COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

As I sit down before the computer this already humid July morning, I can
dare  say  that this week for me has been a time of reflection.  For the
past two years, it has been my distinct honor and privilege to serve  as
Commander of the finest Camp within the Virginia Division of the SCV. Of
course I am referring to the Longstreet Camp, of which  I  have  been  a
member  of  since  2001.  I dare say that the position of Camp Commander
was probably the furthest thing from my mind that  1st  meeting  that  I
walked  into  at Roma's Restaurant and introduced myself to Chuck Walton
as a perspective member.  I think at that point (or shortly there after)
Chuck  already  had plans for myself and other members of the Longstreet
Camp - plans that I would hope we have carried out to the  best  of  our
abilities  since  his death.  These past two years have flown by for me,
and I have been truly honored to have had the best  Executive  Committee
serving  with  me.   I  would  like to thank Taylor Cowardin, Tom Vance,
Walter Tucker, Harry Boyd, Dave George, Gary Cowardin,  Preston  Nutall,
Pat  Hoggard,  and  of  course  Henry  Langford for their support, their
friendship and their guidance these past two years  -  frankly  I  don't
think  I could have done it without their help.  Thank you gentlemen one
and all!                                                                

With the end of my tenure as Commander comes opportunity  -  opportunity
for  members  of the Longstreet Camp to assist with the continued growth
of our camp by becoming involved with the leadership of the Camp.   Some
members have been gracious in stating that they felt I should stay on as
the Commander of the Longstreet Camp-unfortunately this  cannot  happen,
and  honestly  shouldn't  happen  because  it could cause complacency to
occur within the ranks.  As I have  stated  in  previous  meetings,  the
Longstreet  Camp wasn't formed for my self gratification - it was formed
for the members of the Longstreet Camp, and now  is  the  time  for  the
members  to  step up and be a part of the camp's leadership.  I asked at
our last meeting for nominations from the members who were  present  for
positions within the Executive Committee and as of yet have not received
any.  If we don't receive any nominations from  the  members,  then  the
Executive  Committee  may  have  to resort to other measures to fill the
leadership roles of the camp.  I know this sounds drastic, but frankly I
don't see where we have any choice in the matter.                       

The leadership roles needing  to  be  filled  are  the  following:  Camp
Commander; Lt.  Commander; Adjutant/Treasurer.  While all three of these
positions are important positions, they can be  easily  managed  with  a
good  structure  that  is  already  in place.  Several current Executive
Committee members will be staying on to continue to serve the Longstreet
Camp  in the up-coming 2-year term: Harry Boyd will continue his role as
J.A.G.; Taylor Cowardin will continue to be  responsible  for  arranging
our  monthly  guest  speakers; Gary Cowardin will continue to manage the
camp web-site and The Warhorse newsletter; Pat Hoggard will continue  to
serve  as  the  camp's Sergeant-at-arms; Preston Nutall will continue to
serve as the camp's Quartermaster; and Walter Tucker has agreed to serve
as  the  camp's  chaplain.   I of course will be serving in the honorary
position as past commander for the Longstreet Camp and will continue  to
represent  the  Longstreet  Camp at events throughout the area.  We need
your help, support and leadership to continue  to  make  the  Longstreet
Camp  the  best  SCV  Camp  in  the  2nd Brigade and the entire Virginia
Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Organization.              

As  a  good  friend of mine, and Longstreet Executive Committee and Camp
member Preston Nuttall said in an email about the  recent  4th  of  July
holiday  -  "Let  us pause on this holiday weekend to remember and honor
these men.  Many today may question the cause for which they fought, but
none  can question their spirit, their bravery, and their willingness to
sacrifice all in defense of the principles in  which  they  so  strongly
believed.   Our  country  could  use  a  dose of that spirit today, when
despite being involved in two wars,  the  military  cannot  find  enough
volunteers  to  fill  its  recruitment  quotas.   We  are  blessed to be
descended from the men who wore the grey." AMEN!!!                      

