NEWS FROM THE CAMP
October
2007 Issue
http://www.bencaudill.com
Ben E. Caudill
Camp #1629
Box 1102
Whitesburg, KY 41858
The Last Salute
An empty chair now and
forevermore shall sit at our table in remembrance of those that have gone
before.
Mark Barger, Cecil Brown, Harold Cantrell,
Greg Caudill, Vernon Cooper, Atlas Hall, James Hamilton, Johnny C. Osborne,
Jake Smith, Henry Webb, Michael Wright
The General’s
Dispatch
Fall
has befallen us, as we continue to lead the way across this grand land. Our dedications are up by 2, thanks to the
efforts of camp members assisting at Ash Camp and Blue Springs. The battle of
Blue Springs was picture perfect, as our ancestors smiled for our
devotion to the cause. To date, the
Caudill flag has flown at a record 26 events this year! We have representation at two nationals along
with holding over 30 church services, in a combined effort to continue the Ben
Caudill legacy of providing Christ in the camp.
We are considered to be one of the most motivated camps within the
Confederacy and offer many avenues of honoring our ancestors through public
service, TV and radio presentations, church and civil appearances, stone
setting, monument building, writing and research and
other venues that preserve our heritage for prosperity. We must remember that our heritage does not
simply belong to the camp, but all of America and we must continue to recruit new members to fight
the war on ignorance, lies and those that would
destroy the very moral fiber that makes this country grand. It is in your hands to do so and our charge
demands nothing less. Carlos reports
that Silas Callahan has been found on the Bethel Halcomb
Farm located on Little Leatherwood. He
is a descendent of Wesley Callahan, a member of the Caudill Camp. Special thanks goes
to Fess Halcomb and Irene Carter.
A
very moving ceremony/memorial service was offered in honor of Jim Maddox, an 8th
TN man that was a commander in the SCV and a well-known reenactor. The last roll call was afforded, where the
captain read off the names of those reenactors currently serving to honor their
ancestors. All answered here except for
SGT Maddox. His name was called 3 times
and then we uncovered. After a long
pause, one man stepped forward, with tears streaming down his face, and said,
“SGT Jim Maddox Present and accounted for.”
All went away with the knowledge that our brother was looking down from
heaven saying to his ancestors, “That’s MY boys General, that’s my
boys honoring us all.” I will be doing
an interview via Moody Bible Institute pertaining to Christianity During the Civil War.
If you have any material, suggestions, please let me know. This is a grand opportunity to spread not
only our heritage but also the gospel truths.
I remain your obedient servant. Old General
Laus Deo
Upcoming Events:- October 19-21, 2007-Battle of Wildcat;
London, KY. Contact: Juanita Westerfield, October 20, 2007-Keynote Speaker at the Civic Center in Sparta, TN. Tentative time:
4:00; Contact: Joey Savage,
Adjutant-general George Gibbs Dibrell #875, October 22, 2007-Speaker at Prestonsburg College Death and Dying
Class: Post Secondary Building, Room
235; 6:00 P.M.; October 24, 2007-10:15
A. M., Commander Chaltas is the keynote speaker at the regional meeting of the
Department of Labor; Mosby’s Restaurant, located in Wise, VA. Contact Bradley.Freddie@dol.gov for details; October 27-28, 2007-Mountain Makins Festival to be held at the Rose Center, Morristown, TN. October 26-28, 2007-Battle of Leatherwood held at Cornettsville, KY.
Contact Gary N. Begley at garynbegley@yahoo.com;
November 2-4, 2007-Missionary Ridge, Sequoia, Caverns; November 3-4, 2007-Battle of Zollicoffer, Bluff City, Tennessee; November 10-11, 2007-Fort
Dickerson, Knoxville, TN; November 17, 2007-Dedication of the Kentucky Monument at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
From the Adjutant’s Desk
The
Colonel Ben E. Caudill Camp No. 1629 currently has 81 members. This will be the last meeting before dues
become delinquent. Dues should be paid
by November 1st to avoid being late, which results in a $5.00
additional fee. If you have not paid
your dues yet, please do so tonight or get them to me in the next couple of
weeks. On October 5th,
Commander Chaltas, Willis Strong, Manton Ray Cornett
and myself represented the camp at the Indian Fall Festival held at
Jenkins. We gave a presentation to 150
elementary students from Burdine and McRoberts schools.
