CAMPTALK The monthly Newsletter of the Capt. J.J. Dickison Camp 1387, 10 th Brigade, Florida Division, Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Melbourne Florida Vol. 32 No. 06 June 2013 Chartered 28 March 1981 Editor Don Young June 2013 MEETING MEMAW s BBQ 600 East Eau Gallie Blvd. Indian Harbour Beach, Florida 6:00 PM 7:00 PM Order from menu 7:00 8:00 Program 8:00 8:45 Business Meeting. Meetings are the fourth Thursday of each month. Male descendants of men who served the Confederacy, their wives and others interested in the War For Southern Independence are invited to attend. CAMP OFFICERS CAMP STAFF Chaplain Tim Cobb 321-259-8391 Color Sgt Evan Phillips 321-961-9407 Treasurer Tom Watkins 321-254-0241 Q termaster Larry Thornton 321-704-2834 2 nd Lt. Rick Still 321-984-9967 Judge Advocate Don Lock 321-752-9276 1 st Lt. Don Young 321-452-3207 Public Information Officer Open Adjutant Rick DeBord 321-631-7258 Editor Don Young 321-452-3207 Commander Kevin Atchison 321-242-1126 Heritage Don Young 321-452-3207 Recording Sec. Miss June 321-984-9967 COMMANDERS CORNER UDC/OCR Liaison Miss Lee 321-452-3207 Camp 1387 participated in the Rockledge Memorial Day parade on Sunday the 26th of May. We had a very good contingent that included a color guard, Rick Debord's 1967 Mustang, the SCV Mechanized Calvary, and of course Tim Cobb's scooter. A special thanks goes out to June Still for taking pictures. Thanks again for everyone s help during this event. Camp 1387 will participate in the 4 th of July parade in Melbourne, Florida. We will muster on Melbourne Ave. next to Crane Creek and the railroad bridge close to old downtown at 9AM. Step off is at 10AM. Miss June and camp ladies will hold a bake sale at the Liberty Bell Museum at the end of the parade route. Plan to eat with the Boy Scouts and have some SCV desert.
Our June program will feature Don Young on "Nuts and Bolts of the SCV". This program is aimed at telling us where the SCV came from, what it does and how the organization works. Please support our Camp by attending this month s meeting. Finally, dues are due, most everyone should have received their due's statement during the past couple of weeks. Please help Rick out in sending these back to him during the next month or so. In Service to The South, Kevin Atchison Commander Camp 1387 ************************************************************************* EVENTS 13 Jun E-board Meeting 16-22 Jun Sam Davis Youth Camp 27 Jun Camp Meeting 04 July Melbourne 4 th of July Parade 18-20 July National Reunion Vicksburg ************************************************************************** PROGRAM Nuts and Bolts of The SCV Florida Division Lt. Cmdr. Don Young will present a narrative history and explanation of our beloved SCV. Don will review the beginnings, trials and tribulations and successes of our organization. He will also outline how the National level and Florida Division organizations function who makes the rules, how do we vote, who has authority and lots more. If you are serious about the SCV you need to know the answers to these questions. US Memorial Day 2013 by Commander Atchison Rick Still Kevin Atchison Rob Murray Rick DeBord s 1967 Mustang
Sarah and Dick Lee Tim Cobb Wes Frank Camp 1387 participated in the Rockledge Memorial Day parade on Sunday the 26th of May. We had a very good contingent that included a color guard, Rick Debord's 1967 Mustang, the SCV Mechanized Calvary, and of course Tim Cobb's scooter. A special thanks goes out to June Still for taking pictures. Thanks again for everyone s help during this event. A General and a Gentleman by Bob Hurst I enjoy reading about Confederate generals. Well, actually, I enjoy reading about anything Confederate, but especially the generals. I enjoy reading about their lives and learning about their character and accomplishments in their non-military endeavors. There are some Confederate generals, of course, who seem larger-than-life and almost mythical. Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart and Nathan Bedford Forrest come quickly to mind. Much is known about these magnificent men because much has been written about them. There were Confederate generals who were so highly regarded by their states that their statues stand in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Wade Hampton, Joe Wheeler, Edmund Kirby Smith and the redoubtable R.E. Lee are represented in the Hall. Many other splendid Confederate generals such as Patrick Cleburne, Jubal Early, Albert Sidney Johnston, Richard Ewell, John Hunt Morgan, William Hardee, George Pickett, and Pierre Beauregard are all widely known for their exploits during the War. Some Confederate generals have even had United States military installations named