Honor for the Confederacy at the Michigan State Capitol

If I were to ask, I'd venture to guess that very, very few could actually tell me the event of Confederate significance which occurred in Michigan during the fall of 1941. It was, however, on September 20th of that very year when the State of Michigan returned to the Southern states 13 battle flags and three swords, which were taken as spoils of war during The War Between the States more than 75 years earlier.

Taking place on the east steps of the state capitol building, it was described by Maynard Hill in the State Journal newspaper (out of Lansing, MI) as "one of the most colorful open-air ceremonies ever held here (in Michigan)." The event was broadcast nationwide on the radio, and covered by numerous print & photo journalists.

Gen. Julius F. Howell, CiC. of the United Confederate Veterans addresses, with Gov. Van Wagoner of Michigan. [This copy of the original 1941 image is in the Camp #1321 archives, but all rights belong to the photographer and original publisher and it is used under the Fair Use Doctrine.]

Michigan was one of the last of the northern states to return captured Confederate relics. It was through the initiative & efforts of local radio broadcaster Duncan Moore, his radio station (WJR) & the city of Detroit that the legislation was passed in the state congress to make this event happen. Also very influential in making the flag return possible was Mrs. John Bushnell of Detroit; Mrs. Bushnell was a past President of the Robert E. Lee Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Detroit, and was also the mother of George Bushnell, a then-current Michigan Supreme Court Justice.

Representatives were sent from 12 of the former Confederate states to receive these southern war-artifacts on behalf of their respective states and the entire south. The representatives were:

TN - Gen. Julius F. Howell, Commander-in-Chief of the United Confederate Veterans
VA - Gov. James H. Price, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia
KY - Hon. Rodes K. Meyers, Lt. Governor of Kentucky
TX - Hon. Hatton W. Sumners, U.S. Congressman from Texas' 5th District
AL - Peter A. Brannon, Alabama State Military Archivist
AR - John Pipkin, Arkansas Commissioner of Public Welfare
FL  - Lt.Col. Phillip Stockton May, Florida Governor's Staff
GA - Mrs. Arthur M. Wilson Jr., President of the Atlanta Ladies Memorial Association
LA - Roland Cocreham, Executive Assistant to the Gov. of Louisiana
MS - Dr. W.E. Holcomb, Representative of the Gov. of Mississippi
NC - Dr. C.C. Crittenden, Secretary of the North Carolina Historical Commission
SC - Edward B. Houseal, Representative of the Gov. of South Carolina

Faded & frail, the flags were packaged in gift boxes trimmed with red, white and blue, and the swords were similarly wrapped. Each was presented to the respective Southern representatives by the Governor of Michigan, Murray Delos Van Wagoner. As each presentation was made, the drum and bugle corps of the Morley S. Oates post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was on hand to punctuate it with a blare of trumpets.

As a military event, this one was particularly unique, with men, both on the speakers' platform and in the audience, wearing military uniforms that spanned more than 75 years of American military history! There were Southern veterans in Confederate gray uniforms, several Union veterans in their blue uniforms, veterans of the (first) World War in their khaki uniforms, a cream-colored uniform worn by a Georgia military aide, and the brand new gray uniform of the then newly formed Michigan state "home defense" troops.

Heading up the delegation of distinguished Southern representatives was the 95-year-old Commander-in-Chief of the United Confederate Veterans, Gen. Julius F. Howell, who was representing the state of Tennessee. Upon receiving a flag and a sword from Michigan's Governor, General Howell thanked the Governor in a clear, firm voice, saying that it was "a most gracious gesture."

The event was tightly scheduled because of time constraints on the radio broadcast, and speakers were asked to make their remarks brief, but when a military aide tried to hurry General Howell, Howell just waved him off (which caused quite a laugh from the crowd) and proceeded to tell stories from his time in the war. Thankfully the radio affiliates were understanding, and respectfully continued their coverage despite going a little over the allotted amount of broadcast time.

In his address, speaking to the Southern delegation collectively, Gov. Van Wagoner said, "I speak for all of Michigan in thanking you for your graciousness in receiving them (the artifacts) in the spirit in which they are given," adding that the relics being given back "have not in a generation been looked upon as trophies. Instead, they have served as reminders of the the glory and the honor that [was] ... [Robert E.] Lee. They have served to remind us of our debt to those who bequeathed us a vast wealth of rich character, and a never-failing source of inspiration. Love and understanding have replaced all bitterness and hate. Mutual respect and fraternal fellowship have come to bless the common purpose of our national endeavor."

Much of the information on this event has been gleaned from the pages of the Winter 1942 edition of the Michigan History Magazine. At the end of the report, the following comments were included by the quarterly publication's editor, George N. Fuller, who wrote:

"We honor these flags, as we honor the brave men who marched beneath them in days that are gone. They are but flags, yet they speak to us of the thousands of boys in Gray, who with faith and hope of youth went into battle for a cause they held dear, the preservation of the ideals and traditions of the Old South. With the eye of fancy, we can see these boys as they stand in line, - as the word is given, see them charge, and form, as the air rings with the storm of battle, some of them never to return to the courageous wives and mothers who sent them away with their blessing. These flags tell of hopes, and of fears, and of prayers for these boys. And now these flags return home, and there they will speak silently to the sons and daughters of the men who bore them, of losses that can never be forgotten..."

[Image from the 1991 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Michigan returning it's Confederate relics.]

Before I close, I would be remiss if I did not mention that this event was remembered on it's 50th anniversary by the Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans with a parade & certificate of appreciation ceremony at the Michigan State Capitol.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan M. McCleese
2nd Lieutenant Commander
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Sources:
[Hill, Maynard. "Return of the Confederate Flags." Michigan History Magazine 1942: 5-23. Print. Volume XXVI, Winter Edition]
[Taishoff, Sol, ed. "Studio Notes." Broadcasting & Broadcast Advertising 6 Oct. 1941: 47. Print.]
[SCV Camp 1321 Archives]

The Jefferson Davis Monument (Monument Ave., Richmond, VA)

[The dedication of the Jefferson Davis Monument; Richmond, VA; June 3, 1907]

 At 2 o'clock in the afternoon on June 3, 1907, before a crowd of thousands of admirers, the Jefferson Davis Monument, on Monument Avenue in Richmond, VA, was unveiled and dedicated to honor the Confederacy's only President on what would have been his 99th birthday.

The event was widely covered in periodical publications of the day, including The Confederate Veteran magazine, which described the scene as "all that could have been imagined. Such a sea of human beings was hardly ever seen in the South... it was a gala day [as] rockets were being sent high above, from which emerged many beautiful figures, conspicuous among which were balloons with magnificent Confederate flags floating, which fell in different parts of the assembly, and a fine band of music and hundreds of girls were singing about the area of the monument. Such a joyous throng of so great magnitude must have rarely ever been witnessed on the earth."

The crowd was extremely large, estimated as being "not less than 125,000" by Lt.Gen. Stephen D. Lee, Commander-in-Chief of the United Confederate Veterans, and that was just the crowd surrounding the Davis monument! Over 1,200 old Confederate veterans & sons are said to have marched down the flag-decorated streets with over 200,000 parade watchers cheering them on.

