confederate heritage - Tennessee Division, Sons of Confederate

An informative guide to
CONFEDERATE HERITAGE
in the State of Tennessee
President Jefferson Davis
General Robert. E. Lee
McGavock Confederate Cemetery
Governor Isham Harris
Capt. Tod Carter
General Nathan B. Forrest
A publication of the Tennessee Division
Pvt. Sam Davis
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
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Who are the Sons of Confederate Veterans?
The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy
personified the best qualities of America. The preservation
of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the
South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution.
The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought
underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the
Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our
democratic society and represent the foundation on which
this nation was built.
Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is preserving
the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations
can understand the motives that animated the Southern
Cause. The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate
Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male
descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at
Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as
a historical, patriotic, non-political and non-profit
organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the
1861-1865 period is preserved.
Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is
open to all male descendants of any veteran who served
honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership
can be obtained through either direct or collateral family
lines and kinship to a veteran must be documented
genealogically. The minimum age for membership is 12.
The SCV’s over 32,000 members have ongoing
programs at the local, state, and national levels which
offer members a wide range of activities. Preservation
work, marking Confederate soldier's graves, historical reenactments, scholarly publications, and regular meetings
to discuss the military and political history of the War
Between the States are only a few of the activities
sponsored by about 700 local units, called camps.
'Elm Springs,' a restored ante-bellum home at
Columbia, Tennessee serves as our national headquarters.
The programs of the SCV range from assistance to
undergraduate students through the General Stand Watie
Scholarship to medical research grants given through the
Brooks Fund. National historical symposiums, reprinting
of rare books, and the erection of monuments are just a
few of the other projects endorsed by the SCV.
The SCV works in conjunction with other historical
groups to preserve Confederate history. The SCV rejects
any group whose actions tarnish or distort the image
of the Confederate soldier or his reasons for fighting.
The memory and reputation of the Confederate soldier,
as well as the motives for his suffering and sacrifice, are
being consciously distorted by some in an attempt to alter
history. Unless the descendants of Southern soldiers resist
those efforts, a unique part of our nations' cultural heritage
will cease to exist.
“The defense of the Confederate soldier's
good name, the guardianship of his history,
the emulation of his virtues …”
The Sons of Confederate Veterans finds itself
now facing a world where Southern history is no
longer taught in our schools, and the prejudicial
myth that Southerners and their heritage are evil is
even encouraged.
In this guide - though a thorough treatment of
some of the subjects would require more depth than
is possible here - the SCV hopes that it will open
the eyes of those who read it to Confederate
history, and begin them on a journey of historical
discovery and education that helps make our
society more tolerant and proud of Southerners,
our history, culture and heritage.
Ed Butler, Commander
Tennessee Division - Sons of Confederate Veterans
www.tennessee-scv.org
www.scv.org ~ 1-(800) MY-SOUTH
International Headquarters
Sons of Confederate Veterans
P.O. Box 59
Columbia, Tennessee 38402-0059
Tennessee remembers its
Confederate Veterans
Pursuant to the provisions of Tennessee Code
Annotated §15-2-101, Confederate Decoration
(Memorial) Day is legally observed in Tennessee on
June 3rd, which is also the birthday of President
Jefferson Davis. The Jefferson Davis birthday is also
an official State Remembrance Day. Memorial
services are held in cemeteries and parks throughout
the State in remembrance of our Confederate
veterans.
Other legal State Remembrance Days, including
annual proclamations from the Governor, are
observed on Robert E. Lee’s Birthday, January 19th
of each year, and N. B. Forrest’s birthday, July 13.
The month of April is also observed as
Confederate History and Heritage Month.
Observances are held on these dates by numerous
civic, historical, and fraternal organizations
throughout the state.
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
The Confederate Flag
and the War Between the States
What is the Confederate Flag?
Perhaps more than anything else, recent debates about
“the Confederate Flag”
demonstrate that the
public misunderstands
historic Confederate
flags and how they
were used.
The first flag
widely associated with the Confederacy was the Bonnie
Blue Flag. Though never adopted as a national flag, it
was flown in support of secession in some states, and
flew over the Confederacy’s provisional government in
Montgomery, AL. in early 1861.
The first Confederate National Flag, not readily
recognized by most
people today, is
correctly known as the
“Stars and Bars”. The
flag was adopted by the
Provisional Congress in
March 1861, in
Montgomery.
The similarity of design between the red, white, and
blue “Stars and Bars” and the “Stars and Stripes” shows
the close ties Southerners felt to their old country and
constitution.
Unfortunately, this similarity also caused confusion on
the battlefield amidst the
smoke and chaos which
made it difficult to
distinguish the two flags.
Thus, Confederate
Gen. Joseph Johnston
ordered that a new flag be
designed for use by the
troops; the result was the
Confederate Battle Flag.
Incorrectly called the “Stars and Bars” by many today,
the square Battle Flag incorporated the ‘X’ Cross of St.
Andrew, a Celtic Christian symbol, along with the stars
and colors used in the national flag.
