COMMANDER'S COMMENTS

As I finally sit down to write this month's comments it has  truly  been
an  amazing month so far.  Whether you agreed with the recent election's
results or not, I think  we  all  will  agree  that  the  newly  elected
representatives  to  Congress  will have their hands full of legislative
agendas  in the coming months.  I am quite certain that all voters  will
be  watching  the  new  Congress  closely  to see if they can keep their
campaign promises or not.  I am also quite certain that the debate  over
Health Care will continue into the coming year.                         

Next  Thursday  is  November  11th  -  Veterans Day, and as the son of a
Korean War Veteran I can tell you that November 11th is  always  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 too - members of the same family-fathers  and  sons,  brothers
choosing different sides, and it was (and still is) one of the bloodiest
conflicts that has ever been fought by Americans.  As a side  note  -  I
will  be going to Sharpsburg, MD again this year with my son's Boy Scout
Troop 736 on the first week-end in December to help  honor  all  of  the
causalities  at their annual illumination ceremony that occurs the first
Saturday in December.  The battlefield  will  be  open  to  the  general
public  beginning  at 6pm so if you can make the drive up to Sharpsburg,
MD - I highly encourage you to do so.                                   

The annual Longstreet Holiday party is fast approaching at the  Westwood
Club.   The  members  of the Executive Committee have worked hard to try
and bring the cost of the Holiday party down so more people are able  to
attend  this  year,  and I think they have done an exceptional job.  All
Camp 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.                                

We  were  not  able to get all members to register their membership with
the Longstreet Camp by the dead-line of October 31st.  I  encourage  all
members  of  Longstreet  to try and bring a prospective new member to an
up-coming camp meeting (like this month's meeting).  I would like to see
the  Longstreet  Camp membership continue to grow in spite of the recent
economic hard times that have hit our community, and  our  nation  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 - it promises
to be an excellent meeting.                                             

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

Deo Vindice!                       
					Mike                     

ADJUTANT'S REPORT

NOVEMBER SPEAKER

Our speaker for the November meeting will be Virginia Division  SCV  1st
Lt.   Commander  Michael  Thomas.   He  will  speak  on  the  Battle  of
Williamsburg Road (October 27, 1864).  It  is  notable  because  it  was
General  James  Longstreet's  first  action  since  his  wounding at The
Wilderness the previous May.  This action also marked the  last  attempt
by Grant to take Richmond from north of the James.                      

                                                 Taylor

OCTOBER PROGRAM

Our own Camp member  Walter  Tucker  opened  by  saying  that  the  1860
election  was  the cause of our ancestors serving in the military forces
of the Confederate States.                                              

There were enough electoral votes in the nine largest states to elect  a
president.  Three of those nine, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, were
southern states.                                                        

The Democratic Party fractured at its April convention in Charleston SC.
Northern  and Southern Democrats could not agree on a candidate, and the
convention adjourned.                                                   

In early May the  Constitutional  Union  Party,  whose  purpose  was  to
preserve  the  North-South  status  quo,  was  founded.   Its convention
nominated former Senator John Bell of Tennessee for President and former
Senator, Secretary of State and Governor Edward Everett of Massachusetts
for Vice President.                                                     

Later that month  the  Republican  Convention  opened  in  Chicago  with
Senator  William  H.   Seward  of  New  York (35 electoral votes) as the
favorite candidate for President.  Other candidates  with  a  chance  of
winning  were  Senator Salmon P.  Chase of Ohio (23 electoral votes) and
former Representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois (11 electoral  votes).
Two  other  candidates  were  Senator  Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania (27
electoral votes) and former Whig Edward Bates of Missouri  (9  electoral
votes.).   Seward,  Bates,  and  Chase had all alienated factions of the
party.  Seward led on the first two ballots, followed by  Lincoln.   The
other  three  candidates  were  nowhere close.  Lincoln led on the third
ballot and triumphed when Robert K.  Enos of Ohio persuaded three fellow
delegates to switch their votes to Lincoln.                             

In  June  the Democrats reconvened.  Douglas received the nomination for
President of the Northern faction.   The  bolted  Southerners  nominated
John C.  Breckenridge.                                                  

Some  Southern  politicians  began discussing what to do in the event of
Lincoln's  election,  which  was  all  but  assured  by  the  Democratic
division.                                                               

On  November 6 Lincoln carried 17 states (all in the north and west) and
received four of New Jersey's electoral votes for a total of 180. Needed
to win was 152.  Breckenridge carried 11 states (including border states
of Delaware and Maryland) with 72 electoral votes.  Bell  carried  three
states,  Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, with a total of 39 electoral
votes.  Douglas carried only one state,  Missouri,  and  received  three
electoral votes in New Jersey.                                          

South  Carolina  seceded  in December, followed by Mississippi, Florida,
Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana in  January  1861  and  by  Texas  on  1
February.                                                               

Lincoln  called  for  75,000  volunteers in April, three days after Fort
Sumter was fired on.  Two days  later  Virginia  seceded,  reversing  an
earlier  vote  to  remain  in the Union.  Arkansas, Tennessee, and North
Carolina seceded in May.                                                

Adjutant Tucker then  reviewed  the  ages  and  locations  of  his  five
Confederate  ancestors  in  1860, when they became Confederate soldiers,
and the units they joined.  Members were encouraged to follow ancestors'
1861-65 exploits as the Sesquicentennial unfolds.                       

October meeting attendance: 21

LONGSTREET'S FIRST CORPS

Longstreet Camp Donors to  Virginia  Division  Special  Funds,  Old  War
Horse, Hurtt Scholarship Fund, and Longstreet Camp General Fund.  As you
know, our cumulative listing starts in July of each year and we  do  not
meet in August.          1 July - 6 October 2010                        

Walt Beam         Brian Cowardin        Clint Cowardin      Lee Crenshaw     
Ray Crews                                                                    
Jerold Evans      Michael Hendrick      Crawley Joyner      Jack Kane        
Andy Keller       Peter Knowles, II     Lewis Mills         Bob Moore        
Conway Mocure                                                                
Joe Moschetti     Joe Price             Waite Rawls         Peyton Roden, Sr.
Cary Shelton      Chris Trinite         Walter Tucker       Hugh Williams