June 25, 2010
By Calvin E. Johnson, Jr., Writer, Speaker, Author of the book “When America Stood for God, Family and Country” and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Happy 234th birthday America!
The War Between the States Sesquicentennial, 150th Anniversary, runs from 2010 through 2015. The Georgia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans has an information page at: http://www.150wbts.org/. Make it a family affair to attend the events planned throughout the USA. The National SCV Sesquicentennial Commission website is: http://www.confederate150.com/
The fading photos and stories of Union and Confederate Veterans from that summer of 1913, shaking hands, sharing a meal and trading war stories is a special part of our National Heritage well worth sharing.
Do young people know who Gen. Robert Edward Lee, Major Gen. George Edward Pickett and Major Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain were? Do schools still teach children about these men and all those who met on that famous War Between the States battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania? Some call the Gettysburg Battlefield the most haunted place in America as many thousands died on that fateful month in July 1863.
“Comrades and friends, these splendid statues of marble and granite and bronze shall finally crumble to dust, and in the ages to come, will perhaps be forgotten, but the spirit that has called this great assembly of our people together, on this field, shall live forever.”
-----Dr. Nathaniel D. Cox at 1913 Gettysburg Reunion
The summer heat of July 1913 did not keep the old Confederate and Union Veterans from attending the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. It has been written that over 50,000 sons of the North and South came for what has been called the largest combined reunion of War Between the States veterans.
The youngest veteran was reported to be 61 and the oldest was 112 years young.
No one dared criticize the United States or Confederate flag that flew side by side at the Gettysburg soldier’s reunion of honored men who had been enemies on the field of battle just 50 years earlier.
The State of Pennsylvania hosted the 1913 reunion at the insisting of state Governor John K. Tener. Tener also encouraged other states to arrange rail transportation for the participants. Down South, the United Daughters of the Confederacy helped raise money for the transportation and uniforms for the Confederate veterans.
The soldiers of Blue and Gray, Black and White, came with heads raised high. It is written that the hosts did not count on Black Confederates attending the meeting and had no place to put them however the White Confederates made room for their Southern brothers. Black Union veterans also attended.
Nearly 700,000 meals were served that included fried chicken, roast pork sandwiches, ice cream and Georgia watermelon. The temperature soared to 100 degrees and almost 10,000 veterans were treated for heat exhaustion and several hundred more were hospitalized. The United States Army was also present in support and the old men loved the attention.
A highlight of the reunion was the Confederate Veterans walk on the path of Gen. George Pickett’s charge that was greeted, this time, with a handshake from the Union Veterans.
President Woodrow Wilson spoke to those veterans with compassion and appreciation, and said, quote “These venerable men crowding here to this famous field have set us a great example of devotion and utter sacrifice. They were willing to die that the people might live. But their task is done. Their day is turned into evening. They look to us to perfect what they have established. Their work is handed to us, to be done in another way but not in another spirit. Our day is not over; it is upon us in full tide.” Unquote
Happy 234th birthday America!
The War Between the States Sesquicentennial, 150th Anniversary, runs from 2010 through 2015. The Georgia Division Sons of Confederate Veterans has an information page at: http://www.150wbts.org/. Make it a family affair to attend the events planned throughout the USA. The National SCV Sesquicentennial Commission website is: http://www.confederate150.com/
The fading photos and stories of Union and Confederate Veterans from that summer of 1913, shaking hands, sharing a meal and trading war stories is a special part of our National Heritage well worth sharing.
Do young people know who Gen. Robert Edward Lee, Major Gen. George Edward Pickett and Major Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain were? Do schools still teach children about these men and all those who met on that famous War Between the States battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania? Some call the Gettysburg Battlefield the most haunted place in America as many thousands died on that fateful month in July 1863.
“Comrades and friends, these splendid statues of marble and granite and bronze shall finally crumble to dust, and in the ages to come, will perhaps be forgotten, but the spirit that has called this great assembly of our people together, on this field, shall live forever.”
-----Dr. Nathaniel D. Cox at 1913 Gettysburg Reunion
The summer heat of July 1913 did not keep the old Confederate and Union Veterans from attending the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. It has been written that over 50,000 sons of the North and South came for what has been called the largest combined reunion of War Between the States veterans.
The youngest veteran was reported to be 61 and the oldest was 112 years young.
No one dared criticize the United States or Confederate flag that flew side by side at the Gettysburg soldier’s reunion of honored men who had been enemies on the field of battle just 50 years earlier.
The State of Pennsylvania hosted the 1913 reunion at the insisting of state Governor John K. Tener. Tener also encouraged other states to arrange rail transportation for the participants. Down South, the United Daughters of the Confederacy helped raise money for the transportation and uniforms for the Confederate veterans.
The soldiers of Blue and Gray, Black and White, came with heads raised high. It is written that the hosts did not count on Black Confederates attending the meeting and had no place to put them however the White Confederates made room for their Southern brothers. Black Union veterans also attended.
Nearly 700,000 meals were served that included fried chicken, roast pork sandwiches, ice cream and Georgia watermelon. The temperature soared to 100 degrees and almost 10,000 veterans were treated for heat exhaustion and several hundred more were hospitalized. The United States Army was also present in support and the old men loved the attention.
A highlight of the reunion was the Confederate Veterans walk on the path of Gen. George Pickett’s charge that was greeted, this time, with a handshake from the Union Veterans.
