Alamo City Guards Camp #1325. FROM HEADQUARTERS, Russ Lane. June 2016 DEO VINDICE!

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1 June 2016 Alamo City Guards Camp #1325 FROM HEADQUARTERS, Russ Lane Let s all keep working to help the SCV continue to grow. If you are aware of any recruiting opportunities being held this Spring and Summer, please notify 2Lt Commander Dave Kunz at dave_kunz@hotmail.com, He has been asked to find opportunities for us to educate and recruit in surrounding communities. Recruiters get credit for new members, new Cadets, new Friends, reinstating members and transfers. Consider giving a membership as a gift to your eligible family members who are not already members. Current recruiting results are on page 6. Our speaker last month was Nancy Hodges who provided a presentation on her family Living behind the Lines in Virginia during the War. Our speaker in June will be our very own Scott Woodard. Woody is an historian in the Office of Medical History at the US Army Medical Center of History and Heritage. He will portray a Contract Surgeon and talk to us about Medicine during the WBTS; A View from Both Sides. Let 1Lt Commander Raymond Reeves, defiantray53@gmail.com know if you can make a presentation or recommend someone for future meetings. Submit any changes or corrections to your contact information to the Adjutant, Jim Evetts, at jevetts@satx.rr.com. He will ensure that the Texas Division and national HQ are informed so that you continue to receive the Confederate Veteran magazine and other information. Remember dues become payable in July. Look for your notice in the mail and send in your dues as soon as possible, Ten of us are scheduled to attend the Texas Division Reunion to be held in Kerrville 3-5 June. The National Reunion will be in Texas (Richardson) July and it is an election year. Details and forms for are available on the Texas Division web site, Notify the Commander if you plan on attending these events so he can insure that you are recorded on the Credentials Form. The 6 th Texas re-enactors are applying to be included in the Independence Day Parade in Leon Valley. We plan to march or ride a truck/trailer with them. Details will be provided by when finalized. This parade is much shorter than the Flambeau Parade, so more people should be able to participate. Several of us travelled to Georgetown to support Compatriot Richard Brewer and his family in a marker dedication for his Confederate ancestor, George W. Glasscock, Jr. There were three other SCV Camps, family and friends in attendance. It would have been nice if more of us could have attended. We continue to seek ideas on worthy projects that we may want to support financially. Submit your ideas and details to the Commander at alamocamp@yahoo.com. We will conduct our final trash pick-up under the Adopt-a-Highway Program on 25 June. Details will be provided by . DEO VINDICE!

2 Page 2 June 2016 Confederate Soldier Song "Johnny Reb" Scott C. Woodard Johnny Horton gained fame as a country music/folk singer during the historical ballad musical genre in the 1950 and 1960s with hits such as North to Alaska and The Battle of New Orleans. You may also be familiar with his ballad Johnny Reb. But do you know the background of that song and its writer, Merle Kilgore? Wyatt Merle Kilgore ( ) was born in Oklahoma where his great-grandfather moved in 1901, but he was raised in Louisiana. As a youngster he developed a close family relationship with Hank Williams and eventually managed Hank Williams Jr. He co-wrote Ring of Fire with June Carter and began working with Johnny Cash serving as his best man at their wedding. So, what about that song? Did it have any special meaning to his family? Willis Solomon Kilgore ( ), Merle s greatgrandfather, enlisted into Company B, 9th Georgia Infantry in 1861 at the age of 14. However, he was medically discharged later that year for an illness. Upon his recover back home, he re-enlisted into Captain Shoemate s Company of Georgia Cavalry in In February 1865, he was captured while scouting and sent to a Federal Army prison in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He remained a prisoner of war until May 12, 1865 when he was released upon taking the oath of allegiance. In his sworn testimony for an Oklahoma Confederate Pension in 1922, he stated I never deserted the Confederate cause, but remained true and faithful to the last. Willis S. Kilgore s Confederate Pension Application, 1922 (continued on page 3)