[Lt.Gen. Stephen D. Lee & others below the soon to be unveiled monument]

One old soldier, bent and weary with age after the parade, told a newspaper reporter, "I was a boy again while the march lasted, but, now that it's over, I'm an old broken man ready to die." He, like so many others, marched like boys again with strength & affection for the Southern Cause, despite the toll that age had taken since the flags were furled at Appomattox.

The speakers stand was filled with dignitaries such as Gen S.D. Lee, Rev J. William Jones, Hon. Claude Swanson - Governor of Virginia, Hon. Carlton McCarthy - Mayor of Richmond, and Maj.Gen. Samuel D. French - the oldest surviving major-general from the Confederate service. Seated on the stage along with these great men was perhaps the most notable gathering of Confederate women ever assembled at an unveiling, including Ms. Mary Custis Lee (daughter of Gen. Robert E. Lee), Mrs. Mary Anna Jackson (widow of "Stonewall" Jackson), and Mrs. Flora Stuart (widow of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart), and others equally worthy of note.

The lady who was given the most attention on this day, however, and rightfully so, was Mrs. Margaret Davis Hayes, the daughter of the late Southern President. It was she, along with two of her children, who had the honored duty of actually making the great unveiling of the Davis monument. When the signal was given, the President's heirs withdrew the veil that covered the statue of the late chieftain! Instantly the guns of the Howitzers boomed out in a Presidential salute, the bands struck up in the playing of 'Dixie,' and deafening cheers & applause erupted from the crowd! For several minutes the air was filled with thunder as fireworks were sent off, celebratory bombs exploded, children sang, and the multitudes roared in excitement as balloons carrying Confederate flags floated overhead.

[The Jefferson Davis Monument; Richmond, VA; July 12, 2016]

After the monument's unveiling, Governor Swanson gave an address to the gathered throngs. I will not reprint it here in full, but in part let me share the following portion of his remarks:

"Sirs, the brave and noble deeds of the Confederate soldiers, extending from the drummer-boy to the great commander - the God-like Lee, constitute for the South her proudest and most precious heritage. We will teach our children's children to cherish the glory, the unsullied honor and the dauntless courage of the Confederate soldier. We purpose that in every county and city of the South some day shall stand a granite or marble column to bear testimony to his heroism and glory." 

[The Jefferson Davis Monument; Richmond, VA; July 12, 2016]

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
2nd Lieutenant Commander
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Have You Forgotten...?

This past Sunday, our nation reflected on a dark day in it's history - September 11, 2001 - remembering the nearly 3,000 lives lost 15 years ago when Islamic terrorists hijacked airplanes and rammed them into the World Trade Center towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and attempted to fly a plane into another target (probably either U.S. Capitol or the White House) before being thwarted by the plane's brave passengers who rammed the plane into the earth to save other lives.

An oft heard question each year around that date is "Have You Forgotten?"

While it is safe to say that no one of a certain age who was living in this country on that dark day has intentionally forgotten what happened, one day that event will become a factoid in a history book and no one who was alive then will still yet inhabit the planet to recall it's horrific events.

Here we are in 2016, more than 150 years after the conclusion of the War Between the States, the costliest conflict in this nation's history in terms of lives lost and blood shed, but I must sadly declare that many Southerners have forgotten not only it's causes and events but also they have forgotten about the lives of their ancestors who were killed for the cause of Southern independence from federal tyranny.

(Image Courtesy of Maeve Magdalen)

Have YOU, personally, forgotten that...

... more than 4,700 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Gettysburg between July 1-3, 1863?

... more than 2,300 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Chickamauga between September 19-20, 1863?

... more than 1,700 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862?

... more than 1,700 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864?

... more than 1,600 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Chancellorsville in April & May 1863?

... more than 1,500 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Sharpsburg on Sept. 17, 1862?

... more than 1,500 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864?

... more than 1,400 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Gaines's Mill on June 27, 1862?

... more than 1,400 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864?

... more than 1,200 Confederate soldiers were killed in the Battle of Stones River between Dec. 31, 1862 - Jan. 2, 1863?

... the tens-of-thousands more Confederate soldiers who were killed or wounded at dozens of other battlefields across the South?

... the civilian casualties of Lincoln's war on the South, which are estimated by historians to number into the tens-of-thousands, maybe as high as 50,000+, the vast majority of whom were Southerners?

While it is good and right to remember those victims of terrorism from 9/11/2001, it is despicable that we sons & daughters of Confederate veterans cannot show the same respect & honor to our ancestors, who were no less victims of invasion & terrorism, without being vilified for it! Today it's the memory of our Confederate ancestors which is under attack; in 150 years it might be the memory of you or someone you personally know & love who served in the U.S. military after that dark September day.

We should never forget what happened to our ancestors and to our native Southland in the War of 1861-1865...

WE, THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS, WILL NEVER, EVER FORGET!

DEO VINDICE!
Jonathan McCleese
2nd Lieutenant Commander
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

In Memory of Maj.Gen. George E. Pickett (1825-1875)

George Pickett was a Virginian and an American through and through. Though many know of the term "Pickett's Charge," few today could tell much about this man who was called by George McClellan (Pickett's former classmate, U.S. military comrade, and formidable foe during the War Between the States) "the best infantry soldier developed on either side during the Civil War."

In 1913, Pickett's widow published a number of letters written by her late husband which reveal his thoughts and give a peek into the thoughts of this great military leader. On this day, the 141st anniversary of his passing, I'll share some of them with you, the reader, and together we will hopefully learn a little something about the man behind the legend.

Prior to secession and the war, Pickett was opposed to the Southern states leaving the Union. On Sept. 17, 1861, Pickett spoke of his decision to fight for Virginia and the South, recalling from his childhood that, "those cross-stitched mottoes on the cardboard samplers which used to hang on my nursery wall, such as, 'He who provides not for his own household is worse than an infidel' and 'Charity begins at home,' made a lasting impression upon me; and while I love my neighbor, i.e., my country, I love my household, i. e., my state, more, and I could not be an infidel and lift my sword against my own kith and kin...," and said in a May 1862 letter that, "all that we ask is a separation from people of contending interests, who love us as a nation as little as we love them, the dissolution of a union which has lost it's holiness, to be let alone and permitted to sit under our own vine and fig tree and eat our figs peeled and dried or fresh or pickled, just as we choose. The enemy is our enemy because he neither knows nor understands us, and yet will not let us part in peace and be neighbors, but insists on fighting us to make us one with him, forgetting that both slavery and secession were his own institutions. The North is fighting for the Union, and we—for home and fireside."

The War Between the States found many old friends against one another on opposites sides of the battlefield; many who'd attended military academy together, or served side-by-side in the Mexican War just a few short years earlier, would be pitted directly against one another in some of the most grizzly military combat ever experienced by men. Despite being on opposing sides, Pickett still thought very highly & lovingly of some on the other side, such as the earlier mentioned George B. McClellan. One day after the Battle of Seven Pines, on June 2, 1862, Pickett wrote of the Commander of the Army of the Potomac, "I have heard that my dear old friend, McClellan, is lying ill about ten miles from here. May some loving, soothing hand minister to him. He was, he is and he will always be, even were his pistol pointed at my heart, my dear, loved friend. May God bless him and spare his life."