I look forward to seeing everyone at our next camp meeting - July 21st.

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

Deo Vindice!                                                            
					Mike                     

ADJUTANT'S REPORT

Camp member Gene Lyon has been dealing with very serious health problems
for  the last four weeks.  After spending several weeks in the hospital,
he was undergoing therapy in a rehab  facility.   Please  keep  him  and
family  in  your  prayers.  If you'd like to drop him a line, send it to
his home.  His address is on our Camp roster.                           

We  have  received  from  International  Headquarters   the   membership
certificate  of  James  N.  Pitts, whose ancestor George Pitts served in
Captain Thornton's Company, Caroline Light Artillery.  We plan to induct
James at our 21 July Camp meeting.  He was referred to us by 2nd Brigade
Commander Mike Thomas, who is recovering at home  from  a  recent  heart
attack, which had landed him in the hospital.                           

We  have  received  a  membership  application  from  Ashley Wade "Cody"
Oliver, whose ancestor Isom B.  Osborn was a sergeant in  Company  E  of
the  23rd  Battalion, Virginia Infantry.  Cody was referred to us by his
father John W.  Oliver, Jr., a member of the 19th Virginia Infantry Camp
# 1493 of Charlottesville.  John lives in Fishersville.  We plan to send
Cody's application to International Headquarters at the beginning of the
SCV's  fiscal  year  1 August.  There is no point in mailing it earlier,
since HQ is busy with the national reunion (convention) during July  and
does not process new member applications.                               

We welcome James and Cody to our Camp.                                  

Even  though the SCV fiscal year doesn't end until 31 July, each camp is
required to submit to Headquarters a report on the 12  months  ended  30
June.   As  of that date, we had 79 members, an increase of one from the
previous year.  We have had an increase in membership  in  nine  of  the
last  eleven  years.   As can be seen from the preceding paragraphs, the
best source of new members is recruitment by existing  members.   During
the year we inducted five new members and had two members transfer to us
from other camps.  Four of our members did not renew  their  memberships
last  October.   Two  of  our  members who live in the Williamsburg area
transferred to the James City Cavalry Camp #2095.                       

There's a proposed SCV constitutional amendment at this year's  national
reunion to require the number of members to start a new camp to increase
from seven to 15.  James City Cavalry is an example of why that proposal
should  be  defeated.   With our Camp's full support and blessing, eight
Longstreet members transferred out and started the  James  City  Cavalry
Camp  in  2005.   As of 20 June 2009 that camp had 33 members with three
new member applications in the works.  James City  Cavalry  also  hosted
the  April  2009 Virginia Division convention.  The SCV and the Virginia
Division have certainly benefited from the formation of that  new  camp.
To  my  knowledge,  no  one  from  Longstreet  is attending the national
reunion.                                                                

In addition to the membership increase in the year ended  30  June,  two
other  highlights  were  listed  in th annual report.  In the spring and
fall we cleaned up our one mile section of  Studley  Road  (Route  606),
Hanover  County.   There  is  a  road  cleanup  sign  at each end of our
section.  For the seventh consecutive year we  awarded  the  Buck  Hurtt
Scholarship  Award  to the outstanding senior history student at Douglas
S.  Freeman  High  School  as  chosen  by  the  history  faculty.   This
scholarship  is  made  possible  by  the  generous donations of our Camp
members.                                                                

Although we have reduced postage by putting the newsletter on the Camp's
web  site,  there is still expense involved, so donations are welcome to
support this effort.  We  express  heartfelt  thanks  to  all  who  have
contributed  to these two worthwhile endeavors.  Contributors are listed
elsewhere in the Old War Horse.                                         

