OUR NEXT MEETING - · PDF fileDavies Atlanta 1907 he states:] “Henry C. Kellogg raised one company of 100 men and the ... Mother: Rachael Phinazee Resided in: 1850 Census: Gilmer

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Southern Sentinel

December 2013 Vol. XI #12 www. scv1642.com Col. Hiram Parks Bell Camp # 1642 Sons of Confederate Veterans A Southern Heritage and Historical Society

OFFICERS FOR 2014

CMDR: CLIFF ROBERTS 770 656 5585 LT. CMDR: MICHAEL DEAN 404-771-6507 ADJ. DAN BENNETT 770 888 2800 CHAPLAIN: JOEL ANDERSON 770 218 7785

OUR NEXT MEETING

Monday, January 27th

At 7:00 PM Social time starts early around

6:30 PM Bell Research Center

101 School St. Cumming GA 678-455-7216

Everyone is Welcome! Call for Directions

COMMANDER’S TENT Fellow Compatriots, I thoroughly enjoyed our camp Christmas dinner at the Foster House. Please extend a hand of congratulations to Michael Dean (right), who will be our Lt. Commander in 2014. Prayers to Michael McAlpin, who is rebounding from an attack of cancer, and Larry and LaVon Bennett who lost their Blairsville home to fire. January is going to be a busy month for our camp and I hope that you can take advantage of many of these activities. Two that stand out are our joint-camp event with Gainesville SCV Camp #1404 on Thursday evening, January 9th, and our walking tour of Sparta on Saturday, January 18th. Sparta is three hours and maybe a century removed from Cumming. This will be a real connection to Georgia’s antebellum past.

Deo Vindice! Cliff Roberts

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

Jan 9 – Caravan to 27th Georgia Infantry SCV Camp 1404, Longstreet's Old Piedmont Hotel, 827 Maple Street, Gainesville, author David Bridges is the speaker.

Jan 12 – General Longstreet Memorial – 1 P.M. – Alta Vista Cemetery, Gainesville Jan 18 – Field Trip to Sparta, Georgia with David Mitchell of the Mitchell Foundation. Jan 25 – Lee-Jackson Dinner, Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw Jan 27 – January 2014 Camp Meeting – Historian Brad Quinlan will speak about his new book Confederate Hospitals in Georgia. Feb 8, 9 – Chickamauga Civil War Show - Northwest Georgia Trade Center, Dalton, Georgia Feb 24 – February Camp Meeting – Brad Butkovich, author of The Battle of Pickett’s Mill; Along the Dead-Line, will speak. March 24 – March Camp Meeting - Author Mark Lemon tells the story of Capt James L. Lemon, one of only two recipients of the SCV's Confederate Medal of Honor from Georgia. Civil War editor Keith Bohannon calls Marks book Feed Them the Steel one of the finest war narratives from a Confederate company-grade officer he has ever read. April 26 – Col. H.P. Bell UDC Confederate Memorial Day April 28 – April Camp Meeting June 6-8, 2014 – Tentative date for the Georgia Division State Reunion July 16-19 - Sons of Confederate Veterans 119th National Reunion North Charleston, SC. Observing the sesquicentennial of the C.S.S. H.L. Hunley

Camp Hardtack

We are pleased to have Tony Lett join our camp. Adjutant Dan Bennett reports that we have 62 men on our 2014 rolls. From a suggestion made by Jack Marlar, Dan is ordering magnetic name tags for our members to wear at each camp meeting. The tags will be in a box for members to pull from before each meeting and return before leaving.

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Our camp will be launching a car caravan to the Gainesville Camp on Thursday, Jan 9th, to hear author David Bridges of Virginia. The Gainesville Camp meets at 7:00 P.M. the Old Piedmont Hotel (827 Maple Street), formerly owned by Gen. James Longstreet. Our caravan will gather at 5:30 at the Bell Center so that we can catch a quick dinner at the Longstreet Café (1043 Riverside Terrace, Gainesville). Please let me know by e-mail ([email protected]) if you can join us for the caravan, or can meet us directly at the Piedmont Hotel. This is a great opportunity to have a bit of fellowship with a nearby SCV Camp. David Bridges is a historian, former Presbyterian minister, professor, and author whose new book The Broken Circle tells the dramatic untold story of David’s great-great uncle who was posthumously awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 2013. David will explain how the war affected the cultural, religious, and economic structure of the South during the 1860’s through the experience of Dr. James Breathed, a young physician turned warrior. Under JEB Stuart's guidance James Breathed and John Pelham started the Stuart Horse Artillery. Major James Breathed was classically educated, deeply religious, and was studying medicine when his country was invaded. Breathed reluctantly became one of the South’s fiercest warriors, wounded several times and fighting from the beginning to the end in 71 battles. This historical novel, according to Don Livingston of the Abbeville Institute, is unique in that it seeks to bring to life the story of a kinsman and is as faithful in historic details as a novel can be.

