August 2014 - Sons of Confederate Veterans Mechanized Cavalry

S ONS
OF
C ONFEDERATE V ETERANS -M ECHANIZED C AVALRY
August
2014
Picture 1. The 15th Annual 2 Dogs Invitational sponsored by the North Carolina Sons of Confederate Veterans
Mechanized Cavalry. The first ride on the schedule was to Fort Fisher and the Confederate Monument. There
were a total of 19 riders for the first ride on Thursday morning. “Located on Battle Acre at the Fort Fisher State
Historic Site, this monument to Confederate soldiers is composed of a large bronzed clay eagle perched atop a tall
granite column. The column, in Tuscan or simplified Doric style, stands approximately twenty-four feet high. The
column rests on a large square base which itself sits on three shallow steps. The front face of the base contains a
bronze plaque with the Battle of Fort Fisher depicted in bas-relief. A bronze plaque on the rear is inscribed with the
dedication. One side is inscribed on the granite face with a commemoration of the Battle of Fort Fisher on December
24-25, 1864 and January 15, 1865. The other side is inscribed with a dedication to the Confederate soldiers who defended the fort. The eagle is depicted with its wings outstretched as it perches on a bronze sphere. The entire structure is mounted on a low rectangular brick platform with four shallow steps leading to the monument. This platform
is not original to the installation of the monument.
A small stone marker dedicated to "OUR UNKNOWN CONFEDERATE SOLDIER" is located in the brick in front
of the monument. An historic black and white photograph shows this plaque located in the grass at some point.
Picture 2. Ms. Kelly Hinson portrays Rose O’Neal Grenhow,
a Confederate Spy during the war of Northern Aggression.
[1]
Rose O'Neal Greenhow (1813 or 1814 – October 1, 1864) was
a renowned Confederate spy during the American Civil War. A
socialite in Washington, D.C. during the period before the war,
she moved in important political circles and cultivated friendships with presidents, generals, senators, and high-ranking military officers. She used her connections to pass along key military information to theConfederacy at the start of the war. In
early 1861, she was given control of a pro-Southern spy network in Washington, DC by her handler, Thomas Jordan, then
a captain in the Confederate Army. She was credited (con pg 2)
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by Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president, with ensuring the
South's victory at the First Battle of Bull Run in late July 1861.
Captured in August, Greenhow was subject to house arrest; found
to have continued her activities, in 1862 after an espionage hearing, she was imprisoned for nearly five months in Washington,
DC. Deported to the Confederate States, she traveled
to Richmond, Virginia and new tasks. Running the blockade, she
sailed to Europe to represent the Confederacy in a diplomatic
mission to France and Britain from 1863 to 1864. In 1863 she also wrote and published her memoir in London, which was popular in Britain. After her returning ship ran aground in 1864
off Wilmington, North Carolina, she drowned when her rowboat
overturned as she tried to escape a Union gunboat. She was honored with a Confederate military funeral. In 1993 the women's
auxiliary of the Sons of Confederate Veterans changed its name
to the Order of the Confederate Rose in Greenhow's honor.
Picture 3. Ms. Kelly Hinson arrives at the Confederate Monument to portray Rose O’Neal
Greenhow..
Picture 4. (above & right) Rose O'Neal Greenhow
with her youngest daughter and namesake, L
" ittle"
Rose, at the Old Capitol Prison, Washington, D.C.,
1862.
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Picture 5. The group of riders (SCVMC) and members of the ‘Order of Confederate
Rose’ on the steps of the Confederate Monument at Fort Fisher.
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Picture 6. The members of the Mechanized Cavalry mingle with members of the
Order of Confederate Rose between the
monument and the beach. It was a bright
sunny day up to this point. Just a half
hour later as we were about the leave the
sky clouded over and the heavens let loose
lightening and thunder followed by a refreshing rain. We skipped our next stop
at Oakdale Cemetery where we were
scheduled to perform a memorial service
for Ms. Rose O’Neal Greenhow. We rode
back to the host hotel (Surfside).
Picture 7. Thursday’s morning ride to the Confederate Monument led to a close up group shot of the people who attended the first person interpretation of Rose O’Neal Greenhow and a short dissertation on the
history of the Order of Confederate Rose and the Mechanized Cavalry.
