Camp Cresset Finley s Brigade Camp #1614 Havana, Florida Recipient 2011 and 2012 Dr. George R. Tabor Most Distinguished Camp Award "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." Susan Hathaway of the Virginia Flaggers will be the Keynote Speaker at Finley s Brigade Decoration Day Event at Soldier s Cemetery in Quincy, April 19 th at 4:00pm Susan Hathaway will be coming to Quincy for our Decoration Day activities at Soldiers Cemetery in Quincy. Susan in the leader of the Virginia Flaggers ; a group dedicated to preserving Southern History and promoting public awareness of the true meaning of the Confederate Flag. The Flaggers can be seen on a weekly, if not daily basis, in and around Virginia. They frequently march with our flags in front of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, who have removed Confederate Battle Flags from their property. They have also staged Flagging events outside the Museum of the Confederacy, who have also tried to minimalize true Confederate history. I was in Richmond, Virginia in February of 2012, and Susan and the rest of the Flaggers, seemed to be everywhere! They do our ancestors proud. Also in attendance at our event, will be Florida Division SCV Commander James S. Davis, who will give the closing remarks. This will be Our Confederate Memorial Day event of 2014, and remember Soldier s Cemetery is our Home Field. THIS MONTHS MEETING IS DEDICATED TO: PRIVATE WILLIAM PETER TAYLOR of COMPANY A 9 TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY Ancestor of Camp Adjutant Michael Grissom 1
Confederate Trivia Last month we learned that Dragoons were mounted infantry, who rode up to the battle, dismounted, and engaged the enemy. This month s question is: General Jesse J Finley was wounded three times during the War. What was the nature of his wounds? Commander s Comments Compatriots; March has been quite a month for Finley s Brigade. It came in like a lion, and I pray that it goes out like a lamb. We had a very successful weekend at the Natural Bridge reenactment event. Some of Finley s members camped out and participated in the battle reenactment. I hear that we won the Battle of Natural Bridge again. That should be 150 straight times, and next year will be 151! We also spread a lot of good will by handing out flags and talking to prospective members about their Confederate heritage. We have about 20 leads for members that we are currently working. Between Finley s members and Ladies of the Confederate Rose Society, we had over 25 participants in the event. In March, we also sustained a heavy loss to our Camp. Compatriots Randall Musgrove, Ronnie Hatcher, and Curtis Morgan were all called home by the Lord. The March Camp meeting was dedicated to their memory. As your Commander, I will admit to you that I was totally devastated on March 6 th, when we lost Brother Randall and Ronnie in the same day. Please continue to pray for these three families. Please plan to attend the Memorial for Ronnie Hatcher at the Fort Braden Community Center on April 6 from 3-5pm. April will be another busy month for the Camp. We will have Ronnie s memorial on the 6 th, Camp meeting on the 8 th, a workday at Soldiers cemetery on the 12 th, our Decoration Day event in Quincy on the 19 th, a display at the Capitol on the 24 th and 25 th, and the UDC service in Old City Cemetery in Tallahassee on the 27 th. So you have many opportunities to celebrate your heritage in April! See you at an event near you! In the bonds of the South, Kelly JROTC and SDYC It is that time of year. Finley s Brigade is preparing for the awarding to well deserving Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) cadets the SCV s JROTC H.L. Hunley Award. Finley s has partnered with five local schools to present our award at their annual award ceremonies. We are trying to get more schools on board. If you are interested in sponsoring an award ($30) or being a presenter let me know. Also, it is time to be thinking about the Sam Davis Youth Camp (SDYC) (June 15-21). Do you have a family member, friend, or neighbor that would benefit from the camp? Finley s has been sponsoring campers for years. If you know a young lady or gentleman that would be a candidate for the scholarship, let me know. David R. Cline 850-228-9891 or postalbuffalo@yahoo.com 2
Chaplain Comments-Worship Jesus taught us where two or more gather in my name, I will be there. Does this mean we must be in a church, or a dedicated house of worship for this instruction to be valid? No! It can be the great outdoors, in a restaurant, in a school, etc. The place does not matter. Jesus did not specify a location; only that two or more meet to praise Him. So, does it matter that you do not go to a Church to worship God? Does it help in your worship to be in a house of God? Yes, there seems to be a synergistic effect to be in God s house, so don t discount this addition to your worship. It s somewhat like mowing your yard; can you cut your grass without some help? Of course, you can. If you have someone bring their mower and help you, then the work of mowing your yard definitely goes faster. Now, you can see why; even though you don t have to praise God in His house, it sure is a big plus! Praise, be to God! Chaplain John Howell The Milton Light Artillery-Part II Compatriot JR Miller Part Two! By 1863 the Milton Light Artillery had grown in numbers so much so that the unit was divided in half. Joseph Dunham retained half and kept the current name Milton Light Artillery even though it had been referred as Dunham s Light Artillery in the past and would continue to be referred as such till the end of the war. Henry Abell was promoted to Captain and was given the other half of the battery with the name Abell s