of you who have taken the time to write letters or email on our behalf. As you can see, we will be allowed to distribute our normal SCV programs with Battle Flag images at our memorial service. They also imply permission will soon be given to fly a Battle Flag along with the U.S. Flag inside Confederate Mound. I personally feel this is a satisfactory compromise between all groups concerned and while we still cannot fly a Battle Flag on Crown Hill property, we have accomplished most of what we have set out to do. The flag our men fought under will fly over their graves on April 30th! The VA National Director's office is only a few miles from my home and I will follow up on our formal request. This is what can happen when good people of faith and devotion to our Cause band together as one voice for truth and justice. - Alan E Losure, IN. Division Commander"

...and here is the text of the email from Crown Hill Cemetery officials to the Indiana Division Commander...

"Hi Alan, The president of Crown Hill wanted me to communicate to you that your group can print the Confederate flag and your SCV logo on your event program. You organization will be able to honor Confederate veterans on the Confederate Lot, a U.S. National Cemetery, with a Confederate and an American flag as allowed by law. I know you've sought this permission and I'm sure you'll hear back from the Director of the Marion National Cemetery soon. You can also honor these veterans by firing volleys in front of the Confederate Lot from the road."

Obviously this blog post from yesterday was too late to have had any influence, but many of you reading this probably first heard about it on social media and responded accordingly. Thanks to any and all who called, wrote, emailed, Facebook messaged, etc. 

Since the Indiana Division is satisfied with the result, we stand behind their call.  The information below will remain, but no further action in response is requested. - SAA. Jonathan McCleese
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As you probably know by now, the officials at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, IN are hindering efforts by the SCV's Indiana Division to hold a Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery's "Confederate Mound." If you don't know anything about the matter, let me get you up to speed...

Indianapolis, IN was home to Camp Morton, a Union military prison which housed Confederate soldiers captured during the War Between the States. Obviously, many Confederates died while in the prison, and those that did were originally buried in individual graves at the city's Greenlawn Cemetery. According to "the official story" (yeah, we know how that goes), found on the National Parks Service's webpage about the matter, "[i]n 1912, the Federal Government erected a 27-foot tall monument to commemorate the Confederate dead at Greenlawn, as individual graves could not be identified and marked with headstones. In 1928, this monument was relocated to Garfield Park, three miles south of downtown, where it still stands today. In 1933, the remains of the Confederate soldiers were reinterred to a mass grave located in Crown Hill Cemetery and marked by a new six-foot tall granite monument."

Confederate Mount Monument at Crown Hill Cemetery [Image Credit: Michigan Camps of the SCV]

Folks have been honoring these 1,616 Confederate veterans at the mass grave for decades upon decades. Since 1989, the Indiana Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has been holding memorial services at the "Confederate Mound" without any incident, as best as I am aware. In 1993, an Indiana Mounted Patrol officer named Stephen Staletovich vigorously pursued and succeeded in getting installed the ten bronze plaques mounted on granite bases with the names, military units, and dates of death for each one of the Confederate veterans buried in the mound. Let me note here that the casting of those bronze plaques was funded by the United States Veterans Administration, as these veterans are granted by the U.S. Government equal status with Union veterans of that period. A re-dedication ceremony of the Confederate burial mound was held on October 3, 1993, and at that time the Crown Hill Cemetery was more than cooperative with the Sons of Confederate Veterans in the production of the event, which included remarks by then U.S. Congressman from Indiana, the late Andy Jacobs.

Confederate Mound Rededication; Oct. 3, 1993; (Far Left) SCV Camp #1321 Cmdr. Stan White, (Far Right) Camp #1321 Compatriot Jeff Windsor. [Image Credit: Michigan Camps of the SCV]

Last Thursday (March 24), the Indiana Division, SCV posted the following on their Facebook page, in part:

"The mass grave, although in the Crown Hill Cemetery, is controlled by the Director of the Marion (Indiana) National Cemetery. There is a short plastic white chain fence that surrounds Confederate Mound. Everything outside of the fence belongs to Crown Hill Cemetery and is controlled by them. This “dual jurisdiction” is causing problems for us.

"Our Division Commander, Alan E Losure, contacted Ms. Marty Davis in January to remind Crown Hill of our desire to meet there again on April 30th. She informed him that there were some changes that the President of Crown Hill has made and she would get back with him soon. She did so last week and we were informed:
(1) No Confederate flags may be flown on Crown Hill Cemetery property.
(2) Written permission must be obtained from the Director of the National Cemetery to allow any visitor the right to step over the fence in order to view the names engraved upon the brass name plates.

