COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

The antebellum era saw Richmond rise as a  major  industrial
center  in  the  south.   Its  manufacturing  and mercantile
strength combined with its rail and canal  systems  to  link
the western, northern, and southern portions of the country.
This made Richmond one of the strongest cities in the South.
The  1860  US  census  reveals that Richmond was 13th in the
nation by  the  number  of  manufacturers.   By  early  1861
Richmond  was a bustling city with all the sights and sounds
of an urban metropolis, but as  soon  as  it  was  made  the
capital  of the Confederacy it saw changes and circumstances
that it had never seen before.                              

Once it  became  the  capital  of  a  newly  formed  nation,
Richmond  acquired  all the baggage that came with it.  Soon
floods of people arrived.  Delegates, their  entourages  and
loads  of soldiers soon arrived along with those looking for
new opportunities and riches in the capital  city.   A  good
portion   of   these  were  not  of  the  respectable  sort.
Prostitution and drunkenness became more prevalent and these
newcomers  attacked  the  cultural values of the city.  Bell
Wiley's Life of Johnny Reb declares Richmond "the true Mecca
of  prostitutes."  According  to one Richmond native, before
the war these enterprising women did not venture any further
north  into  the city than Cary Street.  After the influx of
these newcomers, one could find the ladies  of  the  evening
just  about anywhere.  Some were even so brazen as to set up
shop across from a soldier's hospital and taunt the soldiers
through   their  windows.   Some  less  criminal  but  still
punishable laws were also being violated.  Gentlemen were no
longer  "giving  way  to ladies" on sidewalks, miscegenation
became common and the price of  whisky  skyrocketed  as  its
supply  became scarcer.  Native Richmonders now had a lot to
contend with.                                               

By Fall of 1861 things  had  not  gotten  any  better.   The
Richmond  Dispatch  wrote,  "Our readers by this time become
prepared for hearing of almost any sort of  diabolism."  The
Examiner  referred  to  the city as a "bloated metropolis of
vice." City jails became overrun;  more  police  had  to  be
hired  and  the  chain gang had to be re-established to ease
the overcrowding of the jails.                              

Despite the new obstacles of living in the new capital city,
there were also many more opportunities for enjoyment during
the  early  years  of  the  war.   Plays,  minstrel   shows,
concerts,  and  balls  were  held  more  frequently and on a
grander scale.  Richmond's native elites were now joined  by
the  elites  of the south.  Unfortunately circumstances grew
less enjoyable and luxuries became scarcer, if available  at
all.  As the war ravaged on and the blockade squeezed tight,
life became much harder for our Confederate  ancestors.   We
must never forget the sacrifices they made in order to stand
up for the cause.                                           

There are several good books that cover Civil War  Richmond.
The  Confederate  State of Richmond by Emory Thomas is in my
opinion one of the  best.   Virginius  Dabney's  history  of
Richmond  and  Alfred  Hoyt Bill's Beleaguered City are also
great chronicles of this time period.   In  my  opinion  the
best  book on antebellum Richmond is by Gregg Kimball and is
titled American City,Southern Place.  You may have read  the
books  by  Dabney,  Thomas  and Bill but if you haven't read
American City, Southern Place you should definitely put that
on  your list of books to read!  Gregg is a great writer and
he even spoke to our camp several years ago.                

I look forward  to  seeing  everyone  at  the  January  24th
Meeting.  Remember that is the 4th Tuesday in January!      

Deo Vindice.                            
					Taylor

ADJUTANT'S REPORT

We  have   received   from   headquarters   the   membership
certificate of Hayes M.  Huff, who submitted his application
at our November meeting.  His ancestor John  Joseph  Edmonds
served  in Company F of the 41st Virginia Infantry.  We plan
to induct Hayes at a meeting soon, along with Greenie  Maury
and  Bobby  Vass,  whose  work schedules have prevented them
from attending since they became members.                   

At our November meeting we inducted Deane Maury and  Richard
Rennolds.                                                   

The  41st  Virginia,  mentioned  above,  was assigned to the
brigade of General William Mahone, a  fascinating  character
if there ever was one.  The current issue (Volume 113 No.  4)
of  Virginia  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography  has  an
interesting  article  entitled  "William  Mahone,  The  Lost
Cause,  and  Civil  War  History."  After  The  War   Mahone
committed  the  unpardonable  sin  of becoming a Republican,
thus earning him the enmity of Jubal A.  Early, one  of  the
champion  haters  of  all time.  Early probably hated Mahone
more than he did  General  Longstreet,  because  Mahone  was
active in Virginia politics, whereas our General lived south
of here.                                                    

Mahone was a railroader before and after The  War.   Postwar
he  was  president  of  the  Atlantic, Mississippi, and Ohio
Railroad, known as the AM&O.  Wags of  the  time  said  that
AM&O stood for "All Mine and Ophelia's."                    