for them - John Bell Hood, Leonidas Polk, Henry Benning, John B. Gordon, Braxton Bragg, A.P. Hill and, of course, Robert E. Lee are among this group. While I revere all these magnificent warriors, and enjoy reading about each and every one, what thrills me the most now is to learn of lesser-known Confederate leaders who might not be as famous as the aforementioned but were truly outstanding leaders and, more importantly, outstanding human beings. This article will be about such an individual - Albert Gallatin Jenkins. Albert Jenkins was born in November of 1830 into one of the finest families of western Virginia. He was born in Cabell County which is now a part of West Virginia. His father was a wealthy plantation owner. (Note: I will not discuss here how western Virginia was unconstitutionally taken from Virginia by the Lincoln Administration. That will be the topic of a future article.) Albert was extremely intelligent and graduated from Jefferson College in Pennsylvania at the age of 18 and Harvard Law School at the age of 20. He established a law practice in 1850 but
his true love was agriculture and he was very successful at running his own plantation called Green Bottoms ". He became active in Democrat politics and was elected to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the election of 1856. He served two terms in the House from March 4, 1857, to March 3, 1861. Realizing that Virginia would undoubtedly secede, he ended his congressional career and returned home to aid the Confederate Cause. He raised a company of mounted partisan rangers (which were nicknamed "Border Rangers") and served as captain of this unit. His ranger unit soon became a part of the 8th Virginia Cavalry with Jenkins serving as colonel of the company. In the early part of 1862, Colonel Jenkins became a delegate to the First Confederate Congress. (Note: prior sessions of the body had been held as the Confederate Provisional Congress). On August 1, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. General Albert Jenkins was given command of a brigade in General A.P. Hill's division which he commanded at Gettysburg where he was wounded. During the Gettysburg Campaign his brigade had formed the cavalry screen for General Richard Ewell's Second Corps. Jenkins' troops also seized Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, during the Gettysburg Campaign. Upon his return to duty after recovering from the wounds he had suffered at Gettysburg, he was assigned to General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry corps and served in the Shenandoah Valley and western Virginia (by then that area had become West Virginia). In May of 1864 he was appointed Commander of the Department of Western Virginia. Upon receiving information that a large federal force had been dispatched into his area, he led his troops into the field to counter the yankee advance. On May 9 he was severely wounded at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain. He died twelve days later on May 21, 1864. Ironically, and sadly, this was only nine days after General J.E.B. Stuart had died at the Battle of Yellow Tavern. This pretty much sums up the military and political careers of Albert Gallatin Jenkins. You might be thinking that he sounds like a successful person and leader but why does Hurst think so highly of him, especially since there were so many Confederates who were successful and good leaders. Well, its all summed up for me by indications of the character of this good man as displayed during a campaign where he led his forces into Ohio in August of 1862, shortly after his promotion to brigadier general. Brigadier General Jenkins had been given orders by his commander, Major General William Wing Loring, to make a long raid throughout much of the northern section of western Virginia which was intended to put the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad out of commission and also to get Confederate troops to the rear of enemy troops in the area. General Jenkins started the mission with only five hundred troops. One of his first moves was to make a decision that was controversial but proved to be highly advantageous to the Confederate forces in the area. His scouts had brought him word that Union forces between his location and the target B & O Railroad far outnumbered his own troop strength. The scouts also reported that the federals had stockpiled huge quantities of weapons and supplies at Buckhannon to the north. General Jenkins decided to go after the weapons rather than the railroad as desired by General Loring. At Buckhannon the Confederates found a huge cache of weapons and supplies - a virtual treasure house of needed items. This cache included 5000 stands of rifles, huge amounts