FAQ

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Part #1: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS ORGANIZATION

1.1. What is the mission of the Sons of Confederate Veterans?

1.2. Why honor men who served for the Confederacy, after all weren’t they traitors?

1.3. How does one become a member of the SCV?

1.4. How can I find out if an ancestor fought in the war and how do I find out about his service?

1.5. How can I find information about a particular regiment?

1.6. Who was the last surviving Confederate Veteran of the WBTS?

1.7. What violations of heritage are the Sons of Confederate Veterans battling?

1.8. How can I obtain a Headstone Marker for a Confederate Veteran and how does one go about getting a dedication of this marker?

1.9. Why do grown men, run around pastures and woods playing soldiers? Doesn’t this glorify war and suffering?

Part #2: QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFEDERATE SYMBOLS SUCH AS THE FLAG AND THE HERITAGE THEY REPRESENT TO THE SCV.
2.1. Why are the Confederate flags and other symbols of the Confederacy so important in this day and age?

2.2 What are the "Stars and Bars", "Southern Cross" and other Confederate symbols?

2.3. Doesn’t it bother you, flying that hateful racist flag? Don't you care how other people feel or that my ancestors were hurt by men flying that flag?

2.3.A-Argument #1 Since the Ku Klux Klan fly the Confederate flag, it has become a symbol of hatred, racism and intolerance. We cannot let our state (or school or whatever) project an image of racism by flying a Confederate battle flag or something that contains the Confederate battle flag.

2.3.B-Argument #2 Confederate symbols represented history at one time, but Confederate Americans have not acted to protect the sanctity of their symbols from use and abuse by hate groups, thereby Southerners have forfeited their claim to these symbols.

2.3.C-Argument #3 Confederate symbols should not be honored because they are cruel reminders of the by-gone era of slavery and slave-trade.

2.3.D-Argument #4 Confederate symbols should not be tolerated because they represent a government that fought a war to keep blacks in bondage and to preserve the institution of slavery.

2.3.E-Argument #5 Since Confederate symbols were erected and raised in defiance of court ordered integration during the 1950's and 60', they should be removed.

2.3.F-Argument #6 Confederate flags are un-American and they do not represent all Americans.

2.3.G-Argument #7 What's the big deal? It's only a flag. Besides, you have all of those monuments, memorials, markers, etc. to remind you of the Confederacy. Can't we find a compromise?

Part #3: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE WBTS, THE SOUTH AND THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA

3.1. Is it true that many of the history books we may have used in school about the Civil War and Southern Confederate history have been altered or slanted toward the North’s point of view?

3.2 If the history books used in schools are unbalanced, then what are some common "Myths" of the South and of the Confederacy which are presented to the public as fact?

3.3. What did the Confederates feel they were fighting for?

3.4. Why did the South secede in 1861 and did the South have the right to secede from the Union?

3.5. When did each state secede?

3.6. Did the U.S. Supreme Court ever rule on the legality of secession?

3.7. Did the South fight to overthrow of the United States Government?

3.8. Was secession the cause of the war and if not then was the cause of the war?

3.9. What were the populations of the states at the outbreak of the war?

3.10 Why did the Confederates start the war by firing the first shots on Fort Sumter?

3.11. Why did Lincoln break the truce at Fort Pickens and precipitate the war by sending troops to Fort Sumter?

3.12. Did Lincoln carry on the war for the purpose of freeing the slaves and weren’t the Confederates fighting for slavery or the extension of slavery?

3.13. Was slavery legal according to the Constitution and the laws of the United States in 1860?

3.14. Did the Emancipation Proclamation really free the slaves and did Lincoln have the legal right to declare an end to slavery?

3.15. Did Abraham Lincoln and or any individuals associated with his administration break the laws of the United States and/or violate the Constitution in any way?

3.16. Did General Grant and General Lee both own slaves and did they free them?

3.17. Was there an actual declaration of war?

3.18. Who were the first Confederates appointed as Generals?

3.19. Why were the Prisoner of War Camps like Andersonville in the South so brutal on prisoners?

3.20. How did the prisoner exchanges and paroles work?

3.21. Did blacks and other minorities fight for the Confederacy?

3.22. Did the Confederate states ever try to establish peace with the North?

3.23. Did Lincoln, by his conquest of the South, save the Union and could Lincoln have "saved" the Union by some other method other than war?

3.24. When did the war end?

3.25. Was Jefferson Davis or any other Southern leader guilty of any crime? If so, what were the crimes? If not, why was Davis imprisoned and why were Confederate officials and military officers disfranchised?

3.26. If the rebel states were never considered legally out of the Union, how was Reconstruction justified?

3.27. Did the occupation forces break the laws of the United States and violate the Constitutional rights of Southern people during Reconstruction?

3.28. Had the South gained its independence, would the CSA have proved a failure?

3.29. What are alternative names referring to the war of 1861-1865?

Part #1: QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERAN ORGANIZATION

1.1. What is the mission of the Sons of Confederate Veterans?

The Sons of Confederate Veterans are organized to honor and memorialize the principles, sacrifices and history of our ancestors. This is our Southern heritage, history and culture which is threatened by some who wish to deny us our rights. Some in this land of the free would enforcing their will to eliminate all historical reference to the Confederacy. In doing so they would remove all symbols and monuments to brave men. Revisionist "historians" have distorted our ancestors lives and we wish the truth to be known. We are an organization based on heritage, not hate.

In 1896, the Sons of Confederate Veterans was founded by the veterans and progeny of veterans who fought in the War Between the States. The Sons of Confederate Veterans are the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate Soldiers. The SCV was established as, and remains, an independent organization that supports the protection and preservation of Confederate heritage and the true history of 1861-1865. Current members are descendants of the original defenders of Confederate heritage and are not aligned or affiliated with any other organization other than the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. The SCV is an organization pledged to serve as a historical, patriotic and non-political organization.

The mission of the SCV is best stated with the Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans given by Lt. General Stephen Dill Lee Commander General, United Confederate Veterans, in 1906:

"To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we submit the vindication of the Cause for which we fought; to your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier’s good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles he loved and which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Remember it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations"

Sources and Further Reading: Contact the International Headquarters of the SCV at call 1-800-MY SOUTH (697-6884), Confederate Veteran Magazine, PO Box 59, Columbia, TN 38402-0059, Confederate Veteran Magazine-CD ROM, and bound volumes.

1.2. Why honor men who served for the Confederacy, after all weren’t they traitors?

First the soldiers of the Confederacy were not traitors. Some historians have branded any man who fought for their home state in 1861-65 as a traitor. This is a liberal Northern point of view which is quite narrow. If you investigate the reasons that these men fought for their home (farm, county, state), you may find many different answers to the reason why they fought. Most likely you will NOT find the answer of overthrowing the United States Federal Government.

The citizen soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the greatest motivating factor in the South’s decision to fight the a second time for independence. They resigned their bond to a government they found increasing abusing the constitution and the rights of the states for self determination. They did not seek to destroy the federal government, they chose to withdraw and form their own government that was to be truer to the original constitution. It was the Northern politicians that were traitors to the constitution.

The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was originally built.

General Robert E. Lee and others are slandered by some as traitors. An interesting point to be noted is that William Rawle’s book "View of the Constitution" was the primary book used in teaching the Constitution and was used at West Point until the war. General Lee told Bishop Wilmer (of Louisiana) that had it not been for the instruction received from Rawle’s text book at West Point he would not have left the United States Army to join the Confederate Army at the breaking out of the War between the States. He chose to serve the Confederate States army and his home state of Virginia in particular based on instruction given at the (Federal) United States Military Academy. Some quotes from Rawle’s include:

"The state is the more important entity, to which citizens gave their allegiance, not some Union of states…"

"The Union was formed by the voluntary agreement of the States, and in uniting together they have not forfeited their nationality, nor have they been reduced to one and the same people. If one state chooses to withdraw its name from the contract, it would be difficult to disprove its right of doing so, and the Federal Government would have no means of maintaining its claim, either by force or right."

