february 2011 Headquarters, Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668 Near High Point

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1 Sons of Confederate Veterans PO Box 5641 High Point, NC Ronald Lee Perdue, Commander WINNER OF THE TAZWELL HARGROVE DISTINGUISHED CAMP AWARD february 2011 Headquarters, Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668 Near High Point The next meeting of the Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, representing the North Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, will be: Tuesday - February 8th, 2011 at 7:00 pm at Gordy s Restaurant, 2410 N. Main Street in High Point, North Carolina - Arrive anytime after 6 pm if you would like to join us for supper. Plan to join us as we welcome Compatriot Gregg Cheek representing the SCV Yadkin Gray Eagle Camp 1765 and the 28 th North Carolina Troops Reactivated. He will share his program entitled U.S. Mints in Southern Hands. This presentation will cover the interesting history of the Charlotte, Dahlonega, & New Orleans Mints. We would like to thank Dr. Richard B. McCaslin for sharing the Confederate History of High Point in our Guest Column this month. Dr. McCaslin is an accomplished author and historian who had supported the history of our community during his years at High Point University. He is now a Professor and the Chair of the History Department at the University of North Texas. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening. Please bring visitors to share the memory of our ancestors as we honor the proud history of our Southern Heritage To the Guardianship of their Memory, Ronald Lee Perdue Commander

2 Calendar of Events February 8 th Meeting Compatriot Gregg Cheek, Speaker on US Mints in Southern Hands February 19, th Anniversary Event Confederate Heritage Sesquicentennial Rally in Montgomery, Alabama. March 05, 2011 Event Annual NC Confederate Flag Day at the State Capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina. March 8 th Meeting NC Division Commander Tom Smith, The Connection between Relic Hunting & Preserving our Confederate Heritage with update of Division activities. Then call us Rebels, if you will, we glory in the name; for bending under unjust laws, and swearing faith to an unjust cause, we count as greater shame. Richmond Daily Dispatch, May 12, 1862 This Month in Confederate History Feb 03, 1807 Birthday of General Joseph E. Johnston Feb 06, 1833 Birthday of General J.E.B. Stuart Feb 11, 1812 Birthday, Vice President Alexander Stephens Feb 18, 1861 Inauguration of the Provisional Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Montgomery Feb 18, 1862 Confederate Congress meets in Richmond Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668 High Point, North Carolina Commander- Ronald Lee Perdue 1 st Lt. Commander Charles C. Crowell III, MD 2 nd Lt. Commander- Larry Brandon Camp Adjutant - Todd Southard Camp Chaplain- Rev. Herman White Color Sergeant- Ed Hawley Camp Historian- Phillip Dedmon Camp Judge Advocate-Harold Crews, Attorney Camp Quartermaster- Jim Pope Camp Surgeon - Charles C. Crowell, IV Camp Treasurer- Ed Julian Camp Communications Officer- Craig Hopkins Division Chaplain- Rev. Herman White Division Surgeon- Charles Crowell III, MD North Piedmont Brigade Commander- Keith Jones Past Camp Commander s Committee - Rusty Van Landingham, Ken Norman, Tom Corns, Rev. Herman White, and Keith Jones FROM THE COMMANDERS TENT is published monthly by the Sons of Confederate Veterans Lt. F. C. Frazier Camp 668 High Point, NC. Provide address to editor for free color online version and mailed black and white copies available for Donations, Members, and Sponsors on request. Newsletter Rates are $18 per year for Ancestor Memorial Ads, $24 per year for Business Advertisements and Donations which covers printing and postage. Address all correspondence, comments, or change of address to our editor, Ron Perdue, , to ronaldleeperdue@yahoo.com or mail to PO Box 5641, High Point, NC All material not clearly identified from other sources is copyrighted by the Lt. F. C. Frazier Camp 668 and may not be reproduced without written permission. We reserve the right to not accept any advertisement or article we feel is detrimental to our Southern Heritage, Honor of our Ancestors, or the Cause for Southern Independence. You are welcomed to visit our website: maintained by Past Commander Keith Jones, Webmaster and our new Facebook page maintained by Communications Officer Craig Hopkins. You are also welcomed to contact Camp at fraziercamp668@yahoo.com Lt. F.C. Frazier Felix Cicero Frazier was born on January 15, 1838, the son of Allen M. and Nellie Burton Frazier. He passed away on May 8, 1916 and is buried at the old Prospect Church in High Point, North Carolina. His fellow Confederate soldiers conducted the last rites at his burial. On July 7, 1862 Felix Cicero Frazier enlisted in Halifax County, NC as a private in the "Wilmington Horse Artillery," later designated 1st Company A, 36th Regiment North Carolina Troops, (2nd Regiment North Carolina Artillery). On April 30, 1863 he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to Company A, 10th Battalion North Carolina Heavy Artillery. He rose to the rank of First Lieutenant in September- October of Frazier's first involvement in the war came on December 13-14, 1862 with his battery in battle around Kinston, NC. On December 17, 1862 at the Battle of Goldsboro Bridge, they were successful in driving the Federals back. After assignment to Company A, 10th Battalion, Frazier was likely among some friends he had grown up with men from Davidson, Randolph, and Guilford Counties. This company saw very little action from April of 1863 through December 10th when it was ordered to Fort Caswell in Brunswick County. Lt. Frazier described the events in Clark's Histories of the Regiments. "The battalion was at Fort Caswell some months in While there the Ad-Vance, State blockade runner, grounded on the bar, off the fort one and a half miles. The writer, Sergeant Harris and fifteen men were sent aboard to keep the Federal gunboats off; a storm coming up, we were not relieved for three days. The steamer was loaded down with stores for our North Carolina soldiers; we did not know for some time whether we were going to Hart's Island or 'Davy Jones' locker.' While out there a blockade-runner passed by and entered the Cape Fear at 10 a.m. Governor Vance presented