President Woodrow Wilson spoke to those veterans with compassion and appreciation, and said, quote “These venerable men crowding here to this famous field have set us a great example of devotion and utter sacrifice. They were willing to die that the people might live. But their task is done. Their day is turned into evening. They look to us to perfect what they have established. Their work is handed to us, to be done in another way but not in another spirit. Our day is not over; it is upon us in full tide.” Unquote
Filed under Southern Blogs by 
December 30, 2009
(ATLANTA, December 22, 2009) -- Having won several polls in the Governor's race across the state in the past month, Ray McBerry's campaign continues to pick up steam across the state.
In the past month, McBerry won first place in the governor's race straw poll conducted in Tifton the week following two candidate forums in south Georgia, one in Tifton and another in Valdosta. Even Austin Scott, a native of Tifton, came in second to McBerry among the seven Republicans.
Meanwhile, Ray McBerry scored overwhelming victories in the online polls for the Governor's race that were conducted by both the Augusta area Young Republicans in east Georgia and the Paulding County GOP in west Georgia.
In north Georgia's Walker County, the McBerry Campaign came in second place in the Republican party's straw poll, being bested only by Nathan Deal, in whose "back yard" the straw poll was conducted.
For several months now, there have been record turnouts each time that Ray McBerry has spoken at different county GOP meetings across the state, leading to an increase in the number of speaking invitations from other county chairmen.
Additionally, Ray has been invited to be the "kickoff" speaker for nearly a dozen " tea party patriot" groups springing up around the state -- groups who are looking for candidates who are not part of the current Democrat and Republican establishment. The most recent of these events was this past Thursday evening in Dalton in which approxima tely 200 people turned out to hear Ray speak on the subject of "States' Rights."
The record turnout at both Republican-sponsored events and these "town hall" type meetings every time that Ray McBerry is invited to speak have certainly gotten the attention of many within the Republican Party. Being called "the best public speaker in Georgia today" by a number of statewide candidates, Ray's message of "States' Rights" is resounding incredibly well in all areas of the state and among all groups, including "blue dog" Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents, as well as traditional conservative Republicans.
The McBerry Campaign team continues to grow with each new week and is the largest volunteer organization in the governor's race among both Republican and Democrat contenders. With the rapid growth of the campaign, the success in numerous recent polls, and the increasing demand for his speaking across the state, Ray McBerry appears to be rising like a meteor in the Republican race for Governor.
For more information or to contact Ray McBerry's campaign about interviews and speaking engagements, please visit the campaign website at www.GeorgiaFirst.org
In the past month, McBerry won first place in the governor's race straw poll conducted in Tifton the week following two candidate forums in south Georgia, one in Tifton and another in Valdosta. Even Austin Scott, a native of Tifton, came in second to McBerry among the seven Republicans.
Meanwhile, Ray McBerry scored overwhelming victories in the online polls for the Governor's race that were conducted by both the Augusta area Young Republicans in east Georgia and the Paulding County GOP in west Georgia.
In north Georgia's Walker County, the McBerry Campaign came in second place in the Republican party's straw poll, being bested only by Nathan Deal, in whose "back yard" the straw poll was conducted.
For several months now, there have been record turnouts each time that Ray McBerry has spoken at different county GOP meetings across the state, leading to an increase in the number of speaking invitations from other county chairmen.
Additionally, Ray has been invited to be the "kickoff" speaker for nearly a dozen " tea party patriot" groups springing up around the state -- groups who are looking for candidates who are not part of the current Democrat and Republican establishment. The most recent of these events was this past Thursday evening in Dalton in which approxima tely 200 people turned out to hear Ray speak on the subject of "States' Rights."
The record turnout at both Republican-sponsored events and these "town hall" type meetings every time that Ray McBerry is invited to speak have certainly gotten the attention of many within the Republican Party. Being called "the best public speaker in Georgia today" by a number of statewide candidates, Ray's message of "States' Rights" is resounding incredibly well in all areas of the state and among all groups, including "blue dog" Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents, as well as traditional conservative Republicans.
The McBerry Campaign team continues to grow with each new week and is the largest volunteer organization in the governor's race among both Republican and Democrat contenders. With the rapid growth of the campaign, the success in numerous recent polls, and the increasing demand for his speaking across the state, Ray McBerry appears to be rising like a meteor in the Republican race for Governor.
For more information or to contact Ray McBerry's campaign about interviews and speaking engagements, please visit the campaign website at www.GeorgiaFirst.org
Filed under Southern Blogs by
December 29, 2009
From: HK Edgerton
Date: Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Subject: Fwd: Emailing: HK color cartoon wCecil/ Here Comes The Attack
To: HK Edgerton
I have been depicted as cartoon in the Mountain Express weekly newspaper before, but it was not until I questioned the seating of it's former Editor to the Asheville City Council because of his professed status as an atheist did this cartoon take on a different characterization. The cartoon depiction of no me no longer carried any resemblance to my person . What I and others now saw was a fat black man dressed in a Confederate uniform holding a Confederate Battle flag standing next to Mr. Cecil Bothwell who looked rather slim and debonair.