"On Monday March 7th, Commander Losure hand carried the required government form asking permission to allow visitors to step over and view the engraved names. He also provided a written letter outlining this request, a copy of Confederate Veteran magazine and the already printed one page program that has been passed out to all attending members and visitors since 1989.

"On March 10th, he received an email that the President of Crown Hill Cemetery now banned the use of this program because there is a Battle Flag printed on it."

Then the IN Div. SCV posted this update from their Commander this past Monday (March 28):

"I got an email from Crown Hill. They are being inundated with emails and letters. They are sending out three paragraph reply to all of our men telling the steps the Federal Government requires for the placement of flags on Confederate Mound. Guys, all of that was accomplished on March the 7th and I have spoken with the Marion Director already. All of that is simply a smoke screen! The last sentence she wrote says we cannot fly flags on Crown Hill property. That has been the issue all along. That and censorship of our programs... Quoting Federal regulations is only an attempt to hide from what they have done."

Now that you are up to speed, you might be wondering how you can contact the President of Crown Hill Cemetery to let him know that you want him to remove any & all prohibitions of Confederate flags & symbols on cemetery property. Remembering to be polite and respectful, please feel free to contact him by the following means...

Keith Norwalk
President
Crown Hill Cemetery
700 West 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN. 46208
[Phone] (317) 925-3800
[Email] info@crownhill.org, cemetery@crownhill.org
[Facebook] https://www.facebook.com/crownhill.org/

I wrote Mr. Norwalk my letter and mailed it out on Monday. Please consider doing the same, or contacting them by one of the other means provided above.

Yours in the Bonds of the Old South,
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321
Sons of Confederate Veterans

"Stand Up For The South"

Greetings Compatriots & Friends!

Starting back in January, I began the process of digitizing the records of Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI). The camp has been in existence for over forty years, so you can just imagine the number of files I've placed across my scanner bed!

While thumbing through the "newest" batch of old records to scan, I ran across the 1967 Directory for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. While it is generally void of fancy imagery or graphics, it had an interesting message on the third page, and it seemed so appropriate to share with everyone in light of the events of the past 9 months. It says the the SCV slogan for 1966-1967 was "Stand Up For The South," and then lists the following three ways that we can do so...

1. By speaking and writing the truth about the South, the Southern people and the principles for which the Confederacy fought at every opportunity. Do not wait for the opportunity to come to you. Go out and find it.

Write short articles of fifty words or less to the local papers about the heroic exploits of Confederates, or other Southerners of local interest. Do it often.

Make talks before your Sunday School classes, local school classes, civic organizations, and other local groups, at every opportunity, on such subjects that will tend to glorify the South, the Southern people and/or the Confederacy.

Write letters to the local papers, to religious and to the political leaders stressing how our Confederate ancestors, under the most adverse conditions and against the most severe diffculties, raised up a generation more polite, better mannered, more devout in their Christian religion  and of stronger moral character than can be found anywhere else on this earth, yet we have those today who, although well fed and well clothed without working, riot, plunder and burn under the guise that they are driven to it by their lot in life. This is a wonderful opportunity to bring this out so that the world will know it.

2. By refuting the mis-information being spread about us by our enemies at every opportunity. Again, do not wait for the opportunity to find you. Go out and find it. Read the newspapers, the magazines, school books, look at the TV, listen to the radio, public speakers and even personal conversation - For one purpose. To see to it that everything written or spoken that tends to smear degrade or in any way cast aspersions upon the South, the Southern people or the Confederacy is called to their attention and a correction is asked. Do it in the most diplomatic manner. Always be polite. It gets better results and disarms the offender.

3. There is a viscous anti-Southern campaign being waged by a powerful, well financed group to eliminate every vestige of the Confederacy from the news media. Do not give them aid or comfort. Watch carefully for the sin of "omission." One which does not show Confederate Memorial Day or the birthdays of Confederate heroes but shows others, send it back with a polite note saying you would rather not have it and tell them why. Have eternal vigilance in everything.

For a document almost fifty years old, these words ring more true today and provide a great amount of wisdom for those of us today. These three principles can easily be applied to the modern age with our online news sites, Youtube videos, etc. One does not have to engage in endless debate; simple leave well thought out, reasoned comments to state the facts. Eventually someone will read it, and may be inspired to research the facts for themselves or to reach out to you or the SCV in their quest for knowledge. We must be ready to give them the truth.