the writer with a suit of English grey, a small fortune at the time." There were other assignments at Forts Campbell and Anderson in Brunswick County until November 24, 1864 when they were sent to Georgia to reinforce Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's command in resisting Sherman's advance on Savannah. After being moved around to various positions around Savannah, Frazier was moved up the Central Railroad forty-five miles towards Macon, GA. At a place called Jenks' Bridge, Frazier and twenty-four other men were taken prisoner after an engagement with some of Sherman's advance troops. Frazier was held prisoner at Hilton Head, S.C. for two months along with 160 other Confederate officers on "retaliation." Frazier described this as meaning "one pint of corn meal a day and some pickles, no meat, no fire in the buildings, meal old and bitter, bran and bugs in it." He also stated that "one third of the officers could not walk when moved north to Fort Delaware." He was paroled on June 17, A final note of tribute to Felix Cicero Frazier was paid him by Charles S. Powell who served as a 2nd Lieutenant and Adjutant of Company B, 10th Battalion, N.C. Heavy Artillery. While writing a piece for Clark's histories of the N.C. Regiments, he stated Felix Cicero Frazier was "the best gunner in the army." On January 14, 1992 the Lt. F. C. Frazier Camp 668 in High Point, North Carolina was chartered by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in tribute to Lt. Frazier and all of those who wore Gray. Lt. F. C. Frazier Camp 668 North Carolina Division Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 2

3 The Charge "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit 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 which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish." Lt. General Stephen Dill Lee Commander General United Confederate Veterans New Orleans, Louisiana April 25, 1906 We invite you to a meeting Second Tuesday of each month NEW LOCATION Gordy s Restaurant High Point, North Carolina We welcome you to attend one of our meetings and join us in the study of history, remembrance of our ancestors, honoring our Confederate veterans, and the preservation of our heritage. Our guest speakers focus on: the culture, the heritage, and the history of our ancestors. The inspirational and motivational programs are very interesting and promote the understanding of the true history of the South. The Sons of Confederate Veterans is comprised of people just like you. We make positive contributions to society and serve our respective communities throughout the United States. We are proud of our Heritage and of the many contributions made to the fabric of society by our ancestors. We believe history should be seen, taught, and understood not removed from view, disparaged, or deliberately manipulated. This Historical Honor Society was established in 1896 by direct heirs of the United Confederate Veterans. We have focused on programs designed to preserve truth in history, protect the good names of our ancestors, and honor our Southern Heritage. The Frazier Camp is in the North Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and is not affiliated with any other group, and we are non-political. The Frazier Camp rejects any group whose actions demean or distort the image of the Confederate soldier s good name, or their reasons for fighting. We do not support, condone, or embrace any group whose philosophy involves racism. Neither do we accept any such persons as members to our organization. Qualification for membership is a male descendant of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederacy. Membership can be obtained through documented genealogy of either direct or collateral family lines. The minimum age for membership is 12. The Frazier Camp invites you to become a part of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. If any help is needed to find a Confederate s military record, we will be glad to assist you. Sesquicentennial Society You are welcome to join the Sons of Confederate Veterans Sesquicentennial Society and support our efforts during the 150 th Anniversary observance of the War Between the States. Our goals are to build historical Confederate Museum for future generations and the following: To promote the observance of the activities leading up to, during, and following the War Between the States; To cooperate with and assist national, state, and local organizations with programs and activities suitable for the commemoration; To ensure that any observance of the sesquicentennial of the War Between the States appropriately recognizes the experiences and points of view of the citizens and soldiers of the Confederate States of America; To develop and promote assistance for the development of programs, projects, and activities commemorating the 150 th Anniversary of the War Between the States that have lasting educational value. Please join the proud members of the SCV Sesquicentennial Society and receive your Sesquicentennial Society Medal and Certificate. Visit the website listed above for more details. War between the states 150 th Anniversary Pledge to the North Carolina Flag Salute to the Confederate Flag I salute the Confederate Flag with affection, reverence, and undying devotion to cause for which it stands... I salute the North Carolina Flag and pledge to the Old North State love, loyalty, and faith Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 3