The words uttered by the cartoon depicting me, were words that I had not and would not ever utter: ( -not swearin' in on the Bible! Violatin' the State Constitution! What could be crazier?! ). They were just a lead in to attack me for the stand I make in defense of my homeland, the Southland of America and it's glorious banner. I instead would have said, what could have been more illegal ? The carton depicting Mr. Bothwell answer to the supposed words uttered by the cartoon depicting him were: ( Let me see- How 'bout a Black Man Carrying A Confederate Flag? )
I find this cartoon to be offensive, racist, inaccurate and demeaning to the memory of the many Southern Black men who carried this glorious banner in defense of their homeland and to myself for stepping into the characterization of their cause.And as a fact, I happen to know many Black men who are Sons of Confederate Veterans, who like myself carry this Flag and defend the honor of their ancestors who did the same, and would take exception to the statement that a Black man carrying the Confederate Flag to be crazy.
And I know that my dear friend, the late Julian Price, the heir to Jefferson Pilot Insurance Company who saved this weekly from extinction with his funds, and who wrote the very first news article on my stand at the NAACP Office that I chaired while donned in full dress Confederate uniform, would not have approved of this cartoon and it's message. They should have gone back to their archives and read what Mr. Price wrote about my stand with the Flag, and then checked his check book to see the support he provided to me for my run as Mayor and for the children who I taught golf.
And for those who want to continue to make this a personal issue between me and Mr. Bothwell, it is not. I would suggest that they view the live interview recorded by my brother Terry Lee Edgerton of Mr. Bothwell and myself on the Matt Mittan radio program of December 16, 2009. The bottom line is that Mr. Bothwell canot act in behalf of the citizens of Asheville legally until a resolution has been accomplished about Article VI, section 7 & 8 of the North Carolina State Constitution. Shame on the Mountain Express.
Filed under Southern Blogs by
December 28, 2009
Help, Please
Ladies & Gentlemen,
A compatriot and collector in my brigade was robbed. Many items, particularly antique firearms, were stolen from his home. Since SCV members and reenactors will be a likely market for these items, please be on the lookout for them. Please forward this e-mail to anyone or any list that you think would be helpful. If you have any information about them, please contact me below. Here is a list of the stolen firearms:
1- 75 cal. Pedersoli (Flintlock) Brown Bess type Indian trade musket 30” barrel
1- 58 cal. Model 1853 Euroarms 3 band Enfield (percussion)
1- 58 cal. Model 1841 Mississippi rifled musket (has a small chip on forestock) (Zoli)
1- 56 cal. Hawkens type smoothbore Thompson center arms type trigger guard
2- 69 cal. Model 1847 Armisport Springfield Muskets
2- 20 ga. Pedersoli double barrel shotguns
1- 12 ga. CVA double barrel shotgun (has hose clamp holding barrels to forestock) poor boy type no buttplate.
1- 12 ga. Navy arms type double barrel shotgun
1- 12 ga. Pedersoli double barrel “Coach gun” shotgun short barrels
1- 58 cal. Euroarms Cook & Brother Artillery type musketoon
2- 36 cal. Model 1851 Brass frame Colt revolvers
2- 44 cal. Model 1847 Colt revolvers
1- 44 cal. 3rd Model Dragoon Colt revolver 16 or 18 inch barrel
1- 44 cal. Double barrel Corsair pistol
1- 36 cal. Smooth bore single shot pistol
1- 44 cal. Brass frame Remington revolver 12” barrel (Wyatt Erpp type)
1- 22 cal. Winchester Model 67 bolt action rifle
1- 22 cal. Beretta auto pistol
Thanks for your help,
Joe Warnke, Dawsonville, GA
2nd Brigade Commander, Georgia Division, SCV
eleventhgacav@windstream.net
Ladies & Gentlemen,
A compatriot and collector in my brigade was robbed. Many items, particularly antique firearms, were stolen from his home. Since SCV members and reenactors will be a likely market for these items, please be on the lookout for them. Please forward this e-mail to anyone or any list that you think would be helpful. If you have any information about them, please contact me below. Here is a list of the stolen firearms:
1- 75 cal. Pedersoli (Flintlock) Brown Bess type Indian trade musket 30” barrel
1- 58 cal. Model 1853 Euroarms 3 band Enfield (percussion)
1- 58 cal. Model 1841 Mississippi rifled musket (has a small chip on forestock) (Zoli)
1- 56 cal. Hawkens type smoothbore Thompson center arms type trigger guard
2- 69 cal. Model 1847 Armisport Springfield Muskets
2- 20 ga. Pedersoli double barrel shotguns
1- 12 ga. CVA double barrel shotgun (has hose clamp holding barrels to forestock) poor boy type no buttplate.
1- 12 ga. Navy arms type double barrel shotgun
1- 12 ga. Pedersoli double barrel “Coach gun” shotgun short barrels
1- 58 cal. Euroarms Cook & Brother Artillery type musketoon
2- 36 cal. Model 1851 Brass frame Colt revolvers
2- 44 cal. Model 1847 Colt revolvers
1- 44 cal. 3rd Model Dragoon Colt revolver 16 or 18 inch barrel
1- 44 cal. Double barrel Corsair pistol
1- 36 cal. Smooth bore single shot pistol
1- 44 cal. Brass frame Remington revolver 12” barrel (Wyatt Erpp type)
1- 22 cal. Winchester Model 67 bolt action rifle
1- 22 cal. Beretta auto pistol
Thanks for your help,
Joe Warnke, Dawsonville, GA
2nd Brigade Commander, Georgia Division, SCV
eleventhgacav@windstream.net
Filed under Southern Blogs by
December 26, 2009
Knoxville -- The Longstreet/Zollicoffer Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans will host their 17th annual celebration of the birthdays of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson at the Foundry Restaurant located at the north end of World’s Fair Park in downtown Knoxville on Saturday January 23. The keynote address will be give by Reverend John Weaver. His topic will be – “Who Were the Rebels?”
