Our annual Confederate Memorial Day Service was held on Saturday, April 28th, at Magnolia Cemetery. I want to thank all the camp members that worked so diligently to prepare the cemetery for the service, working a month in advance to ensure that everything was finished and ready for the morning of 28th. As usual, for our yearly service, the grass in the Confederate sections was perfectly manicured and our sections looked perfect. The Confederate Dead section was beautifully decorated with the all of the various Confederate flags and also flags from each of the thirteen Confederate states.

Camp member Charles Lunsford gave an inspiring speech titled "Memorializing the Confederacy,’ and the Gray Poet, Phil Turner, read an appropriate poem for the occasion describing the different seasons of the Confederacy.

I want to thank the camp members who participated in the service as re-enactors and also the re-enactors from other units. A special thank you goes to Captain David Shockey of the 5th Georgia Infantry Regiment who was the commanding officer and called the orders during the service. Special thanks also goes to Captain Jason Quick and the 32nd Georgia Artillery for providing two cannons for our service. The 32nd Georgia has faithfully supported our service every year for as long as I’ve attended Confederate Memorial Day Services at Magnolia Cemetery.

A group of six ladies dressed as widows in period mourning dresses placed a wreath in the Confederate Dead section in honor of all Confederate soldiers interred throughout Magnolia Cemetery. I sincerely appreciate the participation of these six ladies. Having them to place the wreath really added a very impressive and special touch to the service.

Many of our camp members and their family members worked really hard to make our service a special event to honor our Confederate ancestors, and their efforts are very much appreciated by me.

Our meeting is this Thursday night at Sconyers and our program speakers will be Dennis Farer and Pete Eles from North Augusta. They’ll give a presentation on their collection of excavated artifacts from the War Between the States time period. I hope you’ll plan to attend and bring a guest for an enjoyable evening of good barbecue and good Southern fellowship!

■ Thursday, May 10th – Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 will meet at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant at 7:00 p.m. Program speakers will be Mr. Dennis Farrer & Mr. Pete Eles from North Augusta, South Carolina. They will speak on and show excavated relics and artifacts from the War Between the States period.

Saturday, May 12th – There will be a Grave Marker Dedication Service at 11:00 a.m. in the Bugg family cemetery. The cemetery is located in the Kingston Subdivision off of Wrightsboro Road in Grovetown. This service is in honor of Army of Tennessee Commander Kelly Barrow’s Confederate ancestors.

Saturday, June 2nd – Camp #158 Magnolia Cemetery Workday in the Confederate sections from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

■ Thursday, June 14th – Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 will meet at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant at 7:00 p.m. Dr. John C. Griffin from Lancaster, SC, will speak on Lt. Bill Farrow: Doolittle Raider.

Camp Commander Nick Posey called the monthly meeting of Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 to order at 7:00 p.m. Chaplain Mike Milford gave the invocation. The following pledges were recited by the group: Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag, Pledge of Allegiance to the "Real" Georgia State Flag, the salute to the Confederate Flag and the salute to the Christian Flag. Commander Posey read the "SCV Charge."

Commander Posey introduced eighteen guests in attendance.

Program Speaker – Commander Posey introduced Don Gordon who spoke on "Wade Hampton’s Cavalry."

The meeting minutes for the March meeting were approved as published in the April Wig Wag

Presentation of Membership Certificates – Commander Posey and Adjutant Perry Herron administered the SCV membership pledge and presented new member Robert Garrett Busbee with his SCV membership certificate.

Applications for Membership – Three applications were presented to the camp and the applicants were unanimously accepted for membership into the Sons of Confederate Veterans:

1) James R. O'Shields submitted an application to qualify for SCV membership through his 4th Great Grandfather, Private William Paschal O'Shields, who served in Company K, 1st Orr's Rifles.

2) Robert Richard Green submitted an application to qualify for SCV membership through his Great Grandfather, 1st Sergeant Jacob A. Westfall, who served in Company B, 19th Virginia Cavalry.

3) Dewey Earl Hill submitted an application to qualify for SCV membership through his 2nd Great Uncle, Captain Milton A. Brown, who served in Company F, Cobb's Legion (Infantry Battalion).

Treasurer Henry Gilmer provided the Camp Finance Report for the month of March.

Lt. Commander Ron Udell commented about re-enactors from the camp participating as honor guard in a funeral service for the Sullivan family on March 24th at Westover Cemetery in Augusta. The camp members fired a black powder salute in honor of the deceased, who was a friend and co-worker of several Camp #158 members. He also mentioned that Camp #158 re-enactors participated in Iron Cross Dedication Services on March 31st for Confederate soldiers located in three separate cemeteries in Wagner, SC. Our camp’s re-enactors attended these services in support of the Major Morgan/Hart’s Battery Camp #1674 in Springfield, SC.

Adjutant Perry Herron reported that the camp now has 110 members on the roster.

Quartermaster Ben Creech briefly discussed the camp setting up a booth at the Barnyard Flea Market on Saturday, March 10th, and selling $113.00 worth of camp store merchandise.

Commander Nick Posey reported that there is no additional news from the Georgia State Legislature on funding for the Powder Works chimney; Mayor Deke Copenhaver signed a proclamation declaring April 2007 Confederate History & Heritage Month; eleven delegates are needed to go to the Division reunion in Metter in June; briefly discussed changing meeting locations due to overcrowding; gave a brief report on the Georgia Division EC meeting in Forsyth on March 31st, and other miscellaneous items.

New Business – A motion was made, seconded and passed to purchase an 1853 Euro Arms Enfield .58 caliber black powder musket for $515.00 to raffle-off to raise funds for the camp. A motion was also passed designating that the second prize of the raffle would be $150.00 cash, and the third prize would be a framed Confederate Powder Works print.

The monthly prize drawing was conducted by Treasurer Henry Gilmer to provide the monthly donation to the Southern Legal Resource Center, and funding for our Lee-Jackson Banquet Fund and general fund.

Adjournment - There being no further business and no objection to adjourn, it was so declared by general consent by Commander Posey and the meeting was adjourned. Quartermaster Ben Creech gave the Benediction, followed by our usual resounding rendition of Dixie.

Respectfully submitted,

Commander Nick Posey

The Official Monthly Newsletter of

Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158