Last month’s meeting was well attended by members and guests. Our speaker, Mr. Joe Long, Curator of History for the Confederate Relic Room in Columbia delivered an excellent presentation on "The Swordsmanship of General Wade Hampton."

As I stated at the February meeting, our Georgia Division Commander Jack Bridwell, who is also the Army Of Tennessee Commander, is a member of the SCV National General Executive Council (GEC). He presented a request to the GEC on February 11th on behalf of Camp #158 requesting $200,000 in funding for the restoration of the Confederate Powder Works Chimney. His request was referred to a committee, which was encouraging. I say this was encouraging because the request for funding wasn’t rejected outright by the GEC. The special committee will do a study and look into how funding for this project can be obtained. After a couple of conversations with Commander Bridwell, after the GEC meeting, he told me that everyone on the GEC was either very much in favor or at least somewhat favorable regarding the importance of restoring and preserving the chimney. He pointed out to the GEC members that the Confederate Powder Works complex was the only project fully funded by the Confederate government during the Confederacy’s brief four years in existence. As we all know, the 153ft tall chimney is the only remaining structure left standing from the Confederate Powder Works, which ceased operation in April 1865. Hopefully we’ll get some positive news during the next three to six months from the GEC concerning our proposed funding request.

Again, Camp #158’s re-enactors came through and saved the day in Columbia on February 18th. Our re-enactors gathered on the east bank of the Congaree River and returned fire at the Federal artillery firing on Columbia, simulating Sherman’s artillery barrage of the city before he invaded, burned and looted it in February 1865. Most of the re-enactors participating were from Camp #158. This event in the morning kicked off activities for the 1st Commemoration of the Burning of Columbia.

On to the subject of recruiting, which is crucial to the long-term survival of our local camp as well as our national SCV organization. Every active member should strive to recruit 1 to 2 new members this year, a reasonable goal we can all achieve. The best method of recruiting, I’ve found, is one-on-one personal contact with new acquaintances, close friends and family members. Family members are the easiest to recruit since the ancestor research is already done. My short-term goal is to bring our membership back up to 100 members. We’re very close to accomplishing this goal and with your help we can do it.

Our program speaker this Thursday night will be Captain David Shockey of the 5th Georgia Infantry Regiment Re-enactors. He’ll speak on an interesting subject having to do with local history – the Clinch Rifles. The Clinch Rifles was an Augusta volunteer unit that saw heavy action during the war. Come join us this Thursday to hear a good speaker, eat Southern barbeque, and enjoy Southern fellowship like you can’t find anywhere else in Augusta. Bring a friend and I look forward to seeing you this Thursday at Sconyers!

■ Carl Mixon through his Confederate ancestor 2nd Lt Andrew Thompson Sessions Co. B, 12^th Battalion, GA Light Artillery

■ Wade Adler through his Confederate ancestor Private Richard Beale Musselwhite

Co. G, 24^th Regiment, NC Infantry

■ Bill Storrs transferred from the B/G John C. Carter Camp #207 in Waynesboro.

Camp News & Events

Wednesday, February 15th – Our camp provided re-enactors for the funeral of Charles Zackery Hayes, a fifteen-year old Confederate re-enactor, who was accidentally killed on February 10th. Zack’s family requested a Confederate funeral. Camp #158’s re-enactors participated as pallbearers, and as part of the honor guard that fired a black-powder salute as a final farewell to Zack.

Friday, February 17th – Wilson Tigers Camp #245 Meeting at Hephzibah City Hall

Saturday, February 18th – 1st Annual Commemoration of the Burning of Columbia, South Carolina

Saturday, February 25th – Officer Training Seminar conducted by Georgia Division Adjutant Tom Brown and Army Of Tennessee Field Representative Al Perry. The seminar was held in Metter, Georgia.

Saturday, February 25th & Sunday, February 26th – The Battle of Aiken held at Confederate Park north of Aiken, SC

Saturday, March 4th & Sunday, March 5th – Battle for Broxton Bridge near Ehrhardt, SC

Thursday, March 9th – The next Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 monthly meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant. Our program speaker will be Captain David Shockey. He’ll give a presentation on "The Clinch Rifles, Augusta's Pride."