With that said, I hope and pray that everyone has a blessed Good Friday and Easter. Till next time...

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-atArms, SCV Camp #1321

They Will Never Stop: A Call For Resolve

At this point I have lost count on all of the attacks upon Confederate symbols across this country in the span of the last nine months. Flags and statues in the public square have been targeted by the hate-agitators, and their sights are unlikely to be diverted anytime soon. As warm weather returns over the next few weeks, I suspect that we'll see the purveyors of ignorance & social unrest emerge from their winter hibernation with new plans to remove, destroy, and erase more of the symbols of Confederate heritage which dot the landscapes of towns and cities all over the American southeast. I have been asked, repeatedly, since last June, "When will this madness end?"; We must, however, acknowledge the uncomfortable truth that stares us right in our eyes - THEY WILL NEVER STOP.

For many of us, this struggle to vindicate the good name of the Confederate soldier has gone on much longer than eight or nine months. We are well aware that this is simply the most recent wave of attacks in a war of ideas that has gone on for more than fifteen decades. Others reading this may be new to this ideological battlefield, and we are certainly grateful to have you rise up beside us. Pledge within yourself to stand firm, resolute in the fight to preserve the monuments of honor that your ancestors-in-gray so valiantly earned on the fields of battle. They had it much harder than we did, as we're not constantly looking down the barrel of cannon and no one has a bayonet pressed to our chest. Instead, this is a thinking-man's war, and we must arm ourselves with facts and truth in order to achieve our victories. 

Regardless of how long you've been in this thing... whether you've been fighting this good fight for decades or a few months... it could be easy to get discouraged as we see the hateful hoards amass and mount for another summer of assault on our heritage. Let me give you a word of encouragement in the vein of our beloved "Stonewall" Jackson, who would tell us to look to the Bible as a guide and source of strength.

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
- Paul, the Apostle (Galatians 6:9)

 DEO VINDICE!

- Jonathan McCleese

Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

An Intercepted Enemy Communicade

One of the many Sentinels in Grey that top monuments across the south.

Yesterday one of the oldest bastions of Yankee propaganda, 'The New York Times,' published an article, titled "Momentum to Remove Confederate Symbols Slows or Stops," which laments the inability of the cultural Marxists in our nation to do more in their efforts to revise history, destroy the honorable legacy of the Confederate States of America, and malign it's brave men who fought in defense of their homes & home states against an invading foreign army. The article essentially admits the goal of exploiting last June's tragedy in Charleston for their devious and despicable purposes.

This article is, in many ways, a rally cry for our enemies. It's a plea from their backers in high places to not give up their hateful crusade. It's also useful for those of us in the Confederate Heritage Defense movement, much like an intercepted strategy letter would have been during the War Between the States. So what can we learn from this piece? Here's three things I think we can take away from it and use to our advantage...

#1. They know we are paying attention, and are attempting to mislead us.

While this article is a sign that that our defensive measures have largely worked thus far, the headline is extremely deceptive. Saying in the boldest print that their momentum has stalled could lull us into a false sense of security. We must keep in mind that strong efforts throughout the south to remove Confederate monuments and symbols still press onward, and no further evidence is required than to look at the situation in Mississippi. There they are using every means at their disposal, from bully pulpit rallies against the battle-flag canton of their state flag to the most ludicrous of frivolous lawsuits to sue the Governor over declaring April as Confederate Heritage Month. Our compatriots in Louisiana are also still in a fight to preserve the existence of the Confederate memorials in New Orleans, and the Governor of Virginia just vetoed legislation that would have further increased protection for memorials to American veterans of all wars.

#2. They know that they have to impose their hate through political means.

Those who seek to remove monuments to the Confederacy know that they don't have the support of the people in the south, so they'll further seek to manipulate politicians into achieving their agenda, be it through state legislatures or executive orders from state governors. Politicians don't care about our heritage for the most part, especially not in the face of an economic or political backlash. One example of this that is presently ongoing is where an organization called 'Take It Down Now' (in conjunction with the NAACP) is calling on the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) to pull support from the upcoming "Medal of Honor Bowl" football game if the state doesn't act to remove the Confederate Naval Jack that is displayed at the Military College of South Carolina (The Citadel). They are even suggesting that they'll organize a boycott of this event if they do not get their way.

