The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 15

There have been 132 Pro-Confederate Flag Rallies since the Charleston shooting.

Fort Smith Educators Oust Rebel Mascot, "Dixie" fight song.

Confederate memorials here.

Trucks flying Confederate flags interrupt black child's birthday party.

Protesters target Confederate monuments, flag.

Luke Bryan says Confederate flag has become symbol of racism.

Clark County sheriff asks fairgoers to leave Confederate flags at home.

Vikings Captain Munnerlyn glad to see Confederate flag come down in South Carolina.

Sarah Palin: Planned Parenthood logo is worse than Confederate flag.

Walton County votes to replace one Confederate flag with another.

Man shot in Indiana while allegedly flying Confederate flag from truck.Patricia Cameron's bust for grilling Confederate flag goes national.

--Old Secesh

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 14

Too many want to oversimplify the Confederate flag.

Bill that would protect monuments gets tentative approval.

After flag, what next?

Group rallies for Confederate flag.

Pentagon generals defend base names that honor white supremacy.

Ga. debates Confederate carving set in stone and state law.

Confederate flag talk stalls in House with national parks bill.

Confederate flag battle in Panhandle pits North against South.

Confederate flag selling well for local salesman.

Poll: Va. voters evenly split on Confederate flag.

Virginia voters split on Confederate license plate debate.

Confederate statue vandalized in Rockville.

Arson charged in Colorado Confederate flag burning.

These are various headlines in my recent Yahoo and Google alerts.

And the War Goes On.  --Old Secesh

Monday, July 27, 2015

North Carolina Legislature Will Have Ultimate Say in Objects of Remembrance

From the July 24, 2015, Wilmington (NC) Star-News "McCrory pressed to halt Confederate license plates" by John Moritz.

The N.C. legislature will have the ultimate say over public "objects of remembrance," including Confederate memorials under a new law signed by the governor.

Pat McCrory announced Thursday evening that he had signed a controversial historical monuments bill that had passed the House earlier in the week.  The bill's opponents, mainly Democrats, argued it would protect an unknown number of Confederate memorials in the state.

However, McCrory said he had issues with the process the bill set up for removing monuments deemed to commemorate "an event, person or military service that is part of North Carolina's history."  It would take an act by the General Assembly to remove such a monument.  (Meaning it will not be easy to do so.)

Democrats wanted local authorities and the North Carolina Historical Commission to have the that power.

I guess we can take this as one of those rare, semi-good-for-us things that happen these days.

--Old Secesh

Friday, July 24, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 13: McCrory Pressed to Halt Confederate License Plates

From the July 24, 2015, Wilmington (NC) Star-News/AP by John Morit.

The debate over the appropriateness of Confederate symbols continues in North Carolina and groups on both sides are pressuring Governor Pat McCrory to take action.

On Thursday, those groups desiring the state to stop the sale of Sons of Confederacy license plates because they feature a Confederate flag which is part of their logo, delivered a petition with more than 13,000 signatures.  They want him to use his executive authority to ha;t the sale of them.

McCrory says he wants to stop the sale of them, but says the law requires him to wait for General Assembly approval.  The General Assembly says it is the governor's call.

More than 2,000 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans license plates have been sold.

--Old Secesh

Thursday, July 23, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 12

Richmond residents weigh in on the latest defacing of a Confederate memorial.

One Confederate flag no longer waving in South Elgin.

Military is OK with the Confederate flag--for now.

The Confederate flag is for losers.

Confederate flag's legacy in Jacksonville, Florida,  at center of raging debate.

NAACP petitions to remove a large Confederate flag flying next to I-95.How the Confederate flag wasn't really the national Confederate flag.Time for the Confederate flag to be retired.

Local store pulls Confederate flag merchandise.

Apple pulls Civil War games in Confederate flag takedown.

A Portsmouth city councilman wants the Confederate monument removed from downtown.

Put that flag away.

--Old Secesh

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 11

Two fired from Decatur business claim Confederate battle flag to blame.

Black backer of Confederate flagnwas anomaly in Mississippi.

Confederate monument in North Texas spray-painted with "This is racist."

Authorities investigate crash that killed black Confederate flag advocate.

Bexar County commissioners order removal of Confederate symbols.

Confederate New Orleans: An interactive monument and street map.