A rectangular form of the Battle Flag, commonly
flown today, was used by Confederate units in the
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western theater and Mid-South regions. It was also
adopted in 1863 as the Naval Jack, to be flown on war
ships.
Because of the
popularity of the Battle
Flag, the confusion
caused by the national
flag, and a feeling of
less endearment to the
old Union after two years of brutal war, the Confederate
Congress adopted a
second national flag
in 1863. Known as
the Stainless Banner,
it was a white flag
(purity) with the
square Battle Flag in
the canton (upper
left). This design created a new problem though, as on a
windless day it often
would look like a
surrender flag or truce
flag. In March 1865, a
red (bravery) vertical
bar was added to the
fly end of the flag
creating the Third National Flag of the Confederacy.
Is the Confederate flag a symbol of
oppression, since it flew over slavery?
NO! - Neither the rectangular nor the square Battle
Flags were ever national flags of the Confederacy. They
were military symbols, used on the field of battle.
As a military symbol, the Battle Flag never “flew over
slavery” as it is accused of sometimes today by some
persons with political agendas.
If critics argue that any Confederate flag is a symbol
of oppression, because it flew over a nation in which
slavery was legal, then they must also be prepared to pull
the Stars and Stripes off of every flag pole in the nation.
The Confederacy, (while making further importation of
slaves unconstitutional) tolerated domestic slavery for
just over four years. The Stars and Stripes flew on slave
ships and over a nation tolerating slavery for 84 years
from its inception until after the War Between the States.
Slavery ended with the passage of the 13th Amendment
in December of 1865.
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
Is the Confederate flag a symbol of
bigotry and racism, since it has been
displayed by racist groups? NO
As a soldier’s flag, it represents the honor and valor
of those who answered the call of duty. This history
cannot be changed by misguided groups that misuse
honorable symbols. The Sons of Confederate
Veterans, consisting of descendants of those soldiers
who carried the flags, opposes misuse of the flag, and
has actively and publicly opposed the Ku Klux Klan
and similar groups. If the standard for determining
whether a flag is “racist” or not is it’s use by the KKK,
then the Stars and Stripes and the Christian flag, which
have both been displayed traditionally and
prominently by the Klan, are equally tainted. People of
good faith recognize that all these symbols are being
misused when racist groups incorporate them and
dismiss the abuser’s attempts to distort their meanings.
Is the Confederate flag a symbol of
treason, since it was used by troops
trying to destroy the United States?
NO
The South sought only independence, not the
overthrow of the government in Washington D.C. - the
same as the colonies sought independence from
England in the Revolutionary War. The War Between
the States was not actually a civil war, as the Southern
states were not trying to take over the Federal
government. Though commonly referred to as the
“Civil War”, it clearly was not one by any common
definition. Webster defines civil war as a war between
different sections or factions of the same nation
struggling for control of the government. This is not
what occurred from 1861 to 1865. The North and
South were two separate nations. The Southern states
legally developed and passed ordinances of secession
to leave the United States and later legally affiliated
themselves to form a new nation. There was a strong
legal basis for secession, which is why its opponents
did not attempt to settle its legality in the courts until
after the War had made the issue moot. To commit
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treason against the
United States, one
must be a citizen.
The soldiers and
sailors of the
Confederate States
of America were
not United States
citizens.
Also, President
of the Confederacy
Jefferson Davis
(later a Tennessee
resident) was
imprisoned without
being charged for
two years after the
war in anticipation
that he would be
tried for treason.
A Confederate Naval reenactor
Even though there pays tribute to the crew of the
was a great desire C.S.S. Hunley as the submarine is
brought into Charleston Harbor.
by some to see
this done, the likelihood that Davis would prove in
court that secession was legal - and certainly therefore
no treason committed – forced even the die-hard
supporters of the treason charge to abandon the idea.
Was the War Between the States
fought to end slavery? NO
While slavery was a significant issue before and
during the war, the war was not fought in order to
preserve that institution. Slavery was legal in the
United States, and the states which formed the
Confederacy did not have to secede to keep it legal by
virtue of their small power in the Senate. Abolishing
slavery required a Constitutional amendment, and the
Southern states had more than enough votes for the 1/4
needed to block any such change. If the only goal of
the Southern states was to preserve slavery, they
would have stayed in the United States and simply
blocked any contrary amendment proposed. Slavery
was not the primary issue.
President Abraham Lincoln repeatedly
claimed that he would gladly protect the legal
See Was the War continued on page 5
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
Was the War continued from page 4
institution of slavery if it would preserve the Union. In a
letter written more than a year after the war began,
Lincoln told journalist and politician Horace Greeley:
“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the
Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If
I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would
do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves,
I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing some and
leaving others alone, I would do that.”
The common myth that the war was fought to free
slaves probably found its roots in 1863, two years after
the war’s beginning, when Lincoln sought some way to
turn public opinion of the war in his favor. Despite
having far more men and material at his disposal than did
the fledgling Confederate government, Southern troops
had fought them to a stalemate, and two European
powers, England and France, were poised to enter the war
on the Confederate side.
