St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church

Sons of Confederate Veterans Army of Northern Virginia Maryland Division Camp #1398 Colonel William Norris See Inside Georgia Power Backs Down Over Confederate Flag Adjutant Activities Christmas Meeting/Dinner Some Christmas Letters 2 4 4 5 Officers 6 Sons of Confederate Veterans December 2011 St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church By Maria Martin Did you know that St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, which dates back to the Clopper Family of the early 1800 s, has a Civil War secret? Francis Cassatt Clopper of Pennsylvania loved the beautiful Maryland landscape and dreamed about buying a farm one day and living off the land. In 1812, Clopper bought the huge tract of land between Old Germantown and Gaithersburg, which we now refer to as Seneca Creek State Park. Clopper, a Protestant, and his Catholic wife, Ann Jane Byrne, relocated from Philadelphia and constructed a large 24-room residence, naming it the Woodlands because of the many giant oak trees. The Woodlands quickly became a hub of activity for Catholic families in the area, with masses often celebrated in the large ballroom. In 1834, at the request of his wife and her sister, Ellen Maher, Clopper donated a small corner of the Woodlands estate for a church and cemetery. Using bricks made on the Clopper plantation, the plan was to build the most beautiful church in Western Maryland, and by the end of 1835 a small Romanesque-style church was erected at the site. Clopper named the church St. Rose in honor of Mother Rose Landry White, a close family friend and Mother Superior at St. Joseph s Academy for Women in Emmitsburg, Md. In July 1864, Union and Confederate troops were engaged in a battle on the Monocacy River near Frederick. Union forces were badly outnumbered and were in retreat. Continued on page 3

Page 2 2 Sons of Confederate Veterans Georgia Power Backs Down Over Confederate Flag (Atlanta, Nov. 22, 2011) Georgia Power twice removed Confederate flags from the graves of veterans buried in the Yellow Dirt Baptist Cemetery located within the grounds of Plant Wansley. When Georgia Power failed to respond to concerns of family members of the veterans buried in the cemetery, the families decided to contact the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for help. Following several weeks of activity by members of the local SCV camp, the Haralson Invincibles Camp #673, as well as support from the entire Georgia Division, Georgia Power spokesman Mark Williams finally acknowledged the families' concerns and admitted that Georgia Power and its parent company, the Southern Company, do not have authority to control the cemetery where veterans are buried. Family members have expressed their appreciation to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the largest heritage preservation organization in the state and across America. Georgia Division Commander Jack Bridwell spoke on behalf of the SCV, We are happy to see that Georgia Power has finally acknowledged that it has no authority to remove flags from the graves of these veterans, and we are happy to have been able to provide help to these families who wished to honor their ancestors. It is unfortunate that Georgia Power refused to honor the requests of the family members until our organization became involved. We will continue to fight for the preservation of Southern heritage and the respect of veterans across Georgia whenever such violations as these by Georgia Power occur; and we appreciate the outpouring of appreciation shown to the SCV by local residents and elected officials of Heard County. Despite acknowledging their errors, however, neither Georgia Power nor the Southern Company has issued an apology to the families for removing the flags; nor have they restored the flags that were originally taken by Georgia Power employees. Georgia Power spokesman Konswello Monroe previously admitted that the company took the flags in a statement to the media: Yes, we did remove those flags that were put up Oct. 8, and we will be monitoring. If they are put back up, we will remove them once again. The families of the veterans buried in the cemetery have not yet decided whether or not to press charges for the theft of the flags or the violation of the state and federal laws that protect the graves and flags of veterans. Family members and SCV leaders will be meeting within the next several days to discuss whether or not to have warrants issued for the arrest of Georgia Power officials. For more information about Georgia Power's decision to restore the Confederate flags at the cemetery, contact Jack Bridwell, Division Commander of the Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans, at 1-866-SCV-in-GA or online at www.georgiascv.org. Billy Bearden pushes a confederate flag in the ground at the Yellow Dirt Baptist Church grave yard on Wednesday, Nov 3, 2011.