Tuba player Matt Buck ridicules KKK supporters at a S.C. rally.Panel eyes debate over Confederate symbols in the Capitol.

--Old Secesh

Monday, July 20, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 10

A Fort Smith, Arkansas, Wal-Mart refused to sell a $320 high school ring to a woman buying it for her nephew because his high school's mascot is a rebel holding a Confederate flag.

There is some talk about how Black Twitter helped take down the Confederate flag in South Carolina.

New Orleans "grapples" with its Confederate past.  (It sure didn't have much of a long one).  Looking into the possible relocation of four Confederate monuments as "public nuisances."  They are of Lee, Beauregard, Davis and the Battle of Liberty Place, a fight between the "White Legion" and the city's reconstruction government in 1874.  They are also thinking about renaming the Jefferson Davis Parkway.

New Orleans was one of the first Confederate cities to surrender in 1862.  Looks like they're getting ready to do it again.

--Old Secesh

Sunday, July 19, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 9

From the July 11,2015, Yahoo! News/AP "South Carolina's Confederate flag is gone, but others remain" by Kathleen Foody, Jeffrey Collins and Meg Kinnard.

Several states have taken or are considering action to remove other Confederate flags and monuments.

The flag has been banished from the Alabama Capitol grounds and federal cemeteries.

And that good old anti-Confederate Memphis is working to remove the remains and statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest from a park.

But, Confederate flags remain on license plates and makes up part of the Mississippi and Georgia state flags.

Though named after a Confederate general, Fort Bragg in North Carolina will not have its name changed.

However, Fort Bragg city in California may have to change its name.  California Senate Bill 539 requires "A name associated with the Confederate States of America shall not be used to name state or local public property prior to January, 1, 2017, the name shall be changed and any sign associated with the name shall be removed."

Getting Ridiculous.  --Old Secesh

Saturday, July 18, 2015

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 8

South Carolina State Representative Jenny Horne, a descendant of Jefferson Davis, gave a late night speech urging the flag to come down which led to the vote to remove it.

NASCAR asked fans of their recent race in Daytona Beach not to fly the Confederate flag.  They did anyway.  Good for them.

The Bonnie Blue flag, one used by Confederates, also is a point of contention.  But it has not been used as a hate symbol.  There was even some talk of replacing the S.C. flag with the Bonnie Blue, but, fortunately nothing came of it.  Then it would have become a hate flag.

Protesters in New Orleans threw a Confederate flag on a grill beneath a statue of Robert E. Lee.Someone hoisted a Confederate flag at the Tallahassee, Florida, City Hall.

Fort Fisher State Historic Site in North Carolina says it will continue to sell Confederate merchandise.  They report that sales of these items have had an uptick since the controversy began.

Good for Them.  --Old Secesh

Debate in N.C. Over Confederate Monuments-- Part 2: UNC's "Silent Sam"

The statue referred to as "Silent Sam" at UNC-Chapel Hill was also spray-painted.

There is now discussion on campus of its removal.  The statue of a Confederate soldier is dedicated to the 321 alumni who died fighting for the Confederacy commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Written on it were "Murderer," "KKK," and "Black Lives Matter."

It has been repeatedly vandalized over the years.

A Sad Thing.  --Old Secesh

Debate in North Carolina Over Confederate Monuments-- Part 1

From the July 6, 2015, WRAL (Raleigh, N.C.)

Some in North Carolina are not only questioning the Confederate flag but also Confederate monuments located on public property.  A state database on Civil War monuments shows that more than 70 of the state's 100 counties have at least one memorial to the Confederacy and 17 have multiple ones.

These include federal and state markers, historic trails and private monuments linked to the Confederacy.  Most were built to honor Confederate soldiers who died during the war.

Last week, a marker in a Durham-owned cemetery was spray-painted.  Mecklenberg County is discussing whether to remove a  monument in Charlotte which features a Confederate flag.

To Me, the Listing of the Confederate Markers Represents the Beginning of the Campaign for Their Removal.  --Old Secesh

The SCV Sees Flag Attack As a "Nightmare"-- Part 3

Commander Barrow also said that he had not seen any protests at the convention, something I was sure there would be.

Following the murders, some Richmond Confederate monuments were defaced and there was a call to take the Confederate statues down which are along Richmond's famed Monument Avenue.