"It will depend upon the State itself whether it will continue a member of the Union."

"If the States are interfered with they may wholly withdraw from the Union." (p. 289-90)

Many of the Southern leaders were trained and educated by the United States Military Academy. It is slander to call them traitors based on the education received by the Federal government.

We honor our ancestors for their courage, love of family, and dedication to principles that many in today’s world can not comprehend. These men endured countless hardships for a cause they felt was right. It is for these reasons that we honor our ancestors, lest the country forget their sacrifices.

Sources and Further Reading: View of the Constitution by William Rawle.

1.3. How does one become a member of the SCV?

Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either direct or collateral family lines. Kinship to a veteran must be documented genealogically. The minimum age for membership consideration is age 12.

Proof in kinship to a Confederate Soldier can take many forms. The easiest method is to contact the archives of the state from which the soldier fought and obtain a copy of the veteran’s military service record. The SCV has a network of genealogists to assist you in tracing your ancestor’s Confederate service.

Joining the Sons of Confederate Veterans serves today as a means for a gentleman to honor his Southern Ancestry with memorial, historical and educational activities. If you are a male descendant of an ancestor who fought for the Confederacy you can call 1-800-MY SOUTH (697-6884) to receive a membership packet. You can also call this number to inquire about the location of an SCV camp (local organization) nearest you.

Sources and Further Reading: Contact the International Headquarters of the SCV at call 1-800-MY SOUTH (697-6884), or PO Box 59, Columbia, TN 38402-0059 or your local SCV Camp.

1.4. How can I find out if an ancestor fought in the war and how do I find out about his service?

We have come up with this "GENERALIZED" outline to help get you started.

Making a connection to an Confederate ancestor is an exciting way to bring history alive for you and your family. So the first step has got to be learn your family’s genealogy.

The basic facts that you will need to know in order to do research on an ancestor are: name, state, regiment, and if possible, the company. Knowing what county your ancestor resided in during the 1860's would also be helpful.

Start your search by talking with your oldest living relatives. See how much information they can give you to build a family tree. Try to develop a family tree that extends back to the mid 1800’s. Males aged 16-40 on the 1860 census are prime candidates for CSA service. Begin your search with these men. Later you can check on older or younger men that may have also served.

It is important now to determine the state and county of residence so that Census records from 1860 may be located and reviewed for information. Census records can be found in local libraries, historical and genealogy societies, government archives and at LDS Family History Centers. Some are in books, but more common are microfilms. Paper copies of census records can usually be made. Develop a list of men whom you suspect may have served.

Contact that county to see if they have local historical society. Many counties have historical societies that have already documented local-county men who fought for the Confederacy. Many have "County History Books" which contain their men’s involvement with the WBTS. They'll have at least the local companies raised, and sometimes the roster and pension recipient list. Occasionally the battles their local soldiers participated in, their letters home, etc. may also be found.

Confederate regiments were frequently referred to by the commander's name even when in fact they had a numerical designation. You will find that many states have some sort of indexed listings of a soldiers. The National Archives has published a "Consolidated Index to Compiled Confederate Service Records" on microfilm which is available in many large historical libraries. The service records themselves are also frequently on microfilm at the library.

All Southern states have archived records of men who fought in the WBTS and also records of men who applied for pensions based on service to the CSA. Once you have a name or list of names you can visit or contact the state archives to view and/or obtain copies of service and/or pension records. Remember that not all records survived the war and the amount and quality of information can vary greatly from state to state.

When you have gathered the basic information, you can also obtain copies of your ancestor's service records by writing to the National Archives and requesting NATF Form 80. The address is:

General Reference Branch (NNRG-P)
National Archives and Records Administration
7th and Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20408
You may also request NATF Form 80 by sending e-mail to: inquire@arch2.nara.gov

When you have the forms, fill one out as completely as possible and check "Military Service". It is recommended that you write in red ink next to the veteran's name "Please send complete contents of files". Several weeks after you send the in the Form 80, the Archive will return the form indicating what they have located and how much it will cost to copy it, typically about $10.

The information from compiled service records from the National Archives may be the same, similar or different that the information from the state archives on the same soldier. The National Archives will not have pension records for Confederate veterans. Only the former Confederate state did awarded the pensions and their archives will have such records.

NOTE…..

The National Archives will soon discontinue providing paper copies of Confederate service records. The records will be available but you'll have to buy a roll of microfilm for $34.00, take it to a microfilm machine w/a printer, look up your veteran and print your own copies. The National Archives cites many reasons for this "life altering" decision. They state that they're under funded and often months behind on filing requests for paper records. Also, while the original records are on microfilm, the staff found it easier to make copies from the original papers, causing continual damage to these records to the point that they're no longer in good condition.

This new policy is being undertaken to preserve Confederate service records, Union border & western states, and the United States Colored Troops. As more Union service records are microfilmed, they will also be covered by this policy. If you'd like to send any comments about this policy change, write: CYNTHIA G. FOX, Chief, National Archives & Records Admin. Civil and Old Military Reference Staff (NWCTB), 700 Pennsylvania Ave, NW - Room 13W, Washington, DC 20408

Another option is to order paper copies of individual Confederate records from:

BROADFOOT PUBLISHING COMPANY. They are a private company with years of experience in Confederate and WBTS research. The charge is $25.00 plus $5.00 S&H. You can contact them at :

Broadfoots Publishing Co.
1907 Buena Vista Circle,
Wilmington, NC 28405
For each request Broadfoot receives from SCV researchers, a portion of the proceeds will go to the National SCV organization. They can also be reached at 1-800-537-5243.

There are some on-line data bases that allow you, usually for a fee, to search by name and state for ancestors.

Finally there is the LDS Family History Center. For about $7.50 a roll you can rent the microfilm that covers your ancestor. You may view and copy this at your local LDS FHC. You may find other ancestors on this same roll of film.

Sources and further reading:

In Search of Confederate Ancestors by J.H. Segars.

Civil War Genealogy, available from the author: G.K. Schweitzer, 7914 Gleason C-1136, Knoxville, TN 37919

In the Footsteps of the Blue and Gray: A Civil War Research Handbook" by Brian A. Brown (1996)

Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor by B.H. Groene, ISBN 0-345-36192-X; Confederate Research Sources: A Guide to Archive Collections by James C. Neagles, (ISBN 0-916489-11-6, Ancestry Publications, P.O. Box 476, Salt Lake City, UT 84110);

Military Bibliography of the Civil War, (4 vols) by C.E. Dornbusch;

Broadfoot’s: Roster of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865 16 vols. (1,500,000 Names In One Cumulative Index A cumulative index of all Confederate soldiers as transcribed from the 535 microfilm rolls entitled Consolidated Index to All Confederate Soldiers. The Roster provides name, rank, regiment, company and state. Included are all Confederate soldiers from all branches from all Confederate states. Also included will be guidelines and tables for further researching and identifying Confederate soldiers and units);

Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia 1861-1865, 6 Volumes by Lillian Henderson, (also available on CD-ROM Names, ranks, dates, and status of the soldiers of Georgia, organized by regiments).

1.5. How can I find information about a particular regiment?

The following are sources of information:

Compendium of the Confederate Armies by Stewart Sifakis, (New York: Facts on File, 1991-1994?), 11 vols. (The volumes in this series are for VA; TN; AL; FL and AR; NC; LA; MS; TX; SC and GA; KY, MD, MO and Indian units; and a volume of Tables of Organizations).

Units of the Confederate States Army by Joseph H. Crute Jr., (Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987), (Crute's work is not quite as comprehensive as Sifakis', but it has the advantage of having everything in one volume).

Military Bibliography of the Civil War by C.E. Dornbusch, 4 vols. (bibliography of regimental histories, both North and South).