At least Generals Early, Mahone, and Longstreet enjoyed some
successes on the battlefield, unlike two  other  Confederate
generals who shared responsibility for the loss of Vicksburg
and wasted a lot of paper and ink after The War blaming  the
other totally for the defeat.                               

Good  news  came  out  of  the November hearing at the State
Capitol about the fate of the Museum of the Confederacy.  The
legislators  implied that help might be forthcoming from the
Commonwealth   of   Virginia.    Listening    to    speakers
representing  other  historic  sites in that area emphasized
once again that there needs  to  be  cooperation  among  the
historic  groups  and  that  the  City  of  Richmond and the
Commonwealth need to do more to protect  and  promote  these
unbelievable assets.                                        

I was reminded of the historic significance of this area two
days before the hearing when City  Councilman  Bill  Pantele
spoke  at the dedication of a monument marking the 1909-1960
location of John Marshall High School in the 800 block  East
Marshall  Street.   John  Marshall's  Richmond home is still
there at the corner.  It is extremely  difficult  to  visit,
because  of the lack of parking.  When Marshall became Chief
Justice of the United States Supreme Court, that body was  a
weak  stepchild  of the Federal Government.  Marshall by his
knowledge, his persuasiveness, and by his adherence to  laws
as  passed  by  Congress  raised  the  Court  to  the mighty
institution that it became.  Marshall demolished the "I  was
following  orders" lame excuse sometimes offered by military
officers by ruling against a  Navy  commanding  officer  who
claimed  that  his  seizure  of  a  ship  was  authorized by
President John Adams.  The Marshall Court's ruling was based
on   a  law  passed  by  Congress.   Marshall,  like  George
Washington,  believed  in  a  strong  national   government,
earning  both  of  them  unfavorable  comments  from  Thomas
Jefferson.  Marshall and Jefferson were second  cousins  and
have been referred to as "Cussing Cousins."                 

In  many  recent  election campaigns television news readers
and newspaper reporters will lament the dirty campaigning of
candidates  and  their  supporters.   The  most enlightening
thing that comes out of these comments is the revelation  of
a  lack  of knowledge of American history.  Disagreement and
dissent have always been there and always will be.          

When America consisted of a few sparsely  settled  colonies,
John  Milton  wrote,  "Though all the winds of doctrine were
let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the  field,
we   do  ingloriously,  by  licensing  and  prohibiting,  to
misdoubt her strength.  Let her and Falsehood  grapple:  who
ever  knew  Truth  put  to  the  worse  in  a  free and open
encounter." Amen!                                           

				Walter

THANKS FROM HARRY

I would like to express my sincere thanks  to  everyone  for
the  tremendous  support  my  family and I received upon the
death of my mother in November.                             

Words cannot express how much we appreciate  the  outpouring
of   sympathy   and  compassion  from  the  members  of  the
Longstreet  Camp  and  their  families,  as  well  as   from
Compatriots throughout the SCV.                             

You know when I was but a very small child, it was my mother
who took me on my first visit to  a  battlefield.   I  shall
never  forget  that trip to Appomattox.  It was there on the
porch of  the  McLean  House  that  she  explained  how  our
ancestors  had  stood  on that very ground, "surrendering in
theory, but not in practice."  And  as  I  grew,  she  never
omitted  any opportunity to make certain that I was aware of
my Southern heritage and that  I  should  feel  nothing  but
pride in being a Son of the Confederacy.                    

I  recall one Spring day when I was nine or ten years old, I
had bought a kite.  It was a rather large kite but  somewhat
plain,  so  I  took the liberty of adorning it in the colors
and pattern of the Confederate Battle Flag.  Proudly showing
my   handiwork   to   my   mother,   she   immediately   and
enthusiastically said, "Let's go fly it!" Our home was  some
three  blocks  from a little league baseball field which, in
the off-season, was an outstanding place to fly a  kite,  so
off  we  went.   It was a fine, windy day with a clear, blue
sky, and immediately upon launch my Battle Flag took to  the
heavens,  sailing  upward  to the very extent of its cord; a
very substantial distance above the ground.  I must  say  it
was  an inspiring sight to see the Southern Cross once again
flying proudly above the Capital of the Confederacy,  higher
than  General Lee himself ever saw it unfurled, but as proud
as the General would have been, none could have been more so
than  Mom.   It was a day to remember and my mother spoke of
it often over the years, once more recalling the event to me
just days before her passing.                               