Dwight Jones, Richmond's mayor, is black and disagrees with the removal and calls for more statues recognizing other heroes.  He points out that there already is one recognizing pioneering black tennis player Arthur Ashe.

Last month, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe called to remove the SCV license plates which feature the Confederate flag which is part of the group's logo.

This Attack Sure Is a Nightmare.  --Old Secesh

The SCV Sees the Flag Attack As a "Nightmare"-- Part 2


Commander Barrow continued:  "They want to remove our flags, the names of our streets, our monuments.  We're in a country that's supposed to be tolerant, and suddenly they're targeting our culture.  I can't wait to wake up from this nightmare."

These comments came after a ceremony at Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery to honor the Pennsylvania doctor who in the 1870s exhumed the remains of thousands of Confederate soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg and had their remains shipped back.  (Sure sounds like something a racist group would do.)

About 18,000 Confederate soldiers are buried at Hollywood Cemetery, many in an area referred to as Gettysburg Hill thanks to the doctor's efforts. Small Confederate flags were fluttering amongst the tombstones.

Jefferson Davis along with U.S. presidents John Tyler and James Monroe are also buried there.

--Old Secesh

Friday, July 17, 2015

The SCV Sees the Flag Controversy As a "Nightmare"-- Part 1

From the July 15, 2015, Yahoo! News--  Reuters "Sons of Confederacy sees flag controversy as 'nightmare'" by Gary Robertson.

I sure see it as a nightmare.  Anti-Confederate attacks were bad enough before the Charleston murders, but now, they have no limit.  It is everywhere you look.

Charles Kelly Barrow, Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) says he fails to understand the wave of hostility directed at the Confederate flag following the massacre.  "I'll use the words of Jefferson Davis.  We just want to be left alone."

Barrow and about 1,000 members of the SCV are having their annual convention in Richmond, Virginia starting this weekend.  This is the 120th National Reunion of the organization founded in 1896 to carry on the ideals of the Confederate soldiers as they were starting to die of old age.  Membership is open to male descendants.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 7

The S.C, legislature is prepared to take a vote to take the flag down.  It needs a 2/3 majority in each house to take it down.

In two weeks there will be a KKK rally at the S.C. statehouse.  Just what we need for them to get involved.  With "friends" like them, who needs enemies.

Alabama lowered the Confederate flag outside the state legislature where it was flying beside a Confederate Memorial on the grounds.

Reuters ran an article saying that Confederate symbols of the Civil War still divide the United States 150 years later.

A seventh fire broke out in a predominately black church.  This has happened in the last two weeks.  again, let's hope it is not the work of white racists.

Some people are saying that the U.S. flag is as racist as the Confederate one.  After all, it flew over legal slavery a lot longer than the Confederate flag did and racist groups like the KKK fly it at their rallies.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 6: I Guess the Civil War Still Isn't Over

Ken Burns says the Confederate flag is not about heritage but resistance to the Civil Rights Movement.

"Black lives Matter" was spray-painted on the Jefferson Davis Monument in Richmond, Va..

A baked Confederate flag cookie cake sparked controversy on Twitter.

The Boston Globe took a look at their state flag and said, "It's no Confederate flag, but our banner is still pretty awful" referring to the Massachusetts state flag which is an insult to Indians.

Fox News reports that Confederate statues have been vandalized nationwide.

There was a clash between supporters and opponents of the Confederate flag.

Jeb Bush, a possible presidential candidate calls for the flag to come down in South Carolina.  (Isn't Jeb kind of a Confederate general's name?  Maybe he should change it so it doesn't appear he supports slavery.)

--Old Secesh

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Some More Thoughts on the Attack

I would be willing to accept that all Confederate flags be removed from flying outside public buildings unless there is a Confederate monument there.  The removal of the South Carolina Statehouse one, however, is acceptable in sorrow of the Charleston murders.

Confederate soldiers did carry the square flag into battle, but very few, usually officers, owned slaves.  They fought for other issues.

Is spray-painting "Black Lives Matter" on Confederate statues the new in-thing to do?

But, Confederate statues should remain where they are.  If you don'y like them, ignore them.  Just swear or something to yourself.

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 5

Wal-Mart refused in Sliddell, Louisiana, refused to bake a cake featuring a Confederate flag on top.  The person who ordered it went back later and ordered a cake with the Islamic State flag on top.  That was ok.  The Islamic State is currently beheading Christians and selling little girls into slavery and is at war with the United States.