Pastor John Weaver is a native of Georgia, and a graduate of Bob Jones University. He has been in Christian ministry for over 44 years and has helped plant several churches and Christian schools around the country. Pastor Weaver travels across America preaching and lecturing in churches, colleges and conferences. He has also authored three books: “The Christian and Civil Government,” The Sovereignty of God and Civil Government,” and “The Biblical Truth Concerning God’s Righteous Vengeance.” He has taught Southern history and American history in numerous conferences, youth camps and churches. Pastor Weaver served two terms as SCV Chaplain-in-Chief, and is a member of the Manse Jolly Camp #6, of Piedmont, SC. His message for the Lee-Jackson Supper, “Who Were the Rebels?” identifies the true rebels, and demonstrates from Northern sources that the North was indeed in rebellion to the Constitution and wanted to destroy the union of the States. The South still glories in the fact that she stood for principle, right, liberty, freedom and the Constitutional Republic as it was given to us by our founding fathers.
Camp 87 is pleased and honored to have Reverend Weaver as our featured speaker this year.
Each year we gather to honor the births of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan Jackson who were born Jan. 19, 1807 and Jan. 21, 1824 respectively. In Tennessee, Lee’s birthday is an official State Day of Special Observance.
The Lee/Jackson dinner, as always, is open to and the public is welcomed.
”This is always a dignified, family friendly event with a dress code,” Jones said. Men are encouraged to wear jackets and ties. Business or period attire are also acceptable. The dinner will open with a brief drill and flag presentation ceremony by uniformed Confederate re-enactors.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for a social hour. The buffet-style dinner is at 7 p.m. Cost is $30 per adult, $15 per child 12 and under. Several door prizes will be awarded. Advance reservations with full payment are required, and must be received no later than January 21 as the Seating is limited.
Mail reservation requests with payments to Lee/Jackson Day Dinner, c/o SCV Camp 87, P.O. Box 943, Knoxville, Tenn. 37901. Make checks payable to Lee/Jackson Dinner.
For additional information, call Jones at 865-947-3394; John Hitt at 865-689-4592; Lynn Hammond at 865-687-5027; Arthur Harris at 865-742-8755 or John Ellis at 865-951-1606.
Pastor John Weaver is a native of Georgia, and a graduate of Bob Jones University. He has been in Christian ministry for over 44 years and has helped plant several churches and Christian schools around the country. Pastor Weaver travels across America preaching and lecturing in churches, colleges and conferences. He has also authored three books: “The Christian and Civil Government,” The Sovereignty of God and Civil Government,” and “The Biblical Truth Concerning God’s Righteous Vengeance.” He has taught Southern history and American history in numerous conferences, youth camps and churches. Pastor Weaver served two terms as SCV Chaplain-in-Chief, and is a member of the Manse Jolly Camp #6, of Piedmont, SC. His message for the Lee-Jackson Supper, “Who Were the Rebels?” identifies the true rebels, and demonstrates from Northern sources that the North was indeed in rebellion to the Constitution and wanted to destroy the union of the States. The South still glories in the fact that she stood for principle, right, liberty, freedom and the Constitutional Republic as it was given to us by our founding fathers.
Camp 87 is pleased and honored to have Reverend Weaver as our featured speaker this year.
Each year we gather to honor the births of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan Jackson who were born Jan. 19, 1807 and Jan. 21, 1824 respectively. In Tennessee, Lee’s birthday is an official State Day of Special Observance.
The Lee/Jackson dinner, as always, is open to and the public is welcomed.
”This is always a dignified, family friendly event with a dress code,” Jones said. Men are encouraged to wear jackets and ties. Business or period attire are also acceptable. The dinner will open with a brief drill and flag presentation ceremony by uniformed Confederate re-enactors.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for a social hour. The buffet-style dinner is at 7 p.m. Cost is $30 per adult, $15 per child 12 and under. Several door prizes will be awarded. Advance reservations with full payment are required, and must be received no later than January 21 as the Seating is limited.
Mail reservation requests with payments to Lee/Jackson Day Dinner, c/o SCV Camp 87, P.O. Box 943, Knoxville, Tenn. 37901. Make checks payable to Lee/Jackson Dinner.
For additional information, call Jones at 865-947-3394; John Hitt at 865-689-4592; Lynn Hammond at 865-687-5027; Arthur Harris at 865-742-8755 or John Ellis at 865-951-1606.
Filed under Southern Blogs by
December 16, 2009
By Calvin E. Johnson, Jr., A Freelance Writer, Author of book ‘When America Stood for God, Family and Country’ and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
cjohnson1861@bellsouth.net
This is a True Christmas Story.
Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate with family, friends and supper at Grandma's house. Grandpa will gather the children around the fire place and tell them the story of Jesus Christ who was born on Christmas Day while Grandma makes ginger bread cookies and Daddy brings the Christmas tree in the family room for decorating. Mamma as always will lead us in the singing of ‘Silent Night—Holy Night’ as the Star of Bethlehem is placed on top of the tree.
90 years ago….
during the year 1919, one year after the end of World War I, the people of Atlanta, Georgia were celebrating the Christmas Season. Many people attended Church or Synagogue and gave thanks to God for his many blessings. Folks, while shopping, were uplifted by sweet sounds of Christmas music played by the Salvation Army Band. There was a friendly and charitable atmosphere during this time of the year.
