COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

Well, if you are anything like me then I suspect you will agree with  my
sentiment that I have had enough snow for this year.  As I sit before my
computer to write this month's comments, our third  snow-storm  is  upon
the  Richmond  Metro  area and this one could be worse than possibly the
other two storms combined.   I  am  a  firm  believer  of  the  Farmer's
Almanac, and I was told earlier this year that it has predicted at least
three to four major snow storms  will  hit  our  part  of  the  Atlantic
region.   My  advice  to you is simple - stay inside, stay warm and dry,
and venture outside only if you absolutely have to.                     

This time of year always causes me  to  reflect  back  to  what  General
Washington  and  his  troops  at  Valley Forge went through during those
horrible winters.  General Jackson and his Valley troops and the  Romney
Campaign in the winter of 1861-1862 also 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.   The  101st
Airborne  Division  being surrounded by vastly numerical superior German
forces 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, who  told  his  German  counterpart
"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 we  are
a  part  of  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  of  my
father's  family.   After  some  long  evening  spent  at  the  computer
researching  family  names,  I  may  have  actually   found   where   my
grand-father  Kidd's  brothers are buried.  I never had a chance to know
my grand-father Kidd before he  passed  away,  but  I  have  been  quite
impressed  with  the family from which he came.  My grand-father, Walter
Clayton Kidd, came from the Draper Valley area of Virginia and was 1  of
15  children  from  2  marriages.   He  was  one  of 8 children from his
father's first marriage.  There were three other boys in the first group
of  Kidd's  besides  him  -  Titus,  Irvin and Grayson.  When the United
States entered World War 1, all four of these men enlisted in  the  Army
and  all became a part of the 42nd Infantry Division, otherwise known as
the Rainbow Division.  This Division was made up of National Guard units
from 26-states and the District of Columbia.  These men all served under
General Pershing, and thankfully returned home after the  armistice  was
signed.  Titus and Irvin are both buried in the Draper Valley cemetery -
I am still searching for Grayson's resting place.                       

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 has 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

How great it was to have Gene Lyon back with us at the  January  meeting
after many months of surgery and recuperation.  It was also good to have
John Stevens, who usually rides with Gene.                              

We welcome back warmly Keith Zimmerman, who has rejoined our Camp.      

Our number of Camp members is down a bit from  30  June  2009.   At  our
January  meeting  membership  applications were given to a family member
and a neighbor of camp members.  We hope to add them to  our  membership
rolls  soon .  Friends and family members are our best prospects for new
members.  Keep your eyes and ears open and bring prospective members  to
our meetings.                                                           

We had a very nice donation to the Hurtt Scholarship Fund at our January
meeting, for which we are most grateful.  We can always use a  few  more
scholarship donations, as well as contributions for the Old War Horse.  

We are pleased to report that the Woodland Cemetery Ashland VA narrative
and roster of Confederate soldiers buried there in 1862 are now  on  the
Camp  website.   We informed the SCV National Commander in Chief and the
Virginia  Division  Commander  of  this,  requesting  that  they  inform
subordinate  commanders  of  this  helpful  information.   An  email has
already been received from a North Carolina SCV member thanking  us  for
doing  this.   He  found  the  names of five soldiers buried in Woodland
whose burial locations were unknown until the information was put on our
website.                                                                

A  while  back,  William  Winfrey,  who  with Bill Thames researched the
burial  book  in  the  Library  of  Virginia,  brought   this   valuable
information  to  the  attention  of  Judy  Lowry  of the Page Library of
Montpelier.  Judy prepared a smooth roster  from  the  work  of  Messrs.
Winfrey and Thames.  Judy asked Lewis Mills for assistance of the SCV in
getting the roster disseminated to  its  entire  nationwide  membership.
Judy  also asked Bobby Krick to write an introduction to the roster.  In
addition  to  doing  that,  Bobby  reviewed  the  roster  and  and  made
corrections.   Our  Camp Webmaster Gary Cowardin stepped up to the plate
and hit a grand slam home run  by  putting  Bobby's  narrative  and  the
roster on our Camp website.                                             

Soldiers buried in Woodland are from all over the South, as follows:

                      Number of   Cumulative 
     State          Soldiers    Total  
North Carolina      71         71
Georgia             63        134
Virginia            44        178
Mississippi         24        202
South Carolina      22        224
Texas                9        233
Alabama              7        240
Arkansas             5        245
Florida              1        246
Maryland             1        247
Tennessee            1        248
State unknown        8        256
     Total         256           

The entire SCV owes a debt of gratitude to all who participated in  this
worthwhile project.                                                     

					Walter                   

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET CAMP #1247

NEXT MEETING - TUESDAY, February 16, 2010

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

FEBUARY SPEAKER

February's speaker will be Patricia Walenista.  Her topic  will  be  the
Old   Soldiers  Home  and  its  Confederate  Veteran  inhabitants.   Ms.
Walenista is founder of the Turner Ashby Historical Society  and  serves
as  Secretary  on  the  Board  of Directors of the Richmond Battlefields
Association.                                                            