4 Commander s Column The month of February is rich in Southern history as we observe the Sesquicentennial of the War for Southern Independence in The Confederate States of America was founded on February 8 th, years ago this month in Montgomery, Alabama. The Convention of Seceded States adopted a provisional constitution forming the Confederate government. While several candidates for the presidency was considered: Howell Cobb, Robert Barnwell Rhett, Alexander Stevens, Robert Toombs, and William Yancey, the following day the Convention selected Jefferson Davis as the first President of the Confederacy. They also selected Alexander Stephens, both pro-union and a friend of Abraham Lincoln, as the Vice-President. Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the Provisional President of the Confederate States on February 18 th, On February 19 th, Jefferson Davis appointed his Cabinet including: Robert Toombs as Secretary of State, Christopher Memminger as Secretary of Treasury, Leroy Walker as Secretary of War, Judah P. Benjamin as Attorney General, and J.H. Regan as Postmaster General. The Sons of Confederate Veterans with other organizations and citizens plan to commemorate this historic event, February 19 th with the Confederate Heritage Rally 2011 in Montgomery, Alabama. The North Carolina Division plans to be well represented in this Sesquicentennial Event in the First Capitol of the Confederacy. If you are Southern, you will be there: is the event s slogan We were disappointed that our January meeting had to be cancelled because of inclement weather conditions. Safety was our main concern for all. The good news despite missing our monthly fellowship is that our guest speaker, Jack Marlar, has been rescheduled for our August meeting. Yet, I could not help but recall that the soldiers serving in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Second Revolutionary War during , World War I, World War II, and the Korean War did not have the convenience of cancelling plans when they experienced severe winter weather. Let s share a moment of silence for these brave men who honorably served to preserve our freedom. Let s not forget those who served our country in these and so many wars and especially those who are serving in our military today. We previously reported our camp flag disappeared a few years ago and has never recovered. At our December meeting Lt. Commander Crowell announced that the replacement flag had been ordered. In January we were blessed with a new anonymous Aide de Camp with a generous donation to pay for our new camp flag. This new member of the Confederate Secret Service also donated the funds for a new U.S. flag, North Carolina Republic flag, and Confederate Battle flag for our events and meetings. The Frazier Camp would like to express our sincere appreciation for this very generous and thoughtful gift. Frazier Camp representatives attended the Winter Division Executive Council on January 15 th in Wilson. The budget for the General Johnston Statue at Bentonville needs support from the division. We are suggesting that we support this effort with the purchase of a brick representing our camp in the Walk of Honor. You are also welcome to honor any soldier who bravely served the South in the War Between the States in the - Walk of Honor by visiting: The support of the General Johnston Statue Fund would also be a tribute to General Joseph E. Johnston who was born on February 3 rd, He was given command of the Confederate Army in North Carolina by Commanding General Robert E. Lee on February 22, 1865 and assumed that post on February 25, We would also suggest that the Frazier Camp support our local high schools with the SCV Jr. ROTC Award program. The camp can sponsor awards for the students selected by the schools with a Certificate and Hunley Medal. The Jr. ROTC program is a great way to support our community, but we need to identify local high schools that participate in the Jr. ROTC program. This would give us the opportunity to support young people s interest in their history. The survival of our heritage during the Bicentennial of the War for Southern Independence fifty years from now is threatened if we fail to take action. These next generations of descendants are the only hope that the sacrifices of our ancestors are not forgotten. Please make plans to attend our future meetings because we have some excellent programs scheduled. In our February meeting we welcome Compatriot Gregg Cheek representing the 28 th North Carolina Troops Reactivated and the SCV Yadkin Gray Eagle Camp He will share his program entitled - U.S. Mints in Southern Hands. This presentation will cover the interesting history of the Charlotte, Dahlonega, & New Orleans Mints. In March our North Carolina Division Commander, Tom Smith, will visit and share the connection between relic hunting and preserving our Confederate Heritage with update of Division activities. North Carolina Division Lt. Commander Danny Bolick will share history on Confederate Balloons in April. The scheduled date for our meeting on the second Tuesday of May is also the day North Carolina Confederate Memorial Day is observed on May 10th. We are scheduled to have our annual service at the Oakwood Memorial Park in High Point at the grave of Laura Wesson and the Confederate Section of fifty soldiers who died at the Wayside Hospital in High Point. We invite all to join us at Gordy s Restaurant after the service for fellowship. Our annual North Carolina Confederate Flag Day is scheduled on Saturday, March 5 th in Raleigh. You do not want to miss seeing our flag flying over the State Capitol Building. The service starts at 2 pm with Special Guest Speaker Ronnie Roach. See you on Tuesday evening and God Bless To the Guardianship of their Memory, Our appreciation to Communications Officer Craig Hopkins for his donation of new SCV signs to replace the faded sign on 311 North and the missing sign at Oak Hollow Lake. We would also like to thank Lt. Commander Crowell for volunteering to make the arrangements with the City of High Point for installation. Ronald Lee Perdue Commander Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 4

5 from the Commander s tent Proud Sponsors Best of Class CSA currency holder Publishing SPMC #10691 ANA # Trainmen #13 Remembrance of Your Ancestors Honor Your Southern Heritage Custom Designs and Engraving WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS SINCE 1963! Dixie Outfitters Southern Heritage Store Burlington Outlet Village Exit 145, off I-40/ Corporation Parkway Burlington, NC LT. F.C.FRAZIER CAMP MONTHLY MEETING S SECOND TUESDAY Gordy s Restaurant 2410 North Main Street High Point, North Carolina SUPPER ANYTIME AFTER 6 PM MEETING STARTS AT 7 PM Archdale Church of God 229 Liberty Road (N. C. 62), Archdale, NC Service Schedule: Sunday School 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Sunday Evening 6:30 pm Wednesday 7:30 pm True to the Bible Holiness Preaching and Teaching Crutchfield s Currency Confederate and Southern State Col Crutch Williams CSA SCV Life Member C. Vernon Vallance, Jr. Specializing in North Carolina Currency Buy-Sell-Trade Coins, Collectibles, and Currency Phone: LM- SPMC-NCNA-ANA-BRNA-FUN Archdale Ammo & Arms Specializing in Firearms/Ammo N. Main Street Archdale, NC Phone: Fax: Hours: Tues-Fri 11-7, Sat 9-3 archdaleammo@netzero.com SOUTHERN HERITAGE COLLECTIBLES Sons of Confederate Veterans Corporate Sponsor Col Ron Perdue CSA southernheritagecollectibles@yahoo.com Sesquicentennial Society Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 5