Confederate Military History, 1899 by the Confederate Publishing Company 19 volumes by state, 6,100 Biographical Sketches, Edited by Gen. Clement A. Evans of Georgia; (This set was written by distinguished men of the South, producing a work which truly portrays the times and issues of the Confederacy. Each state being treated in a separate history allows space for details concerning its peculiar story, its own devotion, its own heroes, and its, battlefields with information about regiments that formed from that state. The military history of each Confederate state with eye-witness battle accounts, first-hand narratives, maps, military organizational charts and thousands of detailed biographical sketches. These volumes contain information on each unit; where, when, and by whom the unit was formed. There are some Rosters. There are two General Subject volumes, Maryland & West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama & Mississippi, Kentucky & Missouri, Louisiana & Arkansas, and Texas & Florida volumes. It is now also available on CD-ROM.

Confederate Research Center: At Hill College there is a research center that maintains files that includes regimental histories. You can contact the center at (817)-582-2555 or write PO Box 619, Hillsboro, TX 76645.

In addition many "County History Books" contains their men's involvement with the WBTS. They'll have at least the local companies raised, sometimes the roster and pension recipient list. Occasionally the battles their local soldiers participated in, their letters home, etc. Contact the county of origin. Ask for contacts for the county historical society or local library or local UDC or SCV organizations.

Finally many books on individual regiments, brigades, divisions, and corps have been written. A search on the internet or in your local library or local book store may turn up works that will cover the history of the specific regiments of interest.

On the internet:

There are many researchers that have posted regimental histories. Use search engines to match up with regiments of interest. In particular here are some sites to help you in your research:

Confederate History (primarily Georgia) http://members.xoom.com/JKMcNeillSCVcamp/History.htm

Confederate Regimental Histories: http://www.tarleton.edu/~kjones/confeds.html, and http://www.tarleton.edu/~kjones/A-g.html#GA-Inf

Regiments of Georgia & South Carolina: http://www.researchonline.net/gacw/

Infantry sites and book lists by CSA state:

Alabama http://www.erols.com/jreb/alabama.html

Arkansas http://www.erols.com/jreb/arkansas.html

Florida http://www.erols.com/jreb/florida.html

Georgia http://www.erols.com/jreb/georgia.html

Kentucky (CSA) http://www.erols.com/jreb/kentucky.html

Louisiana http://www.erols.com/jreb/louisiana.html

Mississippi http://www.erols.com/jreb/mississippi.html

North Carolina http://www.erols.com/jreb/northcarolina.html

South Carolina: http://www.erols.com/jreb/southcarolina.html

Tennessee: http://www.erols.com/jreb/tennessee.html

Texas: http://www.erols.com/jreb/texas.html

Virginia: http://www.erols.com/jreb/va.html

Military History Institute: http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/Bibliographies/CivilWar/CWUnits/

Regiments of the Confederate Army: http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=csregiment&list

WBTS Researchers list CSA A-M http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/unit4.html

WBTS Researches List CSA N-V http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/unit5.html

You can also try the "OR’s" Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. It is suggested that you use the index or obtain the CD-ROM that allows searches. This may be your only alternative for particularly obscure units. The index lists the regiments by state. It is a good idea to check the index for the name of the regiment's commander and perhaps for the brigade commander.

At some point it will be helpful to learn of the regiment's place in the army structure. In other words which brigade, division, corps it was attached to. Knowing other regiments in the same brigade can give you a picture of what the regiment may have experienced. Histories of battles or campaigns may not mention every regiment, but they may mention the brigade or division the regiment is in.

While it is not possible to answer every specific question that you might have here on this web page, it is hoped that we have helped you to get started in this exciting, honorable, and worthy cause. Please feel free to contact us for further clarification and assistance.

1.6. Who was the last surviving Confederate Veteran of the WBTS?

The last authenticated veteran of the Confederate army was Pleasant Crump of the 10th Alabama Volunteer Infantry, who died on 31 Dec 1951. Previous claims to be the last veteran of the Confederate army were made for Walter Washington Williams (died 19 Dec 1959) of Texas and for John Salling (died 19 Mar 1959) of Virginia. However, their claims must be rejected, since among other reasons, census records indicated that, in 1860, Williams was only 5 years old and Salling was just 2 years old.

Sources and further reading: William Marvel in "Blue and Gray", Feb 1991; The Civil War Notebook, by A.A. Nofi; New York Times article, Dec. 19, 1959; Civil War Dictionary, by M.M. Boatner.

1.7. What violations of heritage are the Sons of Confederate Veterans battling?

In General, the SCV fights against attacks, falsifications, revisionism, stereotypes and attempts to remove all things Confederate from the public.

In each issue of the Confederate Veteran (the bimonthly publication of the SCV), a section is devote to heritage promotion and to fighting heritage violations. This section is called "Forwarding the Colors, a report from the SCV Heritage Committee". Violations have ranged from items such as vandalism of Confederate soldier’s graves, vandalism to Confederate monuments, removal of Confederate flags that have flown over graves of Confederate veterans, attacks (physical, verbal, legal) on citizens who choose to promote Confederate history and honor their ancestors, denial of citizens and students from displaying anything Confederate on their person, vehicles, etc, banning of the playing of Dixie at school events, challenging the media who defame our ancestors by publishing false information, or portraying our ancestors or their symbols in a demeaning manner, stereotyping of the Southern people as racist and bigoted, removal of "rebel" as school and college mascots, just to name a few.

As descendants of these men, it is our duty to stand up for their place in history and defend their good name.

Sources and Further Reading: Contact the International Headquarters of the SCV at call 1-800-MY SOUTH (697-6884), or PO Box 59, Columbia, TN 38402-0059 or your local SCV Camp.

1.8. How can I obtain a Headstone Marker for a Confederate Veteran and how does one go about getting a dedication of this marker?

The Veterans Administration will provide a marker for your Confederate Veteran ancestor at no expense but you must apply for the marker. The marker can be a upright granite or marble headstone, a bronze flat marker, a bronze niche, or a flat granite or marble stone, depending on your choice.

The form you need, for ordering, is VA Form 40-1330 and it can be obtained from a local Veterans Administration Office. Many local funeral homes also have this form available. You can also call 1-800-827-1000 to request a form, or write:

Office of Memorial Programs (403A),
Department of Veterans Affairs,
810 Vermont Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20420-0001.
A copy of the form can also be downloaded from http://www.va.gov/benefits.htm.

The applicant may be anyone having knowledge of the deceased. The applicant must certify that the grave is unmarked or marked inappropriately (such as errors in the marker, damage to the marker, or deterioration of the marker which make it difficulty to identify the subject in the grave) and a Government headstone or marker is preferred to a privately purchased headstone or marker. This restriction also applies for companion markers, which identify two or more decedents buried, or to be buried, in the same or adjoining graves. A grave is considered marked if a monument displays the decedent’s name and date of birth and/or death, even though the veteran’s military data is not shown.

Any deceased veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable is eligible and that includes Confederate Veterans of the War Between the States. To expedite processing, attach a copy of the veteran’s proof of service. The stone or marker will be shipped within 70 days, after the VA receives the fully completed application with correct information. The stone or marker will be shipped to the consignee designated on Form 40-1330 at no cost. All costs for pick up and installation must be paid from private funds.

In addition to honor our Confederate ancestors an SCV Iron Cross Marker may be purchased. You may go to this URL on the internet to see sketches.

http://members.xoom.com/JKMcNeillSCVcamp/Ironx.htm

The SCV Iron Cross is a visible reminders to all that, "Here lies a Southern Hero" !

Confederate Iron Crosses are of the Maltese Cross design, 11" x 11" with an 18" steel shaft for mounting. All are powder coated to preserve the beauty of this wonderful monument to our resting heroes and ancestors. Documented PROOF of the soldier's serving honorably in the CSA must be presented by all purchasers. This can be verified by copies of Military or Pension records.

Iron Crosses can be obtained from some local SCV camps or you send a check for $55 (includes shipping) to the:

John K. McNeill SCV Camp #674,
P.O. Box 1353,
Moultrie, GA 31776.
When contacting an SCV Camp, please allow them to record some grave information for future generations. Please include the following: Soldier's Name, Rank, Unit, Location of Grave and any other pertinent information on the soldier). Please contact us if you have any questions on how to document this service.

