News
from the Camp
July 2004 Issue
The last Salute
An
empty chair now and forevermore shall sit at our table in remembrance of those
that have gone before.
We welcome our guests and give a Rebel
Yell to the newest members of the proud decedents of the men who rode with the
13th
Kevin Carroll Wright
Wesley William Howel
Fred Ray
Steputis
The Commander’s Comments
We have done
it again! On July 5, Tim Harp and I set
a stone in
Mid summer
means vacation time for a lot of people but I have tried to see that the
Caudill Camp continues on with our goals right through the hottest part of
summer. The only thing of change for us
has been the extreme humidity that can zap the energy right out of you on the
side of a mountain with a stone on the dolly in a few seconds. We've also had to deal with an unusual amount
of rain almost daily for long periods of time, which changes our plans. But the mission continues and we've set
approximately ten stones since our last meeting, including adventures in Floyd,
Breathitt, Knott, &
to especially
thank the three members that helped me set Confederate markers in the past
month...Tim Harp, who is there every time I need him for every stone trip, week
after week, Mark Carroll who pulled way more than his share in our recent Mill
Branch Adventure in Lee County, and Steve Bowling who helped us set a stone for
the 13th's Cornelius Moore in Lee County.
I also want to thank Shirley Hudson with C.L.E.P. program in
I would like
to see a lot more involvement from our members in helping to permanently
preserve the military history of our region and it's
Confederate soldiers by joining us for at least some of our stone setting
trips. We have trips planned every
week. Not all are the extreme
mountaintop settings, many are easy access where you can drive right up to the
cemetery, it is just a lot more fun with more people
involved. All you have to do is
call me and find out what we have coming up
over the next few days or weeks. Not
only are you honoring the memory of Eastern Kentucky Confederates with an
emphasis on Colonel Ben Caudill's men, it's worth it for many different
reasons...the fellowship, seeing a lot of beautiful but unseen parts of our
area... it's just a lot of fun that most of our members are missing out on. Call me at (606) 436-2121 and find out what we
have coming up. We are working out a
couple of 4-wheeler trips to
Our website
continues to improve thanks to the wonderful efforts of our member Mark
Carroll. We now have a lot of new
pictures in our album section with more emphasis on Caudill Camp members. Mark and I are also working on expanding
photo features on this year's Whick Mission in Breathitt County, the Mill
Branch Mission in Lee County and the Hunley Confederate Funeral in Charleston,
South Carolina. A lot more photos will
be added over the coming weeks and some more in depth journal entries will
appear, so keeping checking our website.
Our work with
Confederate research continues on a daily basis. Since our last meeting I would like to thank
the following people - camp members, honorary members and friends - for their
great involvement with various Confederate soldier research projects over the
last few weeks...Larry Combs, Steve Bowling, Steve Caudill, Henrietta McKinney,
Joe Skeens, Richard Brown, Patty Brashear, Nancy Bays, Jim Prichard, Bill
James, Danny Taylor and Buford Caudill.
In particular we are focused on the trail that will lead to finding
soldiers such as Benjamin Middleton and a number of other Harlan County 13th
boys, Martin P. Bailey, Richard Sparkman, Robert Wicker, William Cantrell,
Samuel Adkins, William Ashley, Moses Adams and A.J. Roberts to name a few. A team of researchers have been helping me
gather information on the former Old Bentley Cemetery in Jenkins and plans to
erect a memorial either on this exact site or nearby where one of our 13th
soldiers is buried - Lafayette Bentley.