#3. They are planning to expand their range of attack.

The article notes that an upcoming report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC, the nation's most well funded hate-group, which poses as a "political action" group) will announce that there are more than 1,100 "publicly funded Confederate symbols across the country." The SPLC commissioned this report last summer, calling it their "Erasing Hate" campaign. The purpose of this campaign has nothing to do with "erasing hate," and instead seeks to inspire more attacks on more Confederate monuments, and will likely result in encouraging increased vandalism to these memorials like we've seen already throughout the South.

So now that we recognize what they doing, what should be our response? 

First and foremost we must STAND FIRM. Many battles throughout history have been lost in the calm before the storm, as people let their guards down and make themselves vulnerable to attack. We see now what the enemy is planning, and must remain ever vigilant. We were caught off guard last summer, and must not ever let that happen again.

Secondly, we must continue to spread the our message of truth. The more we can do to positively promote our honorable heritage, the further we can get the word out, the better chances that the general public will stand by our side when a strong wind comes to test our resolve. This is also the best way to get the SCV into the public eye and bolster recruitment efforts around the nation.

The third thing we can do is write our public officials and people of influence. If the enemy can use this tactic, then why can't we? Be polite and tell the truth, but be firm: We will not support those politicians, individuals, or organizations who stand in opposition to our heritage.

Finally, let me suggest that the most important things we can do are to be involved in our local SCV Camps and support defense efforts already established by the national organization. The SCV has established The Heritage Defense Fund to financially support legal defenses against those seeking to erase our history. Individual contributions are important, and local camps can raise funds through various means that can be donated toward this effort. Generally speaking, the local SCV camp is the heart of the national organization, and is dependent entirely on the participation of it's members. The best way you can help be a part of the solution is to be involved with your local camp.

We have the knowledge, my fellow Compatriots, and we have the tools; now we must exercise the will to stand in the face of whatever odds we may face.

RISE UP! 

STAND FIRM! 

GIVE NO QUARTER TO THE VIOLATORS OF OUR HERITAGE!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321

Honoring Pvt. George E. Daft (31st Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.)

[As a part of our Confederate Flag Day celebrations this past Saturday, members of the Michigan Camps of the SCV and those from the 'Confederates of Michigan' drove in procession to Oakwood Cemetery in Grass Lake Twp., MI to honor Pvt. George Edward Daft, who served as a Private in the 31st Virginia Infantry and was twice a prisoner of war. The following is the text that was read at Pvt. Daft's gravesite that day. - Jonathan McCleese, Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321]

[Image Credit: Cmdr. Jim Perkins, MG Patrick R. Cleburne SCV Camp #2257]

George Edward Daft was born March 14, 1839 in Virginia, probably in or around Rockbridge County. He was the second child known to be born to Jacob Daft & Margaret Showalter. In all, he would be one of about 15 children born to that union. George's Dad was a farmer and a general laborer, and not particularly wealthy, certainly not wealthy enough to own any slaves. Under his father's guidance, George undoubtedly learned to work the land and do things with his hands in order to scratch out a living.

As a young adult, George was 6'0" tall & light skinned, with steely blue eyes and brown hair. It was around this time in his life, at age 22, when he would be called on to serve his new nation in military service.

The backstory of how & why the first 7 southern states left the Union, and how they came together to form a new republic in February 1861, should already be known to most of us. Abe Lincoln was inaugurated as U.S. President in early March, and immediately instigated hostilities against the South. In early April Confederate forces in South Carolina defended that state's sovereign soil against the occupying Union Army at Fort Sumter, and then on April 15th, Abe Lincoln called for each state still in the Union to raise up regiments of troops to invade & bring under submission the 7 sovereign southern states where he no longer had control. It was after that audacious request that another six southern states would make their exit from the Union, starting with Virginia just 2 days later. These states would indeed raise up troop regiments, but it would be in defiance of Lincoln's tyrannical intentions and in the defense of the Southland from an invading foreign Army they would serve.

George Daft, like so many thousands, enlisted at Huttonsville, VA on May 24, 1861 for 1 year of military service to defend his new nation, his state, his family and his home. He enlisted as a Pvt. in Company F of the 31st Virginia Infantry, which would muster into service little more than a month later.

