The Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, represented the culmination of Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign into Mississippi and is considered to be a turning point in favor of the Federals during the War. Because of the city's position on a high bluff along the Mississippi River, who controlled Vicksburg controlled the Mighty Mississippi - and the Federals must control it at all costs. Grant lost many lives fruitlessly trying to capture the city protected by CSA Maj. Gen John C. Pemberton. After two failed attempts, Grant decided to 'out camp' the defenders, with a siege, which began May 18, 1863. His forces could not completely cover the 12 mile semi-circle around the city, but reinforcements began arriving on June 11. The town was on virtual 'lock down', pitting civilian townspeople against their defenders for scarce food. As the siege drew on, supplies were so low in Vicksburg that adults resorted to eating shoe leather....and worse. Northern newspapers gloated that the local hotels were serving a new menu featuring mule 17 ways.

To make matters worse, Grant's artillery lobbed over 22,000 cannon shells into the town, endangering civilians. They resorted to digging caves into the clay kills for protection between the Confederate battle lines and the city, heartlessly nicknamed “Prairie Dog Village" by Federals. After 47 days, Pemberton, unable to obtain re-enforcements, was forced to surrender on July 4, 1863 (ironically America's Independence Day.) This video presentation, shown at Vicksburg National Battlefield Park, discusses the horror and suffering of the civilians, life in the caves, and the overall cruelty of the siege on the civilian population.

Make plans to attend the program that will show the inhumanity of Federal forces in their relentless quest to control the seceding States. This is the regular monthly meeting of our sisters, the Augusta Jane Evans Wilson Chapter 2640, UDC, and they’ve invited us and our prospective members to participate.

IN THIS ISSUE:

New Exhibit

Wording

Camp Calendar

Commander’s

Column: The Last Indigestible Lump

Recent Camp

Events—Rifles Rails & History

Adjutant’s Report

Prayer Requests

Heritage News

New Southern Flag

Proposed

The Official Publication of the Judah P. Benjamin Camp #2210

Sons of Confederate Veterans

Vol. 4 Issue 2

Sept./Oct. 2015

Saturday, Oct. 17th

11 a.m.

Location: Beef O’ Brady’s

9311 N 56th St, Temple Terrace 33617

(Please arrive early to order

lunch from menu)

The “Charge” “To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the Cause for which we fought. To your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good

name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Remember, it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations."

Oct. 17 - Special Event—11 a.m.—Beef O’ Brady’s—Program: The Story of the Siege of Vicksburg (arrive early to order lunch from menu) Oct. 17 - GPPA Gamble Mansion Halloween Open House Nov 1 - Maj. Henry Wirz Sesquicentennial Observance, Andersonville, GA Nov. 5 - Final Salute to CSS Shenandoah—Liverpool, England Nov. 7 - Town & Country Veteran's Day Parade Nov. 14 - Ruskin Veteran's Day Parade Nov. 21 - Special Event - 11 a.m. Location: Beef O' Brady's— Program: Florida’s Black Confederates; Presented by Lunelle Siegel

Camp Calendar

OFFICERS:

Commander - David McCallister drmmytery1881@gmail.com 813-778-1202

1st Lt. Cmdr. - Capt. Phil Walters Adjutant gatorstick@tampabay.rr.com 813-220-6854

Chaplain - Greg Tisdale gregorytisdale@yahoo.com 813-922-9979 AIDES DE CAMP:

Color Guard -David West Doubledaves2@yahoo.com 941-981-9932

Confederate Veteran -Jeff Wolverton Liaison jlwolverton58@gmail.com (706) 455-2391 Public Affairs - Al McCray mccray@tampanewsandtalk.com 813-244-0664 Scrapbook/ - Ann Barnes Baron Historian abarnes1006@gmail.com 813-654-3883 Signal Corps -David Munson- Chestnut (Social Media) Doubledaves2@gmail.com 941-981-9932 UDC Liaison - Mrs. Wayne Rutland (Brenna) southernbelleudc@msn.com 813-892-1744

Family of Brenna Rutland—on the loss of her

husband, Wayne

Please contact Chaplin Tisdale with

any concerns requiring prayer

The Tampa Bay History Center has installed the new exhibit comprised of the flags removed earli-er this year from Hillsborough County Center, along with the historic County Seal that was re-placed in the 90’s. Here is the text: This display of national flags was created in 1994 and installed in the Hillsborough County, Florida government center as a compromise for replacing the then-current Seal of Hillsborough County.

