Camp Cresset Finley s Brigade Camp #1614 Havana, Florida Recipient 2011 and 2012 Dr. George R. Tabor Most Distinguished Camp Award "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause 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 which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish." Camp Officers Commander Graham F. Smith 1 st Lt. Commander Marshall Carroll Editor s Comments David R. Cline This issue is dedicated to God, Country, Family, and Finley s Brigade s newest family member Jullyanna Icye Cline. 2 nd Lt. Commander Bill Beckham Adjutant/Secretary Ellis Harvey Chaplain Kelly V. Crocker 3 rd Brigade Commander Kelly V. Crocker Color Sergeant Anthony Harvey Past Commanders Bill Beckham Marshall Carroll Jullyanna Icye Cline 1
Commander s Comments Graham F. Smith What Have You Done? We have all heard The Charge given by Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) in 1896. The UCV was a veteran s organization just as we now have the VFW, American Legion, Viet Nam Veterans Association, and etc. In its prime the organization had approximately 160,000 members (former Confederate soldiers) spread out among 1,885 area camps. Like so many of y all s Confederate ancestors, my great-great Grandfather James H. Hicks, Captain, Co. F, 14 th Georgia Volunteers was a member of the organization. In fact, he has a UCV headstone marking his grave in Evergreen Cemetery on the outskirts of Fitzgerald, Georgia. Obviously, up until the time of his death in 1909, he was proud of his service to the Confederate States of America and he was proud to associate and fellowship with his fellow soldiers. By being buried under a UCV headstone it is also obvious that he wanted to be remembered for all time as a Confederate Veteran. When S. D. Lee addressed the sons of the UCV members that were present in New Orleans on April 29, 1896, I believe that he was not only speaking for himself as Commander of the UCV, he was speaking for all Confederate veterans including my grandfather Hicks and my other four ancestors who, whether UCV members or not, fought honorably, proudly, and courageously for the principles they believed in. Also, I believe that the message was addressed to, not only the sons that were present that day, but to their sons and their sons through the ages. We, you and I, are the sons that Commander Lee and our ancestors were addressing at that meeting a little over one hundred sixteen years ago when it was stated: "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause 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 which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Therefore, what have you done to prove the cause for which your ancestor fought was justified? (Your ancestor in this case is not necessarily your family member; it is all noble men who fought for the same cause as he.) What have you done to defend your ancestor s (your family s) good name? What have you done to ensure the accurate account of his generations war is not changed or forgotten? What have you done to equal or imitate his honesty and integrity? What have you done to preserve the beliefs and values that he lived by and made him and his cause so magnificent and that you hold so precious? How about mullin it over for a while. In Dixie Land I ll take my stand. Graham F. Smith 1 st Lt. Commander s Comments Marshall Carroll As our Camp grows and we expand our activities and programs to honor our ancestors, we run into that age old problem.money. As I have said before having fun is not cheap. The Lee-Jackson Southern Heritage Event, our biggest fund raiser, just does not provide the funds to finance many of the things that we as the Most Distinguished Camp should be doing. So being the big thinkers that we are, we need to come up with profitable ideas that will continue to move us forward. Some of our 2
members are doing that now in the form of scrap metal recycling. Actually there are two scrap drives going on at the same time. One is by the Color Guard to purchase equipment. The other is by the Cemetery Committee to be used in grave preservation projects. If you have scrap, copper, lead or aluminum that you wish to donate contact Lt. Carroll @ 850-545-6804. You may designate which drive you wish to contribute to. In the coming months you will hear about and be asked to help with fund raising projects. If each member will help a little the result will be big. With a love for our South, 1 st Lt. Carroll Is it Wrong for Christians to Say the Pledge of Allegiance? Author Unknown Many Christians believe that it s wrong to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag because they feel their allegiance is to God alone. Are