There were, however, some who were not as fortunate!
The aging veterans, in the Confederate Soldier’s Home, were proud men who had braved many a battle in the 1860s. One of these men was former Captain Thomas Yopp who saw such battles as that of Fredericksburg where a cannon shell burst knocked him unconscious.
The man who stayed with him until he recovered was his servant who had also joined the 14th Georgia Regiment, Company H. Bill Yopp was more then a servant; he and Thomas Yopp were friends who hunted and fished together.
Bill Yopp, a Black Confederate, was sympathetic to the men of Atlanta’s soldiers home who had been his compatriots in arms over fifty years earlier.
During the War Between the States, 1861-1865, Bill Yopp was nicknamed "Ten Cent Bill" because of the money he made shining shoes. He did this for the soldiers at a dime a shine and ended up with more money than most of his comrades. These men, also, cared for him when he was sick.
During the Christmas of 1919, Bill wanted to pay back the kindness that was shown to him. He caught a train from Atlanta to Macon, where he was offered help from the editor of a local newspaper [The Macon Telegraph]. He then caught a train to Savannah to raise Christmas money for the old veterans. Bill met many generous people on his trip.
Just weeks before the Christmas of 1919, he had raised the money and Georgia’s Governor Hugh Dorsey helped him distribute envelopes of three dollars to each veteran. That was a lot of money in those days.
The old Confederates were speechless. Tears were shed because of Bill Yopp's good heart and kind deed. Many of these men had little or nothing. Bill was invited to come into the home's Chapel and say a few words.
Bill Yopp was later presented a medal of appreciation for his support of the old soldiers and also voted in as a resident of the Confederate Soldier's Home.
Bill died on June 3, 1936, the 128th birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He was buried at Marietta, Georgia’s Confederate Cemetery with his compatriots.
The Confederate Soldier’s Home was located at 401 Confederate Ave., in Atlanta, Georgia.
Christmas is about love, forgiveness, old friends, family and the Child who became a savior.
Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!
The source of information for this story came from the book, entitled: Bill Yopp "Ten Cent Bill" Narrative of a Slave! This book was written in 1969 by Charles W. Hampton.
cjohnson1861@bellsouth.net
This is a True Christmas Story.
Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate with family, friends and supper at Grandma's house. Grandpa will gather the children around the fire place and tell them the story of Jesus Christ who was born on Christmas Day while Grandma makes ginger bread cookies and Daddy brings the Christmas tree in the family room for decorating. Mamma as always will lead us in the singing of ‘Silent Night—Holy Night’ as the Star of Bethlehem is placed on top of the tree.
90 years ago….
during the year 1919, one year after the end of World War I, the people of Atlanta, Georgia were celebrating the Christmas Season. Many people attended Church or Synagogue and gave thanks to God for his many blessings. Folks, while shopping, were uplifted by sweet sounds of Christmas music played by the Salvation Army Band. There was a friendly and charitable atmosphere during this time of the year.
There were, however, some who were not as fortunate!
The aging veterans, in the Confederate Soldier’s Home, were proud men who had braved many a battle in the 1860s. One of these men was former Captain Thomas Yopp who saw such battles as that of Fredericksburg where a cannon shell burst knocked him unconscious.
The man who stayed with him until he recovered was his servant who had also joined the 14th Georgia Regiment, Company H. Bill Yopp was more then a servant; he and Thomas Yopp were friends who hunted and fished together.
Bill Yopp, a Black Confederate, was sympathetic to the men of Atlanta’s soldiers home who had been his compatriots in arms over fifty years earlier.
During the War Between the States, 1861-1865, Bill Yopp was nicknamed "Ten Cent Bill" because of the money he made shining shoes. He did this for the soldiers at a dime a shine and ended up with more money than most of his comrades. These men, also, cared for him when he was sick.
During the Christmas of 1919, Bill wanted to pay back the kindness that was shown to him. He caught a train from Atlanta to Macon, where he was offered help from the editor of a local newspaper [The Macon Telegraph]. He then caught a train to Savannah to raise Christmas money for the old veterans. Bill met many generous people on his trip.
Just weeks before the Christmas of 1919, he had raised the money and Georgia’s Governor Hugh Dorsey helped him distribute envelopes of three dollars to each veteran. That was a lot of money in those days.
The old Confederates were speechless. Tears were shed because of Bill Yopp's good heart and kind deed. Many of these men had little or nothing. Bill was invited to come into the home's Chapel and say a few words.
Bill Yopp was later presented a medal of appreciation for his support of the old soldiers and also voted in as a resident of the Confederate Soldier's Home.
Bill died on June 3, 1936, the 128th birthday of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He was buried at Marietta, Georgia’s Confederate Cemetery with his compatriots.
The Confederate Soldier’s Home was located at 401 Confederate Ave., in Atlanta, Georgia.
Christmas is about love, forgiveness, old friends, family and the Child who became a savior.
Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!
The source of information for this story came from the book, entitled: Bill Yopp "Ten Cent Bill" Narrative of a Slave! This book was written in 1969 by Charles W. Hampton.
Filed under Southern Blogs by
December 4, 2009
President Jefferson Davis, Died 6 December 1889.
“The lamp of life waned low as the hour of midnight arrived; nor did it flicker into the brightness of consciousness at any time. Eagerly, yet tenderly, the watchers gazed at the face of the dying chieftain. His face, always calm and pale, gained additional pallor, and at a quarter to 1 o’clock of the morning of the 6th day of December death came to the venerable leader.