The replacement county seal did not include an image of the Confederate battle flag, which was depicted on the previous seal. These five flags, repre-senting the four countries that previously ruled over Florida, plus a replica 1840s-era American flag, were displayed in the The Fred Karl County Center lobby until, in a unanimous vote by the Hillsborough County Commission, on July 15, 2015, the flags were transferred to the Tampa Bay History Center.

Castle and Lion Flag of the King of Spain 1513-1763; 1784-1821 Historical research has shown that there was no true national flag for the recently unified country of Spain in 1513, the year Juan Ponce de Leon land-ed on Florida’s east coast and claimed the land for Spain. Spanish rule over “La Florida”, which originally encompassed much of modern-day North America, was tenuous at best. The Spanish government authorized numerous explorations of the peninsula following Ponce de Leon’s 1513 and 1521 expeditions, including expeditions to Tampa Bay by Panfilo de Narvaéz in 1528 and Hernando de Soto in 1539. However, it was not until Pedro Menendez de Aviles established St. Augustine in 1565 that Spain had a permanent presence in Florida. Spain lost Florida to the British in 1763, only to gain the peninsula back in 1784 before eventually selling the colony to the United States in 1821.

Unofficial Flag of France 1564-1565; 1719-1722 Like many European countries in the 16th century, France did not have a single, unifying flag. This flag, featuring three gold fleur-de-lys on a blue field, is likely the flag used by a group of French Huguenots who attempted to establish a settlement near present-day Jacksonville on the St. Johns River in 1564. Led by René Laudonniére, the group’s effort was initially successful. Spain’s leadership soon found out con’t page 6

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHES Page 3

“The Last Indigestible Lump”

A large part of the Southern

people are Scottish in origin, and

their beloved and adopted

symbol, the Confederate Battle

Flag, is derived from the Saltire

Cross of St. Andrew. There is

another, more insidious,

historical comparison with

Scotland, which we are currently

experiencing. In 1745, the

Highland Clans rose

to support "Bonnie" Prince

Charlie. They fought a campaign

which was at first successful, then

destroyed in one cataclysmic

battle on Culloden Moor, on

April 16, 1746. Military

historians are most interested

in the asymmetrical tactics of

Highland charge vs massed

muskets, but we're interested in

the after-effects of losing such a

"total" war.

The Hanoverian

English capitalized

on their victory to

attempt an ethnic

cleansing - a

cultural genocide of

the Highlanders.

They did this by a

series of laws

generally known as the

Proscriptive Acts,

which outlawed the wearing of

Highland dress (the kilt and

trews), carrying weapons, and the

display of tartans - all symbols of

the identity of the Highlanders.

Economic pressure led to the

Highland Clearances, to which

many of us owe our ancestors'

immigration to the New World

colonies. The avowed purpose of

all this was to break the will and

rush any aspirations to

independence in North Britain.

Over the course of

Reconstruction, the same tactics

were used to suppress the

Southern people. These have been

newly revived in astonishing

parallels; for once you destroy a

people's symbols, you destroy

their civilization. The

Proscriptive Acts were in force

for some 36 years. After that

time, the authorities thought they

had sufficiently suppressed the

Highlander's identity; but were

surprised at the resilience and

resurgence of the people.

In America, we are currently

being deliberately striped of our

Southern symbols and identity

for an indefinite period- maybe

forever. It took 150 years to claw

back our cultural heritage to the

point we were at on

June 9, 2015, and

three months to

strip us back down

to the bone.

Ambitious

politicians,

organized pressure

groups, and

random lone-wolf troublemakers

seeking 15 minutes of fame are

hard at work. Are you prepared

to build back up, bit by bit, flag

by flag, monument by monument

- or let the various defeats

discourage you? Answer the calls

to write, e-mail, and protest

the denial of history, and divisive

cultural cleansing, wherever and

wherever it arises. Contribute as

you can by communication and

contribution, and soon we'll see

- con’t page 6

“To destroy a people you must first sever their roots.”

—Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Heritage News

The latest target in the purge of symbols in Florida is the seal of the Florida State Senate. At issue is the flag display in the seal (shown below). Opponents of the Seal, say the Confed-erate Flag wasn’t a ‘legitimate govern-ment’ and therefore should not be in-cluded. The matter is being addressed by a sen-ate committee and action is expected to be taken this session. One of the leaders of this initiative is Senator Arthenia Joyner, from Tampa. Perhaps you could visit her office or send her a polite message (which will go into the public record) about your view on her initiative at: 508 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Suite C; Tampa, FL 33603-3415 (813) 233-4277 e-mail: joyer.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov. One key question is what is the cost to reprint and ‘re-brand” the Senate’s im-ages. The 1972 Senate adopted a new official Senate seal. The perimeter of the seal contains the words “Senate” and “State of Florida.” The center contains a fan of the five flags that have flown over Flori-da, above a disk containing the words, “In God We Trust,” arched above a gav-el, quill, and scroll—symbols of the Leg-islature. The quill depicts the writing of laws; the gavel depicts control or au-thority in the presiding officer; and the scroll depicts the parchment on which laws are permanently written. It is this body of written law upon which rests the very foundation of this nation’s “rule of law,” as opposed to “rule of men.”

