The standard Long Shall our Banner Brave The breeze - The standard of the free VOL.4. Issue NO. 9 Charles demorse editor & Proprietor Grand Saline, Texas Saturday, September 8, 2018 2018 TEXAS DIVISION FOUR STAR CAMP AWARD Saturday October 13, 2018 7:00 pm 29 th Texas Cavalry SCV Camp # 2269 Page 1
Col. Charles DeMorse s 29 th Texas Cavalry Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp # 2269 Col. Charles DeMorse s 29 th Texas Cavalry Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp # 2269 EVERYONE WELCOME Commander Bobby W. Smith Adjutant Russell Volk 1 st Lt Johnny M. Moore Chaplin Robert C. Huff Meeting every 2 nd Saturday 7:00 pm Van Community Center, 310 Chestnut Street Van, Texas. Newsletter Published Monthly http://www.5thbrigade.org/camp2269/ Opinions expressed by individual writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Col. Charles DeMorse s 29 th Texas Cavalry Camp # 2269. Letters and articles may be submitted to: bsmith9305@aol.com ( Cut off for articles is 1 st of the month.) Editor- Compiler Bobby W. Smith Commander Bobby W. Smith Fellow Compatriot s, It, Brings me great delight to announce that the Col. Charles DeMorse s 29 th Texas Cavalry SCV Camp # 2269, brought home some yearly AWARDS for 2018. The 2018 Texas Division SCV, Four Star Camp Award, 1- Texas Division Silver Cross for Meritorious Service, and 2- Texas Division Bronze Cross for Meritorious Service. On the MOSB level Camp Commander Bobby Smith Sr. Won the MOSB NATIONAL AWARDS, 1 st Place 2018 Best Newsletter Award, for Col. Richard Bennett Hubbard Chapter 261, Tyler, Texas. Congratulations!!! See you all, at the next Camp Meeting! Deo Vindice UÉuuç ja få à{ Page 2
Col. Charles DeMorse s 29 th Texas Cavalry Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp # 2269 Little Rock National Cemetery Little Rock, Arkansas Civil War Era National Cemeteries Honoring Those Who Served WIN S 2018 TEXAS DIVISION FOUR STAR CAMP AWARD Little Rock National Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas, opened in 1866, when the Federal Government purchased land from the City Cemetery to relocate the remains of Union Soldiers from across the state to a more central location. Many of the first burials were reinterments from Pine Bluff, DeVall s Bluff, Lewisburg, Princeton, and Marks' Mill, among others. Two years later, in 1868, the site was officially established as a National Cemetery. Later, an adjacent Confederate Cemetery was incorporated into the National Cemetery. The fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi in July 1863 left the Confederacy with a tenuous hold on its western states. Confederate Major General Sterling Price, charged with the defense of Little Rock, first encountered Union forces that summer at Brownsville, 25 miles northwest of the capital, before falling back to Reed s Bridge, near Jacksonville. The Union s superior artillery forced Price to retreat once more. He made a final stand at Fourche Bayou, five miles southwest of Little Rock, but was defeated. The Confederates had just enough time to evacuate most of their supplies from the city, though the Little Rock Arsenal and its large stocks of powder and ammunition fell into Union hands. The 40-day Campaign cost the Union 137 Casualties (18 killed, 188 wounded, and 1 missing), As well as: 64 Casualties for the Confederacy. Page 3
The eastern half of the National Cemetery contains the oldest sections, including an area at the southeast corner of the property reserved for burials of Troops from the Garrison at the post. The original layout of the grounds was rectangular in plan with 12 irregular sections. A Confederate Cemetery, established adjacent to the National Cemetery, opened in 1884 to accept the reinterments of 640 Confederate Veteran s from Little Rock s Mount Holly Cemetery. The National Cemetery and Confederate Cemetery operated separately until 1913, when the Secretary of War accepted ownership of the Confederate Cemetery. The first superintendent s lodge, a three-room brick building constructed in 1869, was replaced in 1908 by a two-story, six-room building. A sunroom and sleeping porch were added in the 1930s, but the lodge was demolished in 1995 to make way for the current administration building. A cast-stone committal shelter, built in 1996, sits just north of the main entrance. A brick rostrum, erected by the Memorial Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy around 1907 in what was the former Confederate Cemetery, was originally used for Confederate Memorial Day Ceremonies. Two Major Monuments are located in the Cemetery, and each is individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. LRNC- Cemetery s Main Entrance At the Southwest Corner of the property is the Cemetery s Main Entrance, marked by a double iron gate with pedestrian gates on either side. While large sections of the original, three-foot high fieldstone wall exist around Sections 1-12, more modern fencing, including wrought iron and chain link, now enclose the newer sections to the north, south, and west. The Confederate Monument, erected in 1884 by the Trustees of Mount Holly Cemetery, is composed of a Squat Marble Obelisk set atop a two-part base. It is located in the Confederate Section near the Rostrum. LRNC- Cemetery s Main Entrance ARMY OF TRANS-MISSISSIPPI Page 4