An  active  member  of  the  UDC  for  many years, Kathleene
Ragland Boyd remained unreconstructed to the last.   One  of
her most prized possessions was a Second National Flag lapel
pin which she wore constantly, even having me pin it to  her
robe  while  hospitalized.   True  to  her heritage, she was
buried wearing that pin.                                    

Now I'm not sure if any Yankees ever made it to Heaven,  but
if  by  some  chance  a  few  did find their way through the
Pearly Gates, they're in  for  an  earful  from  Mom.   Once
again, my sincere thanks to all.                            

Deo Vindice.                            
                                            Harry

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247

NEXT MEETING-TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2006

ROMA'S RESTAURANT
8330 STAPLES MILL RD.
LOCATED IN "THE SHOPS AT STAPLES MILL"
TURN LEFT AT FIRST STOPLIGHT NORTH OF
THE WISTAR SHOPPING CENTER

DINNER - SOCIAL 6:00 PM

JANUARY PROGRAM

The last shot of the Civil War was fired, not on an  obscure
battlefield,  but  in the ice bound Bering Sea, nearly three
months after Lee's surrender and the last  Confederate  Flag
was  not  lowered  until  November  of  1865  in  Liverpool,
England!                                                    

William Connery, noted Civil War author, will speak to us on
the CSS Shenandoah and The Last Shot of the Civil War.      

NOVEMBER PROGRAM

Jon C.  Hatfield, Executive Director  of  the  Virginia  War
Memorial,  presented  a  very  interesting  program  at  our
November meeting.                                           

When Jon was hired, the Memorial  reported  to  an  advisory
committee  which  had  no  power.   This  was  replaced by a
foundation which charged Jon with:                          

	1. Seeing that needed repairs and maintenance to     
		physical facilities were done;              
	2. Creating educational programs;                   
	3. Building a new education center;                 
	4. Creating an endowment.                           

These goals have been accomplished.  Jon, only staff  member
when  hired,  is  assisted  now  by  one  full-time  and two
part-time staff members.                                    

The main program now being worked on is called Virginians at
War.  Eight hundred veterans have been interviewed since the
beginning of this effort in 1999.  A  number  of  interviews
have  been blended into a VCR/DVD focusing on World War Two.
These are provided to middle and high schools to be used  in
history  classes.  These first person accounts are extremely
effective.  The second volume will have two sections each on
World  War  Two,  Korea,  and  Vietnam.   There  are 784,000
veterans in Virginia.  Jon encouraged us to recommend to him
veterans whose stories will be of interest.                 

He  then showed us a segment of Volume 2 about the World War
Two Navy cruiser USS Birmingham (CL 62).  Birmingham  was  a
Virginian because she was built at Newport News Shipbuilding
& Drydock Company.  She was commissioned  29  January  1943.
She  saw  a lot of action, being hit at various times by two
torpedoes, an aerial bomb, and a kamikaze.   She  also  took
casualties  being  close to USS Princeton (CVL 23) when that
ship was sunk at the Battle of Leyte Gulf 24  October  1944.
The  Birmingham came through it all and was never sunk.  All
told, Birmingham had 796 casualties during  the  war.   This
was  an  incredible number for a crew of 1,200.  Many of the
veterans were interviewed at a reunion of  the  ship's  crew
and  became emotional when talking of shipmates who had been
killed and wounded.  Watching and  hearing  these  gentlemen
speak  was  a  very  moving  experience.   Written words are
inadequate to match seeing these veterans speak.            

Jon handed out copies of the Memorial's quarterly newsletter
and a schedule of upcoming events.  On January 21 at 2:00 PM
Actor John R.  Hamant will portray President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt  and  recount  his actions and thoughts throughout
World War Two.  Additional announced events at the  Memorial
in 2006 are:                                                

February 25	-2:00 PM	              
VMI Glee Club

March, 2006                                  
JROTC Appreciation Week (Details TBA)

April 15	-2:00 PM	             
Virginia Tech Regimental Band

May 29	-10:00 AM	                     
Memorial Day ceremony

June 6   -7:00 PM	                     
General Jack Mountcastle discusses Overlord preparation.

September 15 -10:00 AM	                     
National POW/MIA Recognition Day

October 1    -10:00 AM	                     
3rd Annual Massing of Colors Ceremony


Additional War Memorial events may be seen on the schedule
on the web site:   www.vawarmemorial.com.