We've recently driven hundreds of miles, conducted interviews with
family members and visited courthouses and libraries for research in Franklin
County, Harrison County, Bourbon County, Estill County, Perry County, Breathitt
County, Wolfe County, Powell County and Harlan County. That's just since our last meeting. Without
the intense research we there will be no stones set, & we don't continue to
build on the history of our
I am happy to
report that we have also recently been involved with two camp projects that
include the Adopt-A-Highway litter pickup in
Impressions and hope to have the finished project within a few days. Upon receiving the new historical sign we will have it placed at the proper location near Hazel Green and then schedule a dedication date. Commander Sparkman
Talking with the General
Why are we
sitting here? Why do we offer our time
and make the sacrifices that we do? The
answer comes from the heart as we follow the sound of shot and shell. Some of us do it for love of ancestors and
the cause in which our ancestors heeded the call, while some do it for the joy
of reflecting upon those days of yesteryear when men openly fought and gave
their all for those beliefs. We must
pray that all do it for God, honor, and duty as we reflect upon the days when
Christ was in the camp. This camp has
never been self-serving and all members have demonstrated chivalry that has
made it into a model for the state and nation to follow. We must continue to do so and guard the good
name of the Confederate soldier as we would guard the honor of our family. In order to do so, we must continue to be involved
in all activities, including the roadside clean up, planning the reenactments,
stone setting and dedications, serving on committees such as the Monument
Committee. I call upon each of you to
look within your heart and if the spirit moves, to come forward and become even
more involved. After all, we are the
only voice that our ancestors possess, so we must sing out from the mountaintop
to keep the enemy at bay.
This has been
an eventful month. On July 3 Adjutant
Brown and the old General participated in the Living History Days at
The month of July offers a Living History (17th) at Hungry Mothers State Park in Marion, Virginia, Kentucky Civil War Heritage Trail at Camp Wildcat on the 22nd of July, a Living History at Perryville on the 23rd Tomato Festival in Rutledge along with a Living History (24th) and the Nibroc Festival on August 11-14 at Corbin. All are welcome and come out to relive history and learn from others as we honor our ancestors. The Old General
My Kepi & Me
My Kepi & Me is a series honoring camp members and their
ancestors. The purpose is to share their
ancestor’s history as well as the current son occupying the seat of honor. This month let us offer a salute and tip our
Kepi to our own Larry Combs! Larry was born in 1946 and has lived in Limestone, New York Lee County Kentucky Perry County Kentucky Kentucky
Robert Williams.
Commander Sparkman is in contact with Larry by e-mail almost every day
looking into new areas of research, so in spite of the miles that separate us,
Larry is a valued member of this camp and we are proud to call him our compatriot,
our pardner, our friend, our brother.
Though we have yet to meet our compatriot, it is good to know that we
have family in New York
Announcements from the Adjutant’s Desk
(Adjutant Brown)
Our camp is holding steady at approximate
90 members. Don't forget about the membership
drive and hopefully everyone will earn a
School in
The Chaplain’s
Corner
(Chaplain Back/Chaltas)
This month let
us reflect upon our God given rights and the love that our ancestors possessed
for this land that they called the South.
The land was sacred to them; a gift from the Almighty and their fever
courses through our veins as well. The
following sums up the way a true Southerner feels about the South. May we reflect with awe as to the words but
let us renew our pledge to God and the land so blessed by His touch.
Pledge Of the South
“The
South is a land that has known sorrows; It is a land that has broken the ashen
crust and moistened it with tears; A land scarred and riven by the plowshare of
war and billowed with the graves of her dead; but a land of song, a land of
hallowed heroic memories. To that land
every drop of my blood; ever fibre of my being, every pulsation of my heart, is
consecrated forever. I was born of her
womb; I was nurtured at her breast; and when my last hour has come I pray God
that I may be pillowed upon her bosom and rocked to sleep within her tender and
encircling arms.” Edward
Ward Carmack (1858-1908)
Members Present
Richard
Brown & wife, David Chaltas, Danny Taylor & wife, Dale Wright & wife,
Danny Wright, Jerry Wells, Steve Richardson, Raymond Isaacs, William Whitaker
& wife, David A. Lucas, Wayne Watts, John Pearl Back, Mike Blair, Fred S.
(newest member from Colorado!)