Sons of Confederate Veterans Page 3 St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church William D. Scott was a 21-year-old Confederate cavalryman from Greebrier County, Va. (now West Virginia). When the Cloppers found him wounded on their porch in 1864, he asked, Can I die on your porch? Continued from page 1 With Confederate troops advancing into Maryland, Private William Scott and a group of about five Virginia cavalrymen were passing through Germantown as part of a scouting unit. They halted briefly for dinner at the home of Joseph A. Taney. Union soldiers happened upon Scott and his unit and fired on them. They quickly mounted their horses and got away. But Scott had to retrieve his horse from the stable and was struck in the side by a bullet as he rode off. Scott managed to stay mounted on his horse and avoid capture by riding through the woods, across Seneca Creek and past the mill. He could see a large house in the distance and set his course there. When Scott reached the house, he spotted a young slave girl and asked, May I die on your porch? Scott was brought inside the Clopper home, which was now also home to their daughter Mary Augusta Clopper, and her husband, William Rich Hutton. A Confederate surgeon from Rockville arrived later that day and extracted the bullet, but it had penetrated his liver and stomach and he lost a considerable amount of blood. With death looming, Private Scott requested baptism and Hutton performed the Rite. Scott survived the night but died the next morning. The family feared repercussions for Confederate sympathies, so they constructed a coffin and buried Scott in the churchyard of St. Rose in secret, after nightfall, in an unmarked grave. It was not until the 1930s that a headstone was placed at the grave of Private Scott by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The solitary gravestone can still be seen under the large oak in front of the St. Rose historic chapel. After undergoing significant renovation in 1882, St. Rose Church was destroyed by fire in April 1883. The community quickly regrouped and a new church was constructed and dedicated in 1884. From the beginning, St. Rose was as a mission church, first under the parish of St. Mary s in Rockville, then St. Mary of Barnesville and later St. Martin s in Gaithersburg. More than 130 years after Francis and Ann Clopper opened the doors of the first St. Rose Church, St. Rose of Lima became a parish on June 1, 1972. Research for this article was gathered from The History of St. Rose Church and the Catholic Community, compiled by Gene Domalski, Parish Historian, 2004 and North South Trader s Civil War, Vol. XXl No. 5, Sept-Oct 1994.

Sons of Confederate Veterans Page 4 Adjutant Activities DUES: At this moment, we have 29 of our regular members that have not renewed their membership. Any dues received after now needs to have an extra $5 penalty. The annual dues are $40 for regular membership without a mailed (hard copy) newsletter. It is $45 for a mailed monthly newsletter. Now, with the penalty, it will be $45 and $50, respectively. If you are not sure whether you have paid or not, don t hesitate to call me at 301-831-5510 or e-mail dept911@yahoo.com. MINUTES, NOV. 2, 2011: The meeting was called to order by Commander Steve Gill after the Pledge Allegiance to the American Flag, the salute to the Confederate Flag and the reading of the SCV Charge. There were 6 members attending including compatriots Norm Layton, Frank Brown Jr., Dan Belvin, Don Beck, Camp Commander Steve Gill and Adjutant/Treasurer Harold Ford. VFW MEETING HALL The VFW Post Commander announced that they would be closing this Post at the 1 st of the year, and we must make arrangements to hold our meetings elsewhere. Compatriot Norm Layton is looking into some possibilities. Christmas Meeting/Dinner, Dec. 2 Please come and join in the fun and great food as we have an annual Holiday Dinner meeting this coming Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. This is a family event. The dinner meeting will be at the usual VFW meeting location in Gaithersburg. This is always one of our best meetings as nothing of substance is usually discussed except holiday cheer and how good the food is. This year the Camp will provide the Holiday ham and turkey as the featured meat entrees (prepared by Katie Brewer). We need all good and attending Norris Camp compatriots to round out our Christmas Dinner by providing the following: For Those Last Names Starting With The First Letter Of: Then Bring To The Dinner: A - E Veggies & Salads (green beans, sweet potatoes, etc.) F- Q Starch & Rolls (rolls, butter, rice and potatoes, etc.) R - Z desserts & drinks (non alcoholic) Please plan on arriving right on time or a little earlier would be better yet. Any questions and RSVPs please contact Bob Brewer at 301-977-0087 (before 8 p.m. please) or brewer000@comcast.net ( anytime). Harold will bring sodas, tablecloths, silverware, and etc.