Heading into the campaign of which Gettysburg was a part of, Pickett sensed the danger of the coming days and weeks. In mid-June of 1863, he writes, "To-day, under orders from Marse Robert, we cross the Potomac. McLaws' and Hood's Divisions and the three brigades of my division follow on after Hill. May our Heavenly Father bless us with an early and a victorious return. But even then, the price of it—the price of it, my little one—the blood of our countrymen! God in His mercy temper the wind to us! As I returned the salute of my men, many of them beardless boys, the terrible responsibility as their Commander almost overwhelmed me, and my heart was rent in prayer for guidance and help. Oh, the desolate homes—the widows and orphans and heartbroken mothers that this campaign will make! How many of them, so full of hope and cheer now, will cross that other river which lands them at the Eternal Home."

On the way through Pennsylvania, just a week away from Gettysburg, Pickett wrote of quite an amusing event he & his men experienced that day...

"As [the] band, playing 'Dixie, was passing a vine-bowered home, a young girl rushed out on the porch and waved a United States flag. Then, either fearing that it might be taken from her or finding it too large and unwieldy, she fastened it around her as an apron, and taking hold of it on each side and waving it in defiance, called out with all the strength of her girlish voice and all the courage of her brave young heart: 'Traitors—traitors—traitors, come and take this flag, the man of you who dares!' Knowing that many of my men were from a section of the country which had been within the enemy's lines, and fearing lest some might forget their manhood, I took off my hat and bowed to her, saluted her flag and then turned, facing the men who felt and saw my unspoken order. And don't you know that they were all Virginians and didn't forget it, and that almost every man lifted his cap and cheered the little maiden who, though she kept on waving her flag, ceased calling us traitors, till letting it drop in front of her she cried out: 'Oh, I wish I wish I had a rebel flag; I'd wave that, too.'"

Sash worn by Gen. Pickett on display at the Museum of the Confederacy.

Of course, such blessing for "an early and a victorious return," as he beseeched to the Lord, was not to be. His letters to his beloved, written in the days after his now famous charge, are absolutely gut-wrenching...

[July 4, 1863 - The Day After]
     "My brave boys were full of hope and confident of victory as I led them forth, forming them in column of attack, and though officers and men alike knew what was before them,—knew the odds against them,—they eagerly offered up their lives on the altar of duty, having absolute faith in their ultimate success.
     "Over on Cemetery Ridge the Federals beheld a scene never before witnessed on this continent,—a scene which has never previously been enacted and can never take place again—an army forming in line of battle in full view, under their very eyes—charging across a space nearly a mile in length over fields of waving grain and anon of stubble and then a smooth expanse—moving with the steadiness of a dress parade, the pride and glory soon to be crushed by an overwhelming heartbreak.
     "Well, it is all over now. The battle is lost, and many of us are prisoners, many are dead, many wounded, bleeding and dying. Your Soldier lives and mourns and, but for you, my darling, he would rather, a million times rather, be back there with his dead, to sleep for all time in an unknown grave."

[July 6, 1863]
     "The sacrifice of life on that blood-soaked field on the fatal third was too awful for the heralding of victory, even for our victorious foe, who I think, believe as we do, that it decided the fate of our cause. No words can picture the anguish of that roll-call — the breathless waits between the responses. The "Here" of those who, by God's mercy, had miraculously escaped the awful rain of shot and shell was a sob, a gasp, a knell for the unanswered name of his comrade. There was no tone of thankfulness for having been spared to answer to their names, but rather a toll, and an unvoiced wish that they, too, had been among the missing.
     "Even now I can hear them cheering as I gave the order, "Forward!" I can feel the thrill of their joyous voices as they called out all along the line, "We'll follow you, Marse George. We'll follow you—we'll follow you." Oh, how faithfully they kept their word—following me on—on—to their death, and I, believing in the promised support, led them on—on—on—Oh, God!"
     "The moans of my wounded boys, the sight of the dead, upturned faces, flood my soul with grief—and here am I whom they trusted, whom they followed, leaving them on that field of carnage—and guarding four thousand prisoners across the river back to Winchester. Such a duty for men who a few hours ago covered themselves with glory eternal!"

[July 12, 1863]
     "I can't think of anything but the desolate homes in Virginia and the unknown dead in Pennsylvania. ... Poor old Dick Garnett did not dismount, as did the others of us, and he was killed instantly, falling from his horse. Kemper, desperately wounded, was brought from the field and subsequently, taken prisoner. Dear old Lewis Armistead, God bless him, was mortally wounded at the head of his command after planting the flag of Virginia within the enemy's lines. Seven of my colonels were killed, and one was mortally wounded. Nine of my lieutenant colonels were wounded, and three lieutenant colonels were killed. Only one field officer of my whole command, Colonel Cabell, was unhurt, and the loss of my company officers was in proportion.
     "I wonder, my dear, if in the light of the Great Eternity we shall any of us feel this was for the best and shall have learned to say, 'Thy will be done.'"

Nearly another two years of war with the Union & writing letters to his beloved would pass before it was all finally over, and Pickett would go on serving in Lee's Army right up to the very end. Just hours before The Army of Northern Virginia was to be surrendered, Pickett wrote, "Lee's surrender is imminent. It is finished. Through the suggestion of their commanding officers, as many of the men as desire are permitted to cut through and join Johnston's army. The cloud of despair settled over all ... when the tidings came to us of the evacuation of Richmond and its partial loss by fire. The homes and families of many of my men were there, and all knew too well that with the fall of our Capital the last hope of success was over." He continues, saying, "It is finished! Ah, my beloved division! Thousands of them have gone to their eternal home, having given up their lives for the cause they knew to be just. The others, alas, heartbroken, crushed in spirit, are left to mourn its loss. Well, it is practically all over now. We have poured out our blood and suffered untold hardships and privations all in vain. ... It is finished—the suffering, the horrors, the anguish of these last hours of struggle."

After the war, Pickett's devotion to the men who gave their 'last full measure' at his command in Gettysburg never wavered. As the mortal remains of those who fell in that fateful charge were brought to Richmond for interment in Hollywood Cemetery, Pickett would meet them upon arrival and lead them again in grand processions, this time to their final resting place. "You cannot conceive of it," said Pickett in a letter to his wife. "From the old Market to the Cemetery of Hollywood the streets, sidewalks, windows and housetops were crowded. There must have been twelve thousand people at Hollywood. Such a demonstration of devotion and sympathy was, I think, never before witnessed on earth. ... So penetrating, so universal a oneness of love and respect and reverence existed that there was a stillness, an awesomeness, save for those necessary sounds—the clanking of swords, the tramp of horses and the martial tread of men keeping time with funeral marches—the solemn requiem. No cheers, no applause, only loving greetings from tear-stained faces, heads bent in reverence, clasped hands held out to us as we passed along. As I saw once more the courage-lit faces of my brave Virginians, again I heard their cry—"We'll follow you, Marse George!" From their eternal silence, those who marched heroically to death looked down upon us yesterday and were sad."