To have a dedication of the marker, or a memorial service, contact an SCV camp in the area where the grave is located. Most camps will be happy to help you plan and put on a dedication ceremony to honor a Confederate hero. If you need help in locating a local camp, contact the IHQ, SCV at 1-800-MY SOUTH (697-6884), or PO Box 59, Columbia, TN 38402-0059 or the internet at http://www.scv.org/

1.9. Why do grown men, run around pastures and woods playing soldiers? Doesn’t this glorify war and suffering?

These men are called reenactors. They are for the most part not playing soldier, but demonstrating a living history project. They are trying to recreate a time in history that will be lost and which some are trying to eliminate. The purpose is not to glorify suffering, but to show today’s people what it was like to live and perhaps die in the 1860’s. Types of events sponsored by reenactors include:

Educational Programs for schools and civic groups, in which the WBTS and display reenacting equipment is discussed.

Living History Encampments for the general public, where historical camps are set up, demonstrations on the lifestyles and folkways of the era are presented and displays of reenacting equipment are shown. Reenactors often discuss how the WBTS affected the lives of the combatants, their families, and the nation.

Battle Reenactments-At times the battle reenactment is a largest event open to the general public. It is meant to demonstrate the maneuvers and tactics used by the opposing armies on the field of battle. Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Engineers can be utilized in scenario.

A graphic field hospital demonstration may follow a battle.

Revival tent and period church services are sometimes presented.

Cooking and food samples of the troops may be available.

19th Century Skill competitions, which can be of warfare such as accuracy with firing a musket or revolver, Calvary maneuvers, artillery actions, or other competitions such as cooking, uniform representation, music, others.

Civilian encampments which demonstrate what a citizen’s life might have been like in the 1860’s.

The SCV it’s self does not sponsor reenactors or reenactments, but many SCV members to participate in living history, reenacting at events, performing as honor guards for grave and headstone memorial services. Many SCV members who also choose to be reenactors do so in honor of an ancestor who served and may have died for the Confederacy. It gives a descendant a sample of what life was like for their ancestor.

Reenactors are involved in a non-profit organizations committed to education of the public on the WBTS. Too much history these days seems to be viewed only with a 1990’s outlook. The living historians or reenactors try to put people back into the mind set of a mid 1800’s civilization. Remember events in history took place in perspective of the times in which they happened. People of the 1860’s did not view it as how their life might be judged 150 years later.

Many of the reenactors are excellent research historians and much could be learned by attending an event, viewing the program and asking questions. Most reenactors go to great personal expense and sacrifice to demonstrate to the public what accurate history is about.

By the way there are reenactors throughout the country and world that reenact many periods of history, not just WBTS area including: the Roman Empire, Middle Ages, Revolutionary war, Lewis & Clark era, Mountain man/fur traders, Mexican War, Oregon Trail, Indian Wars, Spanish American War, WWI just to name a few. Not all are military in nature. Many are civilian, medical, industrial, reenactments.

There are many living history and reenacting groups found through out the United States. There are many sites on the internet that can give you further contacts. Someone serious about history can learn much from reenactors.

Sources and further reading: Reliving the Civil War, A Reenactors Handbook by R. Lee Hadden, Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (1996), Camp Chase Gazette, The Voice of Civil War Reenacting, PO Box 707, Marietta, OH 45750, The Citizens' Companion he Voice of Citizens Reenacting, PO Box 707, Marietta, OH 45750

Internet: Cryders Civil War Reenacting pages: http://marin.org/npo/cwar/home/, http://midas.org/npo/cwar/home/direct.htm, http://reenact.org/home/index.html, http://marin.org/npo/cwar/

Part #2: QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFEDERATE SYMBOLS SUCH AS THE FLAG AND THE HERITAGE THEY REPRESENT TO THE SCV.

2.1. Why are the Confederate flags and other symbols of the Confederacy so important in this day and age?

They are symbols that our ancestors fought, sacrificed and died for. They allow us to share their history and meaning with our children and with persons interested in historical research. There are groups in America who would deny us the right to remember, explain, or display any symbols of the Confederacy. It is a sad fact that some people and groups have taken up the cause to re-write history and erase anything that dealt with the people of the Confederacy. Too many persons appear to make judgments on the people of the 1860’s with only their current 1990’s perspective. Regardless of what some people may claim about the symbols they are our heritage and have nothing to do with hate. They are our history and our culture, which in a free society, we are allowed to have. The symbols go deep into our family roots and unite us as a Southern people. Family unity and responsibility should be a greater point for the social reformers to focus on rather than trying to defame our ancestors. Perhaps these groups have much to learn from our heritage which is the Confederate States of America and the patriots that died to protect their family.

Sources and Further Reading:

2.2. What are the "Stars and Bars", "Southern Cross" and other Confederate symbols?

The "Stars and Bars" IS NOT the familiar rectangle "rebel" flag one sees adorning license plates and often carried, that is the CS Naval Jack, based on the CS battle flag. The Stars and Bars was actually the First National Flag of the Confederacy, where as the "Southern Cross" is actually the Confederate battle flag, a military flag.

NOTE: The following information is provided as a general guide to the flags of the Confederate States of America. There were many variations in the flags and particularly the battle flags. This page will give you good background information on the CSA flags but can not in the space here cover all the variations, materials, colors, and times of service. There are many works that focus just on the battle flag variations.

Flags of the Confederate States of America: National flags are those that identify a nation. These flags were very important and a matter of great pride to those citizens where in the Confederate States of America. It is also a matter of great pride for their ancestors as part of their heritage and history. For the first 24 days, the Confederate government had no officially approved flag. The capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama flew the State flag of Alabama. When Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederacy, the inaugural parade was led by a company of infantry carrying the State flag of Georgia.

A committee on Flag and Seal was appointed by the Provisional Congress, the chairman of the committee was William P. Miles of South Carolina. Hundreds of flag designs were received from all over the new nation and from the now foreign country of the United States. There was an unwritten deadline for a flag design of 4 March 1861 because that was the day Lincoln was to be inaugurated president of the United States. On that date the Confederate States were determined to fly a flag to express their own sovereignty.

There were 3 major "official" flags of the Confederate nation from 1861 to 1965, but many people only know of the "Battle Flag", which was not a national flag at all.

Bonnie Blue Flag: On 9 January 1861 the Convention of the People of Mississippi adopted an Ordinance of Secession and a large blue flag with a single white star was raised over the capital building in Jackson. Although the Confederate government did not adopt it, the people did. Lone star flags, in one form or another, were adopted in five of the Confederate States that adopted new flags in 1861.

The First National "The Stars and Bars" (4 March 1861-1 May 1863) On the morning of 4 March 1861 large models of the proposed flags were hung on the walls of the Congressional chamber. The First National Flag "The Stars and Bars" was adopted on the same day it was to be raised over the capitol at Montgomery. A flag made of soft merino wool was completed within two hours of it's adoption by the Congress. The very first flag of the Confederate States of America was raised by Miss Letitia Christian Tyler, grand- daughter of President John Tyler. Six weeks later it was flying over Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The Original First National Flag of the Confederacy can still be seen today at Beauvoir, which is the Jefferson Davis Memorial and Shrine, located in Biloxi, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast Highway. It had 7 stars in a circle on a blue field, to represent the 7 states of the CSA Later versions would have 11 stars and then eventually 13 stars as other states joined the Confederacy. The bars consisted of two red and one white. In their hurry to adopt a flag and have it ready the same afternoon, the Congress forgot to enact a flag law. Nowhere in the statute books of the Confederate States is a Flag Act of 1861. In official use for over two years, the Stars and Bars was never established as the Confederate Flag by the laws of the land. The Stars and Bars flag was replaced in 1863 by the "Stainless Banner"

The Second National Flag "The Stainless Banner" (1 May 1863-4 March 1865) William Porcher Miles, chairman of the Flag and Seal Committee, was not satisfied with the "Stars and Bars" as the Confederate National Flag. He wanted to get away from any flag that resembled the United States flag.