Commander Chaltas offered a story about a young soldier from the area, I
gave a presentation of an infantry soldier, and Manton Ray and Willis gave a
presentation of the artillery, firing the cannon as well. The presentations went very good and we were
thanked for coming. On October 14th,
Tim Blair, Okie Blair, Garland Kiser, Tabby and Rose
Back and myself represented the camp at a dedication
for two Moore brothers killed in the early stages of the war as
Partisan Rangers. This dedication was at
Ash Camp of Elkhorn Creek in Pike County. Four members
of the Moore family, in uniform, helped with the dedication. A large family turnout showed their
appreciation to the camp and fed us at the conclusion of the event.
The
Battle of Wildcat re-enactment will be held this weekend (October 20 and 21) at
the site of the battle in Laurel County. This event is
always a favorite of many re-enactors and I would encourage all to attend. The Battle of Leatherwood re-enactment will
be held on the weekend of October 27 and 28.
The Education Day for school children will be held on Friday, October 26
and the Ball at Stuart Robinson School on Saturday night.
Please make all attempts to attend and participate in order to help this
local event. Dean and Nina Cornett and
the Environmental group in which they are members, awarded the Colonel Ben E.
Caudill Camp a grant in the amount of $1,000!
This grant is for the purchase of flags and material to help with
cemetery restoration projects. I suggest
that the camp make them Honorary Members.
Honoring the Memory of our Ancestors, I remain your Adjutant, Richard G. Brown
Chaplain’s
Comments
It has been a long hot and
dry summer, but you can feel fall in the air.
The days are getting colder but not much rain due to the draught. I
believe that God would always give us what we need. I know the rain will come. The Ash Camp
dedication went well. I was so proud to be a part of another dedication. Everyone thanked us for being there to offer
a military salute. Thanks Richard, Garland, Okie
and Tim! I am looking forward to Wildcat this weekend. To me it’s the best reenactment of the year.
I pray that God’s Holy Spirit will be with us once more. Please remember to
pray for the sick. I would be happy to
put their names on the pray list. Just
email it to me at the5thkycampkettle@yahoo.com God bless Dixie,
Chaplain Tabby Back
Prayer Line
Let
us remember the family of Jim Maddox. He
died suddenly while at the Battle of Morristown. Continue praying for Colonel Ronnie Robinson,
General Parsons, Gary Holt, John Peck, Grady Lee, Carlos Brock, Willis Stong’s
wife and family along with Manton Ray Cornetts.
Geneva Jones family is in need of
prayers. Please pray for a young lady
named Bridgett. She is having serious
health problems and is concerned with about her two children. Let us pray for the three young boys that
came requesting that I pray for them right then at Blue Springs. Ask for unspoken prayers to be answered, as
our God knows our needs prior to asking.
Pray for our beloved Cliff Howard (President Davis). Remember to pray for Big Tree and his father,
Mrs. Cantrell, and others that give of their time as living historians. Pray for all the infirmed, those alone and
needing the touch of the Master’s hand, as well as our troops that guard
freedom’s door. Pray for the unity of
the camp and that in all things we work for the glory of God and with a humbled
spirit. Let us continue to serve the
cause of Christ and pray for the Ben Caudill Ministries as we carry on the
tradition of our ancestors. Chaplains of
the Confederacy
Trivia Questions
1.
What Georgia city was, in contrast to all
others, treated well by General Sherman?
2.
What Virginia town did General Stonewall Jackson live in prior to
the war?
3.
What city was the
last capitol of the Confederacy?
4.
What Virginia City has the Old Blandford Cemetery, with the graves of more than 30,000 Confederate
soldiers (probably the most graves of soldiers anywhere)?
5.
In what Tennessee City was there a riot between Union
and Confederate sympathizers that resulted in the loss of life?
6.