Confederate flag sales online is rising.

Georgia has stopped issuing SCV license plates.

There was a clash between Confederate flag supporters and blacks in Brooksville, Florida.

There have been fires at six predominately black churches in Florida and Tennessee.  Some were determined to be accidental, but even if just one was set, that is one too many.  Fortunately, i have heard of no one being hurt.  These horrible incidents happened during the Civil Rights Movement and must not happen again.

A North Charleston cop was fired for posing in Confederate flag underwear on his Facebook page.

North Carolina is looking into ending SCV license plates which feature the flag.




The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 4

There was a pro-Confederate flag protest at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.  I expect there to be  alot of pro-Confederate protests.

Fort Sumter takes down Confederate flags, probably forever according to the Superintendent of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie.

On Thursday, the National Park Service issued a directive to remove Confederate items such as banners, belt buckles and other souvenirs.  But books, DVDs and other materials showing it in context are to remain.

Also, the NPS directed that only the U.S. and state flags could be flown at sites.

There is talk about removing stained glass windows at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. featuring Lee and Jackson.  They were installed in 1953 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and include two battle flags.

The statue of Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard was spray-painted with "Black lives Matter" in N.C..

NASCAR is working on a complete ban of the Confederate flag at all of its events.

--Old secesh

Civil War Buffs on Confederate Flag Debate: It's Complicated

From the June 28, 2015, Yahoo! News by Karl Plume, Reuters.

Bensenville, Illinois.  According to Mark Edmundson, the Confederate flag in contemporary America's place: "Long story short, it's complicated.  The Confederate battle flag is a necessary part of history and it's...important to clarify history and not fall into some politically correct retelling."

I'd say he pretty-well sums it up.

Re-enactors are quick to point out that the rectangular "rebel flag" embraced by hate groups and the Charleston idiot is the Confederate Navy jack and the flag of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.

Politically Correct.  --Old Secesh

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

My Thoughts On This Renewed Attack

The last time the Confederacy was under this much attack was 1861-1865.  The South had to get over the horrible things done to it by attacking and occupying Union forces..  This was nowhere more important than with Sheridan's operations in the Shenandoah Valley and both of Sherman's marches: the March to the Sea and March Through the Carolina's where so much was burned and destroyed.  And, these civilians were essentially defenseless for all practical purposes.

It is now time for other groups to "GET OVER IT."  It happened.  It is history.  It happened a real long time ago.

Time to make your peace with it and move on.

--Old Secesh


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

And Meanwhile, the Chicago Casualty Figures for Last Weekend

Last weekend, July 10-12, six people in Chicago were murdered and I believe I remember another 23-or so wounded.  Although I did not find out how many were black, I figure they make up most of the people.

That is down from the ten killed over the 4th of July weekend in which another 54 were wounded.

Again, another one of them was just a kid.

This Is a Very Sad Situation.

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 3

The Jefferson Davis statue in Richmond, Va., has been vandalized with the words "Black Lives Matter."  This came one day after Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said he wouldn't sign a petition to remove statues of Confederates from Richmond's Monument Avenue.  There are several petitions calling for their removal.

Confederate statues have been vandalized nationwide, including ones in Baltimore and Charleston, S.C..

There is some talk about what to do about the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. since both men owned slaves.  Evidently these were really bad men because they owned slaves.

There is a call to remove  statues of former Confederates in the U.S. Capitol.

One of these is that of Alexander Hamilton Stevens, the vice president of the Confederacy.  There are ten such persons in Statuary Hall who are Confederate leaders or people who supported the new country.  Each state has two statues in there.  Others include Lee, Davis, Edmund Kirby Smith of Florida and James Zachariah George of Mississippi.

In addition, there are other statues and portraits of Confederates all over public buildings in D.C..

--Old Secesh

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 2

This movement against the Confederate flag has grown so big that opponents are now after all things connected with the effort to start a new nation back in the 1860s.

These are headlines taken from my Yahoo and Google Alerts.

The Confederate flag debate has reached Congress.  There is a House of Representatives resolution requiring the removal of any state flag at the Capitol which features part of the Confederate flag.

North Carolina is sorting out how to end its Sons of Confederate Veterans license plates.