of ordnance and much clothing. The seizure of this stockpile allowed Jenkins to refit his forces with brand new Enfield rifles and other weapons superior to their own and to replace old, worn out boots and clothing with new items. Everything that could not be carried away by the Confederates was destroyed to prevent Union forces from having access to the stockpile. From Buckhannon the Confederates continued with a series of encounters with federal troops around small towns. All outcomes were favorable for Jenkins' troops. One of these encounters perfectly identifies, in my opinion, Albert Jenkins for the man he truly was. As the Union commander, Colonel J.C. Rathbone, in the process of surrendering his forces, offered his sword
to General Jenkins, Albert Jenkins refused to humble his adversary and told him to keep his sword. General Jenkins then commented that if the fortunes of war changed for him, he would hope for the same treatment from his captors. Another example of the honor and dignity of Albert Jenkins occurred as his troops approached the town of Ravenswood. A local woman approached General Jenkins and identified one of the yankee prisoners being held by the Confederate forces as a person who had recently mistreated her. Her husband demanded satisfaction. General Jenkins, after discussing the issue with each side, arranged for a fistfight between the husband and the yankee prisoner. He assured both sides that the fight would be fair. The fight was concluded to the satisfaction of all involved and the lady's honor was upheld. Shortly after the Ravenswood event, General Jenkins led his troops across the Ohio River and into enemy territory in Ohio. He wrote of this experience: " The excitement of the command as we approached the Ohio shore was intense, and in the anxiety to be the first of their respective companies to reach the soil of those who had invaded us all order was lost and it became almost a universal race as we came into the shoal water. In a short time all [troops] were over, and in a few minutes the command was formed on the crest of a gentle eminence and the banners of the Southern Confederacy floated proudly over the soil of our invaders. As our flag was unfurled in the splendor of an evening sun, cheers upon cheers arose from the men and their enthusiasm was excited to the highest pitch." Once across the river, General Jenkins addressed the civilian residents of the small Ohio town nearest to where his troops had come ashore to assure them that they would not be harmed by the Confederates. He told them, " Though that mode of warfare had been practiced on ourselves [by the yankees]... we were not barbarians but a civilized people struggling for their liberties, and that we would afford them that exemption from the horrors of a savage warfare which had not been extended to us." He later wrote that it was a curious and unexpected thing to hear upon the soil of Ohio shouts go up for Jefferson Davis and the Southern Confederacy." Unlike beasts of the north such as William T. Sherman, Phil Sheridan, David Hunter, John Turchin, Benjamin Butler and others, Albert Jenkins, a Southern gentleman, posed no threat to the civilian population of the North. Perhaps the finest tribute to the character, leadership ability and goodness of Albert Gallatin Jenkins came in the after-action report of General William Wing Loring. After detailing that General Jenkins had claimed 40,000 square miles of territory for the Confederacy, captured and paroled 300 federal soldiers and destroyed "immense stores" of enemy supplies, General Loring wrote: " Crossing the Ohio River twice and prosecuting at least 20 miles of his march through the state of Ohio, he exhibited as he did elsewhere in his march, a policy of such clemency as won us many friends, and tended greatly to mitigate the ferocity which had characterized the war in this section." General Albert Gallatin Jenkins was an intelligent, educated leader of men. More importantly, he was a good man of honor, strong character and integrity - a true Southern gentleman. I am proud that he was another in that long line of outstanding individuals who wore the sacred gray. Note: Previous articles of CONFEDERATE JOURNAL are available in book form. Volume 1 (2005-2007) can be ordered online at http://createspace.com/3540609 and Volume 2 (2008-2009) at http://createspace.com/3543269. Bob Hurst is a Son of the South who has special interest in the Confederacy and the antebellum architecture of the South. He is commander of Col. David Lang Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, in Tallahassee and is also 2nd Lt. Commander of the Florida Division, SCV. He can be contacted at confederatedad1@yahoo.com or 850-878-7010 after 9PM Eastern Time.
