With winter about half over there are battle re-enactments and a variety of events going on all over the South. There’s something to do or somewhere to go every weekend. The Battle of Rivers Bridge was January 29th & 30^th, the Battle of Aiken is coming up the last weekend in February followed by the Battle for Broxton Bridge the first weekend in March.

With the approach of spring SCV camps in Georgia will begin preparations for Confederate Memorial Day Services in April. Camp #158 officers have already started preplanning for our memorial service, which will be on the 23^rd of April at Magnolia Cemetery. Even though it’s over two months away, there are a multitude of details to work on now to get ready for this important event, and the help of any camp members will be very much appreciated. After having done two Confederate Memorial Day Services as commander, this one shouldn’t be quite as hectic. Of course I have the help and support of a lot of good people that make my job of getting ready for the service much easier.

There’s going to be a final showdown in the state legislature in Atlanta on the flag issue and this will probably be the last chance for us to get the ’56 flag on the ballot in the 2006 election. State Representative Tim Bearden from Carrollton introduced House Bill 15, which calls for a statewide referendum to allow Georgia's citizens to choose between the current state flag and our 1956 flag. If approved by the legislature, this bill would give us our long awaited vote. This would finally put the issue to rest. A lot of us are ready for the flag issue to be over and there’s only one way for that to happen – let us vote! Each of us must do our part to ensure we get that opportunity vote. It is vitally important that all of us do four things that will help make this vote a reality. 1) Write and/or call Governor Perdue and let him know that we expect him to support HB15 that will allow us a vote on our ’56 flag; 2) Call your state senator and let it be known that HB15 should be passed. Even though this bill originated in the House, the Senate will have to approve it for it to get to the governor’s desk; 3) Call you state representative and insist that he or she vote in favor of HB15; and 4) Ask your friends, neighbors and relatives to make the same contacts. The legislature and especially the governor do not want to address this issue again. This is a political hot potato that they really want to avoid. If we the people (their constituents) don’t apply pressure on these politicians in the form of calls, letters and emails, they’ll take the politically correct path of least resistance and let HB15 die a slow death in committee. We must do our part to make sure that does NOT happen! I’ll have a list of names and contact information for your state representatives, state senators and also for Governor Perdue at the meeting on Thursday night. We must make a concerted effort to inundate our governor and legislators with requests and firmly demand House Bill 15 be passed into law.

Monday, January 24^th, - Ogeechee Rifles Camp #941 Lee-Jackson Banquet in Statesboro, Georgia, at Statesboro First United Methodist Church

Saturday, February 5^th - Annual Alexander H. Stephens Birthday Jubilee at Alexander H. Stephens State Park in Crawfordville, Georgia

Sunday, February 6^th - Sergeant Berry G. Benson Memorial Birthday Service in North Augusta, South Carolina, at Sunset Hill Cemetery

Commander: Nick Posey

Lt Commander: Ron Udell

2^nd Lt Commander: David Powell

Adjutant: Perry Herron

Treasurer: Lee Herron

Chaplain: Tony Carr

Judge Advocate: Stan Scritchfield

Quartermaster: Ron Udell

Historian: Ben Creech

Camp Surgeon: Dr. Robert Gordon

Sergeant-at-Arms: Henry Gilmer (interim)

Thursday, February 10^th - The next SCV Camp #158 Meeting will be at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant, at 7:00 p.m. Our Program Speaker will be Mr. Milledge Murray and he will speak on "The Last Order of General Robert E. Lee."

Saturday, February 12^th - Camp #158 will set up two booths at the Barnyard Flea Market, one for selling Confederate memorabilia and another for doing living history presentations. The flea market is located on Doug Barnard Parkway (Highway 56 Spur to airport) at Bobby Jones Expressway.

Saturday, February 19^th - SCV Camp #158’s next Adopt-A-Highway Litter Pickup: Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot across the street from the Miyabi Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse Restaurant on Augusta West Parkway. It’ll take less than an hour to cleanup the litter along this roadway.

Saturday, February 19^th – SCV Camp #158 members to replace flags in Blythe, Georgia.