6 Memorials to Our Confederate Ancestors North Carolina Troops First at Bethel Farthest at Gettysburg & Chickamauga Last at Appomattox Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy; that our youth will be trained by Northern school teachers; will learn from Northern school books their version of the War; will be impressed by all the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors, and our maimed veterans as fit subjects for derision. -General Pat Cleburne, CSA In the Memory and Honor of Private Louis Straughn Confederate Veteran Prisoner of War survived Point Lookout Prison The Dedmon Family In Honor of My Confederate Ancestor Great Grandfather Private William Burton Burt Joyner CO. C 43rd REGT. N.C. TROOPS One of nine standing at Appomattox out of 140 at the beginning of the War JAMES JOYNER In Honor of our Confederate Ancestor 2nd Lieutenant Eli Crowell, MD J.C. Speck s Company 57th Regiment North Carolina Troops Charles C. Crowell III, MD Great, Great Grandson Charles C. Crowell IV Great, Great, Great Grandson IN THE MEMORY OF MY GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER PRIVATE J.M. DOUTHIT COMPANY K, 57th REGIMENT NORTH CAROLINA TROOPS C.G. DOUTHIT Tribute to Your Confederate Ancestor Space NOW Available In Honor of My Grandfather PRIVATE DAVID EDWARD WHITE COMPANY G, 21st REGIMENT, N.C. TROOPS WOUNDED AND CAPTURED MAY 25, 1862, AT WINCHESTER, VA. P.O.W. AT FORT McHENRY, MD. CAPTURED AT FISHER S HILL, VA, SEPT. 22,1864. P.O.W. AT POINT LOOKOUT, MARYLAND W. HERMAN WHITE In Honor of Those Brave Men Who Went Before Me, In Praise of their Sacrifice, to Preserve their Freedom, their beloved state, Virginia and the Confederacy Patrick Henry Marshall 2 nd Va. Cavalry, Co. K Albemarle Light Horse Brigade Captured by Col. George Custer, February 1864 Interred at Ft. Delaware, Md., Escaped October 1864 In Awe & Loving Memory, great grandson Graham Benton Patterson, Jr. Yet, preferred to continue fighting, preferring death to capture George Benton Marshall 5 th Virginia Cavalry, Payne's Brigade Wounded November 1964, Hope Mills, VA In Awe & Loving Memory, great grand nephew Graham Benton Patterson, Jr. Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 6

7 Memorials to Our Confederate Ancestors NC 22nd Regiment, Co. H Infantry Stokes Boys *John A. Corn, Private POW Pt. Lookout, MD *Jesse A. Corn, Corporal POW Pt. Lookout, MD *John C. Corn, Private Killed May 31, 1862 Seven Pines *John C. Corn, Jr., Private Wounded twice in battle *Joshua A. Corn, Private Wounded and captured Gettysburg, PA POW Pt. Lookout, MD To Honor the Memory of My Grand-Uncles Private John C. Dough Private Thomas T. Dough Co. B, 8th Regiment N. C. Troops Captured in 1864 and transferred to the Union Prison in Elmira, New York Both men died in 1865 in Elmira Prison and are buried at Elmira, N. Y. W. R. Bill DoWe Commemorative Edition 2010 The Special Issue of From the Commander s Tent, Commemorative Edition 2010 has been released dedicated to Honor the Memory of our Past Commander Jack Perdue and his Memorial Plaque Dedication Service on July 10, 2010 in Stokesdale, NC. Available on PDF by fraziercamp668@yahoo.com To Honor the Memory of My Grandfather Private Chester J. Dough Co. B 8th Regiment N.C. Troops Captured Roanoke Island Feb. 1862, exchanged Captured Pineville April 15, 1865 Paroled April 27th (parents died) W. R. Bill DoWe "All that the South has ever desired was the Union as established by our forefathers should be preserved and that the government as originally organized should be administered in purity and truth." --- General Robert E. Lee, CSA If [the Declaration of Independence] justifies the secession from the British empire of 3,000,000 of colonists in 1776, we do not see why it would not justify the secession of 5,000,000 of Southrons from the Federal Union in New York Tribune, December 17, 1860 Tribute to Your Confederate Ancestor Space NOW Available Booker T. Washington, America s great Black-American Educator wrote in 1910, quote The first white people in America, certainly the first in the South to exhibit their interest in the reaching of the Negro and saving his soul through the medium of the Sunday-school were Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. In Memory of Past-Commander Jack Perdue In Honor of our 2 nd Great-Grandfather Jehu Jackson Perdue Co. C, 45 th Madison Greys, NC Troops Confederate States of America Ronald Lee Perdue In honor of my Pegram ancestors General John Pegram, Major James West Pegram, Jr., Col. William Ransom Johnson Pegram, Captain John Cargill Pegram, Captain Robert Baker Pegram, Captain Richard G. Crater Pegram, Pvt. Baker M. Pegram, Pvt. Demsey Gray Pegram, Pvt. Elijah S. Pegram, Pvt. Joseph Pegram, Pvt. Jacob Yances Pegram, Pvt. Samuel A Pegram, Pvt. William A. Pegram, General Peter Burwell Starke, Lt. Edwin B. Starke & Gen. William Edward Starke. Ronald Lee Perdue Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 7

8 Guest Column Confederate History in High Point Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 did not receive any recorded votes in High Point and did not carry any state below the Mason- Dixon Line, but he won the presidential race. Amid the turmoil generated by his election among Southerners who urged secession, Editor James Moore of the High Point Reporter on December 13, 1860, asked his "readers to think before they act." In 1865 Moore's press was sold to settle unpaid debts, an ironic symbol of how the war he tried to avert had affected High Point. Moore established the Reporter, the first newspaper in High Point, in early His office, with its press, was located on the upper floor of a store owned by W. O. Jones. Throughout 1860 Moore's editorials reflected the majority sentiment of not only High Point, but also Guilford County. High Point overwhelmingly voted against John W. Ellis in 1858, though that secessionist did win the governor's race that year. Congressman John A. Gilmer of the Fifth District, which included Guilford County, distinguished himself by his stand against secession in the United States House of Representatives. Moore was not alone even after the election of Lincoln in urging his readers to "keep cool." Former governor John Motley