I want to thank the small but dedicated group of camp members that worked diligently during the two months prior to the memorial service to get the Confederate sections prepared for the big day on April 23rd. A big thanks also goes to the members and their wives that participated in getting everything set up at the cemetery the morning of the service and then cleaning up afterwards.

The SCV Special Convention also took place in Concord, NC, on April 23rd. Camp #158 sent as our delegate, Bill Quattelbaum, to represent us and cast votes on behalf of the camp in favor of the two proposed amendments that would determine the fate of our 109 year old organization. Thankfully, both amendments passed overwhelmingly. Control of the SCV is now in the hands of the membership. The camp owes a debt of gratitude to Bill Quattlebaum for representing the camp at this very critical event.

Kenneth Ivey Kitchens joined through his Great-Great Grandfather, Corporal Stokes Francis Ivey, who served in Company F, 7th Battalion Cavalry of the Georgia State Guards. Kenneth was accepted as a Camp #158 member at our last meeting on April 14th, and we welcome him to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. He’ll be presented his SCV Membership Certificates at the next camp meeting on Thursday, May 12th.

Saturday, April 16^th - Beech Island Heritage Day, held at Granville Plantation on SC Highway 125 between Beech Island and Jackson, SC. Camp #158 had a booth set up to sell camp store items.

Saturday, April 23^rd – Camp #158’s Confederate Memorial Day Service at Magnolia Cemetery in Augusta. The Heritage March from the Confederate monument on Broad Street to Magnolia Cemetery started at noon. The memorial service at the cemetery started at 12:45 p.m.

Sunday, April 24^th – The Wilson Tigers Camp #245 Confederate Memorial Day Service took place at the Hephzibah-Vance Cemetery in Hephzibah. The service started at 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 24^th – The B/G John C. Carter Camp #207 Confederate Memorial Day Service was held at the Waynesboro Memorial Confederate Cemetery at 3:00 p.m.

Monday, April 25^th – 4 members of Camp #158 attended the Brigadier General John C. Camp #207 meeting in Waynesboro, GA.

Sunday, May 1^st – The 20th Annual "A Day in the Country" festival featuring cars, crafts and country music was at the Augusta Riverfront Marina from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Camp #158 had a booth set up to sell camp store items, i.e., flags and Confederate memorabilia.

Friday, May 6^th – Confederate Memorial Day Service hosted by River’s Bridge Camp #842 in Fairfax, SC. The memorial service took place at River’s Bridge State Park.

Saturday, May 7^th – The annual Confederate Memorial Day Service hosted by the SC Division SCV and UDC was held at historic Elmwood Cemetery in Columbia, SC, at 10:00 a.m. After the service at Elmwood Cemetery the participants marched to the capitol and concluded with a brief memorial service on the state house grounds.

Thursday, May 12^th – Next Camp #158 Meeting at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant at 7:00 p.m. Our Program Speaker will be Commander David Moncus of the B/G John C. Carter Camp #207 in Waynesboro. David will speak on "The Vicksburg Campaign."

Thursday, June 9^th – Camp #158 Meeting at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant at 7:00 p.m. Our Program Speaker will be Commander Ed Kennedy of B/G William Steele Camp #1857 in Leavenworth, Kansas. Ed’s topic will be "Our Forgotten Heroes – Black Confederates."

Friday, June 10th thru Sunday, June 12th – The Georgia Division SCV 108th Annual Reunion will be held in Savannah. Registration fee is $25.00. See Commander Nick Posey or Adjutant Perry Herron to obtain a "Delegates Form." The "Delegates Form" is also on the last page of "The Georgia Confederate" publication.

"The Union is a Union of States founded upon Compact. How is it to be supposed that when different parties enter into a compact for certain purposes either can disregard one provision of it and expect others to observe the rest? If the Northern States willfully and deliberately refuse to carry out their part of the Constitution, the South would be no longer bound to keep the compact. A bargain broken on one side is broken on all sides." (Daniel Webster, Capon Springs Speech, 1851)

"If the states were not left to leave the Union when their rights were interfered with, the government would have been National, but the (Constitutional) Convention refused to baptize it by that name ...If the Union was formed by the accession of States then the Union may be dissolved by the secession of States." (Daniel Webster, U.S. Senate, Feb. 15, 1833)

Money and not morality, is the principle of commercial nations. (Stated by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to John Landon in 1810)