He continued in this duty to his "boys" (as he called the men who served under him), which even called him away from home as his own child lay deathly ill. His wife told him, "Even if I knew our child would die while you were gone, I would not have you neglect this call to honor your boys whom you led to their death."

George Edward Pickett died on July 30, 1875 in Norfolk, VA. The location of his burial at Hollywood Cemetery is at the top of what is called "Gettysburg Hill," the section of the cemetery where so many of Pickett's brave boys' remains had been placed, and from here Gen. Pickett still leads his men, now in eternal rest. Even the monument at the General's gravesite memorializes the men who followed him more than it does Pickett himself, and I believe that's exactly how he would have wanted it.

Grave of Gen. Pickett, Hollywood Cemetery; July 2016

Continue to rest well General, both you and your brave boys.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

U.S. Gov't Recognition of the Confederate Veteran

So often, as I read the news articles, letters to the editors, and web comments on both, I see so many using the foulest terms to describe our Confederate ancestors. Among those terms, though certainly not the worst, are "traitor" & "criminal." This, however, was not the sentiment of most Union veterans after the war, and only most divisive politicians held that opinion.

It must be realized that no matter what charges were ever brought against any Confederate soldiers, sailors, officers or government officials, only one was ever tried & convicted of treason (Capt. Henry Wirz - the commanding officer at "Andersonville" Prison), and that was done on trumped up charges & false testimony in a "kangaroo court."

Many will say that we need to "restore the honor" for our brave Confederate heroes, but what has never been diminished needs not to be restored. Instead, we need to RECOGNIZE THE HONOR, and educate others of why the honor is worthy of recognition. 

Through a process that took a century, give or take, our reunited country took action to recognize & properly honor the Confederate veterans as American veterans worthy of honor. Below is a timeline that I have put together that shows the process. Pay close attention to the words of U.S. President Carter at the end...

[April 1865]
The close of major military action in the War Between the States

[May 29, 1865]
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 134: U.S. President Andrew Johnson grants amnesty to most regular Confederate soldiers.

[July 4, 1868]
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 170: Pres. Johnson grants pardon to all persons participating in the "late rebellion," with the exception to those under indictment for treason or other felonies.

[July 9, 1868]
14th AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: Section 3 of the Amendment prohibits the election or appointment to any federal or state office of any person who had held any of certain offices and then were accused of engaging in insurrection, rebellion, or treason; this is the only punishment ever given to the select few Confederate officials not pardoned through Pres. Andrew Johnson's earlier proclamations.

[December 25, 1868]
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 179: President Johnson grants full pardon & amnesty for the offense of treason against the United States during the War Between the States. This does not, however, nullify Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

[April - August 1898]
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR: Thousands of Americans of Confederate heritage come together with their Northern brethren to serve their reunited country in military action. Among the thousands of Southerners who served in the United States military during that conflict were the following four Confederate officers...

- Matthew C. Butler
(A Colonel in the Confederate Army; a Major General for the U.S. Volunteer Troops in the Span-Am War.)

- Fitzhugh Lee
(Maj.Gen. in the Confederate Army; Maj.Gen. for the U.S. Volunteer Troops in the Span-Am War. Also, a nephew of Gen. Robert E Lee.)

- Thomas L. Rosser
(Maj.Gen. in the Confederate Army; Maj.Gen. for the U.S. Volunteer Troops in the Span-Am War. Also, a nephew of Gen. Robert E Lee.)

- Joe Wheeler
(Lt.Gen. in the Confederate Army; Maj.Gen. for the U.S. Volunteer Troops in the Span-Am War.)

[December 1898]
In a speech, President Wm. McKinley urges complete reconciliation between Northern & Southern U.S. citizens. Pres. McKinley said, in part, that "every soldier's grave made during our unfortunate civil war is a tribute to American valor... and now the time has come... when, in the spirit of fraternity, we should share in the care of the graves of the Confederate soldiers... The cordial feeling now happily existing between the North and South prompts this gracious act, and if it need further justification, it is found in the gallant loyalty to the Union and the flag so conspicuously shown in the year just passed by the sons and grandsons of those heroic dead."

[June 6, 1900]
CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, FISCAL YEAR 1901: Congress magnanimously passes the bill, which appropriates $2,500 to enable the Secretary of War "to have reburied in some suitable spot in the national cemetery at Arlington, Virginia, and to place proper headstones at the their graves the bodies of about 128 Confederate soldiers now buried in the National Soldiers Home near Washington, D.C., and the bodies of about 136 Confederate soldiers now buried in the national cemetery at Arlington, Virginia."

[March 9, 1906]
CONGRESSIONAL ACT - P.L. 38, 59TH CONGRESS, CHAP. 631-34, STAT. 56: Congress authorizes the furnishing of headstones for the graves of Confederate veterans, particularly those who died in Union prison camps and were buried in federal cemeteries.

[January 21, 1907]
The U.S. War Department establishes the Civil War Campaign Medal. Authorization for it's creation was given by Congress in 1905, and it was intended for veterans of both the Union and Confederate armies. A corresponding naval award, the Navy Civil War Medal, was established on June 27, 1908, by the U.S. Navy Department.

[February 26, 1929]
U.S. PUBLIC LAW 810: Approved by Congress, this law expanded upon what began in the aforementioned 1906 legislation, authorizing the Secretary of War "to erect headstones over the graves of soldiers who served in the Confederate Army, and to direct him to preserve in the records of the War Department the names and places of burial of all soldiers for whom such headstones have been erected." This legislation broadened the scope of recognition for Confederate veterans, allowing for them to receive burial benefits equivalent to those granted for Union Army veterans, providing the use of government (public) funds for the marking and recording of Confederate graves. This law is still on the books as 38 U.S. Code, Sec. 2306, which reads, in part: "The Secretary shall furnish, when requested, appropriate Government headstones or markers at the expense of the United States for the unmarked graves of... Soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies of the Civil War."

[May 27, 1958]
U.S. PUBLIC LAW 85-425: SEC. 410: Passed by Congress, the law states: "The Administrator shall pay to each person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War a monthly pension in the same amounts and subject to the same conditions as would have been applicable to such person under the laws in effect on December 31, 1957, if his service in such forces had been service in the military or naval service of the United States." This act, combined with all of those previously stated, effectively placed the Confederate veteran on equal legal footing with those who served in the Union Army. Because of this, there have been children of Confederate veterans collecting pension benefits right up to our current decade, earned through their respective fathers' service in the Confederate military, equal to those collected by the surviving children of Union veterans.

Aside from these, there are two other notable, noble acts of the United States government that should also be remembered.

[August 5, 1975]
Pres. Gerald R. Ford signs into law a joint congressional resolution (passed June 13, 1975) restoring full citizenship to Gen. Robert E. Lee, after the 1970 discovery of documents in the archives proving that he had filed all of the necessary paperwork for it. The resolution declared that "the legal disabilities placed upon General Lee as a result of his service as General of the Army of Northern Virginia are removed, and that General R. E. Lee is posthumously restored to the full rights of citizenship." At the signing of the resolution, Pres. Ford stated, "[a]s a soldier, General Lee left his mark on military strategy. As a man, he stood as the symbol of valor and of duty. As an educator, he appealed to reason and learning to achieve understanding and to build a stronger nation... General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations, making the restoration of his citizenship an event in which every American can take pride."