Saturday, March 25th – Camp #158 members will have two booths at the Barnyard Flea Market of Augusta to sell Confederate memorabilia, raffle tickets, and recruit new members. One booth will be used for living history presentations by the camp’s re-enactors.

Saturday, April 8th, 2006 - Fifth Annual National Confederate Memorial Service inside Stone Mountain Memorial Park in front of the Memorial Carving.  The speakers will be Rev. John Weaver, former Chaplain-In-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Fred D. Taylor, Executive Director of the Sam Davis Youth Camp. This event will begin at 10:00 a.m., and will conclude with cannon and rifle salutes.

Thursday, April 13th – Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 monthly meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant. Our program speaker will be Mr. Randy Burbage from Charleston, South Carolina. He’ll speak on "The History, Recovery and Restoration of the Confederate Submarine Hunley."

Saturday, April 22nd – Magnolia Cemetery Workday, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. This workday is in preparation for our service on April 29th.

Saturday, April 29th – Camp #158 Confederate Memorial Day Memorial Service at Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta. The Heritage March from the Confederate monument on Broad Street to Magnolia Cemetery will begin at noon. The memorial service at the Confederate Dead section starts at 12:45 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Mrs. Betty Jane Miller, past president of Bratton-Jenkins UDC Chapter #1782 in Ehrhardt, SC.

Genesis 2:7 – And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Psalms 1: 6 – For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Proverbs 16:9 – A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Malachi 3:1 – Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

Matthew 12:31-32 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

"It has not seemed the whole truth to me that the Confederate soldier went into battle to vindicate a constitutional argument. He went to war because he loved his people, because his country was invaded, because his heart was throbbing for his hearthstone. Here was the land which gave him birth; here was his childhood’s home; here were the graves of his dead; here was the church spire where he had learned it was not all of life to live nor all of death to die. No hostile foot should ever tread this consecrated ground except over his dead body." – Excerpt from a speech given by Stephen D. Lee at the annual reunion of the United Confederate Veterans, held in Louisville, Kentucky in 1905. Note: Stephen D. Lee served as Commander General of the UCV from 1904 until the time of his death in 1907.

"I go before my God, the Almighty God. He will judge between us. I am innocent, and I will die like a man." – The last words of Confederate Captain Henry Wirz, Commandant of Andersonville Prison, as he stood on the gallows, awaiting execution by the United States government on November 10, 1865.

"So oppressive was this state of affairs that even a man like my father could write a fellow veteran of the Confederate Army that death was preferable to living under such conditions." – Bernard Baruch (1870 –1965) on Reconstruction in South Carolina.

"In South Carolina, we never suffered discrimination because we were Jews." – Comment by Bernard Baruch (1870 –1965) on the contrast between living in the North and living in the South.

"And so the Army of Tennessee was paroled and dispersed. On foot, or astride the bony army horses, or piled in the patched-up, creaking army wagons, they started home over the mountains. They had fought a good fight, they had finished their course, and they had kept the faith." –

Stanley F. Horn (1889 – 1980) on the disbanding of the army after the surrender of Joseph E. Johnston on April 26, 1865

Camp #158 gave its word to maintain the Confederate sections at Magnolia Cemetery.

The "Old Men’s Crew" will perform the maintenance during the middle of each Month.

Your CONFEDERATE ANCESTOR gave so much for you. All we ask is for you to give a few hours to honor them. Call us any time: David Powell at 860-1101 or Perry Herron at 613-1246

Camp Commander Nick Posey called the monthly meeting of Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 to order at 7:00 p.m. Lt. Commander Ron Udell gave the invocation and Camp Historian Ben Creech led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag. Commander Posey led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the "Real" Georgia State Flag, the salute to the Confederate Flag and recited the "SCV Charge."

Commander Posey introduced twenty-five visitors in attendance.

1st Lieutenant Commander Ron Udell thanked everyone who helped with the Litter Pickup, and the camp re-enactors who participated in the practice drill after the Litter Pickup on January 14th. He also thanked those who assisted with the booth at the Barnyard Flea Market on Saturday, December 17th.

2nd Lt. Commander David Powell announced that volunteers are needed to work in the Confederate sections at Magnolia Cemetery in preparation for our Confederate Memorial Day Service on April 29th.

Respectfully submitted,

Interim Conscripted Secretary

-- President Jefferson Davis

Wig Wag – March 2006 Edition