COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

As I finally sit down to write this month's  comments  -  it
has  truly  been  an  amazing - and historical month so far.
Whether you agreed with the  recent  election's  results  or
not,  I think we all will agree that we saw something happen
in this country that - quite honestly, none of us would have
believed  would  have  happened  in  our  lifetimes.  It was
definitely one thing to see our Commonwealth vote democratic
in  the Presidential election (the first time since 1964 - I
was 2-years old that year), but totally another thing to see
this  country  elect  an  African-American  to the office of
President.  I wish the new President well, but I also  think
that he may have a rather tough time in dealing with some of
the challenges that face him and the newly elected Congress.

Tomorrow is November 11th - Veteran's Day, and as the son of
a  Korean War Veteran I can tell you that November 11th is a
Very special day to my father - and I'm also sure  that  can
be  said for several members of the Longstreet Camp, as well
as, numerous members of the SCV.  To me, we should not  only
be  honoring  the fallen soldiers of wars since World War I,
but all wars involving Americans--including the War  Between
the  States.   The  soldiers  who  fought  in  the WBTS were
Americans   one-in-the-same   -   members   of   the    same
family-fathers  and  sons, brothers against brothers, and it
was (and still is) one of the bloodiest conflicts  that  has
ever  been  fought by Americans.  Go by Oakwood or Hollywood
Cemetery  and  honor  those  fallen  "citizen  soldiers"  by
remembering what they stood for, what they sacrificed, their
dedication to family and  to  country;  and  how  we  should
continue to honor their memories today.                     

The annual Longstreet Holiday party is fast approaching - it
is scheduled for December 9th at  the  Westwood  Club.   All
members  who are planning to attend should make every effort
to get your reservation form turned into  Walter  Tucker  as
quickly  as  possible.  The holidays are always a hectic and
busy time; so, please get your form into Walter as  soon  as
you  possibly  can.   This  year's  program  looks  to be an
exceptional treat to everyone who is able to come.          

We were not able  to  get  all  members  to  register  their
membership  with  the  Longstreet  Camp  by the dead-line of
October 31st - in fact we had 7 members who  did  not  renew
their  membership.  I encourage all members of Longstreet to
try and bring a prospective new member to an up-coming  camp
meeting  (like  November  18th).   I  would  like to see the
Longstreet Camp membership continue to grow in spite of  the
recent  economic  issues  that  have hit our community hard.
Remember gentlemen -  this  camp  is  about  preserving  our
heritage  and  our past for future generations to learn from
and also to correct some  of  the  misconceptions  that  are
being  portrayed  by the press and the Richmond City leaders
of our ancestors.  It's our job to set the  record  straight
because if we don't - who will??                            

I  look  forward to seeing everyone at our next camp meeting
on November 18th - it promises to be  an  excellent  meeting
with an exceptional speaker - if I do say so myself.        

Remember -                                                   
"Longstreet is the Camp boys - Longstreet is  the Camp!"

Deo Vindice!                                                
					Mike

ADJUTANT'S REPORT

The renewal dues process (without reinstatement fees)  ended
October  31,  with  Longstreet  Camp having 73 members.  The
Virginia Division is to be commended for  mailing  bills  to
members  and  for  providing  camp  adjutants  with  interim
rosters.  It was nice knowing with every day's mail delivery
the paid or unpaid status of our members.                   

Like the Marines, we're always on the lookout for a few good
men; so,  bring  a  guest  to  a  camp  meeting  soon.   The
recommendation  of  friends  can't be beat in recruiting new
members.                                                    

Speaking of Marines, the November 3 Richmond  Times-Dispatch
carried  the  news  obituary  of Colonel John Walter Ripley,
USMC (Ret), born in Radford,  VA.   Jackie  and  I  had  the
pleasure  of  meeting  John several years ago at Lexington's
Stonewall  Jackson  Symposium,  where  he  was  one  of  the
featured speakers.  A prized possession in my library is The
Bridge at Dong Ha, by fellow  Marine  retiree  Colonel  John
Grider  Miller.   Both  gentlemen inscribed my copy.  John's
inscription reads in part, "The Bridge is a lesson for life,
especially   for   military   leaders,  and  the  lesson  is
simple-NEVER give up.  Do what you have to do, nothing  else
matters."  There is a diorama at the Naval Academy depicting
John's action, which led  to  his  being  awarded  the  Navy
Cross,  a  medal second only to the Medal of Honor, which he
should have received.  The foreword to the book was  written
by  Vice  Admiral  James  B.   Stockdale USN (Ret), Medal of
Honor recipient for his leadership  of  POWs  of  the  North
Vietnamese.   The  Admiral was Commander of the Air Group in
which CDR Paul Galanti USN (Ret) served.   Ripley,  Galanti,
and  Admiral  Leighton  "Snuffy"  Smith USN (Ret) were Naval
Academy classmates.  Several years ago John Ripley  was  the
featured  speaker  at  Richmond Council Navy League's Marine
Corps birthday lunch.  John will be sorely missed.          

