COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

Well, another Super Bowl has come and gone and  this  year's
game  definitely  had all of the excitement and drama that a
contest of  this  magnitude  should  have.   Once  again  my
favorite  team  was  not in "The Big Game" having lost in an
earlier contest, so I didn't really  have  a  favorite  team
playing  -  I  just  wanted to see a good, hard-fought close
game.  WOW-it couldn't have been any closer than it ended up
being, and in the end the better (or luckier) team won.     

That  hard work, determination and perseverance is something
that I think each of us possesses within ourselves,  and  it
is  usually  on  display  when  things  are  their toughest.
General Washington and his troops  at  Valley  Forge  during
that  horrible  winter  is  something  that  comes  to mind.
General Lee and his troops defending the trenches outside of
Petersburg  in  the  winter  of  1864-1865  against a vastly
superior force in men and materials (But not leadership)  is
definitely  an  image  that  comes  to mind, too.  The 101st
Airborne  Division  being  surrounded  by  vastly  numerical
superior  German  forces  outside  and around Bastogne is an
image that definitely comes to mind.  The most famous  quote
of  the  battle  came  from  the  101st's  acting commander,
Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe.  When confronted with a
written  request  from German General Luttwitz for surrender
of Bastogne, he replied "NUTS!" (the commander of the  327th
GIR  interpreted  it  to  the  German  truce party as "Go to
hell!").  We need  to  try  and  remember  that  w  f  these
people-this  past,  and that they should be properly honored
for their service and duty to their country.                

Something along those lines has come up recently  with  some
distant relatives of mine that has concerned me quite a bit.
Some of you have probably already seen the photographs  that
have been circulated about a Kidd family cemetery located in
Nelson  County  that  is  being  over-run  by  some   rather
unscrupulous individuals.  A few things are definitely known
- there are four Kidd brothers buried in this  cemetery  who
all  served  with  honor and distinction for the Confederate
States of America-only one of the brothers actually survived
the  war.  Around them are buried at least 40 family members
- like I said this is a  family  cemetery.   However  recent
events   have   turned  this  hallowed  sacred  ground  into
something that the family members who are left simply cannot
believe.   Part of this family cemetery has been made into a
"private" road,  and  apparently  the  individuals  who  are
responsible   for   this   are   unwilling   to   admit  any
wrong-doings.  I have  been  in  contact  with  one  of  the
members  of the family and hope to go there and see this for
myself in the coming weeks.  I  intend  on  taking  as  many
pictures  of  the  area  as  I  possibly  can, and if anyone
attempts to force us to leave - I may just video tape things
as  well.   Like I said, this is something that is a concern
of mine - and I would greatly appreciate anyone's assistance
with helping us right this unjustified wrong!               

I  found  a  recent  story  in  the  Richmond Times-Dispatch
interesting - seems that the statue of  President  Jefferson
Davis  that  the  SCV commissioned to be sculptured may have
actually found a home at last.  You might remember that this
statue was first given to the Tredegar Museum, but then they
(the Museum) determined that they didn't know where  to  put
it.   Now  it  seems  it may actually end up in the State of
Mississippi where the President spent a great  deal  of  his
time  before  and  after the war.  Surprisingly enough - the
State of Mississippi has no statue  of  President  Jefferson
Davis anywhere (according to the Times-Dispatch).           

February  is a time when we are all asking ourselves - "When
is Spring going to get here?" Granted we have had some  very
typical days so far this year, but there have also been some
days (and nights) when things have been  almost  unbearable.
Try  to  remember  to  check  on  your  friends,  family and
neighbors just to make sure that everyone is safe and warm. 

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

I look forward to seeing everyone at our next camp meeting!

Deo Vindice!                                                
					Mike

ADJUTANT'S REPORT

We were pleased to induct Don Jewett into the  Camp  at  our
January  meeting  and  to have his wife and daughter with us
for the ceremony.                                           

Our Camp member Andy Keller always has his antennae out  for
things  of  historic  interest.   Recently at the Library of
Virginia he observed some pictures of downtown Richmond  and
brought  them  to the attention of Dick Nicholas of the 19th
Virginia Infantry Camp of Charlottesville and me.  Andy  was
able  to  pick  out  the old John Marshall High School, from
which Dick and I graduated in the 1940's, and the Blues  and
Grays  Armories.   The Richmond Blues and the Richmond Grays
have been significant in history, so it is well  to  reflect
on them and their armories.                                 

The  Blues  Armory  still  stands  at  the corner of 6th and
Marshall Streets.  The Grays,  at  the  corner  of  7th  and
Marshall,  was  demolished in 1963 and replaced by a parking
deck.  The Virginian Army under George Washington during the
French  and Indian War is considered a spiritual ancestor of
the Blues.  Washington was with General  Braddock  when  the
latter   was   killed   in  battle.   Washington  supervised
Braddock's burial and concealed the  burial  place  so  that
Indians  would  not  disinter  the  body  and  dismember it.
Braddock's relatives had such a high regard  for  Washington
and his soldiers that they furnished each member of his army
with a handsome suit of blue regimentals, leading them to be
called  "The  Blues."  The official organization date of the
Richmond Light Infantry was 1789.  In  a  reorganization  in
1793 the unit became the Richmond Light Infantry Blues.     