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF COL. CHARLES DEMORSES 29TH TEXAS CAVALRY CAMP Also at the Cemetery is the Minnesota Monument, dedicated to the Union Volunteers from Minnesota who perished in the South. Designed by St. Paul sculptor John K. Daniels and erected by the Minnesota Monument Commission in 1916, the memorial honors 36 Minnesota soldiers buried at Little Rock National Cemetery. Minnesota Monument The 16-foot tall bronze sculpture depicts a Union soldier, head bowed, with his cap held against his heart and his hand resting atop his rifle, barrel pointing downward. Identical Statues are located in Memphis National Cemetery and Andersonville National Cemetery. Minnesota Monuments at Nashville National Cemetery and Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, both designed by Daniels, feature a female figure holding a wreath. Regimental Minnesota Monuments were erected at Shiloh National Cemetery and Vicksburg National Cemetery. Minnesota Monument Page 5
Little Rock National Cemetery is the final resting place for a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the nation s highest military decoration, given for Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Medal Of Honor recipient Lieutenant Maurice L. Britt, (World War II) U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division. North of Mignano, Italy, Nov. 10, 1943. Maurice Lee Footsie Britt Birth: 29 Jun 1919 Carlisle, Lonoke County, Arkansas. Death: 26 Nov 1995 (aged 76) Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Burial: Little Rock National Cemetery Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Plot: Section 20, Grave 319 Memorial ID: 9816 World War II Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Lieutenant Maurice L. Britt He served in the United States Army during World War II as a Captain in the 3rd Infantry Division. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery as a Lieutenant north of Mignano, Italy, on November 10, 1943. His citation reads "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Disdaining enemy hand grenades and closerange machine pistol, machinegun, and rifle, Lt. Britt inspired and led a handful of his men in repelling a bitter counterattack by approximately 100 Germans against his company positions north of Mignano, Italy, the morning of 10 November 1943. During the intense fire fight, Lt. Britt's canteen and field glasses were shattered; a bullet pierced his side; his chest, face, and hands were covered with grenade wounds. Despite his wounds, for which he refused to accept medical attention until ordered to do so by his battalion commander following the battle, he personally killed 5 and wounded an unknown number of Germans, wiped out one enemy machinegun crew, fired 5 clips of carbine and an undetermined amount of Ml rifle ammunition, and threw 32 fragmentation grenades. His bold, aggressive actions, utterly disregarding superior enemy numbers, resulted in capture of 4 Germans, 2 of them wounded, and enabled several captured Americans to escape. Lt. Britt's undaunted courage and prowess in arms were largely responsible for repulsing a German counterattack which, if successful, would have isolated his battalion and destroyed his company." His Medal was awarded to him on March 24, 1944. A standout football player for the University of Arkansas, he played for the Detroit Lions in 1941, but joined the United States Army after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He later served two terms as Arkansas' Lieutenant Governor. Page 6
Lieutenant Maurice L. Britt, (World War II) U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division. North of Mignano, Italy, Nov. 10, 1943. Little Rock National Cemetery is located at 2523 Confederate Blvd., in Little Rock, AR. The cemetery is open for visitation daily from dawn to dusk; the administrative office is open Monday- Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm, and is closed on all Federal holidays except for Memorial Day. For more information, please contact the cemetery office at 501-324-6401, or visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website. While visiting, please be mindful that our National Cemeteries are hallowed ground. Be respectful to all of our nation s fallen soldiers and their families. Additional cemetery policies may be posted on site. UDC 1913 MONUMENT United Daughters of Confederacy OUR CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS Page 7
In 1866, the land that is now the cemetery was outside the city limits of Little Rock (Pulaski County) and served as a Union encampment for the troops who continued to occupy the city. In September 1866, the first 9.1 acres were purchased by the government from the new city cemetery to be used for military interments. Another 3.2 acres were added in April 1868, and on April 9 of that year, the cemetery was designated as Little Rock National Cemetery, its specific purpose being the interment of the remains of Union soldiers in Arkansas. That same year, the remains of 1,482 individuals were removed from different battlefields in the area and reinterred at the cemetery. In 1869, the cemetery was enclosed by a fieldstone wall three feet high, and the first superintendent s lodge was built. The lodge was a simple three-room brick building. In 1908, the lodge was replaced by a two-story, six-room building; in the 1930s, a sunroom and sleeping porch were added. In 1916, the Minnesota Monument was