Eyewitness Account of a Confederate Train Wreck

This monument at Fort Hill Cemetery, Cleveland, Tennessee, memorializes the 17 Confederate soldiers of the 33rd Alabama Volunteers, CSA, who died November 4, 1862, in a train wreck south of Cleveland, en route to Chattanooga, during the War Between the States.  In addition to the 17 dead, another 67 soldiers were injured in the accident.


The monument, listing the names of each of the 17 soldiers, was dedicated November 4, 1989, 127 years after the accident. It stands beside another, much older monument which marks the mass grave of 270 unknown Confederate soldiers.

At the time of the accident, the Alabama 33rd had just fought a battle in Kentucky and were on their way to Chattanooga.  There was no time for burials and the ded were laid in hastily dug graves beside the railroad tracks.  The marker for those graves was long since lost so the exact location is known only to God. 

A fascinating eyewitness account of the train wreck was written by a survivor, Pvt. Marvin L. Wheeler, Company A, 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. Pvt. Wheeler enlisted July 1862 at Stevenson, Alabama. He was wounded at Chickamauga. The following is taken from Pvt. Wheeler's memoirs:

"It was then the ladder part of October and first of November. Climatic conditions caused Knoxville to be the smokest place we were at, the smok from our green oak wood fires did not rise but settled and remained in a heavy black bank just above the earth and kept our eyes running water nearly all the time that we were not laying down, it being less dense just next to the earth, and we wer glad to leave there one morning early in November in box cars, a company in a car, with three days cooked rations of flour bread, fresh beef and bacon.

"The engines could pull but ten loaded box cars, say twenty four to thirty six feet long. The 33rd moved in the cars, that time by the left flank, the regimental staff officers or those who were along at the time and part of the baggage, the cooking utensils, axes and medicine chest, occupying the rear or tenth box and this time it fell to the lot of Company D, thought its place was not on the extreem right of the battalion, to occupy a box in the second section or train to our rear, the engine of which train frequently pushed our train up the grains when we stalled, as it did up the grade two or three miles south of Cleveland. And while running fast down grade our trained was wrecked about one or two p.m. the day we left Knoxville, south of Cleveland, killing nine or ten of Company G, one or two of Company E and of Company F and of Company H. Seventeen in all, whom we buried the next morning in a long ditch we dug on the southeast side of the railroad track, and built a worn rail fence around them. We pad put sixty seven crippled ones in box cars and sent them back to the hospital at Cleveland the evening of the wreck, soon after getting them out of it.

"Company B was in the box car next to the tender which was heaping full of split wood and it was supposed that a stick of wood dropped off the tender breaking the front axle under our car. At any rate all the wheels suddenling came out from under our car, causing a dreadful jar and clogged under the second car, which Company G Cooper's Co. from Daleville were in. Many were riding on top of the cars as was usual when moving by rail, and were shuck off like shaking peaches off a tree and badly jolted when they hit the ground.

"The coupling Company B's and Company G's boxes parted and the primitive engine carried Company B's box bouncing along without any wheels under it for two or three hundred yards, and it was the roughest riding we ever experienced. Those of Company B in the front end of the box got out at the doors on either side, some of the alighting on their heads.

"The company guns, accountrements, knapsacks and things soon all worked back to the rear end of the box in bouncing along would strike the rails it would us men and things a foot or more from the floor then when the floor would come in contact with us some would be beneath the pile and get bruised and mashed and were all banged up and badly frightened when the old fashioned engine stopped and after gettin out and find we had no broken bones we hurried back to where the cars were piled up in and on top of each other and assisted while men pried up or chopped to pieces the boxes in getting the crippled or dead out.

"We were delayed about twenty four hours, then we rode in a coal car to Chattanooga where we drew crackers and bacon."

Myra Inman, a local Cleveland woman whose Civil War diary has been published, made this entry on the day of the train wreck:

"Wednesday, 5: cloudy day, rained a little this morning. A gloom was spread over our town this morn. Caused by a sad accident which occurred 16 miles from here. The cable of a car broke, which caused 18 men to lose their lives, while 70 were wounded. There brought to the hospitals."

Fort Hill Cemetery, Cleveland, Tennessee
Left: Monument in memory of the 17 dead from the Alabama 33rd Volunteers train wreck.
Right:  Mass Grave Marker for 270 unknown Confederate dead.