they correct to think that way? The Bible clearly teaches we are to have no allegiance higher than our allegiance to God, but when Christians living in the United States pledge to the flag, they are not worshiping the flag, nor are they placing their love for America before their love for God. They are simply affirming their civic loyalty to the United States. Not only is this perfectly acceptable, but it would be highly inappropriate for a Christian to do otherwise. The Bible commands Christians to submit to civil authorities and to honor the king (Romans 13:1-2, I Peter 2:17). Jesus makes it very clear that we are to give to Caesar what Caesar is due (Matthew 22:21), and Caesar (or, in our case, the Constitution and government of the United States) is most certainly due our loyalty, respect, and civil allegiance. Millions of Christians recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag without any reservation. Based on the current wording of the Pledge of Allegiance (which includes the phrase under God ) and the numerous biblical passages exhorting us to honor our civic institutions and leaders, I believe they are right to do so. Pvt. Jonce A. Forehand Ceremony On Saturday, August 18, 2012, Finley s Brigade had the honor to grant the request of Mrs. Bernice Peacock, a real daughter of a Confederate Veteran. It was a hot summer day and we really burned up in our uniforms and period dresses, but it was worth it to grant Mrs. Peacock her request. Finley's Brigade Color Guard presents the Colors at the re-dedication of the headstone of Private Jonce Forehand, Grantham's Holmes County Home Guard. Commander Smith hosted a remarkable event and headstone dedication for Ms. Peacock s father. It was an honor to be a part of the color guard and the We Drank from the Same Canteen ceremony. We did not lose any of the cars in the caravan, but the caravan did travel over some bumpy dirt roads. We finally arrived at the cemetery with the help of Richard Witt s navigation device. It was heartwarming to see the joy that our camp and its members brought to Mrs. Peacock. We moved indoors to the air conditioned comfort of the Church fellowship hall after the ceremony and enjoyed 3
refreshments and socialized with Mrs. Peacock and her family members. We were also able to observe the plaque in the church s foyer (with battle flags) that memorializes and list the Confederate hero s buried in the cemetery. tending the Battle Flag on the large pole at the cemetery. The men of Finley's brigade gather around Mrs. Bernice Forehand Peacock, Daughter of Private Jonce Forehand, CSA, after presenting her with the "Real Daughter" SCV medal and the SCV "Real Daughter of a Confederate Hero" certificate. It was quite a rare experience to meet and honor a real daughter of a Confederate soldier. Commander Smith presented Mrs. Peacock with a SCV certificate and medal. Afterwards the Brigade and friends traveled to Marianna for supper and more fellowship. The Color Guard was also joined by our newest member Chris Miller who did an awesome job. We appreciate the Ladies of the William Henry Milton, and the Anna Jackson Chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy participating and showing their support in the day s events. We also appreciate the Gentlemen of the Theophilus West M.D., and the Washington Invincibles Camps helping us out with the Same Canteen ceremony, the canon salute, and Miss Bernice proudly displays her SCV Real Daughter of a Confederate Hero certificate and SCV Real Daughter medal (her left collar). Miller Family History and Genealogy JR Miller The Miller family originally settled in Decatur County Georgia and the area now known as Seminole County Georgia in the 1830 to 1840 time period. Brothers Elias, John, and Henry Miller migrated from Eastern Georgia with their farther William Buck Miller who later moved to Jackson County Florida. Elias married Susan Johnson on 1-26-1837 in Decatur County Georgia. This is the earliest record of the Miller family in Decatur County. Elias and Susan had four sons that would eventually serve in the Confederate States Army. They were Asberry, Henry, John, and Daniel all of whom served in the Milton Light Florida Artillery and/or Abell s Light Florida Artillery. Asberry and Henry joined the Milton Light Artillery in 1862 when the unit was formed in Apalachicola. John joined in 1864 4