Lincoln’s decision was to shift in midstream the
rationale for the war, from preserving the Union to
freeing the slaves, believing that the public relations
makeover would convince Europe to stay on the
sidelines.
To accomplish this shift, Lincoln signed the
Emancipation Proclamation, a document that carried no
legal authority, and actually freed no slaves (not even
slaves in Union states and Union held territory), but
turned out to be the public relations success he sought.
This late introduction of slavery as a rationale long
after the conflict was underway demonstrates that it was
not Lincoln’s prime reason for starting the war. Until that
point, as with any significant political conflict, there was
a complicated set of causes, including:
1) A punitive Northern tariff, which essentially forced
Southerners to pay higher prices on goods to
support the federal government. Lincoln needed the
income and thus had to keep the Southern states in the
Union.
2) The huge political imbalance in Congress. The
larger number of Northern states and population gave
the North a dominant number of Senators and
Representatives. This dominance subjected the South
to “taxation without representation”.
3) Disputes about the constitutional nature of the
Union. Federal laws increasingly threatened the state
sovereignty guaranteed when the United States was
formed.
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4) Lincoln’s desire to preserve the Union by force
rather than persuasion. If persuasion failed, he
preferred a Union kept together by the might of the
sword rather than have two nations co-existing in
peace.
5) The entire issue of slavery, not just as a moral issue,
but also as an economic and political issue. Not all
Southerners who wanted to protect slavery called for
secession, and many Southerners calling for an end to
slavery still supported secession, but because the
United States had not found a reasonable way of
ending slavery (like England, where the government
reimbursed the slave owners as part of ending slavery),
and the United States was forcing the South to pay
more than its “fair share” through tariffs, the Southern
states felt threatened politically and economically, and
bound together for self-protection.
6) Lincoln’s call for troops to invade states that had
already seceded. Lincoln’s call for 75,000 soldiers to
invade the South did more to begin the war as soon as
it did than any other cause. States like Tennessee,
Virginia and North Carolina - while unhappy with the
political situation they found themselves in - had
decided to stay with the Union. All three of these
states had voted against secession, but then reversed
themselves after Lincoln’s call for an army of
invasion.
In response to Lincoln, Tennessee’s Governor said that
Tennessee would furnish no troops for “the evil purpose
of subduing our Sister Southern States”.
"To tar the sacrifices of the Confederate
soldier as simple acts of racism, and reduce the
battle flag under which he fought to nothing
more than the symbol of a racist heritage, is one
of the greatest blasphemies of our modern age."
James Webb, Former U.S. Navy Secretary
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you
were born is to remain always a child. For what
is the worth of human life, unless it is woven
into the life of our ancestors by the records of
history?"
Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106 B.C.- 43 B.C.
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
6
an ardent secessionist, eager to lead his state out of the
Union. That did not happen, but when in April 1861
Lincoln precipitated war by sending ships to reinforce
Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Confederate forces at
Tennessee Stands Firm with the South Charleston fired on the fort. Lincoln answered by
Most Tennesseans initially showed little enthusiasm calling for 75,000 volunteers to put down the revolt,
and Harris seized the moment. "Tennessee will not
for breaking away from a nation whose struggles it had
furnish a single man for the purpose of coercion,” he
shared for so long. In February of 1861, 54 percent of
responded to Lincoln, "but 50,000 if necessary for the
the state’s voters did not want to send delegates to a
secession convention. With the firing on Fort Sumter in defense of our rights and those of our Southern
brethren." Harris successfully engineered Tennessee's
April, followed by Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers
secession, and then organized the state's armed forces
to force the seceded states back into line, public
before turning them over to the Confederacy.
sentiment turned dramatically against the Union.
When Lincoln appointed Andrew Johnson military
Governor Harris began military mobilization and made
governor
in 1862, Harris, still nominally governor,
direct overtures to the Confederate government. In a
served on the staffs of Confederate
June 8 referendum, a heavy majority of
Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and
Tennesseans voted in favor of secession.
Joseph H. Johnston. Serving at
Having ratified by popular vote its
headquarters of the Army of Tennessee,
connection with the fledgling
Harris participated in all the important
Confederacy, Tennessee became the last
battles in Tennessee, including Shiloh,
state to withdraw from the Union
Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Franklin,
(Missouri and Kentucky also later
and Nashville.
passed ordinances of secession too). The
After the war Harris fled to Mexico,
die was cast for war and Governor
and
then to England. In 1867 he
Harris led a reluctant Tennessee into the
returned to his Memphis law practice
Confederacy.
and in 1877 the legislature elected Harris
The Volunteer State provided the
to the U.S. Senate. He won reelection in
following as its contribution to the
1883, 1889, and 1895.