In the earliest days of the war, the 31st was attached to the Army of the Northwest, and mostly fought and skirmished around the mountains of western Virginia, not far from the place George Daft knew as home. These early battles were often real scrappy affairs, and both sides had young troops who were just learning how to conduct themselves in the bloody art of war. Placed in a brigade commanded by Brig.Gen Robert S. Garnett, the 31st saw it's first bit of action in the second week of July. After five days of skirmishing, Pvt. Daft's regiment was a part of the Battle of Lauren Hill & Rich Mountain on July 11th. It was probably there George first saw the horrors of military combat, with Confederate casualties numbering in the hundreds, and just a few dozen on the other side. Two days later, in the Battle of Corricks Ford, Garnett's brigade of 4500 was caught by 20,000 Union troops. Union casualties were again very low. Confederates suffered 20 men killed, including BG Garnett, and had 600 men listed as missing after retreating.

These losses at the start of the war must have been highly disheartening, and showed the need for some early reorganization. By the start of September, the 31st was placed in the 1st Brigade of the Army of the Northwest, commanded by Brig.Gen. Henry Jackson. On September 12th & 13th in the battle of Cheat Mountain, uncoordinated attack strategies between the three CSA brigades involved, combined with visibility limited to minimal distances due to rain, fog, mountainous terrain, and a dense forest, led to another Union victory, albeit a minor one in the grand scheme of the campaign in the war. Several weeks later was the Battle of Greenbrier River, where after two days of non-stop rain & chilly temps, camp guards left their posts unattended, and Union General Joe Reynolds brought his 5000 man army upon Confederate forces numbering less than half of that strength with almost no warning. Caught off guard in wet and muddy conditions, our boys in gray had trouble working their weapons and while they were trying to fix them they were forced to move out into the open due to the Union armies significant firepower. Nine miles away, Colonel John B.Baldwin, who was in charge of the 52nd Virginia Infantry, heard the gunshots and he immediately left camp with all of his men and went to help the Confederates. By the time they reached the battlefield they thought it was too late, but when the Union army saw more men coming they continued to fire and the battle continued for approximately five more hours. As bad as all of that sounds, Not much was actually accomplished by the Union forces, both sides losing less than 45 men each. After ineffectively expending hours of resources Union Gen. Reynolds ordered his troops to return to Cheat Mountain breaking off the battle.

All of this in the months between July & October in 1861 that I have detailed to you happened in a very small area of what is now West Virginia. These men in both Armies were constantly walking right around one another in the hills and woods. Just five days after that Battle at Greenbrier, on October 7th, Pvt. George Daft was captured by Union forces and sent to Camp Chase Military Prison in Columbus, Ohio, where he would remain for 10 months.

By the time Pvt. Daft got to Camp Chase, it had only been used as a military prison for a few months, but was already becoming over populated with less than 300 prisoners at the time, encompassing less than an acre of the lowest swampy ground on post. The U.S. Army expanded the prison, but did so on more of the lowest, sloppiest land in their possession there, causing the prison interiors to be damp and unhealthy. Despite the expansion of space, it wasn't enough to hold the influx over the the first 8 months of 1862, when the Prison would hold just shy of 2000 Confederates. The food at the prison was another problem. One of it's former inmates who escaped days before George probably arrived said that "the food furnished the prisoners was of the most inferior kind, and in insufficient quantities for the sustenance of the famishing men." By June of 1862, a smallpox epidemic swept the prison. Nearly every official report and personal account by prisoners speak of muddy, unsanitary conditions. There were drainage problems that contributed to poor health and sanitation. Shallow ditches designed to drain off water quickly filled in the rain and turned into stagnant, trash filled cesspools. Drains emptied into prison sinks. Water accumulated, along with the waste of 1,726 prisoners, creating a foul smelling septic for the entire camp. If it rained particularly heavy, water would overflow the sinks, and refuse from more than a thousand men would backwash into the drainage system and into the large ditch which ran past the prison wall, through the entire garrison. Poor sanitation combined with crowded prison conditions produced a horrid smell. One visitor to the prison said, "a terrible stench everywhere prevails, overpowering the nostrils and stomach of those impermeated with it." The stench was so offensive to the Union regiments in training at Camp Chase that regimental officers complained to the governor, who entertained the idea of moving the prison far away from the city and Camp Chase. There was no effective trash collection system. Spaces between barracks were heaped with bones, food scraps and discarded rags. Inside, damp trash and dirt accumulated, because there were no brooms to sweep it out. Cooking utensils and stoves were caked with grease. Barracks walls were unpainted and filthy with stove smoke. Wash basins were not provided for the prisoners to bathe in, "not even a basin or tub to wash their clothes." Soap was provided, but it was of the poorest quality. Many of the prisoners here in the summer of 1862 were wearing little more than rags, and the Union Army wouldn't even supply them with enough wood to cook rations. As a result, they ate poorly cooked food and experienced long waits before cooking. While inspectors did come and occasionally order improvements to be made, it is unsettling to think that men were forced to live like this for even one day (much worse for months on end) when considering the vast resources of the U.S. gov't in comparison to those of the fledgling Confederacy fighting to establish existence. Still, as horrible as this time must have been for Pvt. Daft, it was nothing compared to the treatment Confederates would receive in POW Camps later on in the war. By the end of summer in 1862, though, Pvt. Daft was chosen to be traded in a prisoner exchange.