Our members in the Richmond area recall  the  recent  tragic
house  fire  in  Henrico  County,  in  which two Thai ladies
perished.  That took place on the next street to  our  son's
home,  and less that half a mile from ours.  One firefighter
was injured.  This reminds us of the heroic public  servants
in  our  Camp, retired firefighters Cecil Duke, Lewis Mills,
Joe Moschetti, John Vial, and Keith  Zimmerman  and  retired
policeman  Harry Boyd.  At least two of them were injured in
the line of duty which led to  disabilities  which  last  to
this day.                                                   

November  has  three significant days for Americans-Election
Day on the 4th, Veterans Day the 11th, and Thanksgiving  the
27th.   We may not be happy with the candidates presented to
us, but we can vote for whom we please.   Residents  of  the
largest  country  in  the world and many others do not enjoy
this freedom.  Many of the freedoms we enjoy  were  won  and
defended  by  those who served in our nation's armed forces.
Despite the economic turmoil we're  going  through  now,  we
still  have  much  to be thankful for.  Several years ago we
collected information on military service  of  our  members.
Many  new  members have joined the camp since then, and this
will be done again.  This will be  primarily  for  our  Camp
records.   A  questionnaire  is  being developed and will be
distributed soon.  Please take time to fill it out.         

Jeffry D.  Wert, a retired history teacher and author of  of
Cavalryman  of  the  Lost  Cause:  A Biography of J.  E.  B.
Stuart, spoke  about  that  great  soldier  at  the  October
meeting  of  the Richmond Civil War Round Table.  J.  E.  B.
Stuart V and his brother John attended.  J.  E.  B.  IV  was
out  of  town and unable to attend.  Scott Mauger, an astute
reader and a reviewer of numerous books for the Round  Table
over the years, praised Wert's book.  Scott pulls no punches
in his comments about books; so, his recommendation  carries
great weight with me.                                       

Rain  caused  our  road  cleanup  to be postponed twice.  We
still hope to improve the appearance of our section of Route
606,  (Studley Road), Hanover County near Enon Church before
cold weather sets in.                                       

Reservations are coming in  for  our  December  9  Christmas
banquet.   Bill  Young  will  keep  you  entertained  as  he
portrays George  Williamson  Finley  of  the  56th  Virginia
Infantry.   Bill  and  his  wife Patsy are co-authors of the
regimental history of the 56th, published by H.  E.  Hopward,
Inc.   Bill  is  an amazing performer who also portrays John
Paul Jones, General Douglas MacArthur, Woodrow  Wilson,  and
Gabriel  Archer  of  Jamestown,  among others.  The Westwood
Club always provides a nice dinner.                         

The  Camp  can  use  some  donations  to  the   Buck   Hurtt
Scholarship  Fund.   Donations  can  be  made  at  each Camp
meeting or mailed to me.  For the 6th straight year we  made
an  award  to  the  outstanding  senior  history  student at
Douglas S.  Freeman High School.                            

I look forward to seeing you at our regular meeting  Tuesday
November 18 and at our Christmas banquet December 9.        

					Walter

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247

NEXT MEETING - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2008

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
MEETING STARTS AT 7:00 PM

NOVEMBER SPEAKER

Our November speaker will be Henry Kidd, renowned author and
artist!   We  haven't been visited by Henry for a long time,
too long a time really, and we will be delighted to have him
with us once again.                                         

Henry  will discuss his latest book, "Petersburg, War on the
Doorstep," which details  the  last  days  of  the  "War  of
Northern  Aggression,"  and  the  battles  in and around the
famous "Crater."                                            

OCTOBER PROGRAM

Past Longstreet Camp Commander Harry Boyd opened  his  power
point presentation with three questions:                    
	Have you ever seen a ghost?                         
	How do you know?                                    
	What does a ghost look like?                        