The Bell Research Center has taken advantage of two December Civil War book sales to add to our collection.

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Our Camp Christmas dinner at the Foster House was a special night. Compatriot Ralph Mills gave a heartfelt reading of his “Missing Christmas.” Elaine Zimney revealed the Legend of the Christmas Pickle. We closed with a singing of “Silent Night.”

Chalcedon Presbyterian Church in Cumming is hosting a Providence and History Module over four days – January 20 to 24. Pastor Joe Morecraft III, Associate Pastor Tim Price, and historian Bill Potter will be giving lectures and conducting a tour of Civil War Atlanta. Information on this program, which is open to the public, is at http://chalcedon.org/.

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David Mitchell and his Mitchell Foundation was quite active last year. Here is his recap of 2013: We have had an historic structure recognized by the Irish Consulate in Sparta, Georgia and conducted a Sacred Harp Singing performance also in Sparta. We have provided 15 internships with the History Department at Georgia State University. We have developed a relationship with the MARBL Library at Emory University, and plan to utilize this facility in a myriad of ways in the future. We have expanded our relationship with the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at Emory and have engaged an industrious plan to develop a long term relationship between them and the Herndon Home here in Atlanta. Next year they plan on contributing over $2,000.00 + to the restoration of the front entrance of the home. We will also be using their “Rush” candidates for research and historically significant civic programs. We have conducted over five field trips for different groups and organizations and have replaced historical markers on new posts throughout the state. We have continued to make donations ( of the 94th Infantry Division ) to the Hargrett Library at the University of Georgia and have been VERY fortunate to have participated and held various events at the Atlanta Preservation Center. We have finally developed a strategy to have a revival of Fort Walker in time for the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Bald Hill ( aka The Battle of Atlanta ) and assisted in the maintenance of rural cemeteries, and started to work with the Breman Jewish and Heritage Holocaust Museum to put together a Judah P. Benjamin exhibit.

Revisionist historians continue to push the Confederacy into the catacombs of national memory. A lot has been made of the decision this month by the Duval County Public School Board to change the name of Nathan B. Forrest High School in Jacksonville to something less controversial. The decision followed a petition drive that garnered more than 160,000 signatures. More concerning to me is a report from the Washington Times that the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which molds future field generals, has begun discussing whether it should remove its portraits of Confederate generals — including those of Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Opened in 1901 to study the lessons of war, the Army War College is a history class and modern warfare symposium for lieutenant colonels and colonels who know that a diploma from the institution helps their chances with the promotion board. The college graduates more than 300 U.S. officers, foreign students and civilians in two classes each year. On a lighter note, the United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter Two in Savannah recently inducted Georgia Benton, the first African-American member of the UDC in the state. Ms. Benton’s great-grandfather, George W. Washington, a slave in Sumter County, South Carolina, went off to war as the body servant of his master, Lt. Alex McQueen. The pair served in numerous battles together, most notably the Battle of Sharpsburg and the Battle of Gettysburg. Benton said that through the years her grandmother had passed down stories of Washington and his service during the war, so she already had a lot of the documents and information she needed to get started with the process of joining the organization.

The Kellog Rifles and Zollicoffer Guards By Joe Bailey Young In 2012, after years of research, camp member Joe Bailey published the history of companies E & I of the 43rd Georgia. Both of theses companies, first known as the Kellog Rifles and the Zollicoffer Guards, were organized in Cumming, the county seat of Forsyth County. Joe had eight of his ancestors serve in these companies, including his great-grandfather William O. Hughes. Our newsletter will feature excerpts from Joe’s book over the course of 2014.