"The best men in the South have long desired to do away with the institution, and were quite willing to see it abolished. But with them in relation to this subject the question has been: What will you do with the freed people? That is a serious question today. Unless some humane course, based on wisdom and Christian principles, is adopted, you do them a great injustice in setting them free." (Robert E. Lee on the abolition of slavery)

If Lincoln loved the union, he was responsible, more than any man, for its destruction, for he consciously violated the constitution….The war was not a war of slavery versus freedom; it was a war between those who preferred a federated nation to those who preferred a confederation of sovereign states. Slavery was the ink thrown into the pool to confuse the issue. (Andrew Nelson Lytle, The Virginia Quarterly Review, October 1931)

The importation of Negroes of the African race, from any foreign country, other than the slaveholding States or Territories of the United States of America, is hereby forbidden, and Congress is required to pass such laws as shall effectually prevent the same. (From Article I, Section 9, paragraph 1 of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 1 John 2:28

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5: 8

Camp Commander Nick Posey called the monthly meeting of Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp # 158 to order at 7:00 p.m. Chaplain Tony Carr gave the Invocation and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag. Commander Posey then led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Real Georgia flag, the salute to the Confederate flag and recited the SCV Charge.

Commander Posey introduced numerous guests including ladies from the Berry Benson UDC Chapter 2584 in North Augusta and the Margaret Jones UDC Chapter #27 in Waynesboro. There were also several SCV camps represented including Bee Camp #1575 in Aiken, Waynesboro Camp #207 and Camp #1857 in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Treasurer Lee Herron requested one correction to the March 10th Meeting Minutes. Commander Posey stated that he would correct the minutes as requested. The correction to the March 10^th Meeting Minutes on page 5 of April Newsletter is shown by the strikethrough below:

Commander Posey then introduced the evening's special guest, Mr. Barry Whitney, great grandson of our namesake, Brigadier General Edward Porter Alexander. Mr. Whitney briefly spoke on some of the family heirlooms of the general, which he possesses, and his memories of Alexander as related to him by his grandmother mother.

Commander Posey then introduced the evening’s speaker, Mr. Gene Barron, from Aiken, SC. He is an SCV Life Member and has been a member of B/G Barnard E. Bee Camp #1575 in Aiken for 11 years, and has held numerous camp offices. Mr. Barron talked about ensuring that all Confederate soldiers’ graves are properly marked and recorded as a permanent record. He also discussed the Guardian Program that the SC Division SCV has in place for taking care of Confederate graves.

On behalf of Camp #158 Commander Posey presented Mr. Barron with a framed photograph of the Confederate Powder Works Chimney. The photograph was taken in April 2002, which was the 140^th anniversary of the completion of the Confederate Powder Works factory in Augusta in 1862 when it went into operation producing gunpowder for the Confederacy.

Commander Posey then asked Mrs. Hannah McWee, wife of recently deceased member Walker B. McWee, to come before the membership and accept a Sons of Confederate Veterans Resolution Certificate sent from SCV National Headquarters honoring Walker’s contribution and selfless service to the SCV and Southern Cause.

Adjutant Perry Herron administered the membership pledge to two of our newest members, Marion Jenkins and Paul Stampley, along with presenting them their SCV Membership Certificates.

Applications for Membership

Kenneth Ivey Kitchens petitioned the camp for membership. A motion was made and seconded, voted on and passed unanimously by the membership to accept Kenneth as a member in the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Treasurer Lee Herron presented Camp #158’s March Finance Report.

As requested by the membership at the previous meeting, Lee requested and received an itemized financial statement from the Southern Legal Resource Center regarding money donated by Camp #158 for funding the legal defense of camp member Richard Smith’s discrimination case. Lee explained in detail to the membership how the money donated by the camp has been used by the SLRC in Richard’s case throughout the duration of the pending lawsuit.

Lieutenant Commander Ron Udell’s comments:

• Thanked camp members that helped at our booth at the Barnyard Flea Market on Saturday, March 26^th.

• Asked re-enactors in the camp to participate in the Beech Island Heritage Day festival on April 16^th and take part in a skirmish with Yankees that would be part of the day’s activities.

Commander Nick Posey reported and commented on the following items:

• The SCV court case and Special Convention to be held April 23^rd in Concord, NC
• Boy Scouts Augusta History Walk on March 19^th – a big disappointment for those that participated
• SCV Recruiting Billboards now available – see Stan Scritchfield
• Planning & preparation for our Confederate Memorial Day Service – requested help from all members
• Camp #158 T-Shirts available for $12.00

• Confederate History Calendars available for $10.00