Southern states are distancing themselves from the Confederate flag.  (These last two really hurt me.  I can see if a Northern state does this, but not one of the former Confederate ones.)

Film maker Ken Burns says the Confederate flag is not about history, but resistance to the Civil Rights Movement.  (I would say he was right about the flag being a part of the resistance to Civil Rights, but how could he, of all people, say it is not about history?  He sure made a lot of money in his Civil War films and they featured the flag at points.)

Only one 2016 Presidential hopeful is defending the flag.  Jim Webb, former Virginia senator already had only the smallest of chances of winning the Democratic nomination.  Now there is no chance.

--Old Secesh

Monday, July 13, 2015

The U.S. Military Looks at the Confederate Flag-- Part4

Chuck Porter, a Marine veteran, said troops tend to have intense pride in their home states.  He is heavily tattooed and is considering about adding another, one depicting South Carolina, to commemorate his home state,  Indeed, most all of the Confederate high-ranking officers had served in the pre-Civil War U.S. Army and all had to make the decision of joining the Confederacy or joining with the Union forces.

But, still he says that if soldiers decide to stamp themselves with the Stars and Bars, it could come back to haunt them..

"The lens through which people are looking at that flag is the same lens that people are using to look at the swastika."  He believes the Department of Defense will address the matter once the hype has died down

I am so proud of the military for not masking instant decisions in his matter and instead waiting until it dies down.  Too bad others are unable to do this.

--Old Secesh.

The U.S. Military Looks at the Confederate Flag-- Part 3

Craig Warren continued: "For many...it still symbolizes [southern] pride.  For others, it represents a particular interpretation of southern history.  For still others, it represents rural life.  And for many others, the flag represents rebellion against authority, whether motivated by politics or simple mischief."

He added that to ban it in the military would be controversial.

Very importantly, Warren said: "It would need to be acknowledged that not everyone who displays the flag does so with racist intent."

--Old Secesh

Saturday, July 11, 2015

The U.S. Military Looks At the Confederate Flag-- Part 2

One official said that it was not something the Department was reviewing.  Its regulations are clear when it comes to tattoos and office material deemed overtly racist, sexist, extremist or derogatory.  They are not permitted--  period!!

General Daniel Allyn, the Army's vice chief, understands the flag's historical significance within the military.  the Civil war and the decades leading up to it were a difficult time.

"When you are a student of military history, let's face it: One of our greatest military generals in the history of our nation was Robert E. Lee," Allyn said.

It's a complex issue for the military said Professor Craig Warren.  While the flag's origin is a "military symbol of a slave-holding republic determined to preserve and prolong institutionalized racism" it has taken on other meanings over time.

--Old Secesh

The U.S. Military Looks At the Confederate Flag-- Part 1

From the July 6, 2015, NavyTimes "Should the military ban the Rebel flag?" by Oriana Pawlyk and Andrew deGrandpre.

"The Confederate cause is deeply ingrained in our military history, making the country's current debate over whether to retire the "'rebel flag' all the more pertinent to troops who view it as important to their heritage -- important enough to display in their work-places or even as tattoos.

"After the recent racially motivated slayings of nine African Americans in a South Carolina  church, the flag has become a target for those who consider it a symbol of hatred, a strident reminder of slavery and divisiveness.

"Major U.S. retailers have said they will no longer sell Confederate flag merchandise.  And officials at South Carolina's historic military academy, the Citadel, voted to remove the Confederate Naval Jack from its campus chapel.

"The Defense Department, which enforces strict policies prohibiting hate speech, inappropriate tattoos and the display of offensive materials, is making no such gesture."

And much more power to them for not jumping on the rolling bandwagon sweeping the country.

--Old Secesh

Friday, July 10, 2015

Today the Flag Comes Down

And, though I won't watch it come down, I am glad it is coming down.  It was too much of a divisive symbol in this instance.

However, I hope those against the flag and other symbols now stop their attacks.  If they continue, there is bound to be a backlash.

I know I definitely would like to get back to just writing about the various aspects of the war.  Plus, it gets my blood pressure up too much.

--Old Secesh


The "Hazzard" Car Staying at Volo Auto Museum

From the June 26, 2015, Chicago Tribune by Lee V. Gaines.

The director of the Volo Auto Museum is committed to keeping one of the original General Lee cars from the "Dukes of Hazzard" TV show.  And that is despite the fact it still has the hand-painted Confederate flag on its roof.

Brian Grams says: "Our take is, it's part of our history.  Taking the car off display or painting over the flag doesn't change the facts.  The flag was always there."

More power to him.  It is about time people started standing up against the vendetta now being waged.

I enjoyed "The Dukes of Hazzard" but always felt it made Southern whites look like dumb yokels.  Why would those opposed by against it now because of the rooftop Confederate flag?

Warner Brothers has already announced that it will no longer license toy versions of the General Lee, the orange 1969 Dodge Charger from the show which ran from 1979 to 1985.  And that is because of the flag.  But wait a minute, the car is named for General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and a slave owner.  That is probably grounds for dropping it as well.

Grams says that his General Lee is the only surviving one with a hand-painted Confederate flag on its roof.  vehicles portraying it in later seasons were machine-made.  "We are a museum.  We like to preserve history, and this is history."

Now, i Need to Go Out and Buy the General Lee Toy, But Only One With a Confederate Flag on Top.  --Old Secesh


Thursday, July 9, 2015

The Confederate Flag at the S.C. Statehouse Grounds is Coming Down

I understand that with the S.C. House of Representatives voting to take down the flag last night (and the Senate already voting to do so) the bill just needs to be signed by the governor and taken down tomorrow.

It is too bad that this wasn't done immediately after the murders.  It has been a huge bone of contention with the blacks for years and the murders in that church sparked a huge outcry against the flag.  At least the decision was made to take the flag down.  Imagine what would have happened across the country had the decision been to leave it up.

I am glad it is coming down.  Like I said, it should have happened the next day.

Now, hopefully Jesse Jackson might go back to Chicago to do something about the daily (and especially on the weekends) murders taking place in his city.  Maybe even talk with his son and daughter-in-law about ethics.

More blacks are being killed (by other blacks) there in a month than in Charleston.  The problems in the black inner city neighborhoods are out of control.

They need to do something about that.

But I imagine now, the assault will shift on all Confederate flags and symbols everywhere.

The Confederacy Under Attack-- Part 1

The Confederate flag flying on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds is just the tip of the iceberg.  It won't be long before certain groups will be demanding that any and all Confederate symbols, names, etc. be removed from everything.

I am changing these posts to Confederacy Under Attack.

Al Sharpton's group demands that the military remove all Confederate references from military bases.

But, at least for now, the Army is standing up against all Confederate detractors and staying with their bases named after Confederate generals.

The famous General lee Charger from the "Dukes of Hazzard" is losing its famous Confederate flag on its top.  Warner Brothers will cease leasing its image.

A North Charleston, S.C., was fired for posing in Confederate flag underwear on his FaceBook page.  That was taking it way too far, especially considering North Charleston is located right by Charleston where the murders took place.  An extremely poor choice and taste on his part.

--Old Secesh

--


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The Confederate Flag Under Attack-- Part 7

Confederate re-enactors of the 18th N.C., Company A, were asked not to display Confederate flags as it marched in a parade in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, S.C.,  pulled its Confederate flag merchandise at their gift shop.

But Fort Macon in North Carolina is keeping theirs.

The Jefferson Davis portrait is to remain at the Pentagon as per his position as former Secretary of War for the United States.

I have to salute the U.S. military for not jumping on this current Confederate Hate Campaign.

Also, Confederate battle flags and other momentos are being removed from U.S. government offices and store shelves at the National Parks.

It Just Keeps Going On and On.  --Old Secesh

The Confederate Flag Under Attack-- Part 6

Apple has removed a number of games in their App store for having references to the Confederate battle flag, but later reinstated some of them.

I imagine there will be another effort to have the band Lynyrd Skynyrd stop having concerts with the flag behind them.  It was attempted before and the band removed it, but had to put it back due to fan unrest.

It was pointed out that more than half of the counties in North Carolina to fallen Confederate soldiers and there is one at the N.C. Capitol ever since 1895.  Most of them were erected between 1890-1930.  Guess what somebody wants done with them?

The Valley Forge Flag Company joined Wal-Mart, Amazon and e-Bay in banning the Confederate flag and will no longer make them.  They are one of the biggest flag makers in the United States.

--Old Secesh

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

The Confederate Flag Under Attack-- Part 5

Georgia Democrats calling for end of state support of Confederate holidays.  State Senator Vincent Fort, black, calls for the Georgia Department of Revenue demanding the elimination of SCV Confederate Flag plates.

NAACP calls for large Confederate flag north of Fredericksburg, Virginia, be removed.

--Old Secesh

Monday, July 6, 2015

The Chicago Casualty Figures for the 4th of July Weekend Are In

A lot has been made of the horrible tragedy in Charleston where a white supremacist killed nine blacks in a church.  It was horrible.

But, every week, blacks kill other blacks in Chicago.  Most of it is gang-related and often innocents are killed or wounded.

I just read that this past weekend, 10 people were killed in Chicago and another 54 wounded.  We didn't even have those kinds of casualties in the Afghanistan and Iraq war zones most of the time.  And these are from a U.S. city, supposedly not a war zone.  Most of these people are also black.

Now, I know that gangs like to listen to Rap Music and we all know about the content of that kind of music.  And, I am offended when I have to listen to these songs, either on a jukebox or from a passing group of people or cars.   Perhaps there should be a movement like that against the Confederate flag to eliminate that as well.

Something to Think About.

The Confederate Flag Under Attack-- Part 4: "The United States of the Offended"

Woman climbs the flag pole at the S.C. statehouse and takes the Confederate flag down... She climbed the 30-foot pole and took it down and was arrested when she reached bottom as it is illegal to do so.

A North Carolina man has 150 Confederate flags on his property in Rocky Mount.  Edward West, 71, lives in a predominately black part of town and had them up before the murders and will not take them down.  At least Rocky Mount officials say it is still legal to fly them.

Confederate flag supporters rallied for it in Gastonia, North Carolina, with signs such as "Don't Erase Our History" and "United States of the Offended."

One of the next battles to be fought in the Confederate controversy will take place in Brooklyn where Borough President Eric Adams, black, demands that the General Lee Avenue and Stonewall Jackson Drive be removed from Fort Hamilton.  Lee was an engineering officer there from 1841-1847.  Jackson was an acting company commander there as well.


Saturday, July 4, 2015

Message From SCV Commander-in-Chief Charles Kelly Barrow on the Killings

From the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) Facebook Page.

"Thus the Sons of Confederate Veterans condemn the tragedy and we share in the mourning of the families affected by this tragedy that occurred in Historic Charleston, S.C.."

And then, he continued that we "have observed a renewed assault on all vestiges of our Confederate Heritage  in the wake of this time of mourning.  Those that are antagonistic towards our emblems of heritage have begun to wage an ethnic cultural cleansing, the likes of which have been unseen in quite some time.

"One by one, we have watched as stores have banned the sales of Confederate themed merchandise.  Legislatures have begun calls anew to change the locations of displays of Confederate related Statues, memorials, Automobile plates, Flags and other related icons of Southern heritage.."

I too, am shocked and saddened by the killings by the deranged idiot, who in no way represents me or most Southerners.  But this attack on our history need to abate.  They were a;ready going on before the killings but I am dismayed at the preponderance now going on across the country.

I am even willing to have the Confederate flag at the S.C. Statehouse taken down for good.  But I draw the line at it being expunged everywhere and in all instances.

I do think, however, Confederate flags everywhere, especially along the interstates should be lowered to half mast or removed for a period of time.






The 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment-- Part 3

On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the regiment rested near McPherson Ridge.  Pettigrew and the surviving officers spent the day working to get the less seriously wounded soldiers back in the ranks.

On July 3rd, the 26th took part in what today is known as Pettigrew/Pickett's Charge against the Union Army's center along Cemetery Ridge.  The regiment suffered artillery and small arms casualties during its advance over open field and lost another 120 men and had a flag captured.  They lost more than any other regiment, including the entire Company F.

There is some controversy as to whether they penetrated the Union line, but they were among the last to be repelled.

They later fought at the Overland Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg and were at Appomattox.

The Battling 26th.  --Old Secesh

Friday, July 3, 2015

The Confederate Flag Under Attack-- Part 3: Army Posts Named After Confederates

Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, 1825-1865, West Point 1847, became post in 1941.

Fort Hood, Texas John Bell Hood 1831-1879, West Point 1853.