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Picture 8. Meeting started to break up.
Picture 8. We missed the second event of the day on Thursday, a memorial ceremony at Oakdale Cemetery intended to honor Rose O’Neal Greenhow, because of lightening and a torrential downpour of rain.
We got back to the host hotel where the Cheeseburgers were being prepared for an early supper.
Picture 9. After the cheeseburger supper we all sat around and listened to a presentation by Bernhard
Picture 10. Chairman
Meeting inofprogress.
Thuersam,
the NC WBTS Sesquicentennial Commission, on local War of Northern Aggression in and around Fort Fisher and Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Picture 10. Saturday evening, Bernhard
Thuersam delivers his history lesson behind the dunes of Carolina Beach, North
Carolina.
Picture 11. Just after 9 PM on Thursday evening everyone received a free drink at the first annual
Chapter #53 OCR Boardwalk Pub Crawl beginning at the Crow’s Nest, a cozy little bar just a short two
block walk from the host hotel.
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Picture 12. Visiting the museum and visitor’s center of Ft. Fisher on Friday, we were able to occupy
much of the parking lot while we explored the surrounding large gun Batteries.
Picture 13. Friday morning we visited Ft Fisher and received a detailed account of the battle there. The
riders that made the trip stand on top of the Southern most defensive position, Battery Buchanan.
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Picture 14. After dinning on ‘chicken
pikken with trimmings on Friday
some went to the ‘Bakkwoodz Concert’ at Ft Fishers that evening and
some took part in another ‘Pub
Crawl’. Saturday morning we were
treated to a “Confederate Walking
Tour” given by Bernhard Thuersam.
We met at the Masonic Hall built in
1841. It was the “third building to
house St. John’s Lodge No. 1, A.F. &
A.M. until 1899. Third floor used by
several Masonic Lodges. Receptions
held here for Henry Clay (1844), Daniel Webster (1847), and President
James K. Polk (1849). Public Hall on
second floor, Center for Cultural
events, later housed the Wilmington
Library Association (1874-1895).
First floor occupied by Grocery stores,
including the ‘Grocerteria’ (19261962). Troutman’s Beauty School of
Wilmington (1963-1986) located here.
Original Gothic Revival style façade
replaced in 1907.”
Picture 15 (right). Wilmington water
front.
Picture 16. (below) This Baptist
Church in Wilmington was the church
chosen to house Rose O’Neal Greenhow’s body before burial at Oakdale
Cemetery.
“On August 19, 1864, Greenhow left Europe
to return to the Confederacy, carrying dispatches. She traveled on the Condor, a British blockade runner. On October
1, 1864, the Condor ran aground at the mouth of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina, while being pursued by a Union gunboat, USS Niphon. Fearing capture and reimprisonment, Greenhow
fled the grounded ship by rowboat. A wave capsized the rowboat, and
Greenhow drowned. She was weighed down by $2,000 worth of gold sewn
into her underclothes and hung around her neck, returns from her memoir royalties. When Greenhow's body was recovered from the water near
Wilmington, searchers found a small notebook and a copy of her
book Imprisonment hidden on her. Inside the book was a note meant for her
daughter, Little Rose. She was honored with a military funeral in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the Ladies Memorial Association, in 1888, marked
her grave with a cross that read "Mrs. Rose O'Neal Greenhow. A Bearer of
Dispatches to the Confederate Government."
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Picture 17. To the right is the
tombstone of Rose O’Neal
Greenhow and to the right of
that is a tourist information
sign: “Rose Greenhow, Confederate spy and Washington society woman. Drowned near Fort
Fisher in 1864 while running
Federal blockade. Grave 1 m.
NE” If you would like to visit
Rose, you will have to travel to
Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington where she was buried in October 1864. When she was buried, her coffin was wrapped in a
Confederate flag and Confederate
troops carried her to her final
resting place. The marble cross that marks her grave bears the epitaph "Mrs. Rose Greenhow, a bearer of dispatches to the Confederate Government."
Picture 18. At 5 PM Saturday afternoon after the walking tour of Wilmington, Major Johnny Strickland
baptizes a member (center) of the Order of Confederate Rose. Gregory Kalof (left) helped Johnny bring
the OCR lady up from the depths of the pool.