Morehead, a Greensboro resident, was one of five North Carolina delegates who attended a peace conference in Washington during February That same month, Guilford County cast 2,771 votes against and only 113 votes for a proposal to permit a convention to consider the secession of North Carolina, a proposition that failed to pass by only 651 votes statewide. It did indeed appear that High Pointers were heeding Moore's advice not to "be led into any rash movement." The firing on Fort Sumter at Charleston and its aftermath swept aside most of the reservations about secession held by the residents of High Point. After the fort surrendered, Lincoln called for volunteers to suppress the rebellion. Unwilling to assist the Federal government against its sister Southern states, North Carolina seceded on May 20, 1861, and became one of the Confederate States of America. By that time several companies of troops had already organized in Guilford County in response to a request by Governor Ellis for soldiers to defend the state. The citizens of High Point clearly demonstrated their break with the counsel of Editor Moore after the first battle at Manassas in July 1861, when a flagpole was placed near the depot and a crowd of several hundred watched as a Confederate flag was raised. Once committed, the people of High Point strongly supported the Confederate war effort. Before the Civil War ended, eight companies of enlisted men and a few dozen officers from Guilford County served in seven North Carolina infantry regiments. Among the latter was the "Bloody 54th," grimly distinguished for its casualties during hard service as part of Robert E. Lee's army. At home in High Point a training camp near the depot hosted at least three regiments before it closed in November 1861 after a measles epidemic. The town served as a shipping point for local goods, which travelled to distant points along the railroad, and community businessmen experienced a small boom. A barrel factory was converted to make gunstocks, while other companies produced iron, firearms, hats, shoes, saltpeter, and ink. Confederate Hospital in High Point Laura Wesson was nineteen years of age when she arrived with her parents at High Point in early 1865 enroute to join her fiance in Charleston, South Carolina. Told that Union troops blocked their path, the travelers stayed in High Point and Laura became a nurse for Confederate soldiers at the Barbee House, a local hotel that served as a hospital. Casualties from battles in North Carolina during March 1865 overflowed the Barbee House. Smallpox patients were sent to a "pesthouse" outside of town with one nurse, Laura. Sadly, in April 1865 she became one of the last inmates to die of smallpox at the pesthouse. Laura's death was a tragic climax to the efforts of people in High Point to care for wounded and sick soldiers during the Civil War. William G. Barbee had purchased his hotel in November 1859 from the estate of Jeremiah Piggott. The latter had built the fourstory brick structure, which had forty-four rooms, near the depot at the corner of present-day High and Elm streets. The new owner gently evicted a female school, then remodeled by April 1860 and reopened for business. Just three years later, in the summer of 1863, the hotel was designated as one of many wayside hospitals, which provided a place for sick and wounded soldiers to rest while traveling by railroad between the larger permanent military hospitals. On September 1, 1863, James L. Ragan of the 17th North Carolina Infantry became the first patient admitted to the Barbee House. Records kept by the staff indicate that a total of 5,795 soldiers stayed there or at other sites such as the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in town. Barbee, his wife and two maiden sisters led the volunteers, including Laura, who cared for this large number of inmates. Colonel W. W. Ward of the 9th Tennessee Cavalry, in a diary published by Randall B. Rosenburg, noted that one of the sisters was quite formidable, weighing more than three hundred pounds, but she proved generous with scarce luxuries such as buttermilk. The grateful colonel also wrote that he thought his host, Barbee, was a "very clever man." The end of the war brought unexpected excitement to the Barbee House. Union cavalry raided High Point on April 10, 1865, and burned the depot. The flames threatened the hotel, but the patients were moved to a nearby field while a bucket brigade kept the roof wet. A few weeks later, Varina Howell Davis, wife of the refugee president of the Confederacy, paid a short visit to the Barbee House during her own trip south in search of a refuge. Jefferson Davis travelled separately from his wife and children to ensure their safety, but he also briefly stopped at the hotel when he came through High Point several days later. The Barbee House, later known both as the Bellevue and the Biltmore, has been torn down, but Laura's body and those of fifty Confederate soldiers who died in High Point during the Civil War still lie in the southeast corner of Oakwood Cemetery. Barbee provided for their reinterment after the war in what was then the town cemetery. A large white monument marks the site, together with a small white headstone for each soldier and flagstones for Laura. In 1936 the Laura Wesson chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a stone marker with a bronze tablet at the entrance to a tree-shaded trail that leads to the plot where fifty-one strangers, united by tragedy, share a final resting place in High Point. Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 8