Confederate war effort: 7 Infantry
In 1893-4 Harris returned to Shiloh
Battalions, 69 Infantry Regiments, 24
Isham G. Harris,
battlefield to assist in the creation of that
Cavalry Battalions, 37 Cavalry
Tennessee Governor
site as a National Military Battlefield
Regiments, 1 Heavy Artillery Battalion,
1857 - 1862
park. He helped the Battlefield
1 Heavy Artillery Regiment, and 32
Commission in firmly establishing the site of
Light Artillery Batteries, with an aggregate strength of
Confederate
General Albert Sidney Johnston death
186,652 officers and enlisted men.
during the battle and to additionally establish various
The provisional troops that Governor Harris turned
troop positions during that engagement. A monument
over to the Confederate government became the
commemorates the spot where General Johnston, the
nucleus of the Confederacy’s main western army, the
highest ranking American ever killed in battle, fell
Army of Tennessee.
mortally wounded on the afternoon of April 6, 1862.
The most significant governor for Confederate
military operations in the West was Tennessee governor Shortly after the park's establishment in 1894, former
Isham G. Harris. Born near Tullahoma in 1818, he later Tennessee governor Isham Harris personally identified
this site, where he had discovered the dying general at
clerked in a store and thereafter was admitted to the
about 2:30 p.m. on the first day of battle.
Tennessee bar. A lawyer in prewar Memphis, Harris
Harris died in Washington, D.C., in 1897 his funeral
served two terms in the U.S. Congress before being
elected governor of Tennessee in 1857, at the age of 39. service was held in the Chamber of the United States
Senate and he is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in
He was re-elected in 1859 and again in 1861.
When Lincoln was elected president, Harris became Memphis.
The Role of Tennessee in the
War Between the States
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
7
overwhelming defeat and an inordinate loss of life.
When Forrest reached the garrison late in the
battle, he stopped the firing. About half of the Union
forces were United States Colored Troops. They
Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest was
suffered a preponderance of the casualties when their
born July 13, 1821, near Chapel Hill, Tennessee. He
white officers abandoned them.
was the oldest of seven children in a poor family and
Throughout the War, Forrest’s motto “Get there first
received little formal education. The Forrest family
with the most” served him well. Though usually
moved to Tippah County Mississippi when he was 13
outnumbered, Forrest strategically deployed his forces
years old. He became the man of the family at age 16
to take advantage of the enemy’s weaknesses. During
when his father passed away. By age 21 he was
the war, Forrest and his men captured over 33,000
earning a living as a dealer in livestock and horses. In
Union soldiers and inflicted tens of thousands of
1845 he married Mary Ann Montgomery and a few
casualties. They captured over 100 cannon, thousands
years later moved to Memphis. Here his hard work
of supply wagons, and destroyed millions of dollars
and natural intelligence earned him a place as a
of enemy supplies. Forrest’s cavalry is the only
wealthy businessman and prominent citizen. He
cavalry in the world to have captured
owned several farms and plantations,
an enemy warship in battle.
dealt in land and horses, and for a couple
Generals Grant and Sherman sent
of years was a slave trader, though noted
four successively larger armies to try
as a very humane one.
to defeat Forrest, but he whipped
By 1860, Forrest was no longer a slave
them every time. In fact Forrest’s
trader and spoke for preserving the
mere presence on the battlefield
Union. When a Federal invasion of
would strike fear into his enemies,
Tennessee was threatened in April 1861,
causing opponents to turn tail,
he voted for secession and promptly
surrender, or give up pre-maturely.
joined his home state’s provisional army
General Sherman called him “the
as a private. Nearly four years later he
most remarkable man our Civil War
left military life with the rank of
produced on either side”. General
Lieutenant General – the only soldier in
Grant said that Forrest was “the most
American history to achieve this unique
effective cavalry officer in the war.”
record of promotion in the course of a
In answer to the question of who was
Nathan
Bedford
Forrest
single war – a record which is
one of the greatest officers of the
particularly unusual in view of the fact
war, General Robert E. Lee replied,
that Forrest had less than two years of formal
“a man I’ve never met, Bedford Forrest.”
schooling.
In 1867, Forrest was asked to join the year-old
General Forrest was nicknamed “Ol Bedford” by his
KuKlux vigilante group. He molded that organization
men, loved by all, feared by many, and respected by
and the Democratic Party into an effective means of
friend and foe. Always in the thick of the fight, Forrest
restoring law and order to a ravaged carpetbag-ruled
killed 30 enemy soldiers and had 29 horses shot out
Tennessee. In early 1869, when rights were restored
from under him.
and when the Radicals were removed from office, the
Forrest was in 54 engagements during the war, and
Klan was no longer needed. Emerging violence from
in every engagement where he was the overall
the KKK was disdained by Forrest, and he ordered it
Confederate commander - except for that last battle of
disbanded.
Selma, Alabama in 1865, - he won.
When Bedford Forrest passed away in October
The most controversial engagement in Forrest’s
1877 his funeral procession included over 10,000
military career was the April 1864 battle at Ft. Pillow,
Memphians. Many were his Black friends and
Tennessee. The Union commander was killed early in
acquaintances. Bedford Forrest was a soldier, a
the battle and the surrounded and outnumbered
businessman, and a leader of men both black and
garrison refused to surrender. This led to their
white, and is still an American hero today.