There was nothing remarkable about the death-bed scene. The departure of the spirit was gentle and utterly painless. There were no dry eyes in the little assembly about the bed, and every heart bled with the anguish which found vent in Mrs. Davis’s sobs and cries.”
The Times-Democrat gave the following account of the closing scene: At 12:45 o’clock this morning Hon. Jefferson Davis, ex-President of the Confederate States, passed away at the residence of Associate Justice Charles E. Fenner. Only once did he waver in his belief that his case showed no improvement, and that was at an early hour yesterday morning, when he playfully remarked to Mr. Payne: “I am afraid that I shall be compelled to agree with the doctors for once, and admit that I am a little better.” At 7 o’clock Mrs. Davis administered some medicine, but the ex-President declined to receive the whole dose. She urged upon his the necessity of taking the remainder, but putting it aside, with the gentlest of gestures whispered,
“Pray, excuse me.” These were his last words.”
The Daily States said in its editorial:
“Throughout all the South there are lamentations and tears; in every country on the globe where there are lovers of liberty there is mourning; wherever there are men who admire heroic patriotism, dauntless resolution, fortitude, or intellectual power and supremacy, there is sincere sorrowing. The beloved of our land, the unfaltering upholder of constitutional liberty…is no more…” “Jefferson Davis is dead; but the principles for which he struggled, for the vindication of which he devoted his life, for which he suffered defeat, and unto which he clung unto death, still live. The fanatical howlings of the abolitionists, the tumult and thunders of civil war, the fierce mouthings of the organizers of reconstruction, and reconstruction itself, that black and foul disgrace of humanity, are all departed, sunk into silence like a tavern brawl, but the constitutional principles upon which the Confederacy was founded and for which Jefferson Davis spoke and struggled, for which he gave life and fortune, still survive in all their living power; and when they shall have been, if ever, really destroyed, this Republic will be transformed into one of the most oppressive and offensive oligarchies that has ever arisen amongst the civilized nations of the earth.”
The Times-Democrat of the 10th had this editorial:
“If there was ever the shadow of doubt in the minds of the people of the United States of the hold of Jefferson Davis upon the hearts of the Southern people that doubt has been removed. From city and country, from every nook and hamlet, have come expressions of profoundest sorrow over his death; of grief at the passing away of the great Confederate chieftain. They turned to him as the Mussulman to his Mecca---the shrine at which all true Southern-born should worship. There has never been any division of sentiment as to the greatness of Jefferson Davis. He has always been the hero of his people---their best beloved. From the day that Lee laid down his arms at Appomattox to the hour of Jefferson Davis’s death the Southern people look upon the ex-President of the Confederacy as the embodiment of all that was grand and glorious in the Lost Cause. Standing alone as a citizen without the power to exercise his citizenship, the last surviving victim of sectional hate and malevolence, he was an exile while on the soil of his native land and in the midst of his own people. Jefferson Davis will go to the grave bathed in a people’s tears.”
(The Memorial Volume of Jefferson Davis, J.W. Jones, 1889, pp.473-509)
Thanks to Bernhard Thuersam
“The lamp of life waned low as the hour of midnight arrived; nor did it flicker into the brightness of consciousness at any time. Eagerly, yet tenderly, the watchers gazed at the face of the dying chieftain. His face, always calm and pale, gained additional pallor, and at a quarter to 1 o’clock of the morning of the 6th day of December death came to the venerable leader.
There was nothing remarkable about the death-bed scene. The departure of the spirit was gentle and utterly painless. There were no dry eyes in the little assembly about the bed, and every heart bled with the anguish which found vent in Mrs. Davis’s sobs and cries.”
The Times-Democrat gave the following account of the closing scene: At 12:45 o’clock this morning Hon. Jefferson Davis, ex-President of the Confederate States, passed away at the residence of Associate Justice Charles E. Fenner. Only once did he waver in his belief that his case showed no improvement, and that was at an early hour yesterday morning, when he playfully remarked to Mr. Payne: “I am afraid that I shall be compelled to agree with the doctors for once, and admit that I am a little better.” At 7 o’clock Mrs. Davis administered some medicine, but the ex-President declined to receive the whole dose. She urged upon his the necessity of taking the remainder, but putting it aside, with the gentlest of gestures whispered,
“Pray, excuse me.” These were his last words.”
The Daily States said in its editorial:
“Throughout all the South there are lamentations and tears; in every country on the globe where there are lovers of liberty there is mourning; wherever there are men who admire heroic patriotism, dauntless resolution, fortitude, or intellectual power and supremacy, there is sincere sorrowing. The beloved of our land, the unfaltering upholder of constitutional liberty…is no more…” “Jefferson Davis is dead; but the principles for which he struggled, for the vindication of which he devoted his life, for which he suffered defeat, and unto which he clung unto death, still live. The fanatical howlings of the abolitionists, the tumult and thunders of civil war, the fierce mouthings of the organizers of reconstruction, and reconstruction itself, that black and foul disgrace of humanity, are all departed, sunk into silence like a tavern brawl, but the constitutional principles upon which the Confederacy was founded and for which Jefferson Davis spoke and struggled, for which he gave life and fortune, still survive in all their living power; and when they shall have been, if ever, really destroyed, this Republic will be transformed into one of the most oppressive and offensive oligarchies that has ever arisen amongst the civilized nations of the earth.”