Photos by J. Stephen Conn - click on image to enlarge

Honoring the Women of the Confederacy

Monument to the Women of the Confederacy, Camden, Arkansas

Standing prominently in front of the Ouachita County Courthouse, Camden, Arkansas, is this Unusual monument which gives much deserved homage to "Our Confederate Women."  The eloquent inscription on one side reads: 

TO THE CONFEDERATE WOMEN
WHOSE PIOUS MINISTRATION
TO OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS,
SOOTHED THE LAST HOURS OF THOSE
WHO DIED FAR FROM THE OBJECT
OF THEIR TENDEREST LOVE;
WHOSE DOMESTIC LABORS
CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO SUPPLY
THE WANTS OF OUR DEFENDERS
IN THE FIELD; WHOSE ZEALOUS
FAITH IN OUR CAUSE SHONE
A GUIDING STAR UNDIMMED
BY THE DARKEST CLOUDS OF WAR;
WHOSE FORTITUDE SUSTAINED
THEM UNDER ALL THE PRIVATIONS
TO WHICH THEY WERE SUBJECTED;
AND WHOSE PATRIOTISM
WILL TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TO
EMULATE THE DEEDS OF THEIR SIRES.

On the other side of the monument are these words:  

THEIR INSPIRATION TRANSFORMED

THE GLOOM OF DEFEAT INTO THE

HOPE OF THE FUTURE AND THEIR
MEMORY SHALL NOT BE FORGOTTEN
EVEN IN THE HOURS OF PEACE. 

A third inscription states that the monument was erected by the veterans of the Hugh McCollum Camp 778, aided by the Grinstead Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Ouachita County, Camden, Arkansas in 1914.

A similar but much more ornate monument to the Women of the Confederacy stands on the grounds of the Arkansas state capitol in Little Rock. 

 

Confederate Monument and Flag grace De Leon Plaza, Victoria, Texas

Victoria County Confederate Monument

The beautiful city of Victoria, Texas, is home to an impressive and distinctive Confederate Monument. 

Noted sculptor Pompeo Coppini reached an agreement with the local William P. Rogers chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. If they would let him design the statue - it would be a more fitting tribute to the men who fought for Southern Independence than any other Confederate statue in the state. They agreed and Coppini made this piece - the only one of its kind.   

This unique work of art stands in De Leon Plaza, in the heart of Victoria, across from the Victoria County Court House.  It was dedicated on  June 3, 1912.

The inscription on the monument bears the sentiments of the people of Victoria for the brave Confederate soldiers who defended their homeland from Union aggressors during the War for Southern Independence. It reads:

ON CIVILIZATION'S HEIGHT
IMMUTABLE THEY STAND

Six Flags Memorial in De Leon Plaza, Victoria, Texas

Also in DeLeon Plaza, the Six Flags Monument displays the flags of the six different sovereign nations which have flown over the land that is today known as Texas. Victoria County is the only county in Texas where all six flags flew.  They are (left to right) United States, Confederate States of America, Texas, Mexico, Spain and France.  The three large granite plaques below the flags state that the monument is dedicated to the "Explorers, Founders and Colonists of Victoria."

During the War Between the States, Victoria was on one branch of the "Cotton Road" which went from Alleyton (Colorado County) to Brownsville. The road was a major lifeline for the South - trading cotton for arms and medicine through neutral Mexico. The town was threatened with a hostile Yankee invasion in 1863 and so the railroad from Port Lavaca was destroyed. Camp Henry E. McCulloch trained Infantry and Cavalry companies for Confederate service.

Holmes County Confederate Monument, Lexington, Mississippi

The Holmes County Confederate Monument was unveiled on the west lawn of the county courthouse in Lexington, Mississippi on December 2, 1908.  Thousands of local citizens gathered for an elaborate ceremony which included a parade, music, and speeches by various dignitaries, including an address by Judge Sydney McCain Smith, a Lexingtonian, who later was appointed Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court.

The sentiments of the people of Holmes County are eloquently expressed in the inscriptions on this monument which stands as a silent witness to the Confederate States of America.

C.S.A.

THEIR DEEDS, PROUD DEEDS.

SHALL REMAIN FOR US

THEIR NAMES, DEAR NAMES,

WITHOUT STAIN FOR US,

THE GLORIES THEY WON,

SHALL NOT WANE FOR US

IN LEGEND AND LAY,

OUR HEROES IN GRAY,

SHALL FOREVER LIVE,

OVER AGAIN FOR US.

C.S.A.

TO THE HOLMES COUNTY

SOLDIERS OF 1861 - 1865

AND MEMBERS OF HOLMES

COUNTY CAMP No. 396 U.C.V.

IN MEMORY OF THEIR

PARTIOTISM AND HEROISM

AND TO COMMEND THEIR

EXAMPLE TO FUTURE

GENERATIONS.