9 The Civil War Comes Home to High Point The Civil War came home to High Point on April 11, Before breakfast on that memorable day, fifteen-year-old Henry Sechrest, who was working in the family garden on Main Street, saw blue-clad riders quietly emerge from the early morning fog. Spying the small railroad depot less than a quarter-mile away, the Federal cavalrymen spurred their horses to a gallop and rushed to claim their prize. The Union troopers who briefly occupied High Point in April 1865 were part of a division commanded by Major General George Stoneman. The unfortunate General Stoneman, who had spent some time in a Confederate prison after being captured by home guards during a previous raid through Georgia, was determined to restore his somewhat tarnished reputation as a cavalry leader. Ordered to support General William T. Sherman's campaign in the Carolinas by destroying enemy resources in North Carolina and releasing if possible the Union prisoners held at Salisbury, Stoneman led over 4,000 troops out of Jonesboro, Tennessee, on March 20, crossing the Appalachian Mountains one week later. The able-bodied prisoners (3,634) were m After a disorganized foray into southern Virginia to destroy railroads, Stoneman's men reassembled at Danbury, North Carolina, and rode south. On April 10, he detached a brigade under the command of Colonel William J. Palmer to destroy several clothing factories at Salem and to cut the railroad south of Greensboro, which led to High Point. A detachment of 86 officers and men of the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry, led by Captain Adam Kramer, left Salem during the night of April 10. Part of this command intersected the railroad at Jamestown. These Union troopers burned the covered bridge over Deep River and thought they torched an arms factory, but they in fact were deceived by local residents into destroying a clothing factory of much less value to the failing Confederate war effort. Meanwhile, another group of blue-clad riders made their way to High Point, where they found a small string of railroad cars and a warehouse with several hundred bales of cotton. The few dozen home guards resident in High Point apparently did not fire a shot in defense of the property. The raiders burned the depot as well as the cars and most of their contents, though they did toss shoes, clothing and medical supplies to attendants from the Barbee Hotel, where many wounded Confederates were housed. The cotton was also torched, but only after it was removed from the warehouse to an open area so that the sparks would not ignite the town. However, only quick action with buckets of water and wet cloths protected the Barbee Hotel, which apparently stood too near the flaming cars and depot. Joined by their comrades from Jamestown, the Union troopers left High Point after only a brief visit. Not long after they departed, two groups of Confederate cavalry arrived in the town. They made little effort to pursue the raiders, but several loyal Confederates later asserted that it was only their timely arrival that had saved Lexington and Thomasville from Union occupation. Barbee House- Photo Courtesy of High Point Museum In fact, Captain Kramer had accomplished his mission, which was little more than a sideshow of the main campaign. He proudly reported that during his ride of fifty-two miles in twelve hours, his men had captured about five dozen Confederates and a similar number of horses, as well as a significant quantity of weapons, food and cotton. Of course, many other supplies, such as those found at the depot in High Point, had been destroyed. After a brief clash with a makeshift defense force, Stoneman occupied Salisbury on April 12 but discovered the prison there was empty because the Federal inmates had been removed. Greatly disappointed, the would-be rescuers burned the prison and tons of clothing, food, medical supplies, weapons and ammunition before departing. Within a week the Confederate army in North Carolina surrendered, but several of Stoneman's weary regiments, including the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry, participated in the pursuit of Jefferson Davis, who was captured in Georgia on May 10, before returning home. For the Union troopers, High Point was just another dimly remembered detour during a long ride through the Carolinas and into Georgia. For young Sechrest and many other residents of the town, however, it was a disturbing moment that would influence their attitudes about Yankees and the Federal government for the rest of their lives. Dr. Richard B. McCaslin *The Frazier Camp would like to thank Dr. Richard B. McCaslin for his contribution to our Guest Column and support to our local history during his years at High Point University. Dr. McCaslin is an accomplished author and historian and currently serves as the Professor and Chair of the History Department of the University of North Texas. Recommended books by Dr. Richard B. McCaslin Lee in the Shadow of Washington; The Last Stronghold The Campaign for Fort Fisher; Tainted Breeze The Great Hanging of Gainesville, Texas, 1862; and other titles available on Amazon.com. North Carolina Confederate Flag Day State Capitol Building in Raleigh, North Carolina March 05, 2011 Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 9

10 Confederate History Act of February 17, 1864 The Act of February 17, 1864 authorized $200 million of national paper money bearing no interest in denominations ranging from $.50 to $500. More than $400 million was issued. These notes are dated February 17, The Seventh Series followed the standard designs set in the December 1862 Fifth Series and April 1863 Sixth Series notes with one notable exception the T68 $10 which featured a new vignette. These notes were payable two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace. The $.50 notes were issued on pink paper. The $1 and $2 notes did not have backs and were issued on quality white bank note paper with reddish or red-orange overprint. The $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 were issued on white paper with red overprint. Additionally, the $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes had blue backs with their denominations. These backs were rushed as the more sophisticated, and presumably more difficult to counterfeit chemicographic backs being imported from Europe were intercepted by the blockade. The $500 note did not have a back. The $500 was counterfeited. However, it is extremely rare, so there must have been very few made. There are four known today. The $100 and $50 notes were also counterfeited in Havana, Cuba. These are relatively common today. This series also has a few inverted back errors which are extremely rare. There are interesting plate or sheet arrangement errors where one side of a sheet was printed and then was placed on the second plate upside down. All Seventh Series notes are on plain paper, e.g., there are no known watermarked varieties. New Year s Tradition Black Eyed Peas & Southern Luck "The Real Story is much more interesting and has gone untold in fear that feelings would be hurt. It s a story of war, the most brutal and bloody war, military might and power pushed upon civilians, women, children and elderly. Never