Friday, February 25^th thru Sunday, February 27^th – Battle of Aiken: The gate opens at 9:00 a.m., and the battle reenactment will take place each day at 2:00 p.m. near the site of the original battle at Confederate Park just north of Aiken, South Carolina. The site for this event is located in Aiken County in South Carolina off of Interstate 20 (Exit 18) on SC Highway 19. Barnard E. Bee Camp #1575, Sons of Confederate Veterans, sponsors the Battle of Aiken. The Website link is:

http://www.battleofaiken.org/index.htm

Friday, March 4^th thru Sunday, March 6^th – Battle for Broxton Bridge: The battle re-enactment will be Saturday and Sunday at Broxton Bridge Plantation. The gates open daily at 9:00 a.m. Camps will be open Saturday and Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Re-enactment battles are at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. This event is being co-sponsored by the Salt Ketchers Chapter, Order of Confederate Rose, and the 32nd Georgia Artillery. The Broxton Bridge Plantation entrance is on US Highway 601, 19.7 miles south from the intersection of US Highway 78. Broxton Bridge Plantation is on Highway 601 about 13 miles north of Hampton, SC, and about 5 miles south of Ehrhardt, SC. The Website link is http://www.scocr.org/SaltKetchers/battle2005.htm

Thursday, March 10^th - SCV Camp #158 Meeting at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant, at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 2^nd - SCV Camp #158 members to repair step on Confederate monument on Broad Street.

Saturday, April 9^th – The annual National Confederate Memorial Day Service at Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia, will be held under the carving on the Memorial Lawn, in front of the Reflecting Pool, rain or shine, at 10:00 am.

2005 Confederate History Calendars & 2005 Civil War Navies Calendars will be available at the next camp meeting. These calendars are $12.00 each. They sell for $15.00 in the SCV Catalog + $3.50 shipping & handling. $12.00 is a very good price for these calendars.

SCV Camp #158 T-Shirts will be available for $12.00 each ($13.00 for size XXL). Sizes available are 1-Medium, 3-Large, 3-XLarge & 3-XXLarge.

Camp #158 Business Cards: Cards can be picked up at the next meeting for members needing camp business cards to give out for recruiting or for inviting guests to the monthly camp meetings.

B/G E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 Website:

http://www.eporteralexander.homestead.com/Index.html

Georgia Division SCV Homepage: http://www.georgiascv.com/

SCV International Head Quarters Website: http://www.scv.org/

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Luke 12:4-5

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

"Tolerance is the virtue of men who no longer believe in anything." - G.K. Chesterton

He is an epistle, written of God and designed by God to teach the people of this country that earthly success is not the criterion of merit, nor the measure of true greatness. -Edward Clifford Gordon on Robert E. Lee, June 1869

The Confederate soldier was a venerable old man, a youth, a child, a preacher, a farmer, merchant, student, statesman, orator, father, brother, husband, son – the wonder of the world, the terror of his foes! – From "Reminiscences of a Private," by Carlton McCarthy published in 1882.

It may truly be said of the Southern women of 1861 – 1865 that the simple narrative of their life and work unfolds a record of achievement, endurance, and self-sacrificing devotion that should be revealed and recognized as a splendid inspiration to men and women everywhere. – Matthew Page Andrews (1879 – 1947)

"Confronted by advancing regiments of enemy infantry and cavalry, Colonel Forrest instead seized the initiative and with 350 troopers – the rear guard of the army – charged the infantry, wrecked their line, and sent them in confusion against their cavalry. With the enemy advance shattered, Colonel Forrest personally led a vigorous pursuit of the fugitives, racing far ahead of his men and stopping only when suddenly faced with a brigade of enemy infantry drawn up in line of battle. Alone and surrounded by dozens of horsemen shouting, ‘Kill him!’ and ‘Shoot that man!’, Colonel Forrest fought desperately to cut his way free. Despite his mount mortally wounded and himself desperately hurt with a bullet lodged against his spine, Colonel Forrest shot his way to safety with his service revolver, providing his men with an outstanding example of the type of personal bravery that would characterize his actions throughout the war." (Taken from the book Valor in Gray, by Gregg S. Clemmer, page 191)

-- President Jefferson Davis

Wig Wag - February 2005 Edition