1908

C.S.A.

THE MEN WERE RIGHT
WHO WORE THE GRAY
AND RIGHT CAN
NEVER DIE

C.S.A.

HONOR TO HEROES,
IS GLORY TO GOD.

Bowling Green - The Confederate Capitol of Kentucky

This stone monument in Fountain Square Park, downtown Blowing Green, Kentucky, recognizes Bowling Green as the Confederate Capitol of Kentucky.  The inscription reads:

BOWLING GREEN

THE CONFEDERATE CAPITOL OF KENTUCKY

A newly constituted state of Kentucky,

having been conceived in sovereignty convention

November 18-20, 1861, at Russellville,

established Bowling Green as its capitol.

The commissioners to the Confederate Congress

in Richmond were William Preston, Louisville,

William E. Simms, Bourbon, and William C. Burnett, Trigg.

On December 10, 1861, the state of Kentucky was

admitted into the Confederacy by act of the

Confederate Congress.  Section I, "The Congress of

the Confederate States of America do enact that

the state of Kentucky be, and is hereby admitted a

member of the Confederate States of America

on an equal footing of the other states of this

Confederacy."  Kentuckians sympathetic with the 

cause of states rights, found a state and a country

which they could call their own.  

The Kentucky senators and representatives were: 

Senators

Hon. Henry C. Burnett

Hon. William E. Simms

Hon. Thomas B. Monroe

House of Representatives

Hon. Benjamin F. Bradley

Hon. H. W. Bruce

Hon. R. J. Breckinridge, Jr.

Hon. Ely M. Bruce

Hon. Willis B. Machen

Hon. James C. Chrisman

Hon. John W. Crockett

Hon. John M. Elliott

Hon. George W. Ewing

Hon. George B. Hodge

Hon. James W. Moore

Hon. Henry E. Read

Hon. George W. Triplett

Hon. Theodore L. Burnett

The monument was erected by the Kentucky Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy on December 10, 1949.

Kentucky's Confederate Capitol Building was at 1320 Park Street.  The hilltop building is still standing, and is known today as the Grider House, a private residence.  Provisional government meetings took place in this antebellum home which also served as the residence of the Confederate Governor.  A garrison of soldiers was stationed there to protect the capitol.  Around the house were unusual earthworks called a “lunette fort with embankments” and three mounted cannon.

In early 1962, invading Union troops arrived and began to bombard Bowling Green from across the Barren River, forcing the Confederates to evacuate the city.  By mid-February 1862, Bowling Green fell into Union hands.  The occupying Yankee aggressors controlled Bowling Green for the remainder of the War Between the States. 

Bowling Green produced its share of heroes during the War for Southern Independence.  This historical marker, in front of the Warren County Courthouse in Bowling Green, honors the gallant local men who were awaraded the Confederate Medal of Honour by President Jefferson Davis. 

Photos by J. Stephen Conn

Jones County Confederate Memorial, Trenton, North Carolina

This simple three foot marble memorial in Trenton, North Carolina, honors the brave men of Jones County who were killed by an invading Union army during the War for Southern Independence, 1861 - 1865.

The Confederates fought against overwhelming odds and ultimately gave their lives in defense of their homeland.  Resisting an out of countrol centralized empire, they were champions for self determination, local government, and the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

The monument stands in front of the Jones County Courthouse, located on South Market Street at East Jones Street in Trenton, North Carolina.  The inscription reads:

1861   IN MEMORIAM   1865

TO OUR BELOVED CONFEDERATE

DEAD OF JONES COUNTY

---

Presented by

The Trenton Chapter of

United Daughters of the Confederacy

Jones County Courthouse, Trenton, North Carolina

Photos by J. Stephen Conn

Killing and Plundering in Port Gibson, Mississippi

Directly across from the Claiborne County Courthouse, Port Gibson, Mississippi, is this very imposing Confederate Monument. It honors the soldiers from Claiborne County who fought to defend their homeland against Northern invaders during the War Between the States. The monument was dedicated Oct. 26, 1907 in a fitting ceremony led by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.


Claiborne County was the scene of two important battles of the War. The Battle of Grand Gulf, April 29, 1863, on the banks of the Mississippi River, was counted as a Confederate victory although it allowed Union General U.S. Grant to move his troops past the fortifications and land them at Bruinsburg. This helped set the stage for the infamous Siege of Vicksburg and the opening of the Mississippi for the invading Yankees. The former town of Grand Gulf is now Grand Gulf Military Park with a museum, historic buildings, hiking trails and an observation tower with an outstanding view of the Mississippi River.