“First with the Most”
N. B. Forrest
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
Tennesseans in the War
While a few thousand Tennessee Confederates
were sent east to Lee’s army, most of the state’s
enlistees, like the Virginians with Lee, had the
distinction of fighting on their home soil to contest the
invasion of their state. Being in part a homegrown
force, the Confederate Army of Tennessee fought
tenaciously against a foe that was usually better-armed
and more numerous.
Geography dictated a central role for Tennessee in
the conflict: its rivers and its position as a border state
between North and South made Tennessee a natural
thoroughfare for invading Federal armies. The
generally north-south waterways: the Mississippi
River, the Tennessee River, and the Cumberland
River, flowed strategically through the heartland of the
Upper South and held the key to Memphis, Nashville
and Chattanooga. Likewise, the east-west railroads
became a strategic target as well. Tennessee became
the second largest battleground during the War, with
approximately 454 notable battles and over 1800
skirmishes that took place within its borders. In
addition to the sheer number of battles and skirmishes,
Tennessee was the site of some of the bloodiest
fighting of the war, as devastating battles took place at
Shiloh, Stones River, and Franklin.
Actions in Tennessee
1862 - Shiloh campaign: Forts Henry and
Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, MS; Naval battle
of Memphis, Murfreesboro, Forrest’s West
Tenn Raid, Parkers Crossroads, Stones
River;
1863 - Tullahoma campaign, Chickamauga,
Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge
Chattanooga, Fort Sanders Knoxville;
1864 - Fort Pillow, Forrest’s Raid on Memphis,
Johnsonville, Spring Hill, Franklin,
Nashville;
1865 - Army of Tennessee surrenders near
Greensboro, NC; Forrest’s Cavalry Corps
surrenders at Gainesville, AL;
1866 - Tennessee is readmitted into the Union,
July 24.
The devastation of the war in Tennessee was
profound. A substantial portion of a generation of
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young men was lost or maimed, resulting in an
unusually high percentage of unmarried women in the
years to come. Farming became extremely difficult
during the war, and foraging consumed what little was
produced between 1862 and 1865. Many large
plantations and small farms alike reverted to
wasteland. The economic gains of the 1850s were
erased, and farm production and property values in
Tennessee would not reach their 1860 levels again
until 1900.
Veterans of both sides lived with the wounds and
memories of the war for the rest of their lives. The
chief reward for most was a place of honor in their
communities.
Reconstruction in Tennessee
Tennessee Confederates returning home found that
they had no civil rights. Among other things exConfederates and Southern sympathizers could not
vote or hold office. Tennessee Unionists and Radical
Republicans, comprising only 10% of the residents
were the only ones who could vote. They chose ardent
anti-secessionist William G. ‘Parson’ Brownlow as the
new governor. Brownlow ruled with an iron hand and
sought punishment and retribution against all whom he
deemed opposition – and specifically all Southern
sympathizers.
Brownlow tripled the taxes on Tennessee residents
and appointed his henchmen throughout the counties
to enforce his laws and confiscate land from both
white and black farmers. To ‘keep the peace’ he
ordered up a state militia, which was nothing more
than gangs of empowered thugs. The frequent
lawlessness suffered under wartime Federal
occupation continued. In addition, Governor
Brownlow, realizing that he could strengthen his hold
by utilizing an easily-swayed Black vote, succeeded in
passing legislation giving black men the franchise in
1867, two full years before Congress passed the
Fifteenth Amendment. ‘Union Leagues’, local
chapters of the political arm of the party, were
established to mobilize the new black voters.
Invariably however, these Union Leagues spawned
armed squads of roving black gang’s intent on
bullying, intimidating and terrorizing the white
populace. Combined with martial law and carpetbag
rule, Tennessee was under the tyrant’s boot heel.
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
Rise of the KuKlux
The original Ku Klux was formed as a social club
and then expanded to fight outlaws, carpetbaggers and
what its founders deemed the excesses of
Reconstruction. Unlike the groups that resurrected the
Ku Klux Klan (KKK) name in the early 20th century,
the first Klan didn't have racism as its reason for
existence. Organized in December 1865 in Pulaski by
six ex-Confederate veterans, who were prohibited
from assembling in public, the young men met to play
chess, smoke cigars and talk politics. At its inception,
the social club was named "Ku Klux", a derivation of
the Greek word kuklos, meaning "circle", and it
adopted some of the oaths and rituals of a college
fraternity. The word “Klan” was later added for
alliteration.
As the weeks wore on, and the oppression
continued, these KuKluxers determined that
Brownlow's puppet sheriff had to be run out of town.
Dressed in white sheets and hoods to represent the
spirits of their fallen comrades, the men chased the
sheriff out. The plan worked, and soon the idea spread
to other Tennessee towns, and across the South, and
other ‘dens’ sprang up.
By 1867 the original leaders determined a
need for a central well-regarded figure to head
up the organization (which also essentially
included all of the Democratic Party voters).
Respected civic leader General N. B. Forrest was
asked to be the president, and given the title of Grand
Wizard. The secretive Klan became even more active,
and successful, in opposing Brownlow's brigands, in
restoring order, and in preventing the South from
being financially obliterated. This KuKlux, the first of
three in American history, was quite different from the
later terrorist klans of the 20th century.