Writer's note: I attended the December 7  Pearl  Harbor  Day
Ceremony  at the Memorial sponsored by Richmond Council Navy
League.  SCV member Edwin Ray,  research  historian  at  the
Library  of Virginia, had come up with additional Virginians
killed at Pearl Harbor whose names were previously  unknown.
Edwin's  outstanding  work gained front page coverage in the
Richmond Times-Dispatch.  Also on Pearl Harbor Day  the  War
Memorial  had  sessions  of  high  school  history  students
listening to and interacting with veterans.                 

Jon Hatfield is doing a great work  with  the  Virginia  War
Memorial and deserves our support.  Our Camp made a donation
to the Memorial  in  appreciation  of  Jon's  work  and  his
program at our Camp meeting.                                

				Walter

DECEMBER PROGRAM

Appropriate to the occasion, John and Ruth Ann Coski of  the
Museum  of  the  Confederacy  spoke  at our annual Christmas
banquet  about  Christmas  in  19th  century   America   and
particularly in the Confederate States.                     

John recalled in his opening remarks that his first speaking
engagement for the Longstreet Camp was at our 1988 Christmas
banquet  held  at  the  Officer's  Club  of  Defense  Center
Richmond, better known locally as Bellwood.                 

Ruth Ann opened her remarks by commenting that the  date  of
our banquet, December 6, was St.  Nicholas Day in Europe and
was the death date of Jefferson Davis, only President of the
Confederate States of America and occupant, with his family,
of Richmond's White House.                                  

The movement toward  America's  celebration  of  an  earthly
figure  at  Christmas  began in 1823 with the publication of
Clement Moore's A Visit from St.  Nicholas,  more  popularly
known  now  by  its  opening  line  "Twas  the  Night Before
Christmas.                                                  

Credit for America's first Christmas tree  goes  to  William
and  Mary  Professor  Charles Minnegerode of Williamsburg in
1842.  This followed closely Prince  Albert's  bringing  the
idea  of  the  Christmas tree to England from the continent.
President Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) had  the  first  White
House  Christmas  tree.  Jefferson Davis served in President
Pierce's cabinet as Secretary of War.                       

Many  early  Christmas  trees  were  small.    There   being
initially  no  ornaments  to  buy,  the  ladies felt that if
something was pretty, it should go on the tree.  Ladies also
brought greens into the house.  Whoever brought in the first
holly ruled the house.  Constance Cary wrote  that  all  the
ladies turned out in the streets in green.                  

Custom  dictated that folks went to church on Christmas Day.
The 12 days of  Christmas  were  observed.   This  became  a
popular  time  for weddings.  Phoebe Pember wrote that every
girl in Richmond was engaged.                               

Times became more austere as  The  War  progressed.   People
walked  to  St.   Paul's Episcopal Church on Christmas 1864.
The price of eggnog soared to $100 a  gallon.   Despite  the
straitened  circumstances,  the  people still celebrated the
season.                                                     

Drawing on his knowledge of the Confederate Navy, John Coski
focused  his  remarks  on Christmas aboard famed Confederate
commerce raider CSS Shenandoah in 1864.  The ship was in the
southern Indian Ocean and encountered fierce winds and rough
seas.  Captain Waddell wrote that most dishes left the table
for  the  deck.   Surgeon  Lining  wrote  that  a man washed
overboard  and  was  washed  back  aboard  by   the   waves.
Everything was flooded.  It turned much colder at night.    

John  Thompson  Mason  recalled that on Christmas morning he
woke the idlers and wished them Merry Christmas.            

The severe weather did not prevent the enjoyment of food and
drink.   The seafarers' toast "To our wives and sweethearts"
was observed.  Since the ship carried pigs  and  geese,  the
men ate a first rate dinner with pork, goose, and beef.     

The  toughest  aspect for the crew of the Shenandoah was the
separation from family and loved ones.  The  men  longed  to
see them, as sailors have done from time immemorial.         

				Walter

2003-2004 CAMP OFFICERS
LONGSTREET CAMP #1247
Commander: Taylor Cowardin                   356-9625
1st. Lt. Cmdr.: William F. Shumadine, III    285-4044
2nd Lt. Cmdr.: Michael Kidd	             270-9651
Adjutant/Treasurer: Walter Tucker            360-7247
Judge Advocate: Richard B. Campbell          278-6488
Quartermaster: R. Preston Nuttall            276-8977
Chaplain: Henry V. Langford                  474-1978

PUBLICATIONS
Webmaster: Gary F. Cowardin                  262-0534
Website: longstreetscv.org                           
War Horse:  David P. George                  353-8392

LONGSTREET'S FIRST CORPS

The following is a cumulative listing of contributors to the
upkeep  of  “The  Old  War  Horse” for the period July, 2005
through  the  current  month. As you  know,  our  cumulative
listing starts in July of each year.                        