I had originally  planned  to  attend  the  Civil  War  Sesquicentennial
Signature  Conference  at  the  University  of  Richmond 29 April, but a
commitment to a friend prevented  me  from  doing  so.   The  Conference
focused  attention  on  the  situation in the United States in 1859, the
year in which the infamous John Brown on 17 October attempted to lead  a
revolt  of  slaves at Harper's Ferry.  I am currently reading The Secret
Six: John Brown and the Abolitionist Movement by  Otto  Scott,  which  I
bought  at  the  2008 Virginia Division convention.  The six are the New
Englanders  who  encouraged  and  financed  Brown   in   his   nefarious
activities.  What a pity that Brown wasn't executed for the murders that
he committed in Kansas in the 1850's.  I hope to finish reading the book
by our next Camp meeting.                                               

I  look forward to seeing you Tuesday 21 July for our last meeting until
September.                                                              

					Walter                   

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247

NEXT MEETING - TUESDAY, July 21, 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

JULY SPEAKER

The speaker for July will be Longstreet  Camp  Adjutant  Walter  Tucker.
Walter  will talk about the famous individuals involved with the history
of Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia.                                    

JUNE PROGRAM

Longstreet Camp member and Quartermaster Preston  Nuttall  gave  a  very
informative  program  about  his  recently  published  book  titled "The
Confederate Ironclad Albemarle: A Monument to Southern Resolve." Preston
detailed  the  "life  and times" of the ironclad and how such an amazing
vessel was constructed in a cornfield by  approximately  100  men  in  a
cornfield  by the Roanoke River.  Hurried to have the ironclad ready for
action, the Ironclad was launched unfinished  and  manned  by  untrained
men.   Moving backwards down the Roanoke, its crew attempted to complete
its construction but was interrupted by the USS Commodore Perry.        

Capt.  James Wallace Cook  commanded  the  Albemarle.   Cook,  a  native
Tarheel,  had  previously served in the US Navy on the USS Constitution.
Commanding the Yankee ship was the ambitious Capt.  Charles  Flusser,  a
30  year  old  bachelor,  lover of fine wine, cigars and beautiful young
southern women.  The two ships engaged in what has became known  as  the
battle  of  Plymouth.   The  Albemarle  won the battle thus securing the
vital port of Plymouth for the  confederates.   The  victory  was  short
lived because not too long thereafter a Yankee ship blew up the ironclad
with a torpedo while  Captain  Cook  and  his  men  were  distracted  in
Plymouth.   Preston's  book,  a  historical  novel, tells the incredible
story of this amazing ship using actual first hand accounts from Captain
Cook.                                                                   

					Taylor

2007-2009 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
War Horse editor and                                 
Webmaster: Gary F. Cowardin                  262-0534

Website: longstreetscv.org                           

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* 
Lee Crenshaw           Raymond Crews*   
Jerold Evans           Dave George      
Mike Hendrick          Pat Hoggard      
Jack Kane              Peter Knowles, II
Lewis Mills            Conway Moncure   
Bob Moore              Joe Moschetti    
John Moschetti         Preston Nuttall  
Waite Rawls            Peyton Roden*    
Bill Setzer            Tom Spivey       
Walter Tucker*         John Vial        
David Ware             Harold Whitmore  
Bobby Williams         Hugh Williams    
Keith Zimmerman*       Anonymous        

Legend:                                    
* - Multiple contributions                 

HURTT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
August 1, 2008 through May 31, 2009

Walt Beam            Brian Cowardin   
Clint Cowardin       Lee Crenshaw     
Pat Hoggard          Don Jewett       
Jack Kane            Peter Knowles, II
Joe Moschetti        Preston Nuttall  
Peyton Roden         Walter Tucker    
Tom Vance            Hugh Williams    
Anonymous    

Three generous donations in March,  combined  with  previous  donations,
have  given  us  sufficient  funds  to  make  the  award  in June to the
outstanding senior history student at Douglas S. Freeman High School.   

VIRGINIA DIVISION, SCV FUND

Walter Beam     Crawley Joyner     Bob Moore     Cary Shelton