The Battle of Port Gibson was started by Northern aggressors near the A. K. Shaifer house, May 1, 1863. A Union victory, the battle resulted in 1,648 casualties, all of them American - 861 Union, 787 Confederate.   Three of my great uncles, two from Alabama and one from Georgia, were among the Confederate soldiers who survived the battle.  All three were later captured in Vicksburg.  They were the lucky ones.  Others of my kin had already been killed in Mr. Lincoln's War.

A portion of the Port Gibson battlefield is now preserved within the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Below is an eye-witness account of the aftermath of the Battle of Port Gibson, written by two Union Soldiers:

“Early next morning, May 2d, we advanced with a strong skirmish-line in front, and entered Port Gibson at 9 A. M., where we found the public and private buildings crowded with rebel wounded. The Regiment stacked arms on the side-walk, under the shade-trees. The enemy had retreated over the south fork of Piere River, destroying the bridge after them. The following morning we crossed the river on a pontoon bridge, marched all day, and crossed the north fork at Grindstone Ford in the evening, and camped near the stream.

"The provisions that we started with had lasted up to this time, but we had cut loose from our base, which prevented us from getting another supply. Orders were therefore issued to subsist on the products of the country through which we marched; and from that time forward until the siege of Vicksburg, foraging parties, or perhaps better known as "bummers," were sent out daily, to procure all the provisions and forage that was required for the army. They left camp every morning, in advance of the infantry, and a curious sight they were to behold, as they galloped by at full speed, mounted on such "critters" as they could gather up on their expeditions. They were dressed in such clothes as suited their fancy - the Union blue, the rebel gray and butternut, with a considerable number in citizens' attire.

“They were a jolly, mischievous set, eager and ready for any adventure. No sooner were they beyond the lines than they began their work. They slaughtered the pigs in the pens; the cattle and horses were driven from the fields; smokehouses and cellars were ransacked for flour, meal and bacon; the chickens and turkeys were captured in the yard; the mules were hitched to the family carriage, and the provisions stowed away in it, when it was driven to the next plantation, where the same ceremony was repeated. Toward evening the foragers returned to camp, driving the cattle before them, followed by a long line of vehicles of every description, loaded with all kinds of provisions, which was equally distributed among the different regiments.”

--Maj. John A. Bering & Capt. Thomas Montgomery, 1880, in History of the Forty-eighth Ohio Vet. Vol. Inf.

The invaders saw themselves as "... a jolly, mischievous set, eager and ready for any adventure.” In truth, they were a brutal force of murderers, marauders and plunderers. When the Yankees arrived at Port Gibson they found a beautiful, prosperous and peaceful town. Two days later they went on their "jolly" way, the Yanks left behind hundreds of dead and wounded. The innocent, civilian surviviors – including old men, women and children, both black and white – were left destitute and hungry.

Port Gibson, the third oldest town in Mississippi, is still a lovely place. However, in many ways it has never fully recovered from the devastation of the War to Prevent Southern Independence.

1845 Claiborne County Courthouse, Port Gibson, Mississippi

Photos and Story by J. Stephen Conn

A Confederate Monument in Indian Territory

While on a recent western road trip I was very interested to find this Confederate Monument in Purcell, McClain County, Oklahoma.  What makes this monument interesting is the fact that Oklahoma was not a state at the time of the War for Southern Independence.  It was Indian Territory; and Purcell was a town of the Chickasaw Nation. 

The Chickasaw Nation became the first of the Five Civilized Tribes to be allies of the Confederate States of America when the Chickasaw Legislature passed a resolution signed by Governor Cyrus Harris on May 25, 1861.  One of the main quarrels the Chickasaw Nation had with the Union was economic.  There was evidence that the federal government had mishandled the nation's funds. Also, the federals did not always honor their treaty obligations and there was the lingering resentment of being forcefully removed from their traditional homeland on the infamous Trail of Tears.

With the Treaty of 1866, the Chickasaws, along with the Choctaws, were the last Confederate community to surrender following the War Between the States.  In spite of many decades of mistreatment by the United States government, the only time in history that the Chickasaws ever made war against an English speaking people was in defending themselves against the Yankee invasion during the War  of 1861-1865.

This Confederate Monument, one of several in Oklahoma, was erected by members of the Mrs. Stonewall Jackson Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy of Purcell, Indian Territory, in December 1906.  The center stone of the monument reads:  "To the Memory of those who fought and those who fell in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865."

The lower stone of the monument bears this inscription:

But their memories e're shall remain for us,

And their names, bright names, without stain for us,

The glory they won shall not wane for us,

In legend and lay our heroes in gray,

Shall forever live over again for us.