What major Tennessee City fell to the Federals in 1862 and remained in their
hands for the remainder of the war?
7.
What Georgia City refused to bury the Confederate and Union
dead together in a plot of donated land?
8.
In a plot
organized by a Kentuckian to burn New York, what caused it to fail?
9.
What city was the
starting point for General Sherman’s March to the Sea?
10. What northern Virginia City was occupied by the Union
for the entire length of the war?
Bluegrass Confederate-Guerrant’s Diary
Monday, September 26, 1864
Clinch Mountain on the Holston River
Before
breakfast this morning, a dispatch came from General Echols accompanied by two
dispatches from Prentice at Gladesville announcing
intelligence that 15 Yankee Regiments with 3,200 pack mules passed Salyersville
last enroute for Sandy River and Virginia. 600 Yankee
Negroes guarded 50 boats loaded with provisions up to the mouth of Beaver
Creek. These great preparations indicate
an invasion on a scale surpassing anything yet undertaken. General Echols sent a dispatch also to
General Bowen at Maiden Spring to gather up the militia of Tazewell and
blockade the roads through Buchanan County. Took these
dispatches down to Colonel Giltner, then sent them on to Tazewell. Sent the 10th Kentucky Mounted
Rifles up to Richlands and Fincastle cross roads –
pickets at Russell old courthouse. A man
of Prentice’s Battalion announces the Yankees at Gladesville. Prentice falling back and
blockading the road.
Answers to Trivia Questions
1.
Savannah,
the end of the infamous march.
2.
Lexington, Virginia, where he is buried.
3.
Danville, Virginia, where President Jefferson Davis issued his last
presidential proclamation.
4.
Petersburg
5.
Knoxville,
where they fought through the streets
6.
Nashville
7.
Marietta. The city used the donated land to bury the
Union troops (the Marietta National Cemetery). They buried
the Confederate dead nearby in a separate cemetery.
8.
They did not
think to open the windows to create a draft, resulting in the fires being
easily extinguished.
9.
Chattanooga
10. Alexandria, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Congratulations
Compatriots!!
939 Stones Set with 371 Dedications
Welcome Compatriots!
Donald Ray Smith
Honorary Membership
Dean & Nina Cornett
Roger Kelly (Butternut)
Rick Revel: American Heritage Keepers
19th Tennessee
Infantry!
Executive
Council Meeting
Conducted
via Internet
Richard Brown, David Chaltas & John P.
Back
October 16, 2007
Agenda
developed
Upcoming
events (Wildcat, Leatherwood, Dedications, living history)
Membership
Drive
Expenditures:
Appalachian
Monument=$300.00 was paid by Fiscal Court
C.K.
reimbursement=$50
Webmaster=$60.00-donated to camp
Budget for
the Quartermaster & Public Relations Committee
Pound Gap
Project Progress-flagpoles/statue
Support
the following candidates for honorary membership into the Camp
Dean and
Nina Cornett
Roger
Kelly (Butternut)
Rick Revel
19th
TN Infantry
Colors
across the Commonwealth
Presentation: The Last Confederate Widow
Minutes
September 20, 2007
The
monthly meeting of the Caudill Camp # 1629 of the SCV was held on September 20,
2007, at the Letcher County Vocational
School. Members present were: Danny Taylor, Tabby
Back, Tim Blair, Okie Blair, Leathan
Whitaker, Richard Brown, Garland Kiser, Willis Strong, Manton Ray Cornett,
Danny Wright, Raymond Isaacs, John P. Back, David Chaltas and Carlos Brock.
Commander
Chaltas called meeting to order. Richard
led the Pledge of Allegiance. Commander
Chaltas led the Salute to the Confederate Flag.
He then read from the Chaplain’s Handbook. Tabby led prayer, and then talked about the
church service at the Barbourville re-enactment, which was largely attended. He read some scriptures and took prayer
requests. The Ancestor Roll Call was
performed. Recognized
two guest; Lawrence Cook and Anthony Hawkins. Mr. Cook made a request for the camp to help
him with a dedication at Ash Camp in Pike County for two Moore boys killed while acting as Partisan Rangers during
the war. The dedication will be at 2:00 P.M. on October 14.