The  Blues  became the oldest company of the 1st Regiment of
Virginia of  Virginia  Volunteers  May  1,  1851.   The  1st
Regiment  also  included  the Richmond Grays, which had been
organized in 1844.  The first appearance of the Regiment  in
a  public  ceremony  occurred  June  27, 1851 when President
Millard Fillmore visited Richmond.  The 1st paraded on  such
patriotic  occasions  as January 8 (Battle of New Orleans in
War of 1812), Washington's birthday, July 4, and October  19
(Yorktown  Day).   In 1856 letter designations for companies
of the regiment were used for the first time.  The  Richmond
Grays were designated Company A, and the Blues, Company E.  

The  1st Virginia Regiment paraded, along with the VMI Cadet
Corps, at the February 22,  1858  dedication  of  Crawford's
equestrian statue of George Washington in Capitol Square. In
the summer of 1858 the Regiment marched to Rockett's Landing
to  meet the steamer Jamestown bearing the remains of former
President James Monroe.  They then accompanied the  body  to
Hollywood Cemetery for its re-interment.                    

Both  the  Blues and the Grays were ordered to Charles Town,
Virginia in November 1859 when there were rumors of attempts
to  free  John  Brown  and his fellow prisoners who had been
captured at Harper's Ferry.  John Wilkes Booth, although not
a member, accompanied the Grays and remained with them until
Brown was executed.                                         

The 1st Virginia Regiment was called to  active  duty  April
1861   when   Virginia   seceded  from  the  Union  and  saw
considerable action during the War Between The States.      

The Blues and the Grays later became units of  the  Virginia
National  Guard  and were called to active duty in World War
Two.  Members were sent to  different  units  of  the  Army.
After  the  war they remained as units of the National Guard
until a reorganization of the Guard about 1980.             

The John Marshall High School Cadet  Corps  used  the  Grays
Armory  during  the years in which the school was located at
8th and Marshall Streets.  John Marshall's  basketball  team
played  its  home games there in the 1940's and 1950's.  The
University of Richmond played its home basketball  games  in
the  Blues  Armory  during  that  same period of time before
moving to the Benedictine gym in the early 1950's.          

Some of the information about the  Richmond  Light  Infantry
Blues  came  from  a short document produced in 1936 for the
Works  Progress  Administration   (WPA)   of   Virginia,   a
Depression  era  government agency.  A copy of this document
is in the Library of Virginia.  Information  about  the  1st
Virginia  Infantry  Regiment  came  from  Lee  A.  Wallace's
regimental history, one of the H.  E.  Howard  series.   The
Library  of Virginia has copies of the books in this helpful
series.                                                     

Near the site of the Grays Armory, at the  northwest  corner
of  9th  and Marshall Streets, stands the home of one of the
most influential men  in  American  history,  John  Marshall
(1755-1835).   The  home  was  in  the  same  block  as John
Marshall High School until the latter was demolished in 1960
to  make  way for the present John Marshall Courts building.
John Marshall was the most  influential  Chief  Justice  the
Supreme  Court ever had.  Things worked a bit differently in
those days.  President John Adams appointed Marshall to  the
Court  January,  1801,  only  a  little  over a month before
Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as President.  Despite some
unhappiness  among "high" Federalists, Marshall was approved
unanimously by the end of January.  Marshall served as Chief
Justice  for  35  years  and  elevated  the  court  from its
previous lowly status to the most  powerful  branch  of  the
federal  government.   Marshall  and  Jefferson  were second
cousins, but their different views of government led them to
detest  each  other.   The Virginia Historical Society had a
program once about them called "Cussing  Cousins."  Marshall
is buried in Richmond's Shockoe Cemetery.                   

Richmond  is  the  most  historic  city in the most historic
state in the country (two countries, really!) We are  indeed
fortunate  to live in the area.  Let's take advantage of our
good luck by visiting the historic sites here and by working
to  preserve  them,  particularly  those  pertaining  to the
besieged Confederate States of America.                     

					Walter

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247

NEXT MEETING - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009

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

FEBRUARY SPEAKER

We are fortunate to have one of our stellar Camp members, J.
Barton Campbell, as our speaker for February.               

Barton  is a retired Army colonel and the former Director of
the Museum of the Confederacy.  He is an avid  historian  of
the War and will give us a Power Point presentation covering
"The Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas."                        

This battle on March 7-8,1862, was the largest battle fought
west  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  if  won by the Union
forces, would enable them to conquer the State of Missouri. 

JANUARY PROGRAM

Richmond Battlefield Park historian Mike Gorman  enlightened
us  once  again at our January meeting with his presentation
of   photos   entitled    "Richmond    Taken    Again    (by
photographers!)."  Another  title might be "A Love Letter to
the Library of  Congress"  for  digitizing  the  photos  and
making  them  available.  The photographers who descended on
Richmond after its April 1865 abandonment  by  the  Army  of
Northern  Virginia came because they thought they were going
to make a fortune selling their pictures.   They  overlooked
the  fact  that  the  photos  were  simply not affordable to
Yankee soldiers, whose average pay was $  13.00  per  month.
The venture was a financial catastrophe.                    