On August 25, 1862, George was released on parole to Vicksburg [MS] and delivered there two weeks later aboard the 'John H. Done,' a steamer ship with over 1000 other POWs aboard for exchange. [The exchange accounting process of checking off names (man for man, or equivalents) that resulted in an exchange declaration for each individual soldier was done in Virginia and it took some time to gather up copies of the several delivery rosters and go through the accounting process.] The final exchange at Vicksburg was agreed to on November 10, 1862 by Lieutenant Colonel William H. Ludlow, the Federal Agent of Exchange, at Aiken's Landing in Virginia.

No records exist to tell when Pvt. Daft returned to his duty in the 31st VA after being exchanged. It seems logical that he probably missed some time in the field to recuperate from his treatment while in Prison in Columbus. Records do indicate, however, that he did return to duty. From November 1862 till June 1864, the 31st was attached to the famed 2nd Corps of Gen. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, serving under some of the Confederacy's best known generals (Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, A.P. Hill, J.E.B. Stuart, Richard Ewell, and Jubal Early) and participating in some of the most well-known & bloodiest battles of the war (Fredericksburg in Dec. 1862, Chancellorsville in May 1863, Gettysburg in July 1863, Battle of the Wilderness & the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in May of 1864, and the Battle of Cold Harbor in early June of 1864.

Days after the Confederate massacre at Cold Harbor, most of the Army of Northern Virginia's 2nd Corps (including the division to which the 31st VA belonged) was placed into the Army of the Valley, which was initially commanded by Gen Jubal Early. Right away they launched the Lynchburg Campaign, and The Battle of Lynchburg was fought on June 17th-18th.

The next official record we have for Pvt. Daft is from late August, and states that he had been absent due to being wounded since June 19th. It seems entirely likely that Pvt. Daft was wounded in the Battle of Lynchburg, or possibly in the battle of Cold Harbor just two weeks earlier.

[After this, there are no further records of his service until May of 1865, a month after the war's unofficial end. Once again Pvt. Daft is listed as a prisoner of war, but the circumstances of his capture aren't known. All that can be said for certain is that on May 12, 1865, Pvt. Daft was paroled at Charleston, WV upon taking an oath of loyalty to the United States, just like those members of his regiment who'd managed to make it to Appomattox Court House where Gen. Lee surrendered the troops under his command had done a month earlier.

After his honorable service throughout 4 years of war, George Daft went back home to be with his family in Randolph Co. (now a part of West Virginia). At some point he met Ms. Pauline Lake, who he married in 1871. In their first couple years of marriage they would start a family, having a son and a daughter enter their lives. Between 1875 and 1880, George packed up his small family and moved north to Michigan, settling in Riga Township, down near the Michigan/Ohio border. After arriving to Michigan, George and Pauline had another daughter and another son. It was here that they would raise their children and live most of the next 35 years. George Edward Daft died on February 1st, 1912 in Blissfield, MI, about 40-45 miles southeast of where we stand. Some of George's children lived in this area, near Jackson, and so the family chose to have him buried here, probably so they could be near the final resting place of their father. His wife Pauline followed him in death 10 years later.

So here we stand today, at Pvt. Daft's final resting place, in solemn appreciation for the life he lived and the honorable service he rendered as a private soldier in the struggle to defend Southern independence. Thank you Pvt. Daft, and may God forever bless your memory and the memory of every southern soldier who served with honor as you did.