He then showed us four types: orbs, ectoplasm,  vortex,  and
full figures.                                               

The nature of ghosts varies:                                

Ghosts are the earthbound souls of the deceased.            

Past events are somehow replayed in certain surroundings.    
			
Apparitions  are  created  from  some  type   of   naturally
occurring condition.                                        

Ghosts are actual beings living in some parallel dimension. 

Ghosts are only figments of our imagination.                

He then showed us pictures from  Manassas,  Gettysburg,  the
Cashtown  Inn,  Sach's  Bridge,  Sayler's  Creek,  Antietam,
Chickamauga,  and  Cold   Harbor.    They   contained   some
impressive figures which could be described as ghosts.      

Harry  played a recording of some bumps in the night when he
was asleep at the Cashtown Inn.                             

Words are inadequate to have the same impact as the pictures
and  the  recording.   Harry's  presentation was enhanced by
Gary Cowardin's handling the audiovisual equipment in  which
he enlarged the images and focused on a particular area of a
picture.                                                    

Harry  concluded  by  encouraging  us  to  look  and  listen
carefully the next time we visit a battlefield.             

					Walter

2005-2008 CAMP OFFICERS
LONGSTREET CAMP #1247
Commander: Michael Kidd	                     270-9651
1st. Lt. Cmdr.: Taylor Cowardin              359-9277
2nd Lt. Cmdr.: Thomas G. Vance	             282-6278
Adjutant/Treasurer: Walter Tucker            360-7247
Judge Advocate: Harry Boyd                   741-2060
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                  200-1311

LONGSTREET'S FIRST CORPS

The following is a listing of contributors to the upkeep  of
"The  Old  War  Horse" from July, 2008.  through the current
month.  As you know, our cumulative listing starts  in  July
of each year and we do not meet in August.                  

Lloyd Brooks
Brian Cowardin
Clint Cowardin
Taylor Cowardin
Raymond Crews
Mike Hendrick
Jack Kane
Peter Knowles,II
Bob Moore
Joe Moschetti
John Moschetti
Waite Rawls
Bill Setzer
Tom Spivey
Walter Tucker
John Vial
David Ware
Harold Whitmore
Bobbie Williams
Hugh Williams

Lloyd Brooks
Clint Cowardin 
Taylor Cowardin
Raymond Crews
Jack Kane
Bob Moore
John Moschetti
Bill Setzer
Walter Tucker
David Ware
Peter Knowles, II
Joe Moschetti
Waite Rawls
Bill Setzer
Tom Spivey
Walter Tucker
David Ware
Harold Whitmore

Legend:                                    
* - Multiple contributions                 

HURTT SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Jack Kane
Peter Knowles, II
Joe Moschetti
Walter Tucker
Hugh Williams

VIRGINIA DIVISION, SCV FUND

Walter Beam
Crawley Joyner
Bob Moore
Cary Shelton

THE SOUTH

Yes, give me the land
  Where the ruins are spread,
And the living tread light
  On the heart of the dead;
Yes, give me the land
  That is blest by the dust,
And bright with the deeds
  Of the down-trodden just.

Yes, give me the land
  Where the battles' red blast
Has flashed on the future
  The form of the past;
Yes, give me the land
  That hath legends and lays
That tell of the memories
  Of long-vanished days.

Yes, give me the land
  That hath story and song
To tell of the strife
  Of the right with the wrong;
Yes, give me the land
  With a grave in each spot
And names in the graves
  That shall not be forgot.

Yes, give me the land
  Of the wreck and the tomb;
There's grandeur in graves --
  There's glory in gloom.
For out of the gloom
  Future brightness is born;
As, after the night
  Looms the sunrise of morn.

And the graves of the dead,
  With the grass overgrown,
May yet form the footstool
  Of Liberty's throne;
And each simple wreck
  In the way-path of might
Shall yet be a rock
  In the temple of Right.

                   Abram J. Ryan
                   1838-1894	

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

DECEMBER 5 
"Christmas With the Davis  Family"  at  the  Museum  of  the
Confederacy.   1:00  p.m.   Program  depicting  how Southern
families celebrated Christmas.   Tour  of  The  White  House
decorated  for Christmas, light refreshments, craft project.
$12  members,  $15.00  non-members.   For  information   and
registration,  Linda  Lipscomb  (804)  649-1861  ext.  32 or
llipscomb@moc.org: www.moc.org