Opening Prayer-Chaplain
Eatin’
Meetin’
Meeting called to order-Commander
Sparkman
Pledges/ led by Commander
Jefferson
Davis’s Last Speech (11/18/1886 )-Chaltas
Scripture
Reading-Chaplain Back
Recognition of
Guests
Motion by Richard
Brown to Accept Minutes as read & 2nd by Danny Wright
Newsletter
reviewed
New Business
John Back's Report
on State Reunion given by Chaplain Back (refer to newsletter). Ben Caudill Camp won the stone Setting
Award. Richard Smith and the Old General
won merit awards for Distinguished Service
Clean up campaign
for Pound Gap scheduled for June 24th.-Chaltas
Ben Caudill Camp
presented to the Fiscal Court
Report on
Caudill’s Flag flying at Jonesville during Reenactment.-Chaltas
Concept
of obtaining Dixon
Adjourned
by Prayer-Chaplain Back
Colonel Benjamin Caudill
Camp No. 1629
Of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
Civil
Brick Data Sheet
Purchase Price $20.00
Name of Person Ordering Brick: _________________________________________
Mailing Address: _____________________________________________________
Email Address: ______________________________________________________
Telephone Number: ___________________________________________________
Name of Soldier Honored: ______________________________________________
Rank: ______________________________________________________________
Company: ___________________________________________________________
Unit: _______________________________________________________________
Check # ______________________________________________________________
Comments: ___________________________________________________________
Please mail order form and money to:
Colonel Ben
Caudill Camp
Attn: Danny Taylor
730 Walters Branch
July 15, 2004
Agenda
Call
meeting to order-Sgt.
Prayer-Chaplain Back
Pledge/Confederate
Flag-Commander Sparkman
The
Charge-Volunteer
Scripture
Reading-Chaplain Back
Welcome
and recognition of guests
Former
Kentucky Commander Lyons
Reading/Approval of Minutes/Newsletter
Newsletter
Review/My Kepi and Me-Chaltas
Adjutant
Report-Brown
New Business
Honor
Guard for the Jimmy Griffie Cemetery-Aug 1 at 9:30-Wayne Whitaker
Heritage
Spring Water Label-Wayne Whitaker
Commander’s
Corner Comments: Presentation of
certificate to Larry Combs/Stone Reports
National Convention Delegates,
Status
report on Adopt a Highway Report-Virginia Border on 23 to 119-Chaltas
Marking historical
sites-Hazel Green/
Status
of Battle
Monument
Committee Report
Paintsville Play Update
Bring discussion
up regarding putting Letcher County Big Monument
Open
Floor
Drawing
Adjourn
by Prayer
One morning, three
Southerners and three Yankees were in a ticket counter line at a train station.
The three Northerners each bought a ticket and watched as the three Southerners
bought just one ticket. "How are
the three of
you going to travel on only one ticket?" asked one of the Yankees.
"Watch and learn," answered one of the boys from the
South." All six boarded the train where the three
Yankees sat down but the three Southerners crammed into a toilet together and
closed the door. Shortly after the train departed, the conductor came around to
collect tickets. He knocked on the toilet door and said, "Ticket,
please." The door opened just a crack and a single arm emerged with a
ticket in hand. The conductor took it and moved on. The Yankees saw this happen and agreed it was
quite a clever idea, indeed, so clever they decided to do the same thing on the
return trip and save some money. That afternoon when they got back to the
station, they bought a single ticket for the return trip and watched, while to
their astonishment, the three Southerners didn't buy even one ticket. "How
are you going to travel without a ticket?" asked a perplexed Yankee.
"Watch and
learn," answered the three Southern boys in
unison. When they boarded the train, the
three Northerners crammed themselves into a toilet and the three Southerners
crammed into another toilet just down the way. Shortly after the train began to
move, one of the Southerners left their toilet and walked over to the toilet in
which the Yankees were hiding. The Southerner knocked on the door and said,
"Ticket, please." There's just
no way on God's green earth to explain how the Yankees could have ever won the
war.