Peace Returns
The aftermath of the 1868 elections brought
positive change to Tennessee. Brownlow stepped
down from office in February 1869 and new governor
Dewitt C. Senter quickly instituted reforms to the state,
including restoring the right to vote to ex-confederates.
The iron-fist era of Brownlow was over.
General N. B. Forrest, distressed at the increasing
violent elements within the Klan, and now with the
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Brownlow administration removed, determined that
the KuKlux had served its purpose. In early 1869 he
ordered that the Klan be disbanded, and it ceased to
exist. The days of the first KKK were at an end.
In the midst of this lessening turmoil, Tennesseans
worked to rebuild their towns, transportation systems,
and farms. Once the majority of Tennesseans had a
voice in representation, the business of community,
law and order, and struggling economic development
resumed. While Tennessee would remain
predominantly rural and agricultural, the state would
see steady growth of its towns and cities. It would
take another 30 years, until the turn of the century, for
Tennessee to recover economically from the war’s
devastation.
More than 2,000 people from across Tennessee and
the South gathered at Shiloh National Military Park for
the unveiling of the first official Tennessee memorial to
honor Tennessee Confederates who fought and died at
the battle of Shiloh. Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen
was on hand to dedicate the statue June 3, 2005.
About Honoring our
Confederate Veterans
Why is it important?
We must honor our Confederate veterans for the
many reasons that we honor all American veterans - to
remember and appreciate those who were willing to
give their all for us, to teach our children the meaning
of honor and sacrifice, and to remind ourselves that
freedom is protected by diligence and its price is
measured in lives.
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
10
What is the correct name of this flag?
THE REBEL FLAG
THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG
THE SOUTHERN CROSS
THE ST. ANDREWS CROSS
instantly. He was 93 years old.
Around 800 A. D. the Catholic Church sent a missionary
to Scotland. He carried some wrist and finger bones of St.
Andrew and the X shaped Cross which by this time was a
well known and cherished religious symbol. The town of
St. Andrew, which is on the north east coast of Scotland,
was founded at that time. Several years later the Scots and
Picts were preparing for battle with the English. The night
prior to the battle the leader of the Scots and Picts had a
dream that they would be victorious if the wind formed the
X or the Cross of St. Andrew in the sky the next day. The
next morning the winds did form the Cross of St. Andrew in
the sky. The Scottish and Pictish soldiers were told about
the dream and won a great victory over an overwhelming
number of enemy soldiers. Not long after that battle the
“Saltire” or X shaped Cross became the National Flag of
Scotland. That flag is to this day a white St. Andrews Cross
on a sky blue background.
At the 1st Battle of Manassas in July 1861, General
Beauregard commanded the Confederate Army. The early
part of the battle could have gone either way as both Armies
were made up of men that had never “seen the elephant”.
They had never been in combat! In the early afternoon
General Beauregard saw a contingent of fresh troops
approaching the line of battle from a flanking position.
There was very little wind and the smoke from the muskets
and artillery obscured the flags these soldiers were carrying.
These were very tense moments for the Confederate
Commander because he knew those soldiers would
determine the victor. He called his staff together in hopes
someone could determine if the flags were the Stars and
Stripes or the 1st National Confederate Flag. They looked
very much alike.
Presently a gust of wind opened the flags and to General
Beauregard’s relief they were 1st National Confederate
flags. The battle was soon won. A few days later General
Beauregard called for designs for a Confederate Battle Flag.
Of the several designs submitted, the flag that was based on
an ancient and revered Christian symbol was chosen.
Southern men recognized the Cross of St. Andrew. They
knew the X was a sacred symbol. Many of them were
illiterate and used the X, which is also the symbol for the
Greek letter Chi and a symbol of Christ, as their signature
when signing a legal document.
Thus was born the Confederate Battle Flag which for
many decades has been carried by people around the world
as a symbol of their yearning for freedom and the right to
determine their own destiny. It has been carried in the coat
All of these names are correct! Officially it is the
Confederate Battle Flag. It was adopted by the Confederate
Congress in 1861 soon after the First Battle of Manassas.
This design was chosen over several others that were
submitted because the Cross of St. Andrew is a two
thousand year old Christian symbol that was well known by
Confederate soldiers. While many of our antagonists call
the basic design of our Battle Flag an X we know that it
truly is a cross. The Cross of St. Andrew!
A detailed story of the Cross of St. Andrew would take
pages to relate. It is a story that spans 2000 years and takes
one to many nations and to every continent except
Antarctica. The internet contains about two and a half
million sites on the Cross of St. Andrews. Some of these
sites were designed to spread hatred for all things Christian,
all things Patriotic, all things historical, and especially all
things Southern so be wary of what you spend time reading!
The story of the St. Andrews Cross begins in a small
town in Greece thirty some years after the crucifixion of
Christ. Andrew was the first Apostle called by Christ when
he began his ministry here on earth. After the crucifixion
Andrew traveled constantly and preached the gospel of
Christ to all that would listen. Officials in this town were
offended by the teachings of Andrew and arrested him.