Light Artillery. Once the division happened at first each section was referred to as Battery A and Battery B Milton Light Artillery even though both were technically separate from each other and separate muster rolls kept. According to records at the time of the division, Abell was given two guns and later two more were added making each unit a 4 gun battery. During the opening phase of the Olustee Campaign both Milton Light Artillery and Abell s Light Artillery were at Camp Finegan when a surprise Yankee Calvary raid tore through their camps. Colonel Henry came first in contact with the enemy's line of battle at Camp Finegan, about 8 o'clock, and rode it down, pursuing for several miles and capturing 5 field guns, with caissons, battery wagon, and forge complete and 3 flags. In the camp was found a considerable quantity of transportation material, of clothing, and of camp equipage. - Brig Gen Truman Seymour (US) to Maj. Gen. Quincy Gilmore (US), February 17, 1864. 3
According to a report by Captain Abell, the commander of Company B., Milton Light Artillery, (Abell s Artillery) the Confederate cannon captured in the attack were three 3-inch rifle from his own company and two 6-pounder bronze smoothbores from Captain Dunham's company. He also confirmed the loss of the caissons, forge and battery wagon. Due to the loss of guns both units men were either detached as infantry during the battle or were sent to Lake City to protect the supply depot there or detached to Columbus Bridge. Lieut. Rambo and a small group of artillerymen did command a railroad gun at Olustee but only fired 3 shots. Of course history tells us that our confederate ancestors repelled the Yankee attack and drove the enemy back to Jacksonville. One interesting bit of history I have uncovered about the opening phase of the Olustee campaign is the murder of Lieut. Simon K. Bull by a civilian, apparently the Lieut. Had orders not to let any civilians board a military train that had both artillery units on board. Well a civilian wanted on board and Bull would not allow him on board and the civilian took offence to this. As the train left the civilian got on his horse and followed the train finally catching up to it where it had stopped. By this time the lieut. was in a hotel having supper for the evening, when the civilian with a drawn pistol in hand stormed in and shot Lieut. Bull five times and then proceeded to kick and curse the body. After the Battle of Olustee no other battle would compare in size that was fought on that February day. However other battles and skirmishes did happen and at least part of the Milton Light Artillery would be involved in them. To be continued! Graham Smith receives Leadership Award. Members of Finley s Brigade Camp 1614 and the MAHB Confederate Rose Society, travelled to Marianna, Florida for the regular Camp meeting of the Theophilus West M.D. SCV Camp. The guest speaker was Florida Division Commander James S. Davis, who presented a program on the lost town of Columbus, Florida and its significance in the War Between the States. After his presentation, he called Past Commander Graham Smith forward. Graham was presented with the Colonel J.J. Dickison Leadership Award for his service as the Florida Division Chief of Heritage Operations. Congratulations Graham! Keep up the good work! 4
The Florida Division SCV Annual Reunion Its reunion time again! Start making plans to attend the Annual Florida Division Reunion. The Reunion will be held in Ocala, Florida at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center at the intersection of I-75 and State Road 200. The Address is 3600 SW 38 th Ave Ocala, Florida 34474. Call (877) 622-5211 for reservations and ask for the SCV Convention rate of $89.00 per night. See Commander Crocker for details. 5
HELP WANTED Finley s Brigade has an immediate opening for a Web Master. Help us maintain the Camp s website. We also have openings for Videographers/Photographers. Put your skills to work!!! Interested parties should contact Commander Crocker for details @ 850-339-3051 or kvcroadking@yahoo.com. Please visit our website at http://www.finleysbrigadescv.com/ Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/235023710735/?ref=br_tf or Finley s Brigade SCV Camp Tallahassee Heritage Opportunities April 6 Memorial Service for Compatriot Ronnie Hatcher at the Fort Braden Community Center 3-5pm April 8 Camp Meeting 6:45pm Golden Corral April 12 Cemetery Clean-up Soldiers Cemetery, Quincy, Florida 9:00am April 19 Decorations Day at Soldiers Cemetery 4:00 pm with Susan Hathaway, Virginia Flagger April 27 Confederate Memorial Day Ceremony at Old City Cemetery, Tallahassee, FL June 6-8 Florida Division SCV Reunion in Ocala, Florida, This is an Election Year. June 14 Memorial Service for Pvt John L Farrior of L.M. Gamble s H.G. and Leon County Sherriff Deputy Jun 15-21 Sam Davis Youth Camp in Virginia July 16-19 SCV National Reunion in North Charleston, South Carolina Sept 13 Sesquicentennial Heritage Rally in Franklin, Tennessee For times, locations, and details for the following events please contact Commander Crocker at kvcroadking@yahoo.com or 850-339-3051. Our meetings are always held on the second Tuesday of each and every month at the Golden Corral restaurant on North Monroe Street across from Lake Ella. The program will start promptly at 6:45 so be sure to arrive early (6:00) to enjoy a fine meal and socialize before the meeting starts. The Camp Cresset Newsletter is the official publication of Camp 1614, Finley s Brigade, Sons of Confederate Veterans. No content may be reproduced in part, or in whole, without the expressed written authorization from the Editor-in-Chief. All parts herein remain the sole property of SCV Camp 1614. 2014 6