The Times-Democrat of the 10th had this editorial:
“If there was ever the shadow of doubt in the minds of the people of the United States of the hold of Jefferson Davis upon the hearts of the Southern people that doubt has been removed. From city and country, from every nook and hamlet, have come expressions of profoundest sorrow over his death; of grief at the passing away of the great Confederate chieftain. They turned to him as the Mussulman to his Mecca---the shrine at which all true Southern-born should worship. There has never been any division of sentiment as to the greatness of Jefferson Davis. He has always been the hero of his people---their best beloved. From the day that Lee laid down his arms at Appomattox to the hour of Jefferson Davis’s death the Southern people look upon the ex-President of the Confederacy as the embodiment of all that was grand and glorious in the Lost Cause. Standing alone as a citizen without the power to exercise his citizenship, the last surviving victim of sectional hate and malevolence, he was an exile while on the soil of his native land and in the midst of his own people. Jefferson Davis will go to the grave bathed in a people’s tears.”
(The Memorial Volume of Jefferson Davis, J.W. Jones, 1889, pp.473-509)
Thanks to Bernhard Thuersam
Filed under Southern Blogs by
November 21, 2009
By William Connery
Civil War, Fairfax Court House
By Edward Coleman Trexler, Jr.
James River Valley Publishing
$18.00, 230 pages, illustrated
etrexler@cox.net
In Charleston, SC, you have Fort Sumter, where the opening salvos of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861. In Baltimore, MD, there is President Street Station, Camden Station and the route in between along the Inner Harbor and Pratt Street, where the first bloodshed of the War Between the States occurred on April 19, 1861. Many of the other first momentous events of that War happened around or close to Fairfax Court House (FCH), from its occupation by Virginia (Confederate) home guards in April-May 1861 until its permanent occupation by Union forces in February 1862.
Edward Coleman Trexler, Jr., a descendant of some of the first families of Virginia and author of two previous Virginia histories (Descendants of Conquest, Families of the James River Valley of Virginia and Endowed by the Creator, Families of Fairfax Court House, Virginia) has taken on a monumental task of detailing a seeming back water (when compared to destinations like Gettysburg and Antietam) of the Civil War, but a location where many firsts of the War occurred.
Fairfax Court House was the front line of Confederate defenses during the first 10 months of the War and many important events took place there. Private Peyton Anderson became the first Confederate soldier to shed his blood, while on picket duty on May 27, 1861. A Union cavalry raid occurred May 31-June 1, 1861, which resulted in the death of Captain John Quincy Marr, the first Confederate officer killed in the War. On the same day, General P.G.T. Beauregard, the hero of Charleston, came to take over the defenses. He brought in South Carolina forces as the first regular troops in the area. These forces attacked a Union troop train in the nearby village of Vienna, where an unusual event happened. In his report, Union General Robert Schenck wrote: “the whole force attacking us was at least 2,000, as follows: South Carolina Troops, 800: … and in addition to these, was a body of 150 armed picked negroes, who were observed by us, as they lay flat in the grain and did not fire a shot.”
So the first mention of black troops in the War Between the States were fighting for the Confederacy!
By the end of June, Beauregard had his advanced forces at FCH, with his main body of men about 15 miles further southwest at Manassas. He wanted to concentrate his men at FCH. The final plan agreed upon was to have his forces first fall back to Centreville, then further to the fords at Bull Run (Manassas). It was this period (July 16 to July 21) that the Union army marched west to Manassas, where it was defeated by Confederate forces, and retreated back through FCH, which was back under Confederate control by July 23. It was there that by September Gen. Beauregard set up the headquarters of his Army of the Potomac.
By the end of the year, two important events took place at FCH. Because of the confusion at Manassas battlefield, especially between the Star Spangled Banner and the Stars and Bars, Gen. Beauregard felt it necessary to implement a new flag that would be greatly different from the Union banner. The Confederate Congress rejected his suggestion. But he met at FCH with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and agreed on a banner to be used as a battle flag; in the X of the St. Andrew’s Cross, with a red background, blue cross bars and white stars. Thus was the Confederate Battle Flag born.
At about the same time (September 30 to October 3), President Jefferson Davis visited his generals and troops at FCH. Gen. Beauregard set forth his audacious plan to mass Confederate forces at FCH and attack the federal capital in Washington. He preferred the bold, but risky move to the certainty of unrest, dissension, and sickness by wintering in idleness. Davis did not believe that the men and materiel sufficient to conquer the Northern Capital could be brought to FCH. Many military historians who believe that Davis’ failure to switch to an offensive mode at this conference was the pivotal decision of the war have constantly examined the proceedings of this meeting. Some say that the Confederacy’s best chance at victory would have occurred if the defeated Union troops had been followed into Washington after the Battle of Manassas in July!
As a result of the October Conference, General Beauregard moved his main forces back to Centreville for the winter, with advanced troops still in the FCH vicinity. On March 10, 1862, Union forces entered FCH and would remain there for the remainder of the war. In March 1862, Union General George McClellan held his ‘War Council of Generals’ at FCH, where he was commander of the Union Army of the Potomac. So FHC had been headquarters for Confederate and Union Armies of the Potomac. The Union Army kept its name until the end of the War; the Confederate name disappeared and became the Army of Northern Virginia.
For the rest of the War, FCH became a Union staging area, especially as the events leading to Antietam in September 1862 and Gettysburg in July 1863 swirled around it. The major event was the capture of Union General Stoughton by John Singleton Mosby and his Partisan Rangers on March 9, 1863. Mosby and his men remained a thorn in the side of the Union as they raided throughout Fairfax and Loudon Counties until the end of the war.