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Col. Hiram Parks Bell [No service cards were found showing H. P. Bell with Co E or Co I. On all cards he was shown in a regimental command capacity. In his own words from his book “Men and Things” Foote & Davies Atlanta 1907 he states:] “Henry C. Kellogg raised one company of 100 men and the writer another of equal number in Forsyth County. These companies repaired to Camp McDonald early in March, 1862, for organization into regiments. These two – “E” and “I” – Captains, Kellogg and Bell….. were formed into the Forty-third regiment of Georgia Volunteers. The field officers elected to command it were: Skidmore Harris, Colonel; H. P. Bell, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Henry C. Kellogg, Major.” [From an interpretation of the above it would appear that Capt. Kellogg began commanding Company E (Kellogg Rifles) and Capt. H. P. Bell began commanding Company I (Zollicoffer Guards) and shortly thereafter both began serving in a regimental command capacity.] Born: 19 Jan 1827 in Jackson Co., GA Married: #1 22 Jan 1850 in Forsyth Co., GA To: Virginia Lester #2 11 Jun 1890 in Putnam Co., GA To: Annie Adelaid Jourdan Died: 16 Aug 1907 in Forsyth Co., GA Buried: Cumming City Cemetery, Forsyth Co., GA Father: Joseph Scott Bell Mother: Rachael Phinazee Resided in: 1850 Census: Gilmer Co., GA, pg. 353A 1860 Census: Forsyth Co., GA, pg. 378 1870 Census: Forsyth Co., GA, pg. 404A 1880 Census: Forsyth Co., GA, pg. 370 1900 Census: Forsyth Co., GA, pg. 19A CSA SERVICE RECORD: Raised Co I 43rd Georgia Infantry Regiment March 10 1862 at Cumming, GA. Elected Lt. Col. March 20, 1862. Wounded in the leg at Chickasaw Bayou, Miss. 29 Dec 1862. 43rd Regiment Archived Service Card Appearances. Field, Staff and Band Muster Roll dated Camp near Lenoir’s Station, Tenn. 10 Mar to 31 Oct 1862 Present. Lt. Col., Date of Commission 20 Mar 1862. List (not dated) of casualties, in Maj. Gen. Stevenson’s command, in the engagements near Vicksburg, Miss., 28, 29 & 30 Dec 1862 and 3 Jan 1863. Remarks: Wounded. List dated near Vicksburg 25 Jan 1863 of casualties, in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, E. K. Smith’s Army, in the engagement near Vicksburg, Miss., 28, 29 & 30 Dec 1862. Remarks: Wounded. List dated 16 Nov 1863 showing the Organization of Stovall’s Brigade, Stewart’s Division. Date of Commission 17 May 1863. Field and Staff Muster Roll dated Nov & Dec 1863.

Remarks: Resignation accepted to take effect 18 December. Report of Brigade & Regimental Officers, Stovall’s Brigade, absent and present dated near Dalton, Ga. 18 Dec 1863 – Absent: Remarks: At Cumming, Geo. because disabled by a wound received at Chickasaw Bayou, Miss. 29 Dec 1862. [“Handwritten Letter of Resignation”] S. Cooper Cumming, Ga. Adjt. & Insptr. Genl Dec 18th 1863 Richmond, Va. I here resign the Colonely of the 43rd Reg Geo Vols. The resignation to take effect from this date. I base my resignation upon the following grounds 1st Physical disability resulting from a Gun Shot wound received in

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the engagement at Chickasaw Bayou on the 29th Dec 1862 in the left leg and knee on account of which I have been mainly confined to my bed ever since and from which there is no probability of recovery So as to be able for active service. 2nd The general election held for Representatives to the Congress of the Confederate States from the State of Georgia in Oct last I was elected to represent the 9th District and have been duly Commissioned by the Governor as such Representative. H. P. Bell Col. 43rd Ga Regiment Further note regarding H. P. Bell’s CSA Service – Many sources say that H. P. Bell enlisted as a Private in Co E of the 43rd. As stated above, No evidence of that is found in service cards.] Appointed to Confederate Congress. Also was a Georgia Representative, Senator and U. S. Representative. Served as Commander of the United Confederated Veterans.

Military Challenge Coins According to tradition, challenge coins originated during World War I when a wealthy lieutenant in a newly formed flying squadron had medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore around his neck. Shortly afterwards, the pilot was forced to land his damaged aircraft behind enemy lines. He was captured by a German patrol, which seized all of his personal effects except for the leather pouch, and was taken to a small French town near the front. During a bombardment that night, the young pilot escaped. He donned civilian attire to avoid German patrols. He reached the front lines and eventually stumbled onto a French outpost, but he was without personal identification. Saboteurs – often masquerading as civilians – had plagued the French in this sector. Not recognizing the pilot’s American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and prepared to execute him. When the pilot produced the leather pouch containing the medallion, one of his captors recognized the squadron insignia. Instead of shooting him, the French gave him a bottle of wine. Back at the pilot’s squadron, the “challenge” tradition was born. To ensure that all squadron members carried their medallion at all times, a challenger would ask to see the medallion. A challenged airman who could not produce the medallion was required to buy a drink for the member who challenged him. If the challenged airman produced the medallion, the member who initiated the challenge was required to buy the drink. The tradition continues today throughout all military branches. We will have some Navy Seal medallions at our January camp raffle.

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