The Moore boys were part of Quenton
Childers family. Some of the camp plans
to attend. A quorum was noted and
announced that the camp could conduct business.
Richard read the minutes of the August meeting. The minutes were accepted by vote. Commander Chaltas gave the Commander’s
Comments then discussed Chaplains of the SCV.
Carlos Brock announced that 939 tombstones have been set, 19 are on order and 14 are on the ground waiting to be set. We are
closing in on 1,000 tombstones and should start planning a special event to
commemorate the milestone. Commander
Chaltas thanked West Care from Sycamore in Pike County for their help in digging the flagpole hole for the South Carolina flag, cutting weeds and
grass at the Pound Gap Monument. He also
thanked the camp for their participation in the Jenkins Skirmish at Pound
Gap. Leathan
requested some flyers for the Leatherwood event so he could place them in
businesses. Richard gave the Adjutant
Report. John Back talked about the
Leatherwood re-enactment and told that the Letcher, Knott
and Perry County fiscal courts were helping with the event. The ball will be held at the Stuart Robinson School. Corrections
for Confederate Kin were discussed.
Commander Chaltas announced that the Stephen Douglas from S. C. was
selling Southern Cross for $35, made out of aluminum. The camp agreed to order one to see how the
quality was, and if acceptable, would order more. He also said that the staff at LMU was very
supportive of the Caudill Camp and encouraged the members to visit the museum
there (a Caudill’s Army flag is on exhibit).
John Back made a motion for the camp to make LMU, Duane Roop, Carol Campbell, Evelyn Smith and West Care honorary
members, Raymond Isaacs seconded, motion passed. Richard made a motion to
accept Donald Ray Smith as a new member of the Camp, Danny Taylor seconded,
motion passed. Carlos made a motion to
purchase a Southern Cross of Honor for Captain Jackson Combs, Danny seconded,
motion passed. Commander Chaltas will
order it. The commander urged all
members to help recruit new members.
Guest speaker Anthony Hawkins noted that Lt. Phillip Ratliff of the 7th
Confederate Cavalry was suppose to be buried in the cemetery at Ash Camp in Pike County where the dedication to the Moore brothers was to be held. Mr. Hawkins is the author of a book on the
Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, named “Of Savage Fury”. Mr. Hawkins gave a very good presentation on
some of the events surrounding the battle.
Commander Chaltas announced that he would be presenting an award at Campbell’s Branch School to Shelby Watts on October 6 and invited any camp
members to come. Raymond announced that
Wallace Kincer was conducting his wedding anniversary
at Payne Gap on October 20 in a War Between the States theme and invited all
members of the camp to come. Tabby announced that the 5th Kentucky re-enacting group will meet at R.R. Crawford
Engineering office on Wednesday, September 26 at 6:00 P.M. Richard
presented the Trivia Questions, of which Garland Kiser won. Tabby and Danny tied for second. Commander Chaltas presented all three a small
prize. The next meeting will be October
18 at the Letcher County Vocational
School.
Agenda
October 18,
2007
Call Business meeting to order-Sgt. At Arms
Watts
Pledges
Prayer-Scripture Reading-Chaplain Tabby
Back
Ancestral Roll Call-All
members
Welcome-Recognition
of new SCV, Honorary & Associate Members
(HAND OUT:
Membership Applications)
State if there is a Quorum present
Reading/Approval of Minutes-camp member
Commander’s Comments
New Business
Vote on Members:
Honorary Members recommendation
2nd Lt. Commander
Appointed: Manton Ray Cornett
Dedication: EVENT Calendar
Open Floor
ü
Events Committee-Report on Status of 2007 events: Wildcat, Leatherwood
ü Setting South Carolina Flagpole and Statue on the
mountain
ü Trash Pickup at Pound Gap-set date
ü
Confederate
Kin-ISBN=$150.00----Ordering …
ü
Iron
Cross from S.C. has been Ordered
ü
ü
PRESENTATION:
ü
Trivia-Richard
Brown
Adjourn by Prayer