[October 17, 1978]
Pres. James E. Carter signs into law a joint congressional resolution (passed October 3, 1978) restoring full citizenship to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Davis never sought or received pardon for the crimes of which he was accused, as he was never convicted of any during his lifetime. Because he did not seek such a pardon or take an oath of amnesty or allegiance to the United States after the war, he died a man without a country. At the signing of this act, Pres. Carter said, "[i]n posthumously restoring the full rights of citizenship to Jefferson Davis, the Congress officially completes the long process of reconciliation that has reunited our people following the tragic conflict between the States. ... He had served the United States long and honorably as a soldier, Member of the U.S. House and Senate, and as Secretary of War. General Robert E. Lee's citizenship was restored in 1976. It is fitting that Jefferson Davis should no longer be singled out for punishment." "Our Nation needs to clear away the guilts and enmities and recriminations of the past, to finally set at rest the divisions that threatened to destroy our Nation and to discredit the principles on which it was founded. Our people need to turn their attention to the important tasks that still lie before us in establishing those principles for all people."

There are currently efforts underway to undo all of the progress & healing that the above efforts achieved, by those who seek to rip open 150 year-old scars for the purpose of agitating & dividing we, the people, for their own personal gain. WE MUST NOT PERMIT THAT TO HAPPEN. The veterans themselves are gone, and it is our duty to keep fighting the fight in the war of ideas to make sure that the recognition of honor that our ancestors rightfully attained in devoted service to their country is NEVER taken from them.

DEO VINDICE!
-Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Cmdr. Jim Perkins (Camp 2257): CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY, CHATTANOOGA 2016

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 [Happy to present the following from Cmdr. Jim Perkins, Maj.Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne Camp #2257 (Grand Rapids, MI). Many thanks to Cmdr. Perkins for sharing this with all of our readers! - J.M.]
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[Image courtesy of Jim Perkins]

For Confederate Memorial Day I visited the old Confederate Cemetery in Chattanooga, where General Nathan Bedford Forrest Camp #3 held a ceremony for three Confederate veterans, two from Alabama and one from Arkansas. One of these men was my cousin Captain Sidney F. Lister. 

[Image courtesy of Jim Perkins]

 CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY, CHATTANOOGA 2016

A TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN SIDNEY LISTER, 58TH ALABAMA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY

 

- by Jim Perkins

 
  Sidney F. Lister was born in 1838, the second son and one of six children of Samuel and Delila Morgan Lister in St. Clair County, Alabama. Only nineteen years prior, Alabama had become a state, and the Listers were in many ways typical of early settlers in St. Clair County, which is located just east of Birmingham. Settlers there tended to be former Pennsylvanians and South Carolinians.

   By 1850, Sidney was twelve years of age, and his father Samuel owned $700 worth of real estate. In 1854, the sovereign state of Alabama established public schools, however, little money was allocated for education during that time. Quite possibly the fact that Sidney’s own mother, Delila could not read or write, factored into his decision to become a school teacher near Ashville in 1859.

   In 1859, Alabama ranked only second to Mississippi in cotton production, and the 1860 Census indicated that Sidney’s father, Samuel’s real estate was valued at $2,000, while his personal state was worth $6,600 (about $176,000 today), including six slaves. Furthermore, in 1860 Sidney married Louisa Neely on 27 November, and later they had one child, Albert in 1861.

   It is interesting that St. Clair County lies within the Coosa River Valley where steamboats frequently cruised in order to load thousands of cotton bales from the numerous planters in the area. Between the years of 1850 and 1860, land values tripled in the valley, as the world demand for finished cotton goods exploded. With England’s textile mills operating at full bore, seventy-five percent of the cotton purchased there was the high quality product supplied by the Southern states.

   Unfortunately, during this time the over-bearing, powerful, and greedy industrial hierarchy of the Northeast, coupled with the hypocritical New England Radical Republican Congressmen, stepped up their ruthless attack on the South. Consequently, the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 proved that the South had lost he voice in government. Therefore, on 11 January, Alabama became the fourth state to cast her lot with the Confederacy.

[Image courtesy of Jim Perkins]

     After the war broke out, Sidney Lister enlisted 18 March 1862 with the 18th Alabama Volunteer Infantry, where he was elected 2nd Lieutenant by the soldiers of Company G. Following the initial excitement, Sidney soon found that life in the army was not always glorious, as Colonel John Inzer noted: “Lts Lister & Reavis, Pvt Crump and myself put our blankets down between the cabin and cook house, quieted down. All had to turn at once. Slept rather poorly, got up at 4 A.M. Lister got up, throwing up and throwing down, neither of us ate breakfast at 7 this morning.”

   By late March, the Yankee army under U.S. Grant invaded Tennessee, and Lt. Lister saw his first action at the Battle of Shiloh, and following the first day the 18th Alabama, under the command of Brigadier J.K. Jackson, was detailed to remove Federal prisoners to the rear. Later in 1862, the 18th was transferred to Mobile until later returning to the Army of Tennessee in March 1863. During this period, Sidney Lister was promoted to Captain of the newly formed 58th Alabama Infantry, Company F.

   At Chickamauga in September, the 58th under the command of William Bate, was recognized for gallantry on the field for capturing a Yankee cannon, however, the bloody battle was costly as the 58th lost 480 man, or 56% of the regiment. Following the Confederate victory at Chickamauga, the Federals retreated to Chattanooga, where the Army of Tennessee eventually surrounded them. The Battle of Missionary Ridge, fought on 25 November 1863 in Chattanooga, proved to be Captain Lister’s final battle. While defending the extreme Confederate left, and serving under Brigadier H. D. Clayton, the last mention of Sidney was noted in Colonel Inzer’s diary: “Before a great while, I discovered the enemy was flanking us on the left. He was coming up a hollow some 100 yards from the left of our regiments, moving by the flank (Capt. Lister first called my attention to the fact). It was during this portion of the fight that Sidney Lister caught a Yankee minie ball below his left knee, that shattered his fibula.

   Seriously wounded, Captain Lister became a prisoner following the army’s retreat, underwent an amputation of the left leg, and ligation of the damaged artery. Thirteen days later, Sidney F. Lister passed away due to gangrene infection, and was subsequently buried near in the Confederate cemetery along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.

[Image courtesy of Jim Perkins]

    Post war years witnessed several floods that often washed away the soldiers’ grave markers along the river, and today, thanks to the S.C.V. General Nathan Bedford Forrest Camp 3, as well as the local UDC Chapters, these gentlemen are still annually honored in eloquently carried out ceremonies where new stones are placed. Congratulations ladies and gentlemen, thank you, and Deo Vindice!

[Image courtesy of Jim Perkins]

Louisville Confederate Monument ['Confederate Veteran' Magazine, Oct. 1895]

[The following is an article from the October 1895 edition of the Confederate Veteran Magazine about the unveiling of the then brand-new Confederate monument in Louisville, KY. It is reprinted here for historical purposes, and to show how there once was a time when America honored all of her military veterans - J.M.]