seen as a war crime this was the policy of the greatest nation on earth trying to maintain that status at all cost. An unhealed wound remains in some peoples of the southern states even today. The story of THE BLACK EYED PEA being considered good luck relates directly back to Sherman's Bloody March to the Sea in late It was called The Savannah Campaign and was lead by Major General William T. Sherman. The Civil War campaign began on 15 November 1864 when Sherman's troops marched from the captured city of Atlanta, Georgia and ended at the port of Savannah on 22 December When the smoke cleared, the southerners who had survived the onslaught came out of hiding. They found that the blue belly aggressors that had looted and stolen everything of value and everything you could eat including all livestock, death and destruction were everywhere. While in hiding few had enough to eat starvation was now upon the survivors. There was no international aid, no Red Cross meal trucks. The Northern army had taken everything they could carry and eaten everything they could eat. But they couldn t take it all. The devastated people of the south found for some unknown reason Sherman s bloodthirsty troops had left silos full of black eyed peas. You see at the time in the north the lowly black eyed pea was only used to feed stock. The northern troops saw it as the thing of least value, taking grain for their horses; livestock and other crops to feed themselves they just couldn t take everything. So they left the black eyed peas in great quantities assuming it would be of no use to the survivors because all the stock that it could feed had either been taken or eaten. The T-64 was the second $500 issued by the Confederacy and, unlike the T-2, this one was meant for circulation and did not bear interest. The Treasury used a machine to stamp the serial numbers onto the notes when issuing them. The right corner of the note has a vignette of General Thomas Stonewall Jackson who was wounded in battle accidently by his own men at Chancellorsville in May 1863 and died days later. He is the only Confederate general to appear on its paper money. At left is the Great Seal of the Confederacy with George Washington on a horse surrounded by the motto Deo Vindice: which means God vindicates. This type comes on high quality bank note paper. The note has an underprint of either light red, dusty pink, or bright red lines, with the latter in greater demand by collectors. They are interesting collectible notes and light & dark red T-64s command a premium. Source-Collecting Confederate Paper Money Field Edition 2008, Pierre Fricke Southerners awoke to face a new year in this devastation. Facing massive starvation if not for the good luck of having the blackeyed peas to eat. From New Years Day 1866 forward the tradition grew to eat black-eyed peas on New Year s Day for good luck." May We Never Forget Our Roots & Traditions!! Source: Ron Perrin, Fort Worth, Texas, BLACK-EYED-PEA-is-good-luck-to-eat-on-New-Years-Day TWELFTH ANNUAL APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK and LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY FREE CIVIL WAR SEMINAR THE War Begins: 1861 JARMAN AUDITORIUM LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY FARMVILLE, VIRGINIA Saturday, February 26, 2011 Doors open at 9am; Signs will be posted on the Longwood University Campus. For directions to the campus go to For more information contact Dr. David Coles at or Patrick Schroeder at , Ext. 32. Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 10

11 Camp News Camp Newsletter Announcement - Per request we now have space available in our Memorials to Our Confederate Ancestors. You can add your tribute today by contacting the editor with your personal memorial to your Confederate ancestors. Draft of font and style will be sent to you for review prior to publishing. The annual rate for these memorials is $18 which helps support the Frazier Camp newsletter, From the Commander s Tent. Commemorative Edition 2010 We were proud to release our Special Edition of our newsletter From the Commander s Tent as we started the New Year. This dedication to our Past Commander Jack Perdue was provided in an version thus saving the costs of printing and postage. We were blessed with a donation of color copies from a new anonymous Aide de Camp as a gift to the family. We would like to thank all that made this special tribute successful and were humbled by the overwhelming feedback. PDF of color and black & white copies are available by ing editor, ronaldleeperdue@yahoo.com Camp Activities Georgia Regiment Muster Roll Project- the Muster Roll records were lost after the war because incorrectly marked as records of the High Point Confederate Wayside Hospital and archived with that book in the collection of the High Point Public Library. Larry Brandon discovered these records while researching the Wayside Hospital. He has adopted the project of archiving these lost records and is currently working on a new book. The goal of this book will be to provide new research to the descendants of the soldiers who served in this regiment and the historical societies in the State of Georgia. The Frazier Camp 2012 Sesquicentennial Anniversary Eventplans are to celebrate the 20 th Anniversary of the Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668 chartered on January 14, In honor of our charter members and the namesake of our camp, we are planning an event during the Sesquicentennial Anniversary. We are working on details of a Special Anniversary Ceremony with our Confederate Memorial Day Service on May 10, 2012 at the Prospect gravesite location of Lt. Felix Frazier in High Point. Oakwood Memorial Park Confederate Section- plans are to research more information on these fifty soldiers by identifying their full names, birthdates, birthplace, military records, and home state with the Wayside Hospital project. We are discussing potential projects such as Memorial Plaque for a Sesquicentennial Anniversary event in Wayside Confederate Hospital of High Point Project- the book currently at High Point Public Library has never been indexed or abstracted. Need volunteers to assist in a group effort to decipher the handwriting for recording the records from 1863 to Plans are to archive this history as resource for historians and to the descendants of these soldiers. Larry Brandon can provide a PDF file of pages from book for your assistance. Wayside Hospital 2013 Sesquicentennial Anniversary Event- The Frazier Camp is planning a ceremony at the old location of the Barbee House in High Point which was transformed into a Wayside Confederate Hospital to treat wounded soldiers in Confederate History Confederate Heritage Rally 2011 Montgomery, Alabama February 19, 2011 This event is sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans to commemorate the founding of the Confederate States of America, the inauguration of Jefferson Davis and the raising of the first Confederate Flag. Activities to include- -Heritage March up Dexter Ave to the Capitol -Speeches from leaders of descendant organizations - Remarks from prominent officials - Re-enactment of the swearing in of Jefferson Davis - Re-enactment of the raising of the first Confederate Flag - Firing of Rifle and Cannon salutes If you are Southern- You will be there! 