Neshoba County Confederate Monument, Philadelphia, Mississippi

The Confederate Monument which stands in front of the Neshoba County Court House, Philadelphia, Mississippi, was constructed by funds raised by public subscription.  It was dedicated in July, 1912, to the memory of the citizens of Neshoba County who fought to defend their homeland from invading Northern forces during the War Between the States, 1861 - 1865.

The statue of a Confederate soldier atop the monument was damaged by a windstorm in 1990, and was restored by the people of Neshoba County in 2006. 

The front inscription of the monument reads:

1861-1865

Love's tribute to the

Noble men who marched

'Neath the flag of the

Stars and Bars, and were

Faithful to the end.
C.S.A.

Our Heroes.
Erected by the

Daughters of the

Confederacy

A plaque in front of the monument, pictured below, lists the units under which the men of Neshoba County fought.

Eighteen Black Confederates to be Honored in Pulaski, Tennessee

A marker dedication for 18 black Confederates at Maplewood Cemetery is scheduled next weekend in Pulaski.

Members of the Gen. John C. Brown Camp #112, Sons of Confederate Veterans, raised money to buy markers. They needed $2,500 and have raised most of it.

Officials at Maplewood Cemetery offered a plot for the markers — a section with unmarked graves that would not be used for burials. It is at the start of the cemetery’s black section where five of the 18 men are buried.

A tribute will be read to each man at the dedication service. Cathy Wood with the Daughters of the Confederacy, has collected death certificates, obituaries and whatever else she could find along with the pension records. Little is known about some of them, but descendants of four have been found.

The flat granite markers will give each man’s name, date of birth, unit and where he is buried. Wood would like to enclose the plot with a wrought iron fence to call attention to the memorial markers.

The November 8th service will be a traditional UDC ritual, like a military funeral. The ceremony will be open to the public.

To see the story on the WKSR website go here:  http://www.wksr.com/wksr.php?rfc=src/article.html&id=22400

Walker County Confederate Monument, Jasper, Alabama

In towns and cities throughout the southern United States one will find monuments to the Confederate States of America, usually in the most prominent spot in the county, like this one which stands in front of the Walker County Courthouse, Jasper, Alabama. It was erected in 1907 as a community project spearheaded by the Jasper Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

This monument bears a likeness of a cavalry soldier on the left hand side and another likeness of an infantry soldier on the right, depicting the type of companies and regiments that were recruited in Walker County in the War for Southern Independence. A third likeness of a Confederate soldier stands atop the monument.

The inscription on the front of the monument reflects the sentiments of the community:

FURL THAT BANNER!

TRUE TIS' GORY,

YET' TIS WREATHED AROUND WITH GLORY,

AND' TWILL LIVE IN SONG AND STORY,

THOUGH ITS FOLDS ARE IN THE DUST.

On the left side of monument the inscription reads:

THEIR SHIVERED SWORDS ARE RED WITH RUST,

THEIR PLUMED HEADS ARE BOWED,

THEIR HAUGHTY BANNER TRAILED IN DUST,

IS NOW THEIR MARTIAL SHROUD

And on the right side:

IN MEMORY OF

OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS,

WHO WORE THE GRAY,

THEY FOUGHT FOR YOU AND ME

Chiseled in stone on the back of the monument is the seal of the sovereign state of Alabama, along with this quatrain:

HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE WHO SINK TO REST,

BY ALL THEIR COUNTRY'S WISHES BLEST

A wreath which depicts the Confederate Battle Flag was lying at the front base of the monument on the day I took these photos. It is a sign that the "Lost Cause" of the Confederacy has not been forgotten by the good people of Alabama.

Mile Zero, Jefferson Davis Highway

This milestone, marking the beginning of the Jefferson Davis Highway, sits on the Christian/Todd County line in the village of Fairview, Kentucky. It is in the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site, Jefferson Davis' birthplace. The monument reads:

ZERO MILESTONE
JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGHWAY
FAIRVIEW KY. - BILOXI, MISS.

Erected 1930 by
United Daughters of the Confederacy

JEFFERSON DAVIS

Born June 3, 1808
In Christian, now Todd Co., KY
Died December 6, 1889
In New Orleans, LA.
Graduated West Point, 1828
Served in Indian Wars, Mexican War
Hero of Buena Vista and Monterey
Secretary of War 1858
United States Senator from
Mississippi 1857

PRESIDENT OF THE
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA
1861 - 1865

Patriot, Soldier, Statesman, Christian

-

The Jefferson Davis Highway was first conceived in 1913, one year after the Lincoln Highway was proposed. It was a coast-to-coast road through the Southern capitals and beyond. Monuments and markers may still be seen along many parts of the highway. The Fairview route is actually just one of several extensions of the Jefferson Davis Highway, running from Fairview, Kentucky south to Biloxi, Mississippi. The historical marker pictured below stands along side of the Jefferson Davis Highway at the entrance to the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site.