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Picture 19. At 6 PM on Saturday we were beginning to wind down and had a great sit down with the ‘Pig
Pickin with Trimmings.’ The weather was cooperating with the event. Sure there were some cloudy skies
but they usually cleared away. In fact, the little rain that we received during the past four days tended to
cool things down. Great food and friendships were served with generous helpings. Next years event will
be held in the same place before moving back to Maggie Valley in 2017.
Picture 20. Prizes and awards were given out after
the “Pig Picken” supper. Colonel Kevin Stone was
the master of ceremonies handing out door prizes
and awards..
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Picture 21. Major Johnny
Strickland handed out The
President’s Call to Service
Award to (left to right) Captain Bill Starnes, Captain
David King, Captain Carroll Tucker, Lt. Col. Gregory Kalof, and Colonel Kevin
Stone. These awards were
given in recognition and
appreciation of commitment
to strengthening our Nation
and for making a difference
through volunteer service
Lt CIC Charles Kelly Barrow
CIC Michael
Givens
Picture 22. From Left to Right: Major Mark Hall (new 2nd Battalion Commander) from N.C., Jake Stalcup from Georgia, and Colonel Kevin Stone from N.C.
during the give-a-way of door prizes and auction items.
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Picture 23. (Right.)
Newly appointed
Major for the 2nd
Battalion, Mark
Hall from North
Carolina. He will
be replacing Major
William ‘Shaker’
Robinson from Virginia who resigned
back in June.
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Picture 24. Left: The four members of the
Florida Company (3rd Battalion, Company
D) pose in front of the sand dunes separating the buildings from the beach. From left
to right: Greg Kalof, Joey Davis, David
King, Johnny Strickland. I just want to
mention that I, Greg Kalof, traveled 866
miles on Wednesday (6am to 9 pm) to be in
Carolina Beach that evening. I’ll never do
that again. I was a wreck when I got to the
hotel. I was still vibrating when I went to
bed.
Picture 25. Members of the 1st Battalion Companies D and G at LaGrange College during the ride to
benefit the Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia, Alabama. From left to right Top row: Rebel Dog 1D, Jason Sanders 1G, Kevin Nelms 1G, Mug Frost 1G, Terry Mitchell 1G, Front Gunner 1G and Capt. Pat 1D.
No uglies here.
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Up Coming Events:
1. Gator Run (5th Annual).October 3-5,
2014: Lake Bistineau State Park, Site 2,
103 State Park Rd, Doyline, Louisiana
71023 (see flyer on page 15).
2. Andersonville Parade, October 4,
2014, : Americus, GA. POC Capt.
Wayne Scarborough (cell 478-5423063, [email protected]); Host hotel is
Quality Inn, 1205 MLK Blvd, Americus, GA Phone 229-924-4431. Mention SCVMC for rooms that are
blocked off.
Colonel Kevin Stone, SCV Mecha- Lt Colonel Gregory Kalof,
SCV Mechanized Cavalry,
nized Cavalry Commanding
Lt Commander.
Confederate War Horse
Contributions to the newsletter should be addressed
to my email address: [email protected].
The content of your report or submission should contain the following: the four “w’s” who, where, what,
and when. Please provide pictures because we like to
look at pictures and as they say a picture is worth a
thousand words. Be sure to identify the people in the
pictures: first and last names, mechanized cavalry
number, and state if possible.
2. 18th Annual – Arkansas (1st Bat. Co.
J) to be held on Wednesday June 3rd,
4th, 5th, and 6th in Marble Falls, Arkansas at the Hub Biker Resort. http://
www.hubinfo.com/ for details.
3. 19th Annual – Florida (3rd Battalion,
Company D): Cedar Key, Florida date
2nd week in June, 2016.
4. 20th Annual – North Carolina (2nd
Battalion, Company B): date to be announced 2017. Maggie Valley, NC
5. 21st Annual – 2018 – South Carolina
6. 22nd Annual – 2019 – Texas
SCV-MC Web site:http://www.scvmccsa.org/
Sons of Confederate Veterans web site:http://
scv.org/
Editor/Writer: Gregory Kalof, Lt Col. HQ,
SCV-MC
13953 SW 66 Street,#409
Miami, Florida 33183
Phone: 305-773-2353
Email: [email protected]