They decided they would crucify him. Andrew accepted his
fate but asked that he not be crucified on the Latin cross like
Christ was crucified on. Andrew did not feel worthy of
suffering the same type of crucifixion and death that Christ
had suffered. He convinced the Greek officials to crucify
him on an X shaped cross. They decided to tie his hands
and feet to the cross instead of using nails as that would
prolong his suffering. Also Andrew was crucified upside
down. After hanging on the X shaped cross for three days
the citizens of the town finally convinced the Greek officials
See What is continued on page 11
to cut Andrew’s ropes. When he fell to the ground he died
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
What is continued from page 10
pocket of countless thousands of soldiers as they went to
battle. It appeared in large numbers on the Berlin Wall
when it was being torn down. It has flown in many
countries around the globe as people struggled to gain their
“God given rights”! It should never be carried by anyone
filled with hatred, or those that are biased or bigoted, or
anyone that seeks revenge. It is the legacy of the Sons of
Confederate Veterans and should be owned by us but alas,
it has been declared an item of the public domain and
cannot be owned by anyone or any group.
Since our Nation was founded, the printing of history
books has been dominated by companies located in the
north. The writers of those books were northerners. Thus,
very little of the true history of the South has ever been
included in history books used across this country. Men of
all races, creeds, nationalities, and faiths fought side by
side in the Confederate armies. The Irish, Chinese,
Scottish, Hispanics, Italians, African-Americans, Hindus,
Spaniards, Germans, and Jews all fought side by side.
There was not a space on Confederate muster rolls for race,
nationality, or religious preference. All men were given
the right to practice their faith and unlike the Union
soldiers, all received the same pay.
Approximately 800,000 men wore the ragged gray or
butternut colored Confederate uniforms. They faced
2,800,000 blue clad soldiers that had abundant rations, the
best of uniforms, the newest weapons, and all of the tools
of war. The north had most of the railroads, bank deposits,
factories and a much larger population. Why were the
Confederate soldiers willing to face such daunting odds?
Why were they willing to march into battle and see many
of their friends and family members killed or mangled only
to do the same thing again a few days later? What drove
them to continue the fight for four long years when men of
lesser honor and valor would have succumbed to the
hardships and depravations?
According to the 1860 Federal Census, less than eight
percent of the Southern population owned slaves. We are
told by the advocates of political correctness that the South
fought to preserve slavery when in reality the Constitution
of the United States of America guaranteed the survival of
slavery. Several amendments were passed by the United
States Congress between 1830 and 1860 that protected
slavery indefinitely. Lincoln is hailed as the great
emancipator when in reality he did not free any slaves with
his famous proclamation. He did not think the two races
were equals and wanted to send the slaves back to Africa.
Why was Lincoln willing to sacrifice the lives of
620,000 Americans and cripple another 400,000 in a war
most Americans did not want?
Since the dawn of mankind, groups of men have fought
other groups of men. What great motivating force has
11
continually driven men to war among themselves? The
causes of the War Between the States are many and varied.
Slavery was an important factor but not the dominant
reason for the war. Many say that the war was fought over
“States Rights”. Others may say the war was fought to
“Save the Union”. All of these factors played an important
role but none really explain WHY the war was fought.
Whether it was a basket of sea shells used to decorate
clothing, or fishing rights to a good trout or salmon stream,
or a mine that produced iron ore, or the right to conduct
trade with other peoples, or large areas of farm land that
produced cotton, rice, tobacco, corn, and large numbers of
livestock, the ultimate reason for every war that has ever
been fought is the almighty dollar and the power wealth
brings to governments.
When Jefferson Davis was elected President of the CSA
he expressed his sincere and earnest wish that the South be
allowed to go in peace, “we do not want war”. The
Confederate government sent Commissioners to
Washington, D. C. to negotiate a price for Federal
installations located in Southern States. The
Commissioners were never given an audience by Lincoln!
In 1860 over 70% of the Federal budget was tax money
collected on Southern agricultural products or tariffs paid
on equipment imported by the South. If Lincoln had
proclaimed the almighty dollar and the power it gave the
Federal government as the real reason for his war, he
would have been impeached - by the northern populace!
He and the Radical Republicans had to have a noble and
just cause. For the first two years of the war that cause was
“to save the Union”. When that excuse wore thin he added
his proclamation which in reality did not free one slave.
The truth about the War Between the States is recorded
in thousands of newspaper articles, diaries, letters, and
books that were written during the war or at least before
political correctness became a blight on this Nation! There
are thousands of references in these sources to the sixty to
ninety thousand African-Americans that fought in the ranks
of the Confederate Armies. Blacks in the Confederate
Army? The truth is well preserved but you will not find it
in modern history books or read it in today’s newspapers or
hear it on today’s newscasts. Every statement I have made
can be found in historically accurate sources that tell “the
rest of the story”!
Many Southerners have been so intimidated by
Marxists inspired political correctness they would rather
believe a lie than seek the truth. They openly apologize
for their beautiful Southern accent or for loving turnip
greens and cornbread. They do not want the world to
know they still believe in the Judeo-Christian ethic upon
which this Nation was founded. They fear someone will
consider them to be overly Patriotic or a religious fanatic.