LOUISVILLE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT

Louisville has honored Kentucky and the South by the handsome Confederate monument erected there late in July. The ceremonies were witnessed by many thousands.

In the introductory prayer, Rev. J. S. Lyon said:

"God bless these noble women; in all the fierce struggle their patriotism was the purest, their patience in suffering was the sublimest; and in the hour of defeat their cup of sorrow was the bitterest. Accept this labor of their love as an effective instrument in thy providence of perpetuating the memory of the brave, and accomplishing that wide and profound peace which will make our united nation that happy and blessed people whose God is the Lord, in the name and for the sake of our adorable Redeemer. Amen."

In his introductory address, Chairman Jacob said:

"Ah! the trials and tribulations of the noble women, who, like Rachel, mourned and would not be comforted, because her children were not; when every letter was written with a tear, and every word was the noise of a broken heart."

Chairman Jacob spoke feelingly of the deep affliction which had come upon Mrs. Susan Preston Hepburn, President of the Kentucky Women's Monumental Association, in the loss of her niece, Mrs. Kinney, daughter of Col. William Preston Johnston, and granddaughter of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. He said that at the request of Mrs. Hepburn, and by the unanimous request of the ladies of the Executive Committee, the honor of unveiling the monument was conferred upon Mrs. W. N. Haldeman, which she gracefully performed, and the instant the massive bronze figure surmounting the shaft stood out against the sky, cheering and clapping of hands began and continued for some time. Scarcely had this ceased when the band struck up with "Way Down South in Dixie," while the throng of people met the sentiment with ringing cheers.

Gen. Basil Duke was the orator of the occasion, and spoke at length. He dwelt upon the heroic devotion to principle of Confederate soldiers, and on this line he said:

"Was it for gold or rank that they gave their breasts to the battle? Were they lured by the thirst for fame? Did they leave home and family, the rooftree beneath which all that was dearest to them on earth was gathered; the father who had hoped that the boy he had reared would be the staff of his declining age, and the mother whose tender love the tenderest care could never requite; perhaps wife and little ones, dearer than life itself; was all this wealth of happiness relinquished for the bubble, reputation, or any wish of gain? We know that such thoughts had no part in determining the choice they made. 

"With youthful ardor and fiery zeal they rushed to arms, believing their cause invincible because they believed it just. When terrible disaster, which their victories could neither arrest or disguise, had dispelled all hope of ultimate success, they yet remained as firm in their fealty as in their convictions, and fought on with resolution unabated and devotion unimpaired. No change in the conditions or in the aspect of the struggle affected in anywise their heroic steadfastness of purpose. 

"We may not claim for them the wreath of the victor; even when we speak their eulogies we may sound no strain of triumph. But while our eyes are dimmed with sorrow when we think of them fallen, our hearts beat with pride when we remember how and for what they died."

Faces changed quickly to expressions of sadness as the Confederate Choir sang sweetly and touchingly "Tell the Boys I'm Coming Soon."

In the closing prayer Rev. J. M. Weaver said:

"May the memories of the brave and suffering ones of the past ever influence us to deeds of charity and kindness in our intercourse with our fellow-countrymen. Bless our rulers and grant them wisdom to so conduct the affairs of state that Thy great name may be glorified and the people benefited."

The multitude sang "My Country 'Tis of Thee." There was no Confederate flag to be seen in all the decorations, but at the conclusion of the ceremonies the Rev. G. B. Overton and Capt. John H. Weller, held up from the front of the stand for display a large silk Confederate flag, which had been torn and bullet-pierced while upheld by gallant Kentucky soldiers.

The Association worked very hard to raise the funds for the monument. The whole amount raised is about $10,200, and represents the toil and devotion of the women.

The Courier-Journal states:

"In the decade that has passed many entertainments and public affairs have taken place under the auspices of the Association, that have made the social bond of interest among members very binding. The public has had the pleasure of many evenings of entertainment, and cannot fail to look back over the numerous entertainments with regret that such associations have now ended. The first money for the fund was obtained by a lawn fete at the country home in Jefferson County of Mrs. Flora Williams. The second entertainment was a picnic at Fisherville. The third was a children's entertainment given at the private school of Miss Henrietta Johnston, on Breckinridge Street near Fourth. An oyster supper was given at the home of Mrs. Albert Smith. The following four entertainments were the greatest financial successes, and from which the first large sums were realized. They were a bazar, given at the residence of Mrs. W. N. Haldeman; the Kindersymphony, Ben Hur, and the World's Fair, the latter having been given at Music Hall in May, 1894. The following are the present officers of the Association:

President — Mrs. Hepburn, Vice-President — Mrs. H. W. Bruce, Treasurer — Mrs. Basil W. Duke, Secretary — Mrs. Andrew Sea.

The Executive Committee — Chairman, Mrs. W. N. Haldeman, with Mrs. John Herndon, alternate; Mesdames Walker, Benedict, Z. L. Wallis, Charles Semple, David Yandell, A. Carrington.

Auxiliary Committee — Mrs. Reginald Thompson, Chairman.

Confederate Veterans Living in Michigan in 1894

While most think of the South as the place to find veterans of the Confederacy, it should shock no one that some veterans of the Confederacy moved away from the Southland in the post-war years. In fact, The graves of many Confederate survivors of that war can be found in almost every state in the Union, including right here in Michigan.

In 1894, the State of Michigan conducted a state census, and as a part of that effort, documented specific information regarding it's military veteran population. Efforts to obtain copies of the original 1894 documents have proven unsuccessful over the years (it is my understanding that those documents have been considered lost or missing), and the published census information that was released in 1896 does not list the names of Confederate veterans living in the state at the time the census was taken. While this is unfortunate, the published findings do contain some valuable information.

We start by reading in the summary that, as of June 1894, there were nearly 43,000 veterans of The War Between the States living in Michigan, and 148 of them were Confederate veterans. Out of that 148: 102 were natural born U.S. citizens & 46 were foreign born; 124 of them were listed as married, 12 as being widowed, 11 as single, and 1 was divorced; their ages ranged from 43 to 82, with 55.41 being the average age.

Continuing through the summary, we get to the most disappointing part... "The list contains only the names of U.S. soldiers of the civil war. Certain facts respecting Mexican soldiers, U.S. Marines, and Confederate soldiers residing in the State [on] June 1, 1894, are shown in the tables, but no lists of their names are published." Had those other groups of veterans not also been excluded, it would be easy in today's world of anti-Confederate lunacy to say that this was discrimination, but that was not the case.

Now lets move on to the tables, the first of those concerning Confederate veterans being Table 4. - The Confederate soldiers residing in the State on June 1, 1894, by ages.

 

The above table does not give us much information, but what it does is informs us of the age ranges we should be searching for in online genealogical databases. With the oldest CSA veteran living in Michigan at the time being around age 82, and the youngest being around 43, we can sort of "guess-timate" our searches of the 1900 Census, for instance, to be for men who were born between about 1810 through about 1852. While that doesn't necessarily limit the search radius much, it will help. Of course, in searching the 1900 Census for men living in the state in 1894, there is the likelihood that some of those men died off before 1900, and some may have moved away.

