SCV CHARGE

"To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindica-

tion 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.

MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM T. MARTIN CAMP 590 MISSISSIPPI DIVISION

SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS

January 2021

THE DEFENDER

Camp Officers • Jason Blaney, Commander

• James Young, Adjutant

• James Young, Treasurer

• Don Estes, 1Lt. Cmdr.

• Louis Boyd, 2Lt. Cmdr.

• Earl “Buddy” Emerick, Jr., Chaplain

• Judge Advocate

• Chip Sturdivant, Quartermaster

• Michael Campbell, Color Sgt.

• Don Estes, Historian Contact Information Email: scvcamp590@yahoo.com Cmdr. Phone: 601-807-9587 Adj. Young phone: (601) 660-1976

Copyright Notice

In accordance with Title 17U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted material pub-lished herein is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who are interested in receiving the provided information for non-profit research and educa-tional purpose only. Reference: Http:www.law.cornell.eduuscode/17/107.shtml

Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Gen. Robert E. Lee Born Jan. 21, 1824 born Jan. 19, 1807

Page 2

THE DEFENDER

Beloved General of the South

Gen. Robert E. Lee born Jan. 19, 1807

For some the man Robert E. Lee is an al-most god like figure. For oth-ers he is a par-adox. Robert E. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 at Strat-ford, Virginia. Robert was the fourth child of a Revolution-ary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee and Ann Hill Carter Lee. Young Robert,

the son, was raised mostly by his mother. From her he learned patience, control, and discipline. As a young man he was exposed to Christianity and accepted its faith. In contrast to the strong example of his mother Robert saw his father go from failed enterprise to failed enterprise. In part the young Robert was led to try harder and succeed. Robert was accepted to the United States Military Academy and graduated 2nd in his class. But perhaps greater than his academic success was his record of no demerits while being a cadet which today has still not been equaled. Following his graduation Lee, like most top classmen, was given a commission as an engineer. Lt. Lee helped build the St. Louis water-front and worked on coastal forts in Brunswick and Savannah. It was during this time he married Mary Custis the granddaughter of George Washington and Martha Custis Washington. In 1845 the War between U.S. and Mexico erupted. General Winfield Scott, overall U.S. Army commander, attached Captain Robert E. Lee to his staff. Lee was entrusted with the vital duties of mapping out the terrain ahead, dividing the line of advance for the U.S. troops, and in one case leading troops into battle. Lee was learning skills he would need 16 years later. There in Mexico Lee also met, worked with, and got a chance to evalu-ate many of those he would later serve

with and against; James Longstreet, Thomas J. Jackson, George Pickett, and U.S. Grant. Following the Mexican War Lee re-turned to service as an army engineer. He spent most of this time near Wash-ington D.C. and moved into Custis man-sion (now overlooking the Arlington Cemetery). Thus was Colonel Lee was available for duty to put down a believed rebellion at Harper Ferry, Virginia the site of a United States Arsenal. Colonel Lee, and a young aide Lt. JEB Stuart, and a detachment of U.S. marines, were rushed by train to Harper's Ferry where they were able to capture radical aboli-tionist John Brown and his followers. Brown's attempt seemed to confirm all the worst fears of the Deep South and when Abraham Lincoln was elected Pres-ident South Carolina seceded and was quickly followed by 6 more deep south-ern states: Georgia, Florida, North Caro-lina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. The old warrior General Winfield Scott asked Colonel Robert E. Lee to take command of the United States Ar-my to put down the rebellion. Lee, however, offered his services to the newly elected President of the Con-federate States of America, Jefferson Davis. Mr. Davis accepted them and Lee was made a general in CSA service. At first General Lee was more or less advi-sor to President Davis and the Secretary of War. General Lee's first campaign in what was to become West Virginia was less than a success. Command of the Eastern Army was divided between the hero of Fort Sumter, P.G.T. Beauregard, and Joe Johnston who together won the first big battle of the East -- Bull Run (Manassas). Thus Joe Johnston was in command when George B. McClellan started his march on Richmond. When Johnston went down with wounds it was easy for Davis to replace him with Gen-eral R.E. Lee who immediately took charge and attacked, trying to make up for his numbers with his audacity. In a series of continuous battles known as the 7 Days Battle Lee forced McClellan to retreat. Thus began the career of the Army of Northern Virginia which rose and fell with Lee's star. His boldness and grasp of strategy made him more than a match for every General President Lincoln sent against him until U.S. Grant defeated him through the Battle of Attrition. Lee's greatest victory was the Battle of Chancellorsville in May of 1863. Lee was faced with a larger army led by fighting Joe Hooker. Lee and his most trusted lieutenant, Gen. Stonewall Jackson, di-vided their forces and through a forced march around General Hooker fell on his exposed flank, rolling it up, and defeat-ing the union forces yet again. This victory led Lee and Davis to con-sider a second invasion of the North. Lee's army would hopefully bring the Federal forces to bay and destroy them. They would then march on Washington to hand Lincoln a letter asking for recog-nition of the CSA. So with desperate

hopes, and while still mourning the loss of Stonewall Jackson, Lee and Davis crossed the river and invaded Pennsylvania. The greatest land battle in the Western Hemisphere was fought at Gettysburg, Pa., on July 1, 2, & 3. The Army of Northern Virginia led by Lee, and the Army of the Potomac led by newly appointed General George Meade, hammered each other. On the 3rd day of battle General Lee hoping to end the war ordered the great frontal assault popularly known as Pickett's Charge. After the failure of the attack General Lee blamed only himself, but Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia fought on for 2 more years. General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. This effectively brought the American Civil War to an end as other Confederate field commanders fol-lowed Lee's example Following the war Lee was almost tried as a traitor, but was only left with his civil rights suspended. Lee was offered the post of President of Washington University where he served until his death in 1870. The school was later renamed Washington and Lee. As a final note President Ger-ald Ford had Lee's citizenship re-stored.

Text prepared by Larry Brasington, Jr. for From Revolution to Reconstruction - an .HTML project.

Last update: 2003-5-5 time: 13:17 © 1994- 2008. All rights reserved. Uni-versity of Groningen Humanities Com-puting

http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/B/relee/relee.htm

Letters by Lee:

His Excellency Jefferson Davis Hdqrs E. N. V. near Hagerstown, Md, July 5, 1863. Mr. President,

My letter of yesterday should have informed you of the position of this army. Though reduced in numbers by the hardships and battles through which it has passed since leaving the Rappahannock its condition is good and its confidence unimpaired. When crossing the Potomac into Maryland, I had calculated upon the river remain-ing fordable during the summer, so as to enable me to recross at my pleas-ure, but a series of storms commenc-ing the day after our entrance into Maryland has placed the river beyond fording stage and the present storms will keep it so for at least a week. I shall therefore have to accept battle if

the enemy offers it, whether I wish to or not, and as the result is in the hands of the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and known to him only, I deem it prudent to make every arrangement in our power to meet any emergency that may arrive. From information gathered from the papers I believe that the troops from the North Carolina and the coast of Virginia, under Generals Foster and Day have been ordered to the Potomac and that recently additional reinforcements have been sent from the coast of South Caro-lina to General Banks. If I am correct in my opinion this will liberate most of the troops in those regions and should not your Excellency have already done so I earnestly recommend that all that can be spared be concentrated on the upper Rappahannock under General Beaure-gard with directions to cross the river and make demonstration upon Washing-ton. This course will answer the double purpose of affording protection to the capital at Richmond and relieving the pressure upon this army. I hope your Excellency will understand that I am not in the least discouraged or that my faith in the protection of an all merciful Provi-dence, or in the fortitude of this army is at all shaken. But though conscious that the enemy has been much shattered in the recent battle I am aware that he can be easily reinforced while no addition can be made to our numbers. The meas-ure therefore that I have recommended is altogether one of a prudential nature. I am most respectfully your obedient servant, R. E. Lee, General From: http://library.thinkquest.org/3055/netscape/people/lee.html

Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson

Born January 21, 1824

Born Jan. 21, 1824

Next to Robert E. Lee himself, Thomas J. Jackson is the most revered of all Con-federate commanders. A graduate of West Point (1846), he had served in the

artillery in the Mexican War, earning two brevets, before resigning to accept a pro-fessorship at the Virginia Military Insti-tute. Thought strange by the cadets, he earned "Tom Fool Jackson" and "Old Blue Light" as nicknames. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War he was commissioned a colonel in the Virgin-ia forces and dispatched to Harpers Ferry where he was active in organizing the raw recruits until relieved by Joe Johnston. His later assignments included: com-manding 1st Brigade, Army of the Shen-andoah (May - July 20, 1861); brigadier general, CSA June 17, 1861); command-ing 1st Brigade, 2nd Corps, Army of the Potomac July 20 - October 1861); major general, CSA (October 7, 1861); com-manding Valley District, Department of Northern Virginia (November 4, 1861 - June 26, 1862); commanding 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia June 26, 1862-May 2, 1863); and lieutenant general, CSA (October 10, 1862). Leaving Harpers Ferry, his brigade moved with Johnston to join Beauregard at Manassas. In the fight at 1st Bull Run they were so distinguished that both the brigade and its commander were dubbed "Stonewall" by General Barnard Bee. (However, Bee may have been complain-ing that Jackson was not coming to his support). The 1st Brigade was the only Confederate brigade to have its nickname become its official designation. That fall Jackson was given command of the Valley with a promotion to major general. That winter he launched a dismal cam-paign into the western part of the state that resulted in a long feud with General William Loring and caused Jackson to submit his resignation, which he was talked out of. In March he launched an attack on what he thought was a Union rear guard at Kernstown. Faulty intelli-gence from his cavalry chief, Turner Ash-by, led to a defeat. A religious man, Jack-son always regretted having fought on a Sunday. But the defeat had the desired result, halting reinforcements being sent to McClellan's army from the Valley. In May Jackson defeated Fremont's advance at McDowell and later that month launched a brilliant campaign that kept several Union commanders in the area off balance. He won victories at Front Royal, 1st Winchester, Cross Keys, and Port Re-public. He then joined Lee in the defense of Richmond but displayed a lack of vigor during the Seven Days. Detached from Lee, he swung off to the north to face John Pope's army and after a slipshod battle at Cedar Mountain, slipped behind Pope and captured his Manassas junction supply base. He then hid along an incomplete branch railroad and awaited Lee and Longstreet. Attacked before they arrived, he held on until Longstreet could launch a devastating attack which brought a second Bull Run victory. In the invasion of Maryland, Jackson was detached to capture Harpers Ferry and was afterwards distinguished at An-tietam with Lee. He was promoted after this and given command of the now-official 2nd Corps. It had been known as a

wing or command before this. He was disappointed with the victory at Freder-icksburg because it could not be fol-lowed up. In his greatest day he led his corps around the Union right flank at Chancellorsville and routed the 11th Corps. Reconnoitering that night, he was returning to his own lines when he was mortally wounded by some of his own men. Following the amputation of his arm, he died eight days later on May 10, 1863, from pneumonia. Lee wrote of him with deep feeling: “He has lost his left arm; but I have lost my right arm." A superb commander, he had several faults. Personnel problems haunted him, as in the feuds with Loring and with Garnett after Kernstown. His choices for promotion were often not first rate. He did not give his subordi-nates enough latitude, which denied them the training for higher positions under Lee's loose command style. This was especially devastating in the case of his immediate successor, Richard Ewell. Although he was sometimes balky when in a subordinate position, Jackson was supreme on his own hook. Stonewall Jackson is buried in Lexing-ton, Virginia. Source: "Who Was Who in the Civil

War" by Stewart Sifakis

From the Internet: http://

www.civilwarhome.com/jackbio.htm

Four forgotten Civil War battlefields

by Sean McLachlan Civil War battlefields are some of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. The most famous battlefields, such as Gettysburg and Shiloh, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. But there are many other battle-fields that are just as interesting but little-known outside their local area. Here are four that any history buff will enjoy. You'll notice all of them are west of the Mississippi River. After the Con-federate stronghold of Vicksburg fell on July 4, 1863, the Union gained control of the Mississippi, cutting the Confeder-acy in half. From then on the fight in the West was practically a separate war. It gets little press in comparison to the war in the East, but it's just as interesting. Lexington (September 13-20, 1861): September 1861 was a hopeful time for the Confederacy. General Ster-ling Price had defeated a large Union force at Wilson's Creek in southwest Missouri and now marched through central Missouri gathering recruits. At the river town of Lexington he found a Union force under Col. James Mulligan defending the stone building of the Masonic College on a hill overlooking town. Mulligan had built earthworks all around the hill. Price's inexperienced

Page 3 January 2021

Page 4

THE DEFENDER

troops had trouble taking this tough po-sition until they hit on the idea of lining up bales of hemp, the local cash crop, and rolling them uphill as a mobile wall. Bales of weed are apparently bulletproof and as the fort became hemmed in Mulli-gan had no choice but to surrender. This early rebel victory proved short lived, and soon Price had to retreat to Arkan-sas in the face of superior forces. The Battle of Lexington State Historic Site has a good museum and remnants of the original earthworks. The town has many interesting old buildings. The courthouse has a cannonball lodged in one of its pillars! Fort Davidson (September 27, 1864): By the autumn of 1864 the war was going badly for the Confederacy, especially in the West. Other than some raids and constant guerrilla activity, the rebels had been pushed out of Missouri and northern Arkansas. General Sterling Price hit upon a bold plan to march north out of Arkansas and take St. Louis just before the presidential election. This, he hoped, would make Lincoln lose, or at least take pressure off the beleaguered Confederates east of the Mississippi. His first stop was Fort Davidson in the Arcadia Valley in southern Missouri. While some of his officers recommended bypassing the fort, Price wanted to give his troops an early boost in morale and capture supplies. The rebels charged across an open plain into withering mus-ket fire and blasts of grapeshot. By the end of the day almost a thousand men lay dead around the fort, and the Union troops still held their ground. That night the defenders snuck out under cover of darkness, blew up the fort's magazine, and slipped away into the night. This disastrous defeat so weakened and de-layed Price's army that he gave up trying to take St. Louis. His invasion became just another raid as he made a long loop through the state, ending in defeat at the Battle of Westport near Kansas City. Price's invasion was the last major Con-federate campaign west of the Mississip-pi. Fort Davidson State Historic Site pre-serves the fort's earthen ramparts and has an excellent museum about Price's Raid. Glorieta Pass (March 26-28, 1862): Throughout the war the Confederacy suffered from a naval blockade. The re-bel army in Texas hoped that if they could take the sparsely defended South-west they could march all the way to California. There they could exploit Cali-fornia's gold mines and trade with the world with little interference from the Union. An army of about 2,500 hardy Texans and New Mexicans headed out. At first all went well and they captured several Union forts and towns, but wait-ing for them at Glorieta Pass in New Mexico was a determined force of local Unionists and soldiers from Colorado. The pass was narrow and restricted on both sides by steep slopes. The fighting raged over rugged terrain and the Con-

federates looked like they were going to finally force their way through the pass when they discovered all of their supply wagons and horses had been destroyed by some Colorado troops who had climbed over the mountains and snuck behind the rebel position. The Confeder-ates had no choice but to retreat in a grueling, thirsty slog back to Texas. The dreams of a Confederacy stretching from sea to shining sea died at the "Gettysburg of the West." The battlefield is part of the Pecos National Historical Park and can only be visited as part of a park ranger guided tour. That's a good thing, because the rangers really know their stuff and will point all the important spots. Picacho Pass (April 15, 1862): During the Confederate campaign in New Mexi-co a small detachment of 54 Texans rode to Tucson and claimed it for the Confed-eracy. A Union column of 2,350 cavalry set out from California to take it back along with the rest of the Southwest. As they approached Tucson, a dozen caval-rymen and a scout ranged ahead to see what the rebels were doing. Fifty miles northwest of town they came across ten rebels camped at Picacho Pass, a tower-ing mesa overlooking the northwestern approach to Tucson. There was a brief firefight in which three Union soldiers were killed and three wounded. Three rebels were captured and two were wounded. Considering the small size of the forces involved, in terms of percent-ages this was one of the bloodiest bat-tles of the Civil War! The rebels hurried back to Tucson to tell their commander that the Union army was on the way, and they retreated to Texas. The Battle of Picacho Pass is considered by many to be the westernmost battle of the Civil War. Picacho Peak State Park is a fun day trip from Tucson or Phoenix. There's nothing to see from the actual battle, but you can clamber up the peak and look out over a sweeping view of the Arizona desert, marred by the nearby Central Arizona Project and Interstate 10. The park has an annual reenact-ment. http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/19/four-forgotten-civil-war-battlefields/

SLIDELL AND MASON On August 29, 1861 President Davis appointed James Mason, of VA, and John Slidell, of LA, to England and France as Commissioners/Ambassadors. They were traveling on the British steamer Trent. They ran Lincoln's illegal blockade on October 12th headed for Southampton, England. The Trent was commanded by a man named Wilkes. They were intercept-ed near Havana, Cuba, by the USS San Jacinto, which was an armed warship, and which fired a shot across the bow of the ship. The Trent, naturally, halted.

The Trent was a mail ship and unarmed. A party of US Marines illegally boarded the Trent in international waters. The officer in command demanded a list of passengers from Captain Wilkes. The captain, rightfully, refused the demand for anything from him. As this incident was taking place John Slidell appeared on deck and told the illegal invaders who he was. Slidell and Mason were seized and taken prisoners, by force, along with their secretaries, over the protests of Captain Wilkes. Mason and Slidell were imprisoned at Fort Warren. On November 27th the news of this illegal act caused an outcry in England fraught with indig-nation, as y'all can imagine. Internation-al law being broken by lawless miscre-ants breathing out tyranny will usually cause a righteous indignation. And this was serious enough for the Brits to act. England immediately dispatched 8,000 soldiers to Canada and demanded the immediate release of Mason and Slidell, and their secretaries, along with an apol-ogy to England. Lord Lyons, writing to Lord Russell on November 19th, 1861 stated the follow-ing: "I am told confidently that orders were given at Washington which led to the capture on board the Trent, and that they were signed by Mr. Seward without the knowledge of the President. I do not vouch for the truth of this. I am afraid he is not sorry to have a question with us like this..." Seward sent Lord Lyons a letter on December 27, 1861 stating the follow-ing: 'The four persons in question are now held in military custody at Fort Warren in the State of Massachusetts. They will be cheerfully liberated. Your lordship will please indicate a time and place for re-ceiving them.' Information on the Trent affair is liter-ally all over the internet, but my infor-mation is taken from LORD LYONS, Vol-ume I, Lord Newton1913 Posted by Lani Burnette Rinkel on the Facebook page War of Northern Aggres-sion Round Table Discussion on January 8th, 2021

John Slidell from Louisiana on the left and James Mason from Virginia on the right.

Page 5 January 2021

Editor’s note: The following article was copied from the Adams Light Guard Mes-senger, January 1997 and written by the Color Sergeant Bob Buseck, Sr. I wish I could see those flags fly now.

---------------------------------------------

True Colors

William Shakespeare said “to thine own self be true.” In today’s society how is one supposed to be true to ourselves? Political correctness is rapidly replacing the TRUTH. If we dislike something or disapprove we have the right to voice our opinion. This is one of the founding principles of this great country. Some people use this policy to great effect, and their constant argument is being heard louder and louder. The Re-bel flag is an embarrassment, they say. They say it represents slavery, racism, and oppression only! These same people say all Southern symbols should be stricken from state flags and banned from public display all together. The TRUTH is obvious to those who wish to see it. Slavery had been an ac-cepted form of labor for thousands of years before the conception of the Con-federate States of America. There is much documented proof from historical manuscripts as well as the Bi-ble that proves this fact. All of the great nations of the past used slavery as the base of it’s superiority over conquered nations. The Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Saxons, Aztecs, Incas, Spanish, French, Germans, Mongols, Swahili, Zulus, English and yes, the good old USA. Slavery was not a concept originated in the Old South. Slavery was only a practical solution to the many problems that the New South was facing. 85 years before the formation of the Confederacy, the United States flag flew over a nation that relied on and was built on slave labor. Many of our founding fathers were owners of vast plantations, and thus, the owners of many slaves. In the mid-1800’s as automation and industrialization became a reality, slav-ery was looked upon as the unwanted stepchild. Our nation had depended on it, had accepted it, but now as the North became industrial based, slavery had lost its usefulness and would no longer be tolerated. As the North began to grow and build factories and other industrial works, it became a realistic factor to pay a very nominal wage to a worker rather than to feed him, house him, and furnish him with clothing. In just a few short years slavery went from acceptable to deplora-ble! The South, by far, an agricultural based society was slowly following suit, but having no vast industrial resources it was taking much longer to accomplish. Many of the great Southern leaders were openly opposed to slavery, but duty and loyalty demanded they side with the accepted fact. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

NATCHEZ CITY CEMETERY NOTABLES

(1Lt. CSA) William G. Benbrook

born: 5/16/1937 died: 11/6/1922

William G. Benbrook, the grand old man of Natchez, is dead. The vital spark of the eighty-five year old mayor, who had been the municipal head of the city for thirty-three years continuously flickered out shortly after one o’clock Monday morning, and in ac-cordance with his wish that he be buried as speedily as possible and with simply ceremonies. The funeral was held Monday after-noon at three-thirty o’clock from the First Presbyterian Church and the service was conducted by Rev. George Booth, pastor of the church. Masonic blue lodge ceremonies were held at the grave by Andrew Jackson Lodge No. 1, F & A.M. of which Mayor Benbrook had been a mem-ber for sixty years. As a tribute of respect every business house and city and county office closed during the time of the funeral and all schools, both public and parochial were dismissed for the day. The funeral of the Mayor was largely attended, despite the fact that during the time of the service there was a steady downpour of rain. Members of the Masonic fraternity, Confederate Veter-ans, city officials and members of the police department reached to the church in bodies. During his life, Mayor Benbrook, in all of his intercourses with his fellow man practiced the precepts of the Golden Rule and reference in this was made by Rev. Mr. Booth in the funeral service. The death of Mayor Benbrook was not unexpected. Following the death of his wife, a companion of sixty-four years, he suffered a collapse and died. All that was mortal of Honorable W. G. Benbrook, Mayor of the City of Natchez and the people’s unfailing friend, was yesterday consigned to mother earth, buried beneath a wealth of flowers,

moistened with the tears of those whom he loved and who loved him so dearly. When the portals of the unknown were opened and the spirit of William G. Benbrook winged its way to the great white throne there was left behind, deeply graven in the tablets of love and memory, the recollection of one who had loved his neighbor as himself: one who was ever ready to stretch forth his hand to aid the humble and oppressed and one who covered with the broad mantel of charity the weaknesses and frailties to which the flesh is heir. While the long and honorable career of Mayor Benbrook distinguished him, it is not by this he will be remembered so much as by his gentleness, his unfailing kindness to al men and his broad-mindedness. Mayor Benbrook loved his city and her people with a devotion that was unsur-passed and never was there a time dur-ing the thirty-three years when he was municipal executive but what he was ready to give his efforts to any move-ment which he believed to be for the welfare of the community. In the dark days of the reconstruction period; through storm, fire and pesti-lence Mayor Benbrook helped shape the destiny of Natchez and always he held the faith that the future had in store greater things for his beloved city. Shortly before his death he gave expres-sion to this by saying: “During my life I have seen many changes, and conditions are far different from those of a genera-tion ago, but it seems to me that all the changes are for the better.” In his relations with his fellow man; Mayor Benbrook looked for good rather than evil and this spirit characterized him all through his life. He was never heard to say a harsh word of anyone or make an unkind criticism. Those who knew him best loved him most and he inspired the loyalty that knew no bounds. Of Mayor Benbrook it may be truly said that the world is better for his hav-ing lived in it and even though those who knew him in life may long for the touch of a vanished hand and wish for the voice that is stilled, there remains the inspiration of the golden deeds of the one whose soul has gone marching on. From: The Natchez Democrat; Nov. 7th, 1922

(Editor’s note: William G. Benbrook served as a 1Lt. in Co. A, First Regiment Mississippi Volunteers mustered into service November 1861 (60 days) and later as 1st Sgt. with the Breckenridge Guards mustered into service on July 24th, 1862. It is noted that he was dis-charged at Murfreesboro, TN on Dec. 8th, 1864. He was also a member of the Ad-ams Light Infantry which was organized June 3rd, 1876. The above information was obtained from a copy of Confederate Army Rec-ords of Adams County obtained from Compatriot Don Estes and compiled by Robert Shumay.

Page 6

THE DEFENDER

Brigadier General Stand Watie

Cherokee Confederate Brigadier Gen-

eral Stand Watie was born at Oothcaloga in the Cherokee Nation, Georgia (near present day Rome, Georgia) on Decem-ber 12, 1806. His Cherokee name was De-ga-ta-ga, or "he stands." He also was known as Isaac S. Watie (Americanized version of his name).

"Stand" is a perfect name for him because STAND is exactly what he did. General Watie was the last Confederate general to surrender and lay down his arms. He did so on June 23, 1865, which is some 75 days after General Lee at Appomattox.

The General Stand Watie #1450 Chapter United Daughters of the Confed-eracy is named, of course, for General Watie. There are also SCV Camps which bear his name, so stop listening to stu-pid people about the UDC and the SCV being 'white supremacist'. They lie.

At the outbreak of Lincoln's illegal war, Watie quickly joined the South. He was commissioned a colonel on July 12, 1861 and raised a regiment of Chero-kees for service with the Confederate army. Later, when Chief John Ross signed an alliance with the South, Wa-tie's men were organized as the Chero-kee Regiment of Mounted Rifles. After Ross fled Indian Territory, Watie was elected principal chief of the Confederate Cherokees in August 1862.

A portion of Watie's command saw action at Oak Hills (August 10, 1861) in a battle that assured the South's hold on Indian Territory and made Watie a Con-federate military hero. Afterward, Watie helped drive the pro-Northern Indians out of Indian Territory and following the Battle of Chustenahlah (December 26, 1861) he commanded the pursuit of the fleeing Federals, led by Opothleyahola, and drove them into exile in Kansas. Although Watie's men were exempt from service outside Indian Territory, he led his troops into Arkansas in the spring of 1861 to stem a Federal invasion of the region. Joining with Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn's command, Watie took part in the battle of Elkhorn Tavern (March 5-6, 1861). On the first day of fighting, the Southern Cherokees, which were on the left flank of the Confederate line, cap-tured a battery of Union artillery before being forced to abandon it. Following the Federal victory, Watie's command screened the southern withdrawal.

Watie, or troops in his command, participated in eighteen battles and ma-jor skirmishes with Federal troop during the Civil War, including Cowskin Prairie (April 1862), Old Fort Wayne (October 1862), Webber's Falls (April 1863), Fort Gibson (May 1863), Cabin Creek (July 1863), and Gunter's Prairie (August 1864). In addition, his men were en-gaged in a multitude of smaller skirmish-es and meeting engagements in Indian Territory and neighboring states. Be-cause of his wide-ranging raids behind Union lines, Watie tied down thousands

of Federal troops that were badly needed in the East.

Watie's two greatest victories were the capture of the federal steamboat, J.R. Williams, on June 15, 1864, and the seizure of $1.5 million worth of supplies in a federal wagon supply train at the Second battle of Cabin Creek on Sep-tember 19, 1864. Watie was promoted to brigadier general on May 6, 1864 and given command of the first Indian Bri-gade. He was the only American Indian to achieve the rank of general in the war.

After the war, Watie served as a member of the Southern Cherokee dele-gation during the negotiation of the Cherokee Reconstruction Treaty of 1866. He then abandoned public life and re-turned to his old home along Honey Creek. He died on September 9, 1871.

Posted by Lani Burnette Rinkel on the

Facebook page BLACK CONFEDERATES

AND OTHER MINORITIES IN THE WAR

OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION on January

5th, 2021

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 From 1861 till 1865 the Confederate flags were symbols of unity to the Southern people. They did not represent slavery or oppression, but were the sign of a Confederation of American States! Our Southern ancestors gave the ulti-mate sacrifice for their lands, homes, and yes their flags. How can we do any less and still call our self a true South-erner? Now is the time for people to make a stand and fight for our heritage. The SCV has some 23,000 members, the UDC just as many. We are still taxpayers and voters, we can make a difference. The Rebel flag still flies with honor in

Natchez, MS., and the William T. Mar-tin Camp #590 SCV sees to that. The Mississippi state flag still bears the Rebel flag as part of its design, the MS Division SCV sees to that. The question is for how long will this prevail? Every time I pass the old toll booth on Canal St., I look up to where the flags of honor fly. Every time I walk on the bluffs or travel on South Broadway, I look to the flag polls at the end of Main St. Local hotels, shops and even a private school still proudly display Southern flags in honor. Chattanooga, TN get your act to-gether, or come and visit Natchez, MS, where our TRUE COLORS still wave in plain sight.

From Days Gone By A Confederate Headstone Dedication service was held Saturday, January 13th, 2007. The weather was good and a large crowd (by our standards) gath-ered to share in this patriotic program. We had participants from the following Camps: Gainesville Volunteers (Picayune, MS), Crystal Springs South-ern Rights (Crystal Springs, MS), Stockdale’s Rangers (Summit, MS), Jones County Rosin Heels (Laurel), and Augusta Greys (New Augusta). Ms. Sally Wooten represented the Order of the Confederate Rose. UDC ladies in attendance were Mabel Clark, Pauline Watkins, Nell McNeil and Gloria Adcock.

Some of the crowd gathering for the Confederate Headstone Dedication on Saturday, Jan. 13th, 2007

The firing squad provided a 21-gun salute.

Page 7 January 2021

Page 8 January 2021

Page 9

THE DEFENDER

Buried in the Natchez City Cemetery

Gaynor, James S. Pvt. 1st Zurhellen Addition

Pipes, Lewis Pvt. 1st Zurhellen Addition

Chase, Benjamin D. Pvt. Case Addition Plot 3

Henderson, John W. 3rd Lt. Case Addition Plot 3

Metcalfe, Julius O. Pvt. Case Addition Plot 3

Wensel, Theodore V. Pvt. Catholic Hill

Blackburn, Edward M. Capt. Fields Plot

Brandon, James C. Pvt. Fields Plot

Stanton, S. W. Pvt. Fields Plot

Stone, Joseph N. Pvt. Old Catholic Plot 1

Carpenter, Joseph N. Pvt. Old Jewish Plot 2

Carradine, James H. 2nd Sgt. Old Jewish Plot 2

Gibson, Claude M. M.D. 3rd Sgt/Cpl. Case Addition Plot 3

Stanton, Aaron 2nd Sgt./2nd Lt. 1st Zurhellen Addition

Winston, Louis J. Pvt. Fields Plot

Young, S. Charles Pvt. Fields Plot

YOUR

BUSINESS

AD

COULD GO HERE!!!

Compliments of

The Blaney Family

Oil Tools and Supplies, Inc.

521 Liberty Rd. Natchez, MS 601-446-7229

Let us help you with your printing and office supply

needs

SMITH PRINTING

AND OFFICE SUPPLY, INC.

294½ Sgt. Prentiss Dr.

Natchez, MS 39120

601-442-2441

COST OF ADVERTISING IS

$5.00 PER BLOCK PER MONTH

COST OF ADVERTISING IS

$10.00 PER BLOCK PER MONTH

FOR THIS SIZE SPACE

COST OF ADVERTISING IS

$10.00 PER BLOCK PER MONTH

FOR THIS SIZE SPACE

Maj. Gen. William T. Martin Camp 590 Sons of Confederate Veterans 11 Hanging Moss Road Natchez, MS 39120