Many are ashamed of living in the “Bible Belt”!
Is it time you took a stand for the truth?
Confederate Heritage in the State of Tennessee
12
We the People …
A LANDMARK DECISION
In the fall of 1997 two students in the Madison County
Kentucky School System chose to wear clothing to school
that had the Confederate Battle Flag on it. They were
suspended for three days and sent home. When they
returned to school, they again wore their Confederate
clothing. Again they were suspended and sent home. As
proud Southerners, they thought it was their right to honor
their Confederate ancestors by wearing clothing with
Southern symbols. They hired an attorney and filed a
lawsuit against the Madison County School Board, et al.
African-American SCV members: (L-R) Stan
After losing their case in a local and State Court, their
Armstrong, Las Vegas/Memphis film producer, and
attorney filed an appeal in the United States Court of
Nelson Winbush, retired Tennessee school teacher.
Armstrong says Americans have been "brainwashed to Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. It was ruled that they had
been deprived of the rights guaranteed them by the First,
believe the South was wrong." But he says, "I'm for
flying the Confederate flag," he says. "I think it's very Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.
While everyone might not want their children to wear
bad when neo-Nazis use it to forward their own
clothing
with Confederate symbols to school, we should all
agendas. But the Confederate flag, when it was
be
glad
to
live in a Nation that has a Constitution that
designed, was a symbol of awareness that we were a
provides for equal rights for all of it’s citizens. The
confederacy.. In the South, it's just a symbol of the
founders of this Nation formed a Constitutional Republic,
South." Winbush states, "The history books were
the only form of government that gives every citizen equal
written by Yankees and they've seen fit to leave a lot
out," Better than 90,000 blacks fought for the South." rights. As Confederate Americans we are thankful that we
live in a Nation that enables us to exercise our “God given
"Their lives were at risk: they served," he says.
rights” and that we can preserve our Southern Heritage.
Mr. Armstrong also made the documentary "Black
Confederates: The Forgotten Men in Gray,"
Editors note: A full text of this decision may be found at:
Both Armstrong and Winbush have Confederate
http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/01a0064p-06.pdf
ancestors.
On the cover: Clockwise beginning in upper left corner - Jefferson F. Davis, served as U.S. Secretary of War and twice he returned to
Washington, D.C. as a U. S. Senator, President of the Confederate States of America, McGavock Confederate Cemetery, Franklin, Tennessee,
the nation's largest privately owned Confederate cemetery holds the remains of 1481 Confederate soldiers killed in the Civil War Battle of
Franklin. General Robert E. Lee, superintendent of West Point Academy, General-in-chief of the Confederate States army, Nathan Bedford
Forrest, Lt. General, CSA, the “ablest cavalry leader on either side”, Pvt. Sam Davis, Confederate soldier, hanged as a spy, Nov. 27, 1863,
"...I would sooner die a thousand deaths rather than betray a friend or be false to duty.", the Tennessee Confederate State Flag, Tod Carter,
Captain, 20th Tennessee Infantry, CSA, mortally wounded leading a charge at Franklin, TN, Nov. 30, 1864, Isham G. Harris, Governor of
Tennessee, 1857-1862, served on staffs of Gen. A. S. Johnston & Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Center is the Sons of Confederate Veterans logo.
David C. Daniels, Director of Communications, Tennessee Div. SCV and Lee Millar, Lt. Commander, Tennessee Div, SCV, Editors
With journalistic contributions from: Dr. Michael Bradley, Edward McNatt Butler, Lee Millar and Donald Shelton.
Dr. Bradley earned his B.A. in 1963 from Samford University and his B.D. from New Orleans Baptist Seminary in 1966 his M.A. from Vanderbilt
in 1969 and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt in 1971. Post Doctorate Fellowship, 1973, History professor at Motlow Community College since 1970.
Mr. Butler earned a B.S. from University of Tennessee at Martin in 1965 in Biology and a M.E. from the University of Memphis in 1968, in
School Administration and Supervision. Mr. Butler was an educator for several years, worked in private industry and is currently self-employed.
Mr. Millar graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in American History from Washington & Lee University, in Lexington, VA., and later earned a
Masters Degree from the University of Arkansas. Mr. Millar served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, and is now
Computer Systems manager for the Shelby County (Memphis) Sheriff's Office. Mr. Millar is also on the boards of several historical associations.
Mr. Shelton attended University of Kentucky, graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a B.A. in Art. Mr. Shelton also serves the SCV
as Kentucky Division Lt. Commander 1998-2000, Kentucky Division Commander 2000-2002, Kentucky Division Heritage Defense Chair and
Public Relations Officer 1996-2000, 2002-present, SCV National Heritage Defense Committee 2002-present, Editor/writer, The Lost Cause
journal, 1996-2000, 2003-present. Mr. Shelton is self-employed, owns and manages residential real estate (1983 to present).
Copyright © 2006 Tennessee Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans