The Spirit of 1861
Unknown Author

Arise Confederates! hear your country's call! 

The hour is come, --the hour to do or die, 

Freemen to stand, or freemen still to fall -- 

Say, will you fight for Southern Liberty? 

By the spirit of George Washington we swear. 

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, wear!

Our father's arms base tyranny defiled, 

They would not bear the reproach of slaves; 

For freedomlived they, and for freedom died, -- 

Their memory calls for freedom from their graves. 

By the great God of Washington we swear, 

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, bear!

Gleams not the sword more brightly than the chain, 

A nobler ornament to deck the hand? 

We've borne their taunts--shall Freedom call in vain. 

To unsheath the sword, and save our father-land! 

By the great God of Washington we swear, 

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, bear!

The Confederate States will claim a brilliant fame, 

From her arise a nation proud and free, 

We'll raise her flag, and vindicate her name, 

Land of the free--the home of Liberty! 

By the great God of truth and right we swear, 

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, bear!

Upon our graves shall dawn a brighter sun. 

Our children rise to bless their natal earth; 

Here shall they kneel, and, when our course is run, 

Bless the fair land that gave them a free birth. 

By the spirit of George Washington we swear, 

The yoke of slaves we'll cannot, will not bear!

Stone Mountain Georgia

The largest bas relief sculpture in the world, the Confederate Memorial Carving depicts three Confederate leaders of the Civil War, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (and their favorite horses, "Blackjack", "Traveller", and "Little Sorrel", respectively).

The carving was conceived by Mrs. C. Helen Plane, a charter member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). The Venable Brothers, owners of the mountain, deeded the north face of the mountain to the UDC in 1916. The UDC was given 12 years to complete a sizable Civil War monument. Gutzon Borglum was commissioned to do the carving. Borglum abandoned the project in 1925 (and later went on to begin Mount Rushmore). American sculptor Augustus Lukeman continued until 1928, when further work stopped for thirty years. In 1958, at the urging of Governor Marvin Griffin, the Georgia legislature approved a measure to purchase Stone Mountain for $1,125,000. In 1963, Walker Hancock was selected to complete the carving, and work began in 1964. The carving was completed by Roy Faulkner, who later operated a museum (now closed) on nearby Memorial Drive commemorating the carving's history. The carving was considered complete on March 3, 1972.

"Happy Birthday Stonewall Jackson"

January 21, 1824-May 10, 1863

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was born in Clarksburg (then Virginia), West Virginia, on January 21, 1824. A skilled military tactician, he served as a Confederate general under Robert E. Lee in the War Between the States (Civil War), leading troops at Manassas, Antietam and Fredericksburg. Jackson lost an arm and died after he was accidentally shot by Confederate troops at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

Happy Birthday Robert E. Lee

Born on January 19, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia, Robert E. Lee came to military prominence during the U.S. Civil War, commanding his home state's armed forces and becoming general-in-chief of the Confederate forces towards the end of the conflict. Though the Union won the war, Lee has been revered by many while others debate his tactics. He went on to become president of Washington College.

Moorehead Cemetery Plot 12 January 2014

Janice Waters, Kristen Burton, Katie Burton, and Teresa Reed discovered a forgotten family cemetery plot. It was interesting.

Teresa Reed and a friend had the pleasure of visiting Quaker Cemetery in Camden, SC

Standing amidst 19 unknown Confederate soldiers

Dr. George Rogers Clark Todd was the brother in-law of Abraham Lincoln. He was a Confederate surgeon.

Article of Interest

United Daughters of Confederacy make history with induction

By Katie Martin

The weather may have been gloomy in Savannah Saturday, but Georgia Benton was all smiles as she was inducted into the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Not only is Benton the first African-American member in the Savannah Chapter, but she’s also the first in the state of Georgia.
“A lot of people when they hear the word ‘confederate’ they run,” said Savannah Chapter 2 president, Elizabeth Piechocinski. “But what they don’t realize is that there were a large number of African-Americans who served in the confederacy. Some were musicians or body servants, but some also fought.”
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.
“I thought, ‘wait a minute, I deserve the same right to be a part of a group who are honoring their forefathers,’” said Benton. “Very little is known about black confederate soldiers, so if I can be a starting point in letting the world know the history and making them aware that African-Americans have fought in every war in history, then I’m proud to stand up for my great-grandfather. I’m honored because he helped form the United States of America, he was a part of that movement and not too many people are aware of that. I’m standing here with honor and pride.”
Benton said it took her about two months to compile the documents needed to trace her family lineage and because there aren’t a lot of enlistment records for African-American confederate soldiers it did take patience and a lot of digging, but Benton believes that she can help enhance the organization with her knowledge of African-American soldiers’ roles in the Civil War.
“My son tells me I’m a trailblazer, because I was also involved in the community Civil Rights movement in Port Wentworth. So, trailblazing, making a difference, I guess it’s in my blood. It’s just something that you do,” Benton said.