Fort Lee, Virginia 1807-1870, West Point 1829.

Fort Pickett, Virginia, George Pickett, 1825-1875, West Point 1846.

Fort Polk, Louisiana,  Leonidas Polk, 1806-1864, West Point 1827.

Fort Rucker, Alabama, Col. Edmund Rucker, 1835-1924.

There are people who want these names changed.

--Old Secesh

26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment-- Part 2


In 1863, the 26th was attached to the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Lee.  It was the largest and best-trained regiment present in General Pettigrew's brigade which was attached to A.P. Hill's Second Corps.

On the first day at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863, the 26th was engaged at McPherson's Ridge and suffered heavy casualties fighting the Iron Brigade's 24th Michigan (which suffered the most casualties of any Union regiment at the battle).  Colonel Henry King Burgwyn and their lieutenant colonel were killed. Altogether, the 26th suffered 588 (86 killed and 502 wounded) casualties of the 800 men it brought into battle.  But they forced the 24th Michigan to retire.

Another 120-136 men from the 26th would become casualties on the third day during Pickett's Charge.

--Old Secesh


Thursday, July 2, 2015

North Carolina's 26th Infantry Regiment-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Yesterday I wrote about the painting of the 26th N.C. assaulting the center of the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge during Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863.  This is definitely a regiment with a history.

The 26th North Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment was formed fro  ten companies from North Carolina, and one of which was from Virginia.The regiment was raised in 1861 mostly from central and western North Carolina with Zebulon B. Vance as colonel.  When Vance was elected governor, Henry King Burgwyn, 20, became the colonel.

They spent most of the first year pf the war defending the North Carolina coast and saw their first action at the Battle of New Bern.  They were then sent north to Virginia and participated in the Seven Days Battles and returned to the North Carolina coast after that.

--Old Secesh

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The Confederate Flag Under Attack-- Part 2: Ten Army Bases Named for Confederate Officers

From the June 23, 2015, Time "U.S. Waves Over 10 Army Bases Named for Confederate Officers."

Of course, this is also a point of contention for the anti-Confederate folks these days.  Their names must be changed.

Nine of the bases are named after Confederate generals and one for a colonel.  The bases received their names long after the war, some into the 20th Century as the world wars were building.

The Pentagon announced they were not considering renaming the bases.  All of the Confederate officers served in the U.S. Army before the war.

The Army bases, where located, Confederate officer, years lived and West Point Class

CAMP BEAUREGARD--  Louisiana,  P.G.T. Beauregard, 1818-1893, West Point 1838.

FORT BENNING--  Georgia, Brig. Gen. Henry Benning, 1814-1875, established 1918.

FORT BRAGG--  North Carolina, Braxton Bragg, 1817-1876, West Point 1837.

--Old Secesh

Mort Kunstler's Civil War Calendar for July-- Part 2: On Brave 26th N.C.

Gen. George Pickett's Virginians, Gen. J.J. Pettigrew's North Carolinians, Alabamians and Tennesseeans, and Gen. Isaac Trimble's North Carolinians marched against a brutal onslaught of fire from Union artillery and musketry, only to be thrown back in defeat.

Despite the unrelenting artillery fire and impending defeat, General Lee's gray-clad troops moved on gathering behind their flags.

Shown here is the regiment of men pressed behind the flag of the 26th North Carolina, struggling in vain to reach the Union line.  A survivor wrote: "...our brave men pressed quickly forward and when we reached within about forty yards of the works, our regiment had been reduced to a skirmish line by the constant falling of men at every step -- but still they kept closing to the colors."

A Striking Picture.  --Old Secesh

Mort Kunstler's 2015 Civil War Calendar for July-- Part 1: High Water Mark

Of course, that would be Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg.

It shows action at the stone wall where Confederates are about to reach and hopefully get over it.  I am sure that in today's racial climate, there would be some folks highly offended by the battle flags the Confederates are carrying, however.  But, the Southerners are clearly taking a beating and in the background you can see hordes of Union soldiers rushing up to the front line.  It is clear to see that the wave is about to break in defeat.

THE HIGH WATER MARK: GETTYSBURG, PA, JULY 3, 1863

The High Water Mark is Kunstler's depiction of the famous Battle of Gettysburg's finale.  Lee's gamble for victory is being smashed against the Union Center.

--Old Secesh