************************************************************************** Florida Division 43 rd Reunion by Don Young The new Ocala Holiday Inn and Convention Center venue for Division Reunions was a big hit among attendees. We have contracted with the hotel for next year s event. The increase in Division dues from $10 to $15 was passed. The change from 4 to 3 hard copy issues of the Blockade Runner also passed. Division Adjutant Billie Nicholson presented an overview of procedures and forms for camp adjutants and distributed Adjutant Handbooks. The Division encourages full participation in the Rifles, Rails and History event in Tavares the last weekend in September. Don and Miss Lee will assist in planning of the event, but will be in Kentucky for a family reunion the day of the event. There will be a Leadership Workshop in Lake City on the first Saturday in November. Camp officers should plan to attend if at all possible. The costs will be nominal. Notes from the 03 June DEC meeting are available to compatriots from Don Young. Compatriot Al McCray from Judah P. Benjamin Camp 2210, Tampa, was awarded the prestigious Legionnaire of the year award. The Ulmer and Milton awards were not presented this year. Subject: Help Restore Florida's 1st Confederate Monument April 20, 2013 4:54 PM The Walton County Heritage Association has committed itself to the restoration of the Walton County Confederate Monument. This simple monument, as you probably know, was Florida's first Confederate monument! I hope you will join me in supporting and helping them in this noteworthy and much needed project. Whether you can donate $5 or $500, they desperately need the help. You can read more and learn how to donate in person, by mail or online here: http://civilwarflorida.blogspot.com, http://www.waltoncountyheritage.org Dale Cox
Support Camp 1209 Leasing Jacksonville Historic Armory After three years working with the inside city on this proposal it is finally making the city council sponsored by a black council woman. The media just now has seen the proposed resolution (they are so dumb they did not get our name correct), we need as many positive comments about the proposal and the Sons of Confederate Veterans as we can get to counter any negative comments. We have flanked them, but this opening battle is one of public opinion. Commander Calvin Hart, Kirby-Smith Camp #1209 SCV Jacksonville, Fla. (904) 730-0343 http://www.news4jax.com/news/sons-of-confederacy-want-to-lease-city-building/- /475880/20538746/-/ca7e9nz/-/index.html JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A city councilwoman wants to let the Sons of Confederate Veterans lease the old Duval County Armory on Market Street downtown for $1 per year in exchange for repairs and maintenance. Councilwoman Kimberly Daniels sponsored an ordinance that give the group a 10-year lease on the building constructed in 1915-16, with the option for two five-year renewals. The agreement would have the group provide repairs and improvements, general maintenance, including mowing and landscaping, and providing insurance coverage as in-kind contributions in lieu of rent. DOCUMENT: Ordinance 2013-384 The group is survivors of veterans of the Civil War who say they are not a racist group -- they have both white and black members and do community work around town. Dave Nelson, who runs a Civil War shop on the Southside, is the past commander of the local chapter of the group. Nelson said the group is a civic origination and its goal is to maintain and defend Confederate heritage. "There is no white supremacy there," Nelson said. "Our members are all good Americans and we do lots of good things, civic things for the city." Nelson points to recent work at the old city cemetery, where the group was repairing grave markers for confederate soldiers and for others, black and white. Nelson said the group would help keep the historic armory from falling into decay. "We would have our meetings there," he said. "We would have exhibits there and it would be all militia pertaining to Florida as well as the U.S. It would not be all Civil War. We would also have World War II and so forth. "The idea is still troubling to some. I want that for any other organization but that," Gregory Williams said. "It has political connotation," Claire Castellino added. Some have concerns because the group's logo includes the confederate flag. "We have no plans to put up a Confederate flag (at the armory), but if we did, I don't see that as a problem for those that understand what the Confederate flag is," Nelson said. "It's not a
symbol of racism. It is not the symbol of the Ku Klux Klan. It's the battle flag of the soldier during the war carried. It's the cross of St. Andrew. It's a holy symbol. And what others have done to it, we condemn that." Daniels has not responded to Channel 4's request for an interview. Council President Bill Gulliford says he has no problem with the group, but will look into the $1 lease agreement as the ordinance advances through council committees. He said it's very interesting that a black councilwoman introduced the measure. "I don't think that is the big issue," he said. "I think the big issue is what is the city policy on allowing other entities using city property at no cost. In 1914 a $150,000 bond issue was floated to construct the Duval County Armory. Upon its completion in 1916, the armory was reported to have Florida's largest military drill hall. This fortress-like building was built to replace an armory destroyed in the 1901 fire. It has battlemented towers and