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHES Page 4

Thanks to all who made participation in this year’s Rifles, Rails and History possible! Fortunately, this year the rain held off until we were long gone on Sunday afternoon. This year three busses of school children attended on Friday. Legionnaire Siegel was on hand to greet them to discuss Black Confederates, and she distributed bibliographies to teachers and parents. Saturday a parade lead off the day’s activities. Cmdr. Jim Davis asked us to set up a display on “Fraternal Orders in the WBTS”. The display included a large poster featuring notable Confederate Masons, and many post war fraternities founded after the WBTS. This, along with a brochure, was produced by Legionnaire Siegel. There was a constant flow of visitors to the Camp’s display. Thanks to EVERYONE who helped, we

REALLY couldn’t have done it without you! It was definitely a team effort. The UDC transported our materials and set up Thursday. Saturday’s crew was David McCallister, Phil Walters and Jeff Wolverton. Sunday’s crew was the triple Daves: Cmdr . David McCallister and Compatriots Dave Munson-Chestnut and David West.

L to R: David Munson-Chestnut, David West

and Cmdr. McCallister Nansea Markham-Miller and David

Munson-Chestnut

Rifles Rails and History is an annual event that takes place in

Wooton Park in Tavares, Florida (also known as America’s Sea-

plane City). This year’s event ran from Friday September 26 to

Sunday September 28.

Friday is always Education Day when local schoolchildren attend

and this is a great opportunity to instill in today’s youth an appre-

ciation of the Confederacy’s role in history.

David Munson Chestnut and I attended on Sunday, accompanied

by Sandra Queen who we gladly chauffeured from Brandon to the

event. Unlike last year, we managed to have a beautiful if some-

what cloudy day, but no drenching thunderstorms.

There were many displays describing the Confederacy’s connec-

tion with various social groups during the War Between the States

period, which proved an interesting background to today’s organi-

zations. Antique photos were on display, and of course our Augus-

ta Jane Wilson chapter of the UDC had their booth with wonder-

ful wares for sale, as well as Nansea Miller’s booth containing

beautiful handmade items. Reenactors were everywhere that add-

ed a real authenticity to the day’s events.

Reports were that this year’s gathering was highly successful, so

who knows what will be in store for next year!

Respectfully submitted,

David A. West Editor’s Note: (photos courtesy of Ann Barnes Baron)

They are at it again, this time with a new, improved Southern Flag. Touted as energetic, patriotic and modern, this editor predicts it will go the way of Esperanto! A team of graphic designers in Dallas spent a month coming up with the new design, which has, reportedly NOT yet been utilized on any pickup trucks, on any public buildings or any anyone’s front yard.

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHES Page 5

We have 53 Compatriots and 12 Legionnaires!

As of October 1, we have $653.53 in our checking account

Welcome New Compatriot:

Michael Taylor St. Sauvieur- Ancestor : Malachi Anderson Pvt. Co .D, 10th Regiment Florida Infantry—wounded at

Olustee

Note: Mom Denise is a new member of the AJEW Chapter 2640 UDC

Donations:

$50.00 Mallory Camp 1315 SCV Pensacola Flag fund

$50.00 for 10 magnetic posters (CS flag, Dukes of Hillsborough & JP Benjamin camp 2210 SCV) by Phil Walters

Air fare for Ronnie Kennedy (speaker) donated by Lunelle Siegel

Layout for “Battles and Brotherhood” Poster and Brochure and printing donated by Lunelle Siegel

Printing for “Battles and Brotherhood” Poster donated by David McCallister

Bullets and Butter donation for HK Edgerton by David McCallister

General Camp donation by Life member Ron Cacciatore

General Camp donation by Life member Joe Sparacino

General Camp donation by Life member Phil Walters

General Camp donation by Ellis Oglesby

General Camp donation by Fred Sumner

General Camp donation by Michel Ortabello IV

General Camp donation by Nev Tisdale

General Camp donation by Eddie Gay

A big THANK YOU to those who support

your Camp’s endeavors with a donation and

also with your renewal.