-

Photos by J. Stephen Conn

Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause - James Ryder Randall

This statue to James Ryder Randall stands on beautiful tree lined Greene Street in Augusta, Georgia.

The front inscription reads:

JAMES RYDER RANDALL
1839 - 1908

Better the fire upon thee roll,
Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,
Than crucifixion of the soul,
Maryland, my Maryland

Back inscription:

Erected by the
Randall Memorial Committee
of Chapter "A"
United Daughters of the Confederacy
Augusta Georgia
May 28, 1936

John Ryder Randall, a 22-year-old journalist and poet from Baltimore, Maryland, was educated at Georgetown University and had just accepted the position of Chair of English Literature at Poydras College , Pointe-Coupee, Louisiana, then a flourishing Creole institution. At the outbreak of the War Between the States, when Randall heard of the attack by Union troops in Baltimore on April 21, 1861 it disturbed him greatly. A friend and classmate of his had been killed in the conflict. Randall’s Southern sympathies were so aroused by the incident that he sat up late into the night, penning a poem by candlelight. The poem was first published in the New Orleans Sunday Delta just five days later.

Soon the poem made its way back to Baltimore. Miss Jennie Cary added “My Maryland” to each stanza and the song began to be sung to the familiar tune of "Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum," or “O Christmas Tree.” It became a war hymn of the Confederacy and was very popular throughout the time of War Between the States and beyond. Since 1939 it has been the official state song of Maryland.

-

The words of Randall's poem illustrate that his first love and loyalty was to his native country - Maryland. Many, if not most, citizens of the United States at that time considered their first allegiance to their sovereign state, which was united to the other states only by a voluntary and limited union.

Randall came to be called the “Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause." After the war, he served as a journalist with several different newspapers, his last position being a correspondent and editor for the Augusta Chronicle, Georgia’s oldest newspaper. I feel a certain kinship with James Ryder Randall because for more than ten years I also wrote a regular editorial page column for the the Augusta Chronicle. Randall died in Augusta on January 15, 1908.

-

You can see the entire poem and hear the music at this link: http://www.mdkidspage.org/StateSong.htm

-

Photo and Article by J. Stephen Conn

Robert E. Lee Monument on Ohio's Dixie Highway

This monument on Dixie Highway, Franklin, Ohio, is said to be the only monument to Confederate General Robert E. Lee north of the Ohio River.

The huge stone and bronze plaque is on the south side of Franklin at the crest of Cemetery Hill, at the intersection of the Old Dixie Highway and Hamilton-Middletown Road.

The monument honors the Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Army during the War Between the States. A Franklin businessman, Barry Brown, was instrumental in establishing this memorial to General Lee in 1927. Brown's family was from the South and he was proud of the fact that Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks, the parents of Abraham Lincoln, were married in a cabin owned by his mother's family.

Barry Brown had deep respect for General Lee, as did many others in the North. Lee was known as a "Gentleman's Gentleman" and did much to heal the wounds left after the Union's invasion of the Confederate States of America during the War for Southern Independence.

The plate on front of the monument has an etching of General Lee on his horse, Traveller. The inscription reads:

Erected and Dedicated by the

United Daughters of the Confederacy

and Friends

In Loving Memory of Robert E. Lee

and to Mark the Route of the

Dixie Highway

"The shaft memorial and highway straight attest his worth -- he cometh to his own."--Littlefield.

-

-

Photo and Article by J. Stephen Conn

Robert E. Lee's 202nd Birthday

January 19th, 2009, marks the 202nd birthday of one of American's greatest and most beloved leaders, General Robert E. Lee. Throughtout the United States, and especially in the South, many schools, churches, museums and groups such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, will mark the day with special events. Robert E. Lee's birthday has been celebrated publicly since the 1860s, when he was commander of the Confederate armed forces in the War for Southern Independence. To this day, his birthday is a legal holiday in several Southern states.

Regrettably, many young people today know little about this American hero who was one of the truest Christian gentlemen the world has known.
Here are just a few of the things that others have said of him:

President Theodore Roosevelt described General Robert E. Lee as "the very greatest of all the great captains that the English-speaking peoples have brought forth."

Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote of Lee: "His noble presence and gentle, kindly manner were sustained by religious faith and an exalted character." Of his army, Churchill observed: "It was even said that their line of march could be traced by the bloodstained footprints of unshod men. But the Army of Northern Virginia 'carried the Confederacy on its bayonets' and made a struggle unsurpassed in history."

Booker T. Washington, America’s great African-American Educator, wrote in 1910: "The first white people in America, certainly the first in the South to exhibit their interest in the reaching of the Negro and saving his soul through the medium of the Sunday-school were Robert E. Lee and 'Stonewall Jackson.' ... Where Robert E. Lee and 'Stonewall’ Jackson have led in the redemption of the Negro through the Sunday-school, the rest of us can afford to follow.”

War-era Georgia Senator Ben Hill eloquently expressed a lasting Lee tribute: "He possessed every virtue of other great commanders without their vices. He was a foe without hate; a friend without treachery; a victor without oppression, and a victim without murmuring. He was a public officer without vices; a private citizen without reproach; a Christian without hypocrisy and a man without guile. He was a Caesar without his ambition; Frederick without his tyranny; Napoleon without his selfishness, and Washington without his reward. He was obedient to authority as a servant, and loyal in authority as a true king. He was gentle as a woman in life; modest and pure as a virgin in thought; watchful as a Roman vital in duty; submissive to law as Socrates, and grand in battle as Achilles!"

***

Below is a letter written by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to Leon W. Scott, dated August 9, 1960:

Dear Dr. Scott:

Respecting your August 1 inquiry calling attention to my often expressed admiration for General Robert E. Lee, I would say, first, that we need to understand that at the time of the War Between the States the issue of Secession had remained unresolved for more than 70 years. Men of probity, character, public standing and unquestioned loyalty, both North and South, had disagreed over this issue as a matter of principle from the day our Constitution was adopted.

General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our Nation. He believed unswervingly in the Constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies but ingenious, unrelenting and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his belief in God. Taken altogether, he was noble as a leader and as a man, and unsullied as I read the pages of our history.

From deep conviction I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee’s caliber would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present-day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the nation’s wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love of freedom sustained.

Such are the reasons that I proudly display the picture of this great American on my office wall.

Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Confederate Monument at the Cherokee Capitol

This monument, placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, stands directly in front of the Cherokee National Capitol building in Talahquah, Oklahoma. It is especially significant since this was Indian Territory at the time of the War Between the States.

The monument is a reminder that the Cherokee Nation was an ally to the Confederate States of America during their bid for independence from a Union which had forsaken the original principles of its founding fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Although the war was waged several decades before Oklahoma became a state, the independent-minded Cherokees felt a much stronger affinity with the Confederate ideals of libertarianism and states rights than they did to the all-powerful federal government being advocated by Abraham Lincoln. Like the Confederates, the Cherokees held dear the principles of limited government and decentralized power guaranteed by the United States Constitution, but ignored by the United States governmental leaders.

It amazes me that less than four decades after the gruesome injustice dealt the Indians in the infamous Trail of Tears, many hundreds of them would volunteer to fight - and many would die - for the Confederacy.

In truth, most Cherokees wanted little or nothing to do with the "white man's war." They would rather just be left alone. However, when the time came to choose, most Cherokees sided with the Confederates. The Cherokee Nation fielded several units of Confederate soldiers. One of those soldiers, Chief Stand Waite, rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the Confederate army.

General Waite was faithful to the "Lost Cause" to the bitter end. He became the last Confederate General to surrender to the Union on June 23, 1865. This was more than two months after Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee effectively ended the war by laying down his own sword to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 5, 1865.

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Article and Photo by J. Stephen Conn

Confederate Veteran John Wesley Colquett Honored

By Curtis Thomasson
Andalusia Star-News

ANDALUSIA, ALABAMA - A memorial service was held in honor of Confederate Veteran John Wesley Colquett on Saturday, November 15, at his grave site in the historic Bullock Community Cemetery, located adjacent to the Friendship Baptist Church in the Southern area of Crenshaw County. The Colquett family requested that the Covington Rifles Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans assist them in paying tribute to their ancestor and unveiling a grave marker designating his service.

In addition to the grave of John Wesley Colquett, there are 18 others in this cemetery for Confederate Veterans. A local citizen of the area, Louise Marler, placed Confederate Battle Flags at the graves of each of these prior to the dedication ceremony.

More than 100 descendants of John Wesley Colquett along with friends and members of Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Confederate Reenactors gathered for the historical occasion. Following a military call for attention, Curtis Thomasson, commander of the Covington Rifles who served as emcee for the program, recognized Jeanine Bozeman, great granddaughter of the veteran, to welcome those in attendance. Lex Colquett, a great great grandson voiced the invocation.