parapets, and a carved stone shield with the emblem of the Florida National Guard tops the central pavilion. Kentucky Confederates By Jim Purcell; Gr-Grandson WTB South Camp 1516 Captain William Row Barry South, the last surviving Confederate soldier living in Franklin County, Kentucky, died on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1932, at Forks-of-Elkhorn, near Frankfort. He was interred in the State Cemetery in Frankfort on November 26th. But, Captain South was not a flatlander. His family were pioneer settlers of East Kentucky, and one of the mountains most illustrious military clans. W.T.B. South was born in Breathitt County on November 10, 1842, His father, Jeremiah Weldon South, Sr., was a Colonel in the Mexican War and served for several decades as a member of the Kentucky State Legislature. W.T.B. South s grandfather, Samuel South, was one of the original settlers of Boones Borough, Kentucky s second oldest settlement, and served as Brigadier General of the Kentucky Volunteers under Andy Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. His great grandfather, John South, Sr., served as the commanding General of the Kentucky State Militia and as a member of Kentucky s very first state legislature. Following in the military footsteps of his ancestors, W.T.B. South left Breathitt County in 1857 to join the elite Governor s Guards, a Frankfort-based militia regiment, and was elected his
companies 2nd lieutenant at the ripe old age of sixteen. But, when the "War of Northern Aggression" began, immediately, he headed back to the hills in August 1861 and attempted to raise his own Confederate infantry company in Breathitt County. He recruited 57 men and fought with Captain Andrew Jackson May s company at the Battle of West Liberty in October 1861. His men followed May s Company to Floyd County and took part in the Battle of Ivy Narrows. Failing to gain enough volunteers to form his own company, his small band became part of Company I of the 5th Kentucky Infantry on January 8, 1862, at Middle Creek in Floyd County. South fought as a private in the battles of Middle Creek, Kentucky, and Princeton, (West) Virginia, but, on May 10, 1862, he was transferred to Captain Ben Caudilil s Company F of the 5th and elected 2nd Lieutenant. Because of his popularity in his home area, in June, he was sent back to Breathitt County for a second time to attempt to raise a new company. This time he was more successful, and on September 18, 1862, his new company of 128 men was officially mustered into the service at Jackson, Kentucky, as 3rd Company B of the 5th Kentucky Infantry, and South was elected Captain. Company B served for a short time during the spring of 1863, guarding the Kings Saltworks at Saltville, VA, but was ordered with the 5th into Tennessee where his company saw some of the hottest fighting of the war in the Battle of Chickamauga as members of Kelly s Brigade. Later, as part of the famous Orphan Brigade, the 5th and Capt. South fought at Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, Dallas, Jonesboro, and all of the other battles around Atlanta. In the Battle of Jonesboro he served temporarily as acting Lt. Colonel of the regiment after Colonel Conner was seriously wounded. At the battle of Sandersville, he led a hazardous charge which prevented the enemy from flanking the brigade and received official commendation for his courage under fire. Twice offered a promotion to staff, he refused, not wanting to leave his beloved Company B. In March 1865, he was detailed for a short time to East Kentucky for recruits. While in Breathitt County, two of his brothers were murdered by the Unionist guerrilla Bill Strong. Although he swore a blood oath to kill Bill Strong and put a personal $500 bounty on his head, obeying orders, he returned to the front and surrender with his company at Washington, Georgia, on May 6, 1865. After the war, Capt. South moved to Frankfort where he served as Warden of the Kentucky State Prison and was an active member of the United Confederate Veterans. Captain South had the distinction of being one of seven brothers from Breathitt County who served in the 5th Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A. His brother Samuel South was appointed a Colonel in 1861 by Gen. Braxton Bragg in order to recruit an East Kentucky cavalry regiment, but failing to do so, served the 5 th Kentucky Infantry as Quartermaster Sergeant. He was severely wounded at Chickamauga and was awarded the Confederate Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry. Brother Jeremiah W. South, served as 2nd Lieutenant of Co. B of the 5th and was killed in action during the last days of the war; brother Andrew Jackson South served as a 3rd Lt. of Co. B of the 5th and was also killed in action on March 1, 1865; brother James K. Polk South served as 1st Lt. of Co. D of the 5th and after the war became a famous author, teacher, minister & evangelist of the Christian Church. Brother Martin Van Buren South served as a private in Co. B of the 5th, while Brother Thomas Jefferson South, joining the army at the tender age of 11 years old, served as a private in Co. B of the 5th before transferring to Co. E of Diamond s 10th Kentucky Cavalry, where he served under Col. Andrew Jackson May and Gen. John Hunt Morgan. All in all, the family provided: one Colonel, one Captain, three Lieutenants, two Privates, one Confederate Medal of Honor winner, and two killed in action making the ultimate sacrifice for the Cause - all as members of the 5th Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A.