After the war, Fairfax Court House settled back into the quiet Virginia countryside. We should be grateful that Mr. Trexler has made this fine contribution to Civil War history. He treats both sides of the conflict with respect and honor, and has rescued an area that thousands drive through every day, on their way to work in Washington, DC, not knowing the important history they are rumbling past.
William Connery is a freelance writer in Alexandria, VA. He has written and spoken on various WBTS topics. He can be reached at william.connery@verizon.net.
Civil War, Fairfax Court House
By Edward Coleman Trexler, Jr.
James River Valley Publishing
$18.00, 230 pages, illustrated
etrexler@cox.net
In Charleston, SC, you have Fort Sumter, where the opening salvos of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861. In Baltimore, MD, there is President Street Station, Camden Station and the route in between along the Inner Harbor and Pratt Street, where the first bloodshed of the War Between the States occurred on April 19, 1861. Many of the other first momentous events of that War happened around or close to Fairfax Court House (FCH), from its occupation by Virginia (Confederate) home guards in April-May 1861 until its permanent occupation by Union forces in February 1862.
Edward Coleman Trexler, Jr., a descendant of some of the first families of Virginia and author of two previous Virginia histories (Descendants of Conquest, Families of the James River Valley of Virginia and Endowed by the Creator, Families of Fairfax Court House, Virginia) has taken on a monumental task of detailing a seeming back water (when compared to destinations like Gettysburg and Antietam) of the Civil War, but a location where many firsts of the War occurred.
Fairfax Court House was the front line of Confederate defenses during the first 10 months of the War and many important events took place there. Private Peyton Anderson became the first Confederate soldier to shed his blood, while on picket duty on May 27, 1861. A Union cavalry raid occurred May 31-June 1, 1861, which resulted in the death of Captain John Quincy Marr, the first Confederate officer killed in the War. On the same day, General P.G.T. Beauregard, the hero of Charleston, came to take over the defenses. He brought in South Carolina forces as the first regular troops in the area. These forces attacked a Union troop train in the nearby village of Vienna, where an unusual event happened. In his report, Union General Robert Schenck wrote: “the whole force attacking us was at least 2,000, as follows: South Carolina Troops, 800: … and in addition to these, was a body of 150 armed picked negroes, who were observed by us, as they lay flat in the grain and did not fire a shot.”
So the first mention of black troops in the War Between the States were fighting for the Confederacy!
By the end of June, Beauregard had his advanced forces at FCH, with his main body of men about 15 miles further southwest at Manassas. He wanted to concentrate his men at FCH. The final plan agreed upon was to have his forces first fall back to Centreville, then further to the fords at Bull Run (Manassas). It was this period (July 16 to July 21) that the Union army marched west to Manassas, where it was defeated by Confederate forces, and retreated back through FCH, which was back under Confederate control by July 23. It was there that by September Gen. Beauregard set up the headquarters of his Army of the Potomac.
By the end of the year, two important events took place at FCH. Because of the confusion at Manassas battlefield, especially between the Star Spangled Banner and the Stars and Bars, Gen. Beauregard felt it necessary to implement a new flag that would be greatly different from the Union banner. The Confederate Congress rejected his suggestion. But he met at FCH with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and agreed on a banner to be used as a battle flag; in the X of the St. Andrew’s Cross, with a red background, blue cross bars and white stars. Thus was the Confederate Battle Flag born.
At about the same time (September 30 to October 3), President Jefferson Davis visited his generals and troops at FCH. Gen. Beauregard set forth his audacious plan to mass Confederate forces at FCH and attack the federal capital in Washington. He preferred the bold, but risky move to the certainty of unrest, dissension, and sickness by wintering in idleness. Davis did not believe that the men and materiel sufficient to conquer the Northern Capital could be brought to FCH. Many military historians who believe that Davis’ failure to switch to an offensive mode at this conference was the pivotal decision of the war have constantly examined the proceedings of this meeting. Some say that the Confederacy’s best chance at victory would have occurred if the defeated Union troops had been followed into Washington after the Battle of Manassas in July!
As a result of the October Conference, General Beauregard moved his main forces back to Centreville for the winter, with advanced troops still in the FCH vicinity. On March 10, 1862, Union forces entered FCH and would remain there for the remainder of the war. In March 1862, Union General George McClellan held his ‘War Council of Generals’ at FCH, where he was commander of the Union Army of the Potomac. So FHC had been headquarters for Confederate and Union Armies of the Potomac. The Union Army kept its name until the end of the War; the Confederate name disappeared and became the Army of Northern Virginia.
For the rest of the War, FCH became a Union staging area, especially as the events leading to Antietam in September 1862 and Gettysburg in July 1863 swirled around it. The major event was the capture of Union General Stoughton by John Singleton Mosby and his Partisan Rangers on March 9, 1863. Mosby and his men remained a thorn in the side of the Union as they raided throughout Fairfax and Loudon Counties until the end of the war.
After the war, Fairfax Court House settled back into the quiet Virginia countryside. We should be grateful that Mr. Trexler has made this fine contribution to Civil War history. He treats both sides of the conflict with respect and honor, and has rescued an area that thousands drive through every day, on their way to work in Washington, DC, not knowing the important history they are rumbling past.
William Connery is a freelance writer in Alexandria, VA. He has written and spoken on various WBTS topics. He can be reached at william.connery@verizon.net.
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