Curtis Thomasson presented opening comments expressing the pleasure of the Covington Rifles to be assisting in the program and the significance of honoring one’s Confederate ancestor and heritage through this project. He briefly described the five flags of the Confederacy, which formed the background for the ceremony and then led the group in saluting the Confederate Flag. This was followed by Rex Harrison, great great grandson, leading the group in singing “Dixie.”

William Harrison, another great great grandson, presented a brief sketch of the veteran’s life and service in the Confederate Army. Most appropriately, a great great great grandson, Jon Wesley Colquett, who was named for the ancestor, unveiled the new Confederate marker. Then two great great great great grandsons, Trey and Walt Spurlin, posted two small Confederate Battle Flags at the headstone. Angela Colquett Nelson, great great granddaughter, who coordinated the occasion, placed a memorial wreath next to the grave marker.

Bob McLendon, Commander of the SCV Camp in Troy, gave a brief report from the book which he has written on the history of the 53rd Alabama Partisan Rangers. He was wearing a uniform typical of those worn by men in the unit such as the Colquett brothers. Bob made his books available for sale during the fellowship following the ceremony.

Next, three Confederate reenactors, Bob McLendon, Dallas Hudson, and Joe Rich, fired a traditional three-gun military salute. They then furled the Confederate Battle Flag, and the program was concluded with the playing of “Taps” by Straughn High School Bandsman Erica Zigler.

Following the taking of pictures, those in attendance were invited to fellowship and refreshments in the church’s fellowship room. There were displays of family history and photos along with a guest registry book.

The honored veteran, John Wesley Colquett was born April 22, 1846, in Monticello, Pike County, Alabama. His parents were William Bethea and Mary (Miles) Colquett, natives of South Carolina who moved to Alabama during the 1830s. William Bethea Colquett was a prominent physician and citizen in the Bullock community. He had a large house on the Old Three Notch Road next door to his son, John Wesley. He was responsible for founding the Bullock School, an academy located adjacent to the Friendship Church.

As the War Between the States advanced, the rural community of Bullock became more and more affected. John Wesley Colquett along with many men responded to the call for volunteers. In November 1862, John Wesley enlisted at the age of 16 years. He was assigned to Company H, 53rd Regiment of the Alabama Partisan Rangers. He served with this unit until the end of the war in 1865.

There's more. For the full story go to: http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/news/2008/dec/06/confederate-vet-john-wesley-colquett-honored-satur/

Daughters of the Confederacy take part in Operation Shoebox in New Jersey

Somerset Reporter
http://www.nj.com/reporter/index.ssf/2008/12/daughters_of_the_confederacy_t.html

"The holidays are coming. It's a lonely time to be halfway around the world from home," explained Rhonda Florian as she stuffed candy into a care package. "We're trying to bring the soldiers some holiday cheer."

Florian is chairman of the Patriotic Activities Committee for the Isaac W.K. Handy Chapter 2658 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Chapter members participated in a recent packing event conducted by Operation Shoebox at the VFW in Manville on Nov. 15. Joining Operation Shoebox staff and other volunteers, the Isaac W.K. Handy Chapter packed up care packages for U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait.

"We're trying to give them a few of the comforts from home," Florian continued.

Each care package was stuffed with cards and letters, toiletries, snacks, and Girl Scout cookies. Christmas ornaments, stuffed animals, and other Christmas items were included in the packages also. Approximately 1,100 boxes were packed that day to send out to the troops.

"This is the second time we have volunteered for Operation Shoebox. We love knowing that we're doing something to help our troops," Florian said. In the past two months, the Isaac W.K. Handy Chapter has raised $1500 in goods and cash for Operation Shoebox.

Members have donated 49 hours of service.

Operation Shoebox is a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to U.S. troops overseas. The United Daughters of the Confederacy is also a nonprofit organization. It is the oldest patriotic organization in the United States. Its objectives are Historical, Educational, Benevolent, Memorial and Patriotic. Part of its mission is to support U.S. troops and to honor veterans of all U.S. wars. The Isaac W.K. Handy Chapter believes that sending care packages to soldiers is a good way to fulfill its mission."

I can't wait for the next packing event," Florian saidd. "We have a lot of soldiers out there in the desert. We want to do whatever we can to make their lives a little more comfortable and pleasant."

Any lady with a Southern heritage who is interested in UDC should contact Florian at floriangel1@aol.com.For more about Operation Shoebox New Jersey, visit http://www.opshoeboxnj.org/.