Renewals:

The membership renewals period is about over. PLEASE SEND ME YOUR $55.00 RENEWAL ASAP as I need

them BEFORE OCTOBER 20 to keep you current. Delinquency begins November 1. Is your membership &

heritage not worth your dues?

Please make a check to the Judah P. Benjamin Camp 2210 and mail to: Phil Walters 16147 Ravendale Dr. Tampa, Fl.

33618 or call me & we can meet up or you can drop a check at the house. Cell: 813-220-6854.

Last, our Camp membership will drop substantially if YOU DON’T RENEW! Please do so TODAY.

Breakdown of dues: SCV National HQ $30 (covers the Confederate Veteran magazine) Florida Division SCV $15.00,

Benjamin camp $10.00 Total: $ 55.00 for National Life members, pass the National dues and pay the Florida Division

$15 and Benjamin Camp $10, Total $25.00.

Other:

Your membership makes a strong statement AGAINT political correctness & the Progressive –Socialists who want our

culture, history & heritage ERASED. There are multiple upcoming events from flag rallies to parades to Park meetings,

defeating Florida legislature Bills and other events where we NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION whether in person or via

letter, phone or E-mail. Is our history & heritage not worth a few hours of your time or do we cede all to the Politically

Correct for our children & grand children to be ashamed of?

I hope to see you at many of our fall events.

Hand Delive

r

To:

DIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHESDIPLOMATIC DISPATCHES The Official Publication of the Judah P. Benjamin Camp #2210

Sons of Confederate Veterans

PO Box 7343 Wesley Chapel, FL 33545

www.TampaSCV.com

www.facebook/jpbscv www.facebook/jpbscv

Commander’s Column—con’t. from Page 3

the tide turn in our favor,

and in favor of the true

history and heroism of

our ancestors.

The victors in the WBTS

set out to ‘reconstruct’ the

South in their image.

Kirk D. Lyons calls the

Southern people and their

symbols and traditions

“the last indigestible lump

in the conqueror’s quest

for homogeny without

history.

New Exhibit Wording—con’t from page 2 about the incursion into La Florida, though, and sent Pedro Menendez de Aviles to rid the peninsula of the French threat. Menendez was ruthless – and successful – in his efforts and Fort Caroline was destroyed in September 1565. In addition to Fort Caroline, the French briefly occupied Pensacola between 1719 and 1722 during Eu-rope’s War of the Quadruple Alliance.

British Union Flag 1763-1784 The British occupied Florida, separating the peninsula into two colonies, from 1763 until the end of the American Revolution in 1784 when the territory returned to Spanish control. Following the conclusion of the Seven Years War, also called the French and Indian War, the British had captured Havana, Cuba, from the Spanish. Desper-ate to get the important port city back, the Spanish traded all of Florida for the Cuban capital. The British government split Florida in two: East Florida, covering the peninsula, had its capital at St. Augustine and West Florida, covering the panhandle, had its capital at Pensacola. Following the British loss in the American Revo lu t ion , t he coun t r y was compe l led to re tu rn the F lo r idas to Spa in . Third Confederate National Flag 1861-1865 -con’t below

National tensions had been growing throughout the early 1800s over several prominent issues. Tariffs, industriali-zation, immigration into northern cities and towns, and the expansion of slavery created large differences between northern and southern states. By the 1860 presidential election, the country was deeply divided. Abraham Lincoln won the election, though he garnered only forty percent of the popular vote. The following month, on December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States. Mississippi followed nineteen days later. Florida, meanwhile, opened its own Secession Convention on January 3, 1861. Seven days later, on January 10, convention members voted sixty-two to seven in favor of secession. Hillsborough County representatives James Gettis and Simon Turman both voted for and signed the Ordinance of Secession. Confederate rule over Florida

lasted until late spring 1865, when this flag, the Third National Flag of the Confederate States of America, was used.

Twenty-seven star United States Flag 1845 (Reproduction); 1821-1861; 1865-Present Florida became a United States territory following the ratification of the Adams-Onis Treaty in 1821. Negotiations, and a preliminary agreement, occurred as early as 1819 but political turmoil in Spain postponed finalization of the agreement. The territorial government alternated between the two historic capi-tals of St. Augustine and Pensacola before a small town called Tallahassee, roughly at the midpoint between the two old cities, was designated as the new seat of government. The territory grew slowly, but by late 1844, it was ready to officially take its place among the other states in the union. Florida was officially admitted as the twenty-seventh state on March 3, 1845 and the twenty-seventh star was added to the national flag on July 4th of that same year.

Commissioner Les Miller handing over ‘bad flag box’

to CJ Roberts of Tampa Bay History Center