The  most  memorable  entrepreneur  among  the  locusts  was
Matthew Brady, who, like  an  early  day  Alfred  Hitchcock,
liked  to  appear  in  his  pictures.   The  clarity  of the
pictures blown up is remarkable and shows better detail than
digital pictures taken today.                               

Ships  photographed  were  the  prison  boat Monohansett and
Lincoln's flagship River Queen, which  brought  the  U.   S.
President to Richmond just after the Union Army came in.    

In  February 1865 at Fort Monroe River Queen was the meeting
place  of  the  Hampton  Roads  Peace  conference  in  which
Confederates  Vice  President  Alexander Stephens, Assistant
Secretary of War John A.  Campbell, and Senator Robert M. T.
Hunter  met  with  Yankees  Lincoln  and  Secretary of State
William H.  Seward.                                         

At City Point on March 28, 1865 Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, and
Admiral  David  Dixon  Porter met aboard River Queen at City
Point to discuss the end of the war  and  how  to  "get  the
deluded  men  of the rebel armies disarmed and back to their
homes." River Queen transported Mary Todd  Lincoln  back  to
Washington after she had a hissy fit about her husband being
with Mrs.  E.  O.  C.  Ord at a review.                     

Mike showed us photos of captured siege  guns,  the  Gallego
flour  mills,  Hollywood Cemetery, and Oakwood Cemetery.  He
could read the soldier's name on a marker which contemporary
captions  said was Hollywood.  Mike determined from cemetery
records  that  the  cemetery  was  actually  Oakwood.   Then
followed pictures of Tredegar and Belle Isle both during and
after the War.  Other interesting scenes  were  St.   John's
Church,  Capitol  Square,  the  Governor's  Mansion, and the
Spottswood Hotel.  One picture showed a large crowd gathered
April  15,  1865  awaiting  the  arrival  of Robert E.  Lee.
Another was the famous picture of Lee on the  porch  of  the
home on East Franklin Street.                               

There  is  no  way  that  the written word can have the same
impact  as  seeing  these  fascinating  pictures.   We   are
indebted  to Mike for the work he has done in studying them,
interpreting them, organizing them  and  giving  interesting
presentations with them.                                    

					Walter

2005-2009 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
Jerold Evans
Mike Hendrick
Jack Kane
Peter Knowles,II
Preston Nuttall
Bob Moore
Lewis Mills
Conway Moncure
Joe Moschetti
John Moschetti
Waite Rawls
Peyton Roden
Bill Setzer
Tom Spivey
Walter Tucker*
John Vial
David Ware
Harold Whitmore
Bobbie Williams
Hugh Williams
Keith Zimmerman

Legend:                                    
* - Multiple contributions                 

HURTT SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Lee Crenshaw
Jack Kane
Peter Knowles, II
Joe Moschetti
Preston Nuttall
Walter Tucker
Hugh Williams
Tom Vance
Anonymous

VIRGINIA DIVISION, SCV FUND

Walter Beam
Crawley Joyner
Bob Moore
Cary Shelton

COMING EVENTS

Through May, 3rd
"Photography in Virginia,"  an  exhibit  of  more  than  300
photographs  taken  in  Virghinia since the 1840s, including
the Civil War Period.  At The  Virginia  Historical  Society
Richmond.   Sundays  free.   Under  age 18 always free.  For
information, (804)353-4901, www.vahistorical.org

Through May 10th
"Jed  Hotchkiss:  Shenandoah  Valley  Mapmaker"   exhibiting
original  maps that Hotchkiss made for Stonewall Jackson and
other Confederate officers and his postwar career.   At  the
Museum   of  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  Winchester.   Open
Tuesday-Sunday 10 to  4.   Information,  (888)  556-5799  or
www.shenandoahmuseum.org

Through September
"Beyond Brady: Photography in the Civil War Era" Exhibit  At
Pamplin Historic Park & The Museum of the Civil War Soldier.
Featuring more than 130 artifacts.  For information, hours,
877-PAMPLIN, www.pamplinpark.org

February 21
"Generals  Behaving  Badly"  Symposium  at  the  Library  of
Virginia  Lecture  Hall, Richmond, 9:30-4.  Speakers include
Ed Bearss, Robert K.  Krick, John Quarstein, Hunter Lesser. 

SHARPSBURG CANDLE LIGHTING

Commander Kidd accompanied his son's Boy Scout Troop #736 to
Sharpsburg,  Maryland  for their annual service project, the
Sharpsburg Battlefield Annual Lighting Ceremony.            

This ceremony  takes  place  during  the  first  weekend  on
Sharpsburg Battlefield to honor the fallen men buried there.

A  luminary  is  placed  on each of the 23,110 graves by the
volunteers during the day and they are lighted at nightfall.

Mike tells us that it is really  awe-inspiring  to  see  the
thousands of flickering candles at night and to be a part of
the volunteers that make it possible.                       

The area that Troop 736 was responsible  for  was  the  area
surrounding Mumma's Farm.