3 Page 3 June 2016 (continued from page 2) Willis Kilgore s fight did not end in He fought the bureaucracy of the United States War Department which claimed to have documentation showing he deserted and took the oath before Lee surrendered. With complications of erroneous record keeping misspelled last name, different middle name, two different enlistments (one infantry and one cavalry), Willis had an uphill battle to prove his honorable service. The state commissioner was willing to have Mr. Kilgore explain the discrepancies, which he did in writing. He was granted the pension, and thus, proved his case to Colonel Sneed, the commissioner. All this information has been deduced from primary source documents found in the Oklahoma Confederate Pension Records digital archives - pensions. I hope this will correct the records found in several family trees within Ancestry.com. Always, always, always, read the primary source yourself. Don t rely upon the writing of secondary sources. Private Willis S. Kilgore served honorably. Willis S. Kilgore, fox hunter Willis S. Kilgore (center, holding dogs) and family Message to an Ancestry.com Member Subject: Willis Solomon Kilgore ( ) Ma'am, I was doing research on the Confederate ancestry of Merle Kilgore ( ) and found you had references to Willis' military service. Your annotation cites other trees in stating he deserted. I hope my investigation will correct the record. He was given a Confederate pension for honorable service in He addressed the Federal records showing he deserted and explained to the commissioner for Oklahoma the exact circumstances of his capture and status as a prisoner of war. The primary source documents used in this inquiry are located at Please feel free to contact me for any further information. Scott C. Woodard

4 Page 4 June 2016 Johnny Reb Words by Merle Kilgore, Johnny Reb Saw you a marchin' with Robert E. Lee You held your head high tryin' to win the victory You fought for your folks but you didn't die in vain Even though you lost they speak highly of your name ' Cause you fought all the way Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb I heard your teeth chatter from the cold outside *Saw the bullets open up the wounds in your side I saw the young boys as they began to fall You had tears in your eyes 'cause you couldn't help at all But you fought all the way Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb I saw General Lee raise a saber in his hand Heard the cannons roar as you made your last stand You marched into battle with the Grey and the Red When the cannon smoke cleared it took days to count the dead 'Cause you fought all the way Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb When Honest Abe heard the news about your fall The folks thought he'd call a great victory ball But he asked the band to play the song Dixie For you Johnny Reb and all that you believed Private Willis S. Kilgore, latter years, in full UCV uniform. 'Cause you fought all the way Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb Yeah you fought all the way Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb, Johnny Reb Yeah you fought all the way Johnny Reb *[Editor: Willis testified he was wounded in his side too!]

5 Page 5 June 2016 I will commence to whoop up any y all that don t go to a reunion this year!

6 Page 6 June 2016 "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we submit the vindication of the Cause for which we fought; to your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles he loved and which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Lt. General Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General, United Confederate Veterans, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1906 Camp Officers Commander Russ Lane, alamocamp@yahoo.com 1Lt Commander Raymond Reeves, defiantray53@gmail.com 2Lt Commander Dave Kunz, dave_kunz@hotmail.com Adjutant Jim Evetts, jevetts@satx.rr.com Past Commander Rudy Krisch III, rkrisch@sbcglobal.net Genealogist Joyce Manuel, southern_heart_ranch@juno.com Judge Advocate Dick Evins, evins403@aol.com Chaplain John Carleton, navybee355@gmail.com Color Sergeant Scott Davis, historicalone@hotmail.com Web Master Michael Climo, mclimo@ca.rr.com Communications Officer Russ Lane, alamocamp@yahoo.com Newsletter Editor Scott Woodard, scott.c.woodard92@gmail.com RECRUITER OF THE YEAR STATUS Total recruited since 1 August 2015 (New, Reinstated, Cadets, Transfers and Friends): 42 Communications Officer (Not eligible for the award): 16 Adjutant (Not eligible for the award): 5 David Calandra 4 Charles Manley III 1 Marc Mabrito 2 Ron Rakun 1 Dave Kunz 2 Mason Deering 1 Rudy Krisch 2 Hollis Rutledge 1 Joyce Manuel 2 Egon Tausch 1 Bill Manuel 2 Raymond Reeves 1 Scott Woodard 1 Upcoming Events 2 June, Camp Meeting, Medicine during the WBTS; A View from Both Sides 3-5 June, Texas Division Reunion, Kerrville, TX 25 June, Final Adopt-a-Highway Program trash pick-up 4 July, Independence Day Parade, Leon Valley, TX 7 July, Camp Meeting, "Brazilian Confederates" July, National SCV Reunion, Richardson, TX Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at Luby s Cafeteria, 911 N. Main at I 35 South in San Antonio. Visitors are always welcome. We meet to eat and visit at 6 PM; meetings start at 7 PM. Bring a family member, a friend or another potential recruit. Remember, the Confederate Battle Flag is the internationally recognized symbol of resistance to tyranny. Fly it proudly and defend it!