Harry Boyd
Lloyd Brooks
Brian Cowardin
Clint Cowardin
Taylor Cowardin
Raymond Crews*
Jerold Evans
Richard Faglie
Charles Howard 
Chris Jewett
Frank Marks
Lewis Mills
John Moschetti
Joe Moschetti
Joey Seay
Bill Setzer
Austin Thomas
David Thomas
Walter Tucker
David Ware
Harold Whitmore
Hugh Williams

Anonymous (In memory of Chuck Walton)

Legend:                                    
* - Multiple contributions                 
§ - Visitor Donation                       
+ - in memory of Past Cmdr. Tom Lauterbach 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THROUGH 2006  Confederate  Navy  Exhibit,  featuring  ships,
commanders,   naval  technology,  paintings  and  artifacts.
Museum of the Confederacy, Richmond. For info:(804)649-1861,
www.moc.org

JANUARY  21 181ST Anniversary of the birth of George Pickett
at  Capital  Ale  House.   Speaker  is  Larry  Chowning   on
"Soldiers   at  the  Doorstep."  Sponsored  by  the  Pickett
Society.     For    info:    phwood@pickettsociety.com    or
www.pickettsociety.com

JANUARY  28  Civil  War  Ball  at Gadsby's Tavern Ball Room,
Alexandria, VA.  8-11 P.M.  Live music,  dance  instruction,
period  desserts.   The wearing of period attire encouraged.
$30 in advance, $40 at door.  Dance  classes  also  held  on
January  12,  19,  26  at  7:30  P.M.-9:30 PM.  For info and
reservations, call (703)838-4242                            
www.gadsbystavern.org

AN ANECDOTE FROM THE WAR

Toward  the  end  of  the  War,  when  meat  was  an  almost
unobtainable  luxury  for  Lee,  he  lived chiefly on boiled
cabbage.  One day, when  he  had  several  important  guests
dining  with  him,  the table was set with the usual heap of
cabbage and a very small piece of meat.  The guests politely
refused the meat and Lee looked forward to having it all for
himself the following day.  However, on the next  day  there
was  nothing  but the usual cabbage.  Lee inquired as to the
whereabouts of the meat.  He learned to his dismay that  his
servant  had  only  borrowed the meat to impress the guests,
and had duly returned it, untouched, to its rightful owner. 

JOHN TYLER WRITES TO HIS WIFE

				   "Richmond, April 17, 1861
Well my dearest one, Virginia  has  severed  her  connection
with the Northern hive of abolitionists, and takes her stand
as a sovereign and independent State.  By a large  vote  she
decided  on yesterday, at about three o'clock, to resume the
powers she had granted to the  Federal  government,  and  to
stand  before  the  world  clothed  in the full vestments of
sovereignty.  The die is thus cast, and her  future  in  the
hands  of  the  gods  of  battle.  The contest into which we
enter is one full of peril, but there is a spirit abroad  in
Virginia  which cannot be crushed until the life of the last
man is trampled out.  The numbers opposed to us are immense;
but  twelve  thousand  Grecians conquered the whole power of
Xerxes  at  Marathon,  and  our  fathers,  a  mere  handful,
overcame the enormous power of Great Britain.               

The  North  seems  to  be thoroughly united against us.  The
Herald and the Express both gave way  and  rally  the  hosts
against  us.  Things have gone to that point in Philadelphia
that no  one  is  safe  in  the  expression  of  a  Southern
sentiment.   At Washington a system of martial law must have
been established.   The  report  is  that  persons  are  not
permitted to pass through the city to the South.            

Two  expeditions  are  on  foot-the one directed against the
Navy Yard at Gosport, the  other  Harper's  Ferry.   Several
ships  are  up  the  river  at  the  Navy  Yard, and immense
supplies of guns and  powder;  but  there  is  no  competent
leader, and they have delayed it so long that the government
has now a very strong force there.  The hope is that Pickens
will  send  two  thousand  men to aid in capturing it.  From
Harper's Ferry nothing is heard.  The city is  full  of  all
sorts of rumors.  To-morrow night is now fixed for the great
procession; flags are raised all about town.                

						Your devoted,
						J. Tyler"

THE NINE POINTS OF THE LAW

1. A good deal of money   
2. A good deal of patience
3. A good case            
4. A good lawyer          
5. A good counsel         
6. Good witnesses         
7. A good jury            
8. A good  judge          
9. Good luck              

THE LONGSTREET FAMILY
2005 CHRISTMAS BANQUET