The next table breaks down the number of CSA veterans by county, and then other statistics.

Here you can see how many CSA veterans were living in each county, and how many per county were natural or foreign born, and the statistical breakdown of the marital status for veterans in each county. 

The question, of course, turns into, "What happened to them all?" As of this writing, I have located the graves of only 24 Confederate veterans here in our state. I have not yet verified where each of them lived in the 1900 census, but some died before that enumeration took place, and others died before the 1894 tally. It is entirely probable that many others died and were subsequently buried here prior to June 1894. Some of those who were counted in the 1894 state census may have moved away and died elsewhere, but likely not enough to account for the lack of Confederate graves found here thus far.

It is my hope that the information that I've provided here can help future research efforts in finding & documenting each Confederate veteran buried in Michigan. If anyone reading this knows of a Confederate veteran's grave in our state, we ask that you would leave the information in a comment below. It is our desire to document them all and to see that they all receive the honor that they deserve.

DEO VINDICE!

- Jonathan McCleese

Sergeant-at-Arms

Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321

Army of Tennessee

Sons of Confederate Veterans

The Unconquerable Confederate Spirit

During the Battle of the Wilderness, in May of 1864, Gen. Lee assumed that U.S. Grant's next move would be to occupy the best strategic ground at Spottsylvania Court House, so he tasked Gen. Richard H. Anderson with getting there first. With some cavalry assistance, Gen. Anderson and his corps executed an all-night forced march on May 7th, and he barely had time to get his artillery & infantry established before the assault came from Grant's Federal troops.

Two of the participants from that battle, Major Robert A. Stiles (an artillery officer) & Pvt. William M. Dame (1st Company, Richmond Howitzers), wrote books about their respective experiences in the service, and both recalled in particular about one young artilleryman who's words & actions would remain with them the rest of their days.

Maj. Stiles recalls...

"There was a tall, black haired, pale faced boy in the company named Cary Eggleston. He was No. 1 at the third gun; said to be the best No. 1 man in the battery, and ... known to be a fellow of most gallant spirit. He was one of that small class of men who really loved a fight for it's own sake. He was not yet fully developed, and ordinarily appeared rather gangling and loose-jointed, but it required only the thrill of action to inspire him and make his movements as graceful as they were powerful and effective."

Pvt. Dame remembered Eggleston the exact same way...

"[Cary was] always bright, full of fun in camp, and on the march, he was at the gun in action, the best No. 1' I ever saw. One of the few men I ever knew who really seemed to enjoy a fight."

Though Stiles and Dame both tell what happened next, Dame was likely a witness from the start...

Pvt. Dame - "Cary ... had his arm shattered, and almost cut away from his body, by a fragment of shell. He quietly handed his rammer to John Ayres, who that instant came up to the gun, and said, 'Here Johnny, you take it and go ahead!' Then, gripping his arm with his other hand, partly to stop the fast flowing blood, he turned to his comrades, and said in his jocular way, 'Boys, I can never handle a spongestaff any more. I reckon I'll have to go to teaching school.' Then he stood a while, looking at the men working the gun. They urged him to go to the rear; he would not for a while. When he consented to go, they wanted to send a man with him, but he refused, and walked off by himself."

Maj. Stiles - "I had been with another of the batteries in the battalion, and hearing the rapid firing around the howitzer position, was galloping down there, when I saw Eggleston walking out. He had his unwounded side toward me, and I called to him to know where and why he was going. He answered by turning his other side and holding up the stump, from which his shattered arm hung by a ragged shirt sleeve, and torn tendon, and then he shook the clenched fist of his sound arm toward the Federal lines, shouting to me that he would soon be back to fight them with that."

Pvt. Dame - "As [Cary] passed back, an infantry officer, seeing what an awful wound he had, and the streaming blood, insisted that one of the men should go and help him to the hospital. 'No,' he said; 'I'm all right, and you haven't got any men to spare from here.' So, holding his own arm, and compressing the artery with his thumb, he got to the hospital.

"His arm was amputated, and a few days after, as the battery passed through Spottsylvania Court House, we went by the Court House building, used as a hospital, where he lay on the floor, and bade him 'goodbye.' He was just as cheerful and bright as ever, and full of eager interest in all that was going on. [Eggleston] said since he had time to think about it, he believed he could handle a sponge-staff with one hand; was going to practice it soon as he could get up, and would be back at his post before long.

"The next day, the brave young fellow died. The 'Howitzers' will always remember him tenderly. No braver, cooler warrior ever lived! ... His bearing, when he was wounded, was simply heroic. No wounded knight ever passed off his last battlefield in nobler sort. All honor to his memory!" 

John Cary Eggleston was a Private in the 1st Company, Richmond Howitzers (also known as Anderson's Virginia Light Artillery Company). He was only about 18 years old when he enlisted to serve at Richmond in 1861. Official records list him as having died on May 27 from his wounds. Pvt. Eggleston is buried at the Spotsylvania Confederate Cemetery. [You can pay your respects to Pvt. Eggleston online by clicking HERE to visit his Find-A-Grave memorial page.]

Past SCV Historian-in-Chief, James W. Thompson, once wrote that "it was men like Cary Eggleston who made of the Confederate soldier a figure never surpassed in the annals of military history." It is this author's opinion that Pvt. Eggleston's story is one that should suffice to answer anyone who wonders why we celebrate Confederate History Month, why we are proud to display the flag which Pvt. Eggleston served and died under, and why we must hope to have the same unconquerable spirit when in times like these - times when such a noble and honorable heritage is under constant attack.

Rest well, Pvt. Eggleston... We salute you.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321
Army of Tennessee
Sons of Confederate Veterans

An Unexpected Result of the Lincoln Assassination

150 years ago tonight, between 10:00-10:30 pm EST, John Wilkes Booth shot and fatally wounded Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C.  He would die from those wounds around 7:22 am the next morning.

The violent death of a man who caused so much unnecessary violent death & destruction in the Confederate States is not viewed as a great tragedy by many. Some, on the other hand, liken his death to that of Christ's, believing he paid the ultimate price to save our nation from a national sin.

Regardless of how you view his assassination, one consequence of that event cannot be ignored. If Abraham Lincoln had not been shot & killed, it's likely that we would not have as racially diverse of a nation that we have today. What am I talking about? If a real history lesson doesn't interest you, then you might as well stop reading now...

Despite all of the mythologizing of "The Railsplitter" as "The Great Emancipator," a factual look at history will teach you that Abraham Lincoln didn't want black people to be in this country at all, as slaves or free people, and certainly not as citizens. If Lincoln would have had his way, all blacks would have been shipped off after the war. Don't believe me?

Lincoln himself was, as most white people were at the time, a racist. In the fourth of his historic debates with Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois senate race, Lincoln said the following in regards to racial equality:

"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." 