1861 Order for Marching - SCV Color Guard - Members of the GEC - Re-enactors Units - Divisions in order of Secession - Divisions of non-confederate States in order of Statehood - Others wishing to march General Information Dress- Re-enactors in uniforms in compliance with their unit's rules. Re-enactors escorting President Davis will be in Period dress. Those marching with divisions or other groups may wear uniforms as well. Those not in uniforms are asked to be appropriately dressed. Any clothing (or message on clothing) that is deemed inappropriate by the organizer will be required to be removed or the individual will not be allowed to march. Order of Events -The Parade will line up 10 am - Marching begins at 11 am - Program at Capitol at Noon - Opening Prayer - Welcome - Guest greetings - Alabama Division Commander - Army Commanders - Lt. Commander-in-Chief - Commander-in-Chief - Keynote Speaker - Inauguration of President Davis -Firing of Salutes -Raising of First Confederate Flag - Firing of Salutes - Prayer - Dixie 2011 Please make plans to attend this special event in the historic town of Montgomery, AL- the first Capitol of the Confederacy where our flags still fly today at the Confederate Monument at the Capitol. Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 11

12 Aide de Camp The Old North State Song (Words by William Gaston) Confederate Artillery Charles Crowell III, MD Jack Ryan Anonymous Confederate Infantry Craig Hopkins Ed Hawley Proud sponsors Confederate Cavalry Graham B. Patterson, Jr. Confederate Navy Col Ron Perdue CSA Confederate States Secret Service J. Kim Dockery Anonymous Confederado Anonymous Anonymous Confederate Treasury Vernon Vallance Col Crutch Williams CSA You are welcomed to join us as Aide de Camp for the opportunity to honor the proud service of your Confederate Ancestor, or join the Confederate States Secret Service or Treasury in tribute to your Southern Heritage. Your membership will support our efforts as a Historical Honor Society. The Frazier Camp will present Proud Sponsors with a Certificate of Recognition for our sincere appreciation. THANK YOU for your support with generous contributions to Aide de Camp which support our camp activities and projects in our goals to preserve our heritage and history. *Please join our Aide de Camp with tax-deductable donation by sending your gift payable to the Frazier Camp to Ron Perdue, PO Box 5641, High Point, N.C *501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Frazier Camp would like to also thank you for your past support to the Jack Perdue Heritage Defense Fund. This fund was established to assist in the defense of our Southern Heritage. Our Thoughts and Prayers Please Remember Mrs. Dedmon, Mrs. Betty Jones, Jack Macon, Joe Rash, Dr. Rumberg, Mr. & Mrs. Skinner, Vernon Vallance, and Rusty Van Landingham in your Thoughts and Prayers. Let s also remember our communities, compatriots, families, friends, neighbors, and soldiers in these difficult times. Happy New Year Carolina! Carolina! Heaven s blessings attend her! While we live we will cherish, protect and defend her; Though the scorner may sneer at and witlings defame her, Still our hearts swell with gladness whenever we name her. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever! Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! Though she envies not others their merited glory, Say, whose name stands for foremost in Liberty s story! Though too true to herself e er to crouch to oppression Who can yield to just rule a more loyal submission? Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever! Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! Plain and artless her sons, but whose doors open faster At the knock of a stranger, or the tale of disaster? How like to the rudeness of their dear native mountains, With rich ore in their bosoms and life in their fountains. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever! Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! And her daughters, the Queen of the Forest resembling- So graceful, so constant, yet to gentlest breath trembling; And true lightwood at heart, let the match be applied them, How they kindle and flame! Oh! none know but who ve tried them. Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever! Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! Then let all who love us, love the land that we live in (As happy a region on this of Heaven), Where Plenty and Freedom, Love and Peace smile before us, Raise aloud, raise together, the heart-thrilling chorus! Hurrah! Hurrah! The Old North State forever! Hurrah! Hurrah! The good Old North State! The Great Seal of the Confederacy The Great Seal of the Confederate States of America was adopted by the Confederate Congress February 22, The Meaning of the Symbols is Clear- an Equestrain Statue of George Washington Surrounded with a Wreath Composed of the Principal Agricultural Products of the Confederacy-Cotton, Tobacco, Sugar Cane, Corn, Wheat and Rice. The Confederate States of America, 22 February, 1862, with the following Motto "Deo Vindice" (God Favor our Cause) The Original Print was engraved by Joseph S. Wyon, Chief Engraver of Her Majesty's Seals of London, England. This Print is from the Original Print from the Collection of the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia with Permission by the Museum in 1992 Ne Obliviscaris Lest We Forget Lt. F.C. Frazier Camp 668, High Point, North Carolina From the Commander s Tent Monthly Newsletter- February 2011 Page 12