Confederate Flag Day 2016 (Report)

[Image Credit: 'Confederates of Michigan']

This past Saturday afternoon, March 5th, 2016, a company comprised of 30-40 men, women & children (along with a few beautiful dogs) came together in Clearlake, MI to honor our Confederate heritage in a Confederate Flag Day rally!

Organized by a Michigan based group called the 'Confederates of Michigan,' the Michigan Camps of the Sons of Confederate Veterans partnered with them as co-sponsors of the event, in accordance with the request from National Headquarters from last Fall asking that all camps & divisions around the country sponsor such a rally on March 5, 2016. Among the nearly 30 states where such events took place on Saturday, I'm proud to say that ours here in Michigan was the one held farthest north.

[Image Credit: Michigan Camps of the SCV]

Temperatures on Saturday hovered around the freezing mark, and snowfall was steady throughout the early hours of the event, but it didn't deter those of us in attendance from standing out along the road waving our flags and holding our signs to the delight of hundreds of passing travelers, who expressed their appreciation by honking their horns and waving as they drove by. There were maybe a dozen, or two, who drove by giving us the one finger salute, and I'm pretty sure that they were telling us we're #1, but who knew so many are unable to straighten their index finger instead?! Aside from those few, I'm thrilled to report that there was no real opposition to our efforts. Several folks pulled in to ask what we were doing and what our purpose was, and we were all very happy to tell them that we were simply recognizing our brave Confederate ancestors for their honorable military service. 

We were also pleased to have the media cover our event, as a reporter from the 'Jackson Citizen Patriot' arrived around 1:00 p.m. to ask questions and speak to those in attendance (a photographer from the paper also came by and shot some photos of the event). I cannot express how proud I am of all who spoke with her, on and off the record. By the time she left, there was no reason given for her to speculate on the purity of our intentions. I'd also like to thank this journalist, Danielle Salisbury, for the fairness and honesty she used in reporting the story. Rather than injecting it with her own potential opinions or biases, she simply reported the facts of what she heard and witnessed, combined with some basic information about the currents events and recent controversy that presently surrounds the misuse of the symbols of our heritage by some.  In today's world of opinion-journalism, we could ask for nothing more than that. If you'd like to read the story and view the images, you can find them by clicking the following link...

[JACKSON CITIZEN PATRIOT: "Group waves controversial symbol, gathers to commemorate Confederate Flag Day"]

(The story has also been reported and mentioned by other media outlets covering Saturday's nationwide Confederate Flag Day events, including this one from WSOC-TV/ABC out of Charlotte, NC!)

After several hours of wonderful fellowship in the midst of waving our flags and celebrating our shared honorable heritage, the rally then packed up and hit the road. Roughly twenty vehicles rolled in procession around southeast-Jackson and onward to the township of Grass Lake, with most of the cars, trucks and vans bearing various American & Confederate flags. Our destination was the Oakwood Cemetery, on the eastern outskirts of Grass Lake Township, where we would gather to honor Pvt. George Edward Daft of the 31st Virginia Infantry. 

[Image Credit: 'Confederates of Michigan']

After arriving at the cemetery, members of the Michigan SCV and Confederates of Michigan temporarily hoisted up a Confederate Flag upon the cemetery's flagpole. Everyone subsequently joined in to recite the Salute to the Confederate Flag, and then sing Dixie, before marching to the final resting place of Pvt. Daft. A small flag was placed at this Southern Patriot's grave, as was a beautiful homemade Southern Cross (made by Denise Everett), and then a eulogy was read by the Sergeant-at-Arms of Camp #1321 which described in detail Pvt. Daft's Confederate service record. Our ceremonies concluded with a succinct, but heartfelt prayer for God to forever bless the memory of Pvt. Daft and every other southern soldier who served The Cause with honor.
 

[Image Credit: 'Confederates of Michigan']

To conclude this report, I'd like to express the utmost appreciation to Steve Panther and everyone involved with 'The Confederates of Michigan' for partnering with us in celebrating this very special occasion. Mr. Panther has applied to join the SCV, and pending final approval from HQ, we look forward to welcoming him into the ranks of 'Adm. Raphael Semmes' Camp #1321. We'd like to encourage other men in the 'Confederates of Michigan' who have Confederate ancestry to consider joining the SCV, and those members without Confederate ancestors to become official 'Friends of the SCV.' 

Despite being located deep in Yankee territory, those of us in Michigan with Confederate pride were heard from this past weekend, and you can bet we'll be heard from again!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321