and was captured at 10 mile station just as the Olustee campaign was under way. He was imprisoned for a short while and then exchanged and received a furlough back to Steam Mill, Georgia. He rejoined his unit and served until its surrender. Daniel Green Miller joined his brothers a short time later in 1864 at Cedar Key. In 1863 the Milton Light Artillery commanded by Joseph Dunham was divided into 2 separate units. The second part was commanded by Henry F. Abell. The Miller brothers were transferred from the Milton Light Artillery to Abell s Artillery. The Milton Light Artillery never left the state of Florida during the war and surrendered in Tallahassee and Chattahoochee. Abell s artillery stayed in Florida until the Siege of Savannah, Georgia. From there they were involved in the Carolinas campaign and were at the Battle of Bentonville North Carolina and were surrendered by General Johnson. All of the Miller Brothers survived the war and returned home safely. However, soon after the war no records can be found for Henry and John. Asberry and Daniel stayed in Decatur County and witnessed the founding of Seminole County. Asberry died in 1925 and Daniel died in 1929. Asberry is buried in Corinth Cemetery in Seminole County. Daniel, according to his death certificate is buried there as well but interment list show no record of it. Religious Revival Gordon Leidner Several significant spiritual revivals took place during the War Between the States. Many of the Confederate military leaders supported organized religion. Of particular note are Generals Robert E. Lee, T. J. "Stonewall" Jackson, and Leonidas Polk. Lee and Jackson did all within their power to encourage the spreading of the Gospel in the Army of Northern Virginia. Jackson himself encouraged the troops to keep the Sabbath holy and attend worship services. He would usually try to avoid battle on the Sabbath, or, if not possible to do so, would try to set aside a subsequent day of rest. Jackson was frequently seen in prayer--both before and during battle. He always acknowledged God as the author of his military victories. Although revivals took place throughout the war, it was during the late Fall of 1863 through the Spring and Summer of 1864 that what was subsequently called the Great Revival occurred. According to J. William Jones, Confederate Chaplain and author of one of the best documentaries of the Great Revival, virtually every Confederate brigade was affected--and approximately ten percent of the soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia accepted Christ. Night after night troops participated in prayer meetings, worshipped, and listened to ministers proclaim the good news. Virtually every gathering ended with soldiers coming forward to accept Christ or receive prayer. When a pond or river was nearby, the soldiers would frequently step forward for baptisms-- regardless of how cold the weather was. During the revival, Jones told of how Confederate soldiers would form reading clubs, in which soldiers would pass around a well-worn Bible, sharing the Gospel. Always hungry for scarce Testaments and religious tracts, the soldiers would see Jones approaching camp and cry out Yonder comes the Bible and Tract man! and run up to him and beg for Bibles and Testaments as if they were gold guineas for free distribution. Jones would quickly exhaust his supply of reading material, and sadly have to turn away most of the men. I have never seen more diligent Bible-readers than we had in the Army of Northern Virginia. It is estimated that over 100,000 Confederate troops accepted Christ during the War. A Floridian by the name of Major P. B. Bird, when mortally wounded in the trenches of Richmond near the end of the war, considered his relationship with the Lord 5
and said But for leaving my wife and children, I should not feel sad at the prospect of dying. There is no cloud between God and me now. Next Camp Meeting Our meetings are always held on the second Tuesday of each and every month at the Golden Corral restaurant on North Monroe Street across from Lake Ella. The program will start promptly at 6:45 so be sure to arrive early (6:00) to enjoy a fine meal and socialize before the meeting starts. Our speaker for the meeting will be Mr. John Clark. He will tell us about political campaign buttons. He has a museum quality collection. The September 11th meeting will be dedicated to Compatriot Rip O Steen s Great Grandfather, Captain John Riley O'Steen, Company G, 50 th Georgia Infantry. Jullyanna Icye Cline was born August 12, 2012. After a week stay in the hospital she came home and is doing fine. Momma is doing well too, but is really tired all the time. Paola and Icye Cline The Camp Cresset Newsletter is the official publication of Camp 1614, Finley s Brigade, Sons of Confederate Veterans. No 6 content may be reproduced in part, or in whole, without the expressed written authorization from the Editor-in-Chief. All parts herein remain the sole property of SCV Camp 1614. 2012