Page 5 Sons of Confederate Veterans Some Christmas Letters From the diary of Private Robert A. Moore, a Confederate soldier: Tuesday, Dec 24, 1861, camp near Swan's This is Christmas Eve but seems but little like it to me Wednesday, Dec. 25, 1861, camp near Swan's... This is Christmas and very dull Christmas it has been to me. Had an eggnog tonight but did not enjoy it much as we had no ladies to share it with us. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From the diary of Robert Watson of Key West, Fla. Dec. 25, 1863, at Dalton, Ga., after action at Chickamauga Christmas day and a very dull one but I find a tolerable good dinner. I had one drink of whiskey in the morning. There was some serenading last night but I took no part in it for I did not feel merry as my thoughts were of home... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In a letter to his sister Anna Simpson, Tally Simpson wrote: Dec. 25 My Dear Sister, This is Christmas Day. The sun shines feeble through a thin cloud, the air is mild and pleasant, a gentle breeze is making music through the leaves of the lofty pines that stand near our bivouac. All is quiet and still and that very stillness recalls some sad and painful thoughts. The day, one year ago, how many thousand families, gay and joyous, celebrating Merry Christmas, drinking health to absent members of their family and sending upon the wings of love and affection long, deep and sincere wishes for their safe return to the loving ones at home, but today are clad in the deepest mourning in memory to some lost and loved member of their circle... When will this war end? Will another Christmas roll around and find us all wintering in camp? Oh! That peace may soon be restored to our young but dearly beloved country and that we may all meet again in happiness. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Johnny Green of the 4th Kentucky's Orphan Brigade expressed this sentiment: Peace on Earth, Good will to men should prevail. We certainly would preserve the peace if they would go home and let us alone...

Sons of Confederate Veterans Army of Northern Virginia Maryland Division Camp #1398 Page 6 The newsletter of the Colonel William Norris Camp #1398 is published 12 times a year by the camp as a service to its membership and to the public. Officers Heritage Violations Notify the Camp Heritage Officer compatriot Jim Stargel (jim.stargel@ffa.gov) of any heritage violations. Harold E. Ford Adjutant/Treasurer Colonel William Norris Camp #1398 Steve Gill, Commander 17651 Horizon Place Phone: 703-629-9316 Derwood, MD 20855 E-mail: StevenGill@Lycos.com Robert Brewer, 1st Lt. Commander 205 E. Deer Park Drive Phone: 301-977-0087 Gaithersburg, MD 20877 E-mail: brewer000@verizon.net Major David King Jr., 2nd Lt. Commander 5611 Oak Place Phone: 301-530-7634 Bethesda, MD 20817 E-mail: Dejota.King@verizon.net Dan Buckingham, 3rd Lt. Commander 11521 Front Field Lane Phone: 301-983-9002 Potomac, MD 20854 E-mail: danbuckingham@hurrisafe.com Harold Ford, Adjutant/Treasurer 13603 Jacobs Road Phone: 301-831-5510 Mt. Airy, MD 21771 E-mail: dept911@gmail.com Thomas Keefer, Chaplain 12558 Cross Bridge Way Phone: 301-980-9826 Germantown, MD 20874 E-mail: tskeef@yahoo.com Mitch Mroczka, Recruiting Officer 7333 Brenish Drive Phone: 301-997-2944 Gaithersburg, MD 20879 E-mail: mroczka1@verizon.net Jim Stargel, Heritage Office/Quartermaster E-mail: jim,stargel@ffa.gov

Call Toll Free: 1-800-MY-DIXIE (696-4943) SCV CHARGE To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we submit the vindication for which we fought; to your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier s good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles he loved and which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Remember it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations. Lt. General Stephen D. Lee Col. William Norris Camp #1398 13603 Jacobs Road Mount Airy, MD 21771