dedicated to honor the soldiers from Minnesota who had died in the Civil War and were buried in southern states. It is one of seven Minnesota monuments found in the national cemeteries. Parts of the rock wall were renovated to wrought iron in 1921 and 1929. In 1884, the eleven-acre Confederate Cemetery was established next to the Little Rock National Cemetery. A monument, known as the Confederate Monument, was placed in the cemetery by trustees of Mount Holly Cemetery that year. Within the cemetery is also a fourteen-and-a-halffoot brick and cement rostrum with asphalt shingle roofing. It is not known exactly when it was constructed, but it was built by the Memorial Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the plaque is dated 1907. The remains of 640 Confederate soldiers were moved from Mount Holly Cemetery to the Confederate Cemetery. The soldiers died in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Louisiana between 1861-1863. This cemetery became part of the Little Rock National Cemetery in 1913 when the Secretary of War accepted the deed from the City of Little Rock. The deed came with the stipulation that only Confederate veterans would be buried in the new section. In 1938, the restriction was dropped, and the cemetery became the Confederate section of the National Cemetery. ARMY OF TRANS-MISSISSIPPI List of Confederate Soldiers Buried at Mount Holly and Little Rock National Cemetery Maj.-General Thomas James Churchill Birth : 10 Mar 1824 Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Death :14 May 1905 (aged 81) Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Burial : Mount Holly Cemetery Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Memorial ID : 10402 Page 8
Maj. Gen. Thomas James Churchill Grave Civil War Confederate Major General, Governor of Arkansas. This native of Louisville, Kentucky studied law before enlisting, as a lieutenant, in 1846 to fight in the Mexican War. He was held as a prisoner for much of this war being captured by a Mexican Calvary in 1847 After the war he settled in Little Rock Arkansas where he became a successful farmer. In 1857 President James Buchanan named him postmaster of his new hometown. At the start of the Civil War he formed the First Arkansas Mounted Riflemen. After his courageous service at the battles at Wilson s Creek and Pea Ridge he was promoted to brigadier general. He was captured in 1863 and once again held as a prisoner of war, this time being held for three months at Camp Chase, Ohio. After his release, he was promoted to Major General and led troops into battles at Pleasant Hill and Jenkin s Ferry. After the war he returned to Arkansas. In 1880 he was elected governor. While governor he was credited with implementing many policies that improved medical care for the citizens of Arkansas. However, a scandal involving missing state funds coupled with political factionalism led to him retiring as governor in 1883. He returned to private life and farming and received full military honors at his funeral. Bio by: Bigwoo Maj.-General James Fleming Fagan Birth: 1 Mar 1828 Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Death: 1 Sep 1893 (aged 65) Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Burial : Mount Holly Cemetery Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. Memorial ID : 10863 Civil War Confederate Major General. At the start of the Civil War, he joined the Confederate Army and was elected Colonel of the 1st Arkansas Infantry. He led his regiment at the battles of Shiloh, Farmington, Siege of Corinth and was promoted Brigadier General in September 1862. He participated in the Battle of Helena, the Red River Campaign and in the Camden Expedition, which led to the Federal retreat from southern Arkansas. In recognition for his service in the Camden Expedition, he was promoted to Major General in April 1864. He commanded the Arkansas Cavalry at the Battle of Forth Davidson, Missouri in September 1864 and was in command of the District of Arkansas until April 1865. After the war, he engaged in farming and was appointed US Marshal by President Ulysses Grant in 1875. Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith Page 9
Military Order of Stars and Bars Col. Richard Bennett Hubbard Chapter 261 Tyler, Texas Maj. Gen. James Fleming Fagan Grave 2018 MOSB NATIONAL AWARDS Camp Commander Bobby Wayne Smith Sr. Awarded the 1 st Place 2018 Best Newsletter Award The Confederate Monument, erected in 1884 Page 10
2018 TEXAS DIVISION FOUR STAR CAMP AWARD SCV CAMP ROSTER 2018-2019 Camp # 2296 VAN GRAND SALINE, VAN ZANDT COUNTY, TEXAS Camp Member Name : Status 1. Barker, Curtis New Member 2. Dobbs, Carl Daniel Current 3. Graham, James Ronald Life- Member 4. Huff, Robert Clayton Current 5. Humphries, Larry Don Current 6. Jones, Ronald Edward Current 7. Lightfoot, John Clarence Current 8. Moore Jr. Johnny Michael Current 9. Moore, John Wesley Current 10. Neagle, Marshall Edward Current 11. Poteet, Dale Wayne Current 12. Smith Sr., Bobby Wayne Current 13. Smith Jr., Bobby Wayne Current 14. Tabraham, Justin Wade Current 15. Volk, Stevie Russell Current 16. Walker, Charles Bradley Current 17. Whiteside, Charles Ernest New Member 18. Wilbourn, Jason Dudley Current 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. ARMY OF TRANS-MISSISSIPPI Page 11
STATE of TEXAS Army of 5810 South Broadway Ave. Tyler, Texas 75703 Trans-Mississippi Page 12