Though he realized in 1858 that it would be impractical, Lincoln desired freeing the slaves and colonizing them outside of the United States, in either Liberia, Haiti, Central America or Africa (pretty much anywhere but the U.S.). He met with a group of black men at the White House on April 14, 1862 to discuss and encourage them to support this very matter! In December of 1862, he delivered his second annual message to Congress (what is now known as the State of the Union address), and in it he proposed three new amendments to the Constitution, one of which (if adopted) would have given Congress authority to "appropriate money and otherwise provide for colonizing free colored persons with their own consent at any place or places without the United States." Lincoln never gave up completely on the idea of colonization. In early 1865, while discussing with Union general (and good friend of Lincoln) Benjamin Butler about what to do with black soldiers after the war, Lincoln expressed, "I believe that it would be better to export them all to some fertile country with a good climate, which they could have to themselves."

Lincoln's (and the Radical Republicans') opposition to the westward expansion of slavery also was not born out of good will toward blacks. They wanted blacks to not be mixed with the white man at all! Take the words of Lincoln himself as proof...

"There is a natural disgust in the minds of nearly all white people to the idea of indiscriminate amalgamation of the white and black races ... A separation of the races is the only perfect preventive of amalgamation, but as an immediate separation is impossible, the next best thing is to keep them apart where they are not already together. If white and black people never get together in Kansas, they will never mix blood in Kansas..."
 
These are all very inconvenient truths for those who would push the myth of "Lincoln the Great Emancipator." The Emancipation Proclamation itself was merely a war measure, designed to insight a mass uprising of slaves to seek freedom and then force them (enslave them) into the Union ranks to fight for that freedom. Though Lincoln held the opinion that the seceded states were not actually separated from the Union, he could only hold that opinion as long as he could militarily oppress the south into submission (which is hardly a government of, for, and by the people when it's held together by the sharp end of a bayonet). In reality, Lincoln's Emancipation freed no slaves, as it was limited to the slaves in states outside of his control. Meanwhile, to the slaves in the states where he did have control (Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri and in certain areas of the Confederacy that were firmly held by Union military force) he did not extend the effects of Emancipation. In the two years of war prior to the Emancipation, Lincoln even fired two generals who had freed the slaves in their areas of operation!  

Of course, many will never accept such a fact based view, and will cling tightly to the mythological Lincoln they most likely learned about in school. Without a doubt, Lincoln was a masterful politician, and he celebrated his ability to manipulate the thinking of others. In regard to the extent he would go in order to preserve the flow of Southern cash into the federal coffers, Lincoln once told a newspaper editor that "I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views." Unfortunately he continues to manipulate the masses today through those who worship him and bolster his myth, but we here in the Sons of Confederate Veterans are committed to an honest look at the facts, and we honor the service of all honorable Confederate veteran, regardless of race or skin color. 

An honest look at these undeniable facts makes it reasonable to assume that if not for a bullet to the head of Abe Lincoln, there would have been no 14th or 15th Amendments in their current form, maybe even no 13th Amendment to free the slaves, and there almost certainly wouldn't be any black people in the United States today. Unlike Lincoln toward the black Union soldiers, white Confederate veterans were grateful to the brave blacks Confederates who fought along side them in the struggle against federal tyranny, and they both were proud of their service to that cause.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Appomattox (April 9-10, 1865)

9 April 1865

One of the saddest dates in American history...

On that Palm Sunday, Gen. Robert E. Lee (CSA) surrendered the Confederacy's Army of Northern Virginia to the Union Army & Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. While the war's end would not officially be declared for another month, and fighting in certain parts of the country would continue for even longer, this was 'the beginning of the end' of America's 'War Between the States.'

Much has been written about Lee and his decision to finally stop the fighting. Though some have erroneously charged him as a coward, the ultimate motivation behind his surrender was compassion. In November of 1865, only about 7 months removed from the events at Appomattox, Lee granted an audience to an Englishman, Herbert Saunders. Though Lee wished to never have any private conversations or correspondence to become public, Saunders later did write his account of the conversation. Regarding the surrender, Saunders writes: 

"[Lee] spoke of the final surrender as inevitable owing to the superiority in numbers of the enemy. His own army had, during the last few weeks, suffered materially from defection in its ranks, and, discouraged by failures and worn out by hardships, had at the time of the surrender only 7,892 men under arms, and this little army was almost surrounded by one of 100,000. They might ... have cut their way out as they had done before, but, looking upon the struggle as hopeless, I was not surprised to hear him say that he thought it cruel to prolong it. ... [T]he mere disparity of numbers was not sufficient to convince him of the necessity of surrender; but feeling that his own army was persuaded of the ultimate hopelessness of the contest as evidenced by their defection, he took the course of surrendering his army in lieu of reserving it for utter annihilation."

Lee had once said "I would rather die a thousand deaths than surrender," but decided he would rather surrender than to have one more of his brave boys in gray starve to death, freeze to death, die from illness, or suffer fatal wounds on the battlefield in a conflict with no perceivable hope of ultimate victory. Yes, the surrender was an act of compassion from a General who knew the devastating effects war was having on families, loved ones, farms and communities, on every aspect of life in his beloved Southland, and how terribly cruel it would be to carry on for nothing more than spite.

The day after the surrender, around 9-o'clock in the morning, Lee met again with Grant, this time on a knoll overlooking both the Union & Confederate Lines. The conversation between the two formerly-opposed military leaders was private, so no transcription was made, but later that night Grant told some of his subordinate officers what was said. One of those was  Horace Porter (Brevet Brigadier General, U.S.A.), who wrote the following:

"Grant began [the conversation with Lee] by expressing a hope that the war would soon be over, and Lee replied by stating that he had for some time been anxious to stop the further effusion of blood, and he trusted that everything would now be done to restore harmony and conciliate the people of the South. He said the emancipation of the Negroes would be no hindrance to the restoring of relations between the two sections of the country, as it would probably not be the desire of the majority of the Southern people to restore slavery then, even if the question were left open to them."

"After the conversation had lasted a little more than half an hour ... the conference ended. The two commanders lifted their hats and said good-bye. Lee rode back to his camp to take a final farewell of his army..."

It was shortly after this that he issued his famous 'General Order No. 9.' Though so familiar to so many of us, I would be remiss to not include it's text. The General said the following:

"After four years of arduous service marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. I need not tell the survivors of so many hard fought battles, who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to the result from no distrust of them. But feeling that valour and devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the loss that must have attended the continuance of the contest, I have determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of the agreement, officers and men can return to their homes and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his blessing and protection. With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your Country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration for myself, I bid you an affectionate farewell."

Sadly, Lee's hopes were not to become realized. The compassion for his people that drove him to surrender was not emulated by those in the north & the federal gov't who were out to punish the Southern people. Had Lee known in 1865-66 what he knew at the end of his life, that being the horrors of tyranny & military occupation suffered by the South during Reconstruction and afterward,  this article may have been written much differently.

In August of 1870... five years after The War Between the States had ended, in the fifth year of military occupation in the Southern States, and just a couple of months before his death... General Robert E. Lee said the following words to Fletcher Stockdale, former Governor of Texas:

"If I had foreseen the use those people (Yankees) designed to make of their victory, there would have been no surrender at Appomattox Courthouse; no, sir, not by me. Had I foreseen these results of subjugation, I would have preferred to die at Appomattox with my brave men, my sword in this right hand."

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321
Army of Tennessee
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