April is shaping up to be an extremely busy month for Southern heritage groups across the South and especially for Camp #158. On April 1^st a group of members from Camp #158 traveled to Atlanta in support of the Heritage Rally held at the capitol. The purpose of this rally was to show the legislature that we’re not going away anytime soon and that we will be persistent in working to get a fair vote that includes our ’56 flag that we were so deceptively denied by cowardly politicians. Work will begin the first Saturday in April to cleanup the Confederate sections in Magnolia Cemetery. Another workday at Magnolia Cemetery is planned for Saturday, April 17^th. I would ask that our active camp members continue to support the cleanup efforts at the cemetery as they’ve done in the past. If we have enough help we can cleanup the Confederate sections in two and a half hours. Please consider giving a small amount of your time once a month for this worthy cause. We will be having our camp meeting on April 8^th at the Warren Road Community Center on 300 Warren Road. April is one of two months during the year that we can’t meet at Sconyers Restaurant, which is due to our meeting occurring during Masters week. (Sconyers doesn’t allow any groups to use their banquet rooms during the Masters.) We will not have a program speaker at our April meeting, which should make it a considerably shorter meeting. Two important issues will be discussed at this meeting. One of the items will be the discussion of the details of our camp’s participation in the Hunley Funeral Procession in Charleston on the 17^th of April. The other item is the discussion of our upcoming Confederate Memorial Day Service on Saturday, April 24^th, and the work that needs to be done to prepare for it. As I’ve stated in previous articles, we had excellent member participation and outstanding attendance at our service last year. We need to strive to increase attendance at our Confederate Memorial Day Service and make this event bigger and better each year. This is our most important event of the year. This is the one day designated each year for the sole purpose of honoring our Confederate ancestors who made tremendous sacrifices fighting for a noble cause that they believed would result in them having their own Confederate States of America. Though this was not to be, the cause still lives on in the hearts of all true Southerners. Every active member of Camp #158 should plan on attending this memorial service and invite friends and family, too. Come out and honor the memory of your ancestors and pay tribute to the over 900 Confederate soldiers resting in Magnolia Cemetery. For those members that aren’t active in the camp, for whatever reason, if you attend only one camp event a year this should be the one you support. As Pro-Southern syndicated columnist Charlie Reese once said, "You have no reason to be ashamed of your ancestors. See to it that they have no reason to be ashamed of you!"

We welcome new members Stanley W. Scritchfield, II, and Vince Gilmer. Stan petitioned the camp for membership and was accepted at the March 11^th meeting. Vince transferred from the Major General Ambrose R. Wright Camp #1914 in Evans, Georgia. We extend a special welcome to these new members and it’s great to have both of you as members of Brig. General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158.

Ron Udell served as an honor guard on Sunday, 3/7, in North Charleston for the crewmembers of Con federate submarine CSS Hunley.

Ben Creech, one of our Camp #158 reenactors, participated in the reenactment of the Battle of Broxton Bridge on Saturday, 3/6, & Sunday, 3/7. Ron Udell, another Camp #158 reenactor, participated in the battle on Saturday, 3/6. Camp #158 member Lee Herron attended the battle on Sunday, 3/7.

SCV Camp #158 Adopt-A-Highway Litter Pickup Project – On Saturday, March 20^th, seven camp members and Katie Udell participated in the cleanup of Augusta West Parkway, which is located between Wheeler Road and Wrightsboro Road. It took about an hour to complete the cleanup. Camp #158 thanks Katie Udell (Ron's daughter) for coming out and staying with the vehicles and watching the flags and Camp #158 Banner (see below) while the camp members were out cleaning up the roadway. We thank Katie for her participation in Camp #158 activities. Members that participated were Carl Tommy Miller, Sr., Lee Herron, Stan Scritchfield, David Powell, Woody Highsmith, Ron Udell and Tim Hardin.

On behalf of Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158, we thank new camp member Stan Scritchfield for purchasing, at his own expense, a 4ft X 8ft banner with our camp name and SCV logo on it that will be used to display at festivals and events participated in by the camp. This banner was displayed for the first time at the Adopt-A-Highway Litter Pickup on Saturday, March 20^th.

Five of our camp members made an early morning trip to North Charleston, SC, on Saturday, 4/3, to serve again as honor guards for the last crew lost on Confederate submarine CSS Hunley on February 17^th, 1864, after sinking the USS Housatonic. Serving as honor guards were Ron Udell, David Powell, Ben Creech, Fred Bussey and Carl Tommy Miller, Sr.

April 3^rd was Camp #158’s first official workday at Magnolia Cemetery in preparation for our Confederate Memorial Day Service on April 24^th. Even though it was a small crew, we appreciate the dedicated efforts of Tom Stafford, Terry Bowers, Tim Hardin and Woody Highsmith. (Perry Herron also worked at the cemetery on Saturday, March 20^th.)

In his recent book, Myths & Realities of American Slavery, John C. Perry, introduces thirty-one "Slavery Facts." These are summary statements regarding some aspect of slavery. To many they may be very surprising, but they are true. For the most part, each "Slavery Fact’ is an undisputedly true "nugget" of information about American slavery. This is the sixth and last in a series of thirty-one "Slavery Facts."

31) Blacks in the Union army served in segregated units and were paid less money than white soldiers. Blacks in the Confederate army served in integrated units and although not all were paid, when they were, they were paid the same as white soldiers.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 1 John 3:21-22

"Charleston and its defenders will occupy the most conspicuous place in the history of the War, and it shall be as much glory as I shall wish if I can inscribe myself as one of its defenders." Remark by George Dixon upon becoming commander of the CSS Hunley.

"The Constitution is not an instrument for government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government, lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." -- Patrick Henry

"I’m killed boys, but fight it out." These were Patrick Cleburne’s last words at the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864.

The Official Monthly Newsletter of

Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Camp #158