                                                 Taylor

JANUARY PROGRAM

Eric W.  Buckland opened his talk about his book Mosby's Keydet  Rangers
by  showing us a large picture of Colonel John Singleton Mosby and asked
us what was unusual about the picture.  Mosby was wearing a saber, which
weapon was not used by his Partisan Rangers, who each preferred to carry
four or five Colt .44's.  Yankee  cavalry  initially  wore  sabers,  the
equivalent  of  carrying  a knife to a gunfight.  Mosby also had a large
overcoat, which he appropriated  from  Yankee  Brigadier  General  Edwin
Henry Stoughton in March 1863.                                          

Confederate  Ranger  units  could keep what they took on raids.  Mosby's
43rd consequently was the best equipped and best dressed regiment in the
Confederate  army.   There  being  no  camps,  Mosby's  Rangers slept in
private homes.  When troopers were needed for a raid,  messengers  would
round  up  the necessary soldiers.  The advantages of serving with Mosby
encouraged men to volunteer.   The  quartering  arrangements  led  to  a
number of marriages.                                                    

The  average  age of Mosby's Partisan Rangers was 18.  Mosby liked young
troopers because they did what he told them.  Technically, officers were
elected, but Mosby instructed the troops whom they should elect.        

Mosby's  regiment  usually  had  between 350 to 400 men at any one time.
Because he sent small units out at various times to different locations,
the Yankees thought he had many more men than he really did.            

Unable  to  learn  the  precise origin of the term Keydet from VMI, Eric
offered three  possible  explanations-  southern  pronunciation,  Keydet
gray, and to differentiate VMI cadets from those at West Point.         

Eric  then  discussed  several  Rangers  with  VMI  affiliations before,
during, or after The War.                                               

Charles Henry Dear (VMI 1865) was the best friend of Joe Bryan.  He  was
shot  12  times.  He participated in the Greenback Raid which netted the
Rangers $ 168,000.  Postwar Charlie bought a farm and named it Greenback
Farm.  He lived until age 82.                                           

John  Elliott  Walker (VMI  1868) did not graduate.  He was captured May
1864 and imprisoned at Old Capitol Prison  in  Washington  and  at  Fort
Delaware.  He moved to California in 1872 and later to Arizona, where he
died in 1906.  He is buried in an unmarked grave.                       

Townsend VanDevanter  (VMI  1865)  served  under  Colonel  E.V.   White.
Postwar he served as a deputy sheriff under White in Loudoun County. His
son-in-law "dumped" him into the Confederate Home in 1923.   VanDevanter
died shortly thereafter.                                                

John Carter Edmonds (VMI 1870) was wounded.  His mother had given him  a
Bible,  which  he  had  in  his pants pocket and which saved his life by
slowing down the bullet.  He served in the 4th Texas Volunteer  Infantry
in the Spanish-American War.  He was killed in a duel in 1907.          

George Edward Raum (VMI 1867) was a courier for Joe Johnston and  fought
with  the Keydets at New Market..  He was captured at Berryville and was
scheduled to be hanged by the  Yankees.   Mosby's  men  saved  him.   He
married  Mary  C.   Woodward.   They  took  a  20  year  world tour.  He
excavated the feet of the Sphinx.  He lived until age 88.               

John Tyler Waller (VMI 1865) was a grandson of President John Tyler.  He
was  described  as  the  incarnation of recklessness.  His career at VMI
lasted 12 days.  He was  killed  in  March  1865  by  the  8th  Illinois
Cavalry.                                                                

Jacob Peck Imboden (VMI 1867 and New Market cadet) after The War engaged
in mining and mine management in Missouri, West Virginia,  and  Georgia.
He managed his own mines in Central America from 1884 until his death in
1899.  He stepped between a friend and an angry Honduran  and  was  shot
dead.  He is buried in Honduras.                                        

Eric  talked about several other soldiers, all of whom were interesting,
particularly to our Keydet Camp members Clint Cowardin, John Martin, and
Tom  Spivey  who  were  present.  Keydet Waite Rawls, who praised Eric's
book, had an engagement requiring his presence elsewhere and  could  not
be  with  us.   Keydet  Pete  Knowles  was  probably  basking in Florida
sunshine while we endure snow.                                          

					Walter                   

CIVIL WAR PRESERVATION TRUST
RESCUES 2,777 ACRES OF HALLOWED GROUND IN 2009

2007-2010 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  Longstreet  Camp  Donors  for  Virginia
Division  Special  Funds, Hurtt Scholarship Fund, Camp General Fund, and
the upkeep of "The Old War Horse" from July through December  2009.   As
you  know,  our cumulative listing starts in July of each year and we do
not meet in August.                                                     

Walt Beam       Lloyd Brooks    Brian Cowardin         Clint Cowardin   
Taylor Cowardin Lee Crenshaw    Ray Crews              Jason Fazackarley
Dale Harlow     Michael Hendrick                       Don Jewett*      
Crawley Joyner  Jack Kane       Peter Knowles, II      Lewis Mills      
Conway Moncure                                                          
Bob Moore       Joe Moschetti   Joseph Sterling Price  Waite Rawls      
Peyton Roden    Cary Shelton    Chris Trinite          Walter Tucker    
David Ware      Harold Whitmore Hugh Williams          Anonymous        

Legend:                                    
* in memory of his late son Chris, who was a Longstreet Camp member