The mood of the Confederate people and their representatives in Congress, was to let the "Stars and Bars" be the National Flag. As the war started to drag on, the sentimental feelings for the "Stars and Bars" began to fade away. More and more Confederate citizens came to see the flag of the United States as a symbol of oppression and imperialistic aggression.

In February 1862 the First Congress of the Confederate States assembled in Richmond. The new members of Congress reflected the changing feelings of the people toward the flag. One of the first actions of the new Congress was to appoint a new Joint Committee on Flag and Seal with instructions to consider and propose a new Confederate Flag.

On 19 April 1862 the committee submitted it's report to both Houses of Congress. While the debate over a new National Flag for the Confederate States of American was going on, the Army of Northern Virginia had been engaged in some battles under it's Battle Flag and a lot of blood was spilled. Because of these actions some members of Congress, and the citizens of the Confederacy, wanted the Battle Flag incorporated into the National Flag as a way of paying respect to the Confederate Soldiers that were wounded and killed fighting for the new nation's freedom and independence.

Senate Bill No. 132 was put into formal language by Representative Peter W. Gray of Houston, Texas. This bill was passed on to the senate and passed with very little debate. Later that same day President Davis signed the bill and gave the new flag to the Confederate States of America. The new flag became official on the 1st of May 1863.

This second National Confederate Flag was referred to as the "Stainless Banner" because of it's pure white field, and was said to represent the purity of the cause which it represented. One of the first uses for the new flag was to drape the coffin of General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. General Jackson died on the 10th of May and he lay in state in the Confederate House of Representatives on 12 May 1863. By the order of President Davis, his coffin was draped with the first of the new National Confederate flags to be manufactured. This very first "Stainless Banner" is now on display in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond. Because of it's use on General Jackson's coffin the new flag is at times referred to as the "Jackson Flag". The Second National Flag was replaced by the Third National Flag in 1865.

Third National Flag (4 March 1865-Present) In 1863 congress had argued that "the white flag would not be taken for a flag of truce as it was patterned after the old French Bourbon Flag", but the flag had been considered by many as looking too much like a flag of truce. As a result the flag was often manufactured with a shorter fly length in order to minimize the white field.

A new flag bill was introduced to the Confederate States Senate on 13

December 1864. Senator Thomas J. Semmes of Louisiana introduced Senate Bill No 137 with the statement that "naval officers objected to the present flag, that in a calm looked like a flag of truce". Much consideration followed the introduction of this bill, including consultations with high ranking officers of both the Confederate navy and army. The senate passed bill 137 on 5 February 1865 on to the house which also passed it on 27 February 1865. It was signed into law by President Davis on 4 March 1865.

Unlike existing war flags of the earlier patterns, there are very few survivors of the 1865 version as it was approved so late in the war. Many of the ones that do exist are actually the 1863 Stainless Banner with the fly shortened and a red bar added to the flag.

CSA Battle Flag "The Southern Cross" (November 1861-present) Flags that are used by troops in the field are known as "Battle Flags". The use of distinctive battle flags by combat units can be traced back to the middle ages in Europe and even to Roman legions. Flags that are used in battle are important because they let the battlefield commanders know what troops are where.

At the first great battle of Mannassas 21 July 1861 General Joseph E Johnston had overall command of the Army of Northern Virginia, but the greatest part of the actual planning and field operations were conducted by General P.G.T. Beauregard. On several occasions during the fighting, confusion was caused by the inability of commanders to distinguish their troops from that of the enemy. There were too many similarities in uniforms and the Confederate stars and bars (1st national flag) looked similar to the Union Stars and Stripes, add this to the dust and smoke of battle, it combined into a confusing battle to fight or command.

General Beauregard complained to Johnston, so the commanding General ordered the troops to use their state flags for recognition. But there were not enough of these state flags for all the regiments. General Beauregard asked Congress to change the 1st National Flag. Instead Congressman Miles suggested that the Army adopt a distinctive battle flag for its own use. The design that Miles urged the army to use was one that he had originally submitted to be the national flag of the confederacy, but was rejected. The Generals liked the Red Flag, with the blue cross and white stars, but felt a square flag would be more convenient for military use.

In November 1861 the first battle flags were issued to regiments. This flag is referred to as the "Southern Cross". It had 11 stars for the states currently in the CSA and one for Missouri, which had seceded, but was not yet admitted to the Confederacy for a total of 12 stars.

The first flags were made of silk, but which did not last very long exposed to the harsh weather conditions the army had to live in. Army of Northern Virginia (ANV) silk flags were used into 1863 by some units. Two were lost at Gettysburg for example. Their borders were yellow and the hoist edge a blue sleeve. The next flag issue was the ANV cotton flags, also of 12 stars. These were made in April, 1862 and given to three brigades as a stop gap measure.

The next issue of these flags in 1862 were made of heavy English wool bunting. They would now proclaim 13 stars. These first wool bunting flags were made in May 1862, Second Wool bunting flags in June (both with orange borders) and Third Wool bunting flags (with white borders for the first time) from July 1862 until May 1864. Fourth Wool bunting flags (these were the only ones that were 51 inches square) came in June 1864 with later bunting issues beginning in October through March 1865. The ANV flew 9 variants of their battle flag during the war.

The some regimental flags would have the regimental designation painted in gold on the blue cross above and below the central star. The regimental battle honors were painted in blue on the red field of the flag. Further researchers point out that most ANV flags were unmarked by honors or unit designations. Only those units in the 1863 divisions of D.H. Hill, A.P. Hill and Ed Johnson (issued April, May and September 1863 respectively) had flags done with the gold letters over the center stars and blue honors on the field. Pickett's Division received flags in June 1863 with white painted unit designations on their fields. Some brigades, like Cox's NC Brigade, Kershaw's SC Brigade and a few others had their own flags done in particular manners, most with honors only, either painted on the flag in white or blue letters or sewn on strips.

Battle Flags used on land by Confederate troops were usually in three sizes:

INFANTRY FLAG: This flag was the largest size a 48 inches to a square side.

ARTILLERY FLAG: This flag was the middle size. 36 inches to a square side

CAVALRY FLAG: This flag was the smallest size. 30 inches to a square side

NOTES: These measurements include the borders which were folded over the exterior of the field of the flag. In May through September, 1863 the infantry flags were only about 45 inches square to save scarce imported bunting. Also in many cases the artillery used infantry sized flags.

The different sizes of the flags made it easier for the commanders to not only tell what combat unit was where, but it also told the commander what type of unit it was. The Battle Flag was always in front of the regiment. This way the soldiers in the regiment always knew where they were to be. Should a soldier ever be separated from his unit, all he had to do was look for his regiment's flag.

It was indeed the intent of Generals Beauregard and Johnston to permeate the ANV flag all over the South in the field armies but both men met resistance from commands in other areas that had already created their own distinctive battle flags and so their efforts were mixed in terms of results.

The Armies of Tennessee, Mississippi, the states departments, and the Trans-Mississippi Department all had variations on size, shape color and markings on its battle flags. Many CSA battle flags were created by other unit commanders for the same reasons the ANV flag was, to settle battlefield confusion. Gen. Polk created his flag (a St. George's cross) in 2 versions for his corps (and a subunit, Dea's Alabama Brigade created flags similar but based more on French imperial flags); Gen. Hardee's corps used the famous "moon" flag of a white device (circle, oval or rectilinear, depending on when issued) on a blue field (the flag was actually invented by Gen. Buckner); Gen. Bragg's Corps used flags inspired by the ANV flag but with 12 six-pointed stars on it; Breckenridge's Corps used First Nationals well into 1863 as their battle flags; Bowen's Missouri Division used blue flags with red borders and a white Latin cross on it; Van Dorn's Army of the West used a Middle Eastern looking flag with a red field, either yellow or white stars and borders.

As for flags inspired by the ANV flag, The Army of Tennessee (AOT) flag of 1864 was supposed to be square also like the ANV (as per Johnston's orders to the Atlanta Depot) but the depot goofed and they came back rectangular. The flags of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi & East Louisiana ( the command unit for Polk's Army of Mississippi, Forrest's Cavalry Corps and others) were also slightly rectangular but with only 12 stars. These were made in Mobile by contractors Jackson Belknap and to a lesser extent James Cameron. Neither flag had colored borders. The flags of the Department of South Carolina, Florida and Georgia were also ANV flag inspired but were built differently. These square flags were made by the Charleston Depot and began showing up in April 1863. They can be discerned easily from ANV flags by their wider cross and colored pole sleeves of red or blue (ANV flags were tied to the poles).

Other ANV inspired flags, both square and rectangular appeared in ad hoc situations in the west and Trans-Mississippi theaters. The most unique were the flags of Gen. Walker's Texas Division issued in 1864. These were square, blue flags with red St. Andrews crosses and 13 stars. Other battle flags bore no resemblance to anything else previously known but contained usually a device that was prominent to the troops that carried them.

NOTE: All three national flags also served as unit battle flags, particularly in the West and Trans- Mississippi theaters. The First National flag, despite being changed officially in May 1863, was actually the only CS flag pattern that saw battle use from the beginning to the end of the war! Examples were taken at Appomattox, in North Carolina, and in battles of the 1864 campaigns.

Naval Jacks- The jack was flown from a "jackstaff" located on the bow of a ship, and was only flown when the ship was in port. The Naval Jack denoted the ship flying it was a ship of war.

First Confederate Naval Jack (4 March 1861-26 May 1863) had a blue field with a circle of 11 stars in the center.

Second Confederate Naval Jack (27 May 1863-present) The naval regulations of 1863 adopted the new National Ensign and also adopted a new Naval Jack. It was to be the same as the union of the new National ensign except it's length was to be one and a half times it's width. The Flag Act of 1865 didn't change the basic design of theNational flag's canton, the jack of 1863 would have remained the Naval Jack after 1865. The Naval jack of 1863 is very much like the Battle Flag of the Army of Tennessee.
Sources and further reading: Flags of the Confederacy, Cannon, Devereaux D. Pelican Publishing 1994, Internet: http://members.xoom.com/JKMcNeillSCVcamp/Flags.htm

2.3. Doesn’t it bother you, flying that hateful racist flag? Don't you care how other people feel or that my ancestors were hurt by men flying that flag?

The flags of the Confederacy represented the Southern people, their nation, and their armies. There was no hate associated or intended with the making or displaying of the Confederate symbols of 1861-1865. Those symbols represent our ancestors and their struggles and sacrifices. They are a part of this countries history. Acts of war in 1861-1865 killed and hurt many people. The SCV deplores the use of these symbols by extremists and hate groups (such as white supremacist, skinhead, Neo-Nazi, KKK) which have no right to use the often seen Confederate Naval Jack of 1863, or any other sign, symbol, or token of the Southern Confederacy of 1861-1865. Acts of hate, in which our symbols are used are an inappropriate condemnation of our heritage and culture.

If you research closely you will see that these extremist groups fly and also defame the fifty-star American Flag, not to mention the flag of the Christian Churches of the world, with their white supremacist, racist bigoted, hate rhetoric. There is no demonstration to ban those flags, even when used by the hate groups. The Sons of Confederate Veterans zealously, condemn, denounce, all of these hate group for the misuse and degradation of any and all of the symbols of the Southern Confederacy 1861-1865. THE SCV also denounces any organized group that oppose our history and symbols for their own mis-informed campaigns, self promotions, or down right ignorance of history. Remember, these Confederate symbols are stained with the blood of our Southern patriot ancestors.

Many emotionalized attacks on our Confederate images have been presented. These shallow anti-Confederate arguments lack substance when studied. Again using 1990’s perspectives to judge actions of the 1860’s. This thought process is doomed to failure in a thinking society.

Note: For your research information on the CSA, the following books are recommended for further reading:
Listed are but some of the many good books that are available for reading. These books will present to the reader a perspective of the War For Southern Independence that many books do not present. They are listed in alphabetical order.

"Abolitionism Unveiled" by Henry F. James 1856

"Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" 8 Volumes, by the men who fought in the war, edited by Century Magazine, 1887

"Berry Benson’s Civil War Book: Memoirs of a Confederate Scout and Sharpshooter" by Berry Benson 1962

"Black Slaveowners, Free Black Slave Masters in South Carolina 1790-1860" by Larry Koger 1985

"Cannoneers in Gray: The Field Artillery of the Army of Tennessee, 1861-1865" by Larry J. Daniel 1984

"The Civil War: A Narrative" by Shelby Foote 1974.

"Civil War Trivia and Fact Book" by Webb Garrison1992.

"The Coming of Glory" by John S. Tilley, 1948

"Company Aytch, Maury Grays First Tennessee Regiment or A Side Show of the Big Show" by Sam R. Watkins 1882

"A Confederate Catechism, The War for Southern Self-Government" by Lyon Gardiner Tyle, 1935

"The Confederate Cause and Conduct in the War Between the States" by Hunter McGuire and George L. Christian 1907

"The Confederate Constitution of 1861: An Inquiry into American Constitutionalism" by Marshall L. DeRosa 1991

"Confederate Military History" 12 Volumes, by Edited by Gen. Clement A. Evans 1899

"Confederate Nurse: The Diary of Ada W. Bacot 1860-1864, 1944

"A Constitutional View of the War Between the States" by Alexander H. Stephens 1868

"Crimes of the Civil War and the Curse of the Funding System" by Judge Henry Clay Dean 1868

"The Defense of Battery Wagner July 18th, 1863" by Lt. Col. Twiggs

"A Defense Of Virginia And The South" by Robert L. Dabney 1867.

"Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War" by General Richard Taylor 1877

"A Diary From Dixie" by Mary Chesnut 1905

"The Diary of Edmund Ruffin" 3 Vols 1972

"Embattled Banner-A Reasonable Defense of the Confederate Battle Flag", by Don Hinkle, 1997

"Facts and Falsehoods Concerning the War on the South 1861-1865" by George Edmonds, 1904

"Facts The Historians Leave Out-A Confederate Primer" by John S. Tilley 1951.

"The Federal Government: Its True Nature and Character: Being a Review of Judge Story's Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States" by Abel P. Upshur 1997

"The Flags of The Confederacy: An Illustrated History" by Devereaux D. Cannon, Jr. 1988.

"Forgotten Confederates: An Anthology about Black Southerners" by Kelly Barrow 1995

"Fourteen Months in American Bastille’s" by C.W. Howard 1863

"Free and Impartial Exposition of the Causes Which Led to the Failure of the Confederate States to Establish Their Independence" Oct 14, 1865

"Generals in Gray" by Ezra J. Warner 1959

"Gladstone, Morley, and the Confederate Loans of 1863" by John Bigelow 1905

"Give Us Back the Constitution of Our Fathers" by Henderson Hallman 1924

"The Gray Book: A Confederate Catechism" by Lyon Gardiner Tyler, 1935

"Immortal Captives" by Mauriel Joslyn , 1999

"In Search of Confederate Ancestors" by J. H. Segars 1993

"Inside of Rock Island Prison from December 1863 to June 1865" by J.W. Minnich 1908

"Is Davis a Traitor" by Albert Taylor Bledsoe 1866

"The Last Rebel Yell" by Michael A. Grissom 1919

"The Letters of Judah P. Benjamin to Ambrose Dudley Mann, Minister of the Confederacy to Belgium & the Vatican"

"The Life of Johnny Reb" by Bell Irwin Wiley 1943

"The Lost Cause: A New Southern History of the War of the Confederates" by Edward A. Pollard, 1866

"Maryland: The South’s First Casualty" by Bart Rhett Talbert 1995.

"Memoirs of Service Afloat" by Admiral Raphael Semmes 1868

"Men in Gray" by Robert Catlett Cave, 1911

"Miss Rutherford's Scrapbook1923" by Mildred Lewis Rutherford (Topics: The Causes That Led to the War Between the States, Secession Was Not Rebellion, Who Was Responsible For War?, Was Coercion Constitutional?, Army and Navy of the Confederate States Organized, Battles and Leaders The Surrender and Results)

"Miss Rutherford's Scrapbook 1924" by Mildred Lewis Rutherford (Topics: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Reconstruction Days of 1865-1876, The 13th and 14th Amendments, The South's Responsibility)

"Miss Rutherford's Scrapbook 1925" by Mildred Lewis Rutherford (Topics: Things That Make for Peace - What is Meant by Peace?, Disputed Points in Southern History - Proofs Given, What Has the Negro Meant to the South, What Has the South Meant to the Negro,)

"Miss Rutherford's Scrapbook-Historical Notes 1927" by Mildred Lewis Rutherford

"Nathan Bedford Forrest: The First With the Most", by Robert S. Henry 1944

"The Negro, North and South: The status of the Colored Population in the North and South Compared" by Robert Trimble 1861

"Ordeal of the Union (Volumes 1, 2, 3, & 4)" by Allan Nevins 1992.

"Prison Life During the War" by Fritz Fuzzlebug 1869

"The Prison Life of Jefferson Davis" by John J. Craven, M.D. Carleton 1866.

"The Real Lincoln" by Charles L.C. Minor. Everett Waddey Company, 1904.

"The Recognition of the Southern Confederation" by James Spence 1862

"Reminiscences of the Civil War" by General John B. Gordon 1903

"Report of the Joint Committee of the State of the Republic (Georgia) on November 9th, 1866 - Reasons for rejecting the 14th Amendment"

"The Right of Recognition: A Sketch of the present policy of the Confederate States By a Recent Tourist 1862"

"The Rise And Fall Of The Confederate Government" by Jefferson Davis 1881

"Sack and Destruction of the City of Columbia, South Carolina" by

William Gilmore Simms 1865

"The Secret Six: John Brown And The Abolitionist Movement" by Otto Scott, 1979.

"The Shackling of Jefferson Davis" by T.K. Oglesby 1899

"So Good a Cause: A Decade of Southern Partisan" by Oran P. Smith, 1993

"The South Must Have Her Rightful Place In History" by Mildred Lewis Rutherford. 1923.

"The South Vindicated From The Charge of Treason and Rebellion" by William E. Boggs 1881.

"The South Was Right" by James Ronald Kennedy and Walter Donald Kennedy 1991.

"Southern By The Grace of God" by Michael Andrew Grissom1988.

"Southern Historical Society Papers" - 52 Volumes (Also Available on CD-ROM) 1876-1959

"Southern Rights Convention of Maryland Feb 18-19, 1861"

"A Southern View Of The Invasion Of The Southern States and War Of 1861-1865" by Captain Samuel A'Court Ashe 1911

"States' Rights The Law of the Land" by Charles J. Bloch 1958

"The Story of the Confederacy" by Robert Selph Henry, 1931

"The Story of the Confederate States or History of the War for Southern Independence" by Joseph T. Derry 1895

"Three Hundred Days in a Yankee Prison: Imprisonment at Camp Chase Ohio" by John H. King, M.D. 1904

"The Tragic Era: The Revolution after Lincoln" by Claude Bowers 1929

"The Treatment of P.O.W. 1861-1865" by Samuel E. Lewis M.D. 1910

"A True Estimate of Abraham Lincoln", By Mildred Lewis Rutherford, 1923

"The True Story of Andersonville Prison" by James Madison Page 1908.

"Truths of History" by Mildred Lewis Rutherford. 1920.

"Truth of the War Conspiracy of 1861" By H.W. Johnstone, 1921

"The Typical Georgia Confederate" by John C.Whatley. 1991

"The Uncivil War: Union Army and Navy Excesses In The Official Records" by Thomas Bland Keys 1991.

"A View Of The Constitution" by William Rawle 1825

"War Claims Against The United States" by William Whiting 1866

"War For What" by Francis W. Springer 1990.

"War of The Rebellion - Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (130 Volumes also available on CD-ROM)" Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901.

"Was Jefferson Davis Right?" by James Ronald Kennedy and Walter Donald Kennedy 1998

"What The South May Claim or Where The South Leads" by Mildred L. Rutherford

"Why Not Freedom?-America’s Revolt Against Big Government" by James Ronald Kennedy and Walter Donald Kennedy 1995

"The Works of John C. Calhoun" by John C. Calhoun 1844

"Wrongs of History Righted" by Mildred L. Rutherford 1919.

3.1. Is it true that many of the history books we may have used in school about the Civil War and Southern Confederate history have been altered or slanted toward the North’s point of view?

The simple TRUTH about the War Between The States- WBTS, (but often referred to incorrectly as the American Civil War); is that this war was fought by Southerners from all ethnic backgrounds and religions, rich and poor, free and slave, to protect their home and hearth from a hostile foreign invader. We all have learned the misrepresentations, outright lies, and

falsehoods the Washington-Lincolnian-Reconstructionist-Revisionist-Politically-Correct historians teach in our schools today. They have taught generations of Southern school children their version of the War of Northern Aggression. Remember it is the victors that write the history of the vanquished. What is civil about a war that was fought for the subjugation of a land and its' people?

Most people have only heard the Northern side. This is quite natural, as the side that wins in armed conquest usually gets to write the history books. In a divorce proceeding, would anyone listen only to one side, totally ignoring the other, even though the first claimed to be fair in representing the other’s side? That is exactly what has happened to the South. The United States acted like most empires do when a portion of the population declares itself free. England invaded us when we did in 1776, Russia did it to preserve its empire, Romans had before, and the list is endless. Only this time, the people declaring independence lost.

Sources and further reading: (See list at the beginning of section #3)

3.2. If the history books used in schools are unbalanced, then what are some common "Myths" of the South and of the Confederacy that are presented to the public?

The way most history books deal with the South before 1865 is slanted and present many false presumptions. Liberals and black activists that spread emotional lies about the war and about the South often go so far as to equate the Confederate battle flag with "Nazi swastika," and calling our ancestors "traitors" and Nazi concentration camp guards. The news media seems to relish these kinds of attacks on our heritage. Liberals and historical revisionists who attack the legitimacy of the Confederacy and its cause and thus the right of the traditional white Southerners to exist as a people with a culture and a heritage, usually base their attacks upon false assumptions. These attacks can be easily disarmed by a thinking citizen. Some of the premier "MYTHS" include:

The antebellum Southern whites treated their slaves cruelly and nearly every white Southerners had slaves.
Slavery, was practiced only by white Southerners, and when practiced was a sin, equitable with Original Sin, which damned all Southern whites and their descendants forever.
The Southern states attempted to leave the Union only to protect slavery and thus fought the war primarily to protect the institution of slavery
The Southern states could not lawfully secede from the Union; therefore they were in rebellion against the Union.
The Southern states started the War of Rebellion, and fought a civil war with the intent to overthrow the Federal government in Washington D.C.
The sorely-beset Union fought the war to free the slaves. (As Col. Chamberlain is portrayed to say to the Maine dissidents in the propaganda filled movie, "Gettysburg," "We are fighting to set men free.")
After that war, the Southern whites invented and have since been the sole perpetrators of hate crimes and social injustice.
Reconstruction benefited the South and the blacks in America have benefited immeasurably from Reconstruction.
Reconstruction ended before the turn of the century.
The most obvious myth is that of the "great and good" North marching into the "cruel and evil" South for the sole purpose of freeing the slaves. There are many quotes from Northern leaders (Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and others) that show clearly that the main purpose of the North was not the eradication of slavery, but subjugation of the southern people. If you study these common accepted myths, you will easily find them to be false and spread accidentally by ignorance of the common student/teacher or deliberately with contempt towards the southern people.

Sources and Further Reading: Facts the Historians Leave Out; John S. Tilley; 1951, 1993, A Southern View of the Invasion of the Southern States; Capt. Samuel Ashe; 1938; 1994, War for What?; Francis W. Springer; 1990 (See list at the beginning of section #3)

3.3. What did the Confederates feel they were fighting for?

An honest answer is that there may have been as many different reasons for fighting this war as there were soldiers in the Confederate Army. The politically correct revisionist historians would like to state the Confederate soldiers were fighting to protect and preserve slavery. It seems an odd statement since less than 10% of those men were actual slave holders.

Some common answers that appear over and over from the Confederates were that they were fighting to establish their own government, just as their forefathers did in the first American war for Independence in 1776. Just like in 1776, years of oppression and many complex and interwoven issues produced the feeling in the Southern population to secede and then later to take up arms to defend their land.

Some were fighting to repel the invasion of the Federal Army and in essence fighting to protect their home and families. Since the constitution did not authorize the Federal government to make war on a state, yet the Federal military presence was definitely a threat to the Confederate states and the people within, taking up arms for defense of their land seems a logical reason for fighting.

Sources and Further Reading: (See list at the beginning of section #3)

3.4. Why did the South secede in 1861 and did the South have the right to secede from the Union?

The South did have the Constitutionally guaranteed right to secede from the Union. A sovereign State always maintains the right to chose its course and the fact of "free and independent States" cannot be denied for this was their status as recognized by England after independence was gained. The Articles of Confederation of 1778 to 1789 guaranteed it and the US Constitution which was merely a revision of the Article of Confederation, strengthened that guarantee. The Federalist papers show it to be an option and that force to maintain the Union is not.

Add to this the precedent of Northern states threatening to secede and further proof is found that it was a real option. This is irrefutable proof that the Southern States had the right to secede.

Examine the particulars which are grounded in the words of our founding fathers, the framers of our Constitution, and the acts of the several States in ratifying the Constitution. The fact of the matter is that this is a simple process if one takes a plain meaning of the words. Problems only arise when we do not take as matter of fact the words of the founding fathers. The technique of adding meaning or changing definitions is how men have always tried to cloud issues.

First, in the Colonies the individual Colony considered itself independent of the others. New York would not pay the ransom of John Stark who was captured by the "savages" and brought to Albany for a ransom. Inasmuch as he belonged to New Hampshire, the government of New York took no action for his release. There was not even enough community of feeling to induce individual citizens to provide money for that purpose.

Local and partial confederacies were found in the New England colonies. Even these early confederacies retained what Jefferson Davis named as "the germ-principle of states rights". The "United Colonies of New England" which lasted nearly fifty years was one and there were several other temporary and provisional associations of colonies formed. The people were taught the advantages of union for a common purpose, while they had never abandoned or compromised the great principle of community independence. Since these unions were dissolved and reformed into new unions the fact is evident they had the sovereign right as independent communities to secede or form unions as they saw fit.

The Articles of Confederation continued the ideal of sovereign communities gathering for a united purpose but not at the expense of their independence. This sentiment is traceable through the dissolution of the colonial ties with England to the Articles of Confederation. A general Congress made the declaration that the colonies were and had the right to be, "free and independent States." Great Britain then recognized each State individually, not in aggregate. This idea was carried to the Articles of Confederation and found in:

"Each State retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States in Congress assembled."

Another point is that these articles were adopted by eleven of the original States in 1778. It took three years for the other two states to join the compact. The reason for the delay in joining was their fear that their sovereignty may be compromised. Finally their fears were quieted and with their sovereign status intact they entered the United States. They did so without coercion or force by the other states for they were free and independent States who could either reject or accept the Articles of Confederation.

When the States decided that the government created by the "Articles" was inadequate and that it was time to revise the "Articles", that is what they gathered to do. Revise not recreate was the charter given to the representatives who gathered at the Constitutional Convention. Still of note is that the revision had to be accepted and ratified by the States, not the people of the United States in aggregate, but rather the people of the States ratifying for their own sovereign State.

When the states ratified the Constitution, they acceded to the Union by voting through their delegates assembled in convention to accept the Constitution, but they did not surrender any of their sovereign power. Because the states had the authority to accede, it follows logically that they had the authority to secede. Naturally, if they had the right to do something, they would also have the right to undo it if they so chose. In addition, several of the states, including Virginia, Rhode Island, and New York, specifically and explicitly stated in their ratification’s that they retained the right to withdraw from the Union, when so ever it was their desire to do so.

"We, the delegates of the people of New York ... do declare and make known that the powers of government may be reassumed by the people whenever it shall become necessary to their happiness ..." (The ratification by New York, 26 July 1788)

"We the delegates of the people of Rhode Island and Plantations, duly elected, etc, do declare and make known... That the powers of government may be resumed by the people whenever it shall become necessary to their happiness" (The ratification by Rhode Island)

"We the delegates of the people of Virginia, ... , do in the name and behalf of the people of Virginia, declare and make known that the powers granted under the Constitution being derived from the people of the United States may be resumed by them when so ever the same shall be perverted to their injury or oppression.." (Proceedings in the convention of Virginia, Wednesday, 25 June 1788. Debates of the Convention.)

There are several points to consider in the discussions of the time. One of the primary is the striking of the phrase "National Government " from the Constitution. Since this was done quickly is of great importance in understanding the meaning of their action to delete it. The prompt rejection, after introduction, of this word national, is obviously more expressive of the intent and purpose of the authors of the Constitution than its mere absence from the Constitution would have been. The rejection makes it even more abundantly clear that they did not mean for our government to be a "consolidated nationality", instead of a confederacy of sovereign members. In order to insure this fact the Tenth Amendment was added, which was in essence is the same as the Second Article of Confederation. The Tenth Amendment states:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution nor prohibited by it to the States are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

The tenth amendment clearly states that power is delegated by the States and power not delegated remains with the people of the State. Therefore, when we see "the people" we should think the people of the individual sovereign State acting in concert for the State independent of the people of other States. Clearly, what we have is a double statement of the reserved power of the States individually. New York stated it thusly,

"Every power not delegated remains to the people of the several States, or to their respective State governments, to whom they may have granted the same."

The proof is conclusive the sovereignty of the States individually remains and that the States have not delegated away their right to secede, which may be necessary, if there is a breach in the compact (the Constitution). That is why Madison in the Federalist papers would give the grounds for a State or States right to secede.

"It is an established doctrine on the subject of treaties, that all the articles are mutually conditions of each other; that a breach of any one article is a breach of the whole treaty; and that a breach committed by either of the parties absolves the others, and authorizes them, if they please, to pronounce the compact violated and void."

Timothy Pickering, of Massachusetts was the first to threaten secession. Josiah Quincy, of Massachusetts was the first to mention secession in Congressional halls in 1811. John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts was the first to petition Congress to dissolve the Union. Charles Francis Adams testified that there was no doubt but that his grandfather, John Quincy Adams, believed that a State had the right to secede.

The truth of this principle was appealed to several times in the history of our Union and never doubted as a legitimate alternative to continuing in the Union. The first was Massachusetts which threatened to secede because of the Louisiana purchase. Their reason was it gave more weight to the Southern section of the country. The solution offered:

"The principles of our revolution point to the remedy, a separation. That this can be accomplished, without spilling one drop of blood, I have little doubt. I do not believe in the practicality of a long continued Union. A Northern Confederacy would unite congenial characters and present a fairer prospect of public happiness; while the Southern States, having a similarity of habits, might be left to manage their own affairs in their own way." (Colonel Timothy Pickering, Senator from Mass. in a letter to George Cabot)

The writer then goes on to list the Northern States that would join their Confederacy.

There were other instances where secession was threatened in the North such as in 1845 when the "measures for the annexation of Texas evoked remonstrance’s, accompanied by threats of dissolution."

As a last example we have the Southern States. The Southern States did not only threaten, but acted on the right to secede. The Southern States believed that the Northern States had made a breach in the contract (constitution) by not allowing equal access to the territories which in effect gave the Northern States the advantage politically and therefore decided to exercise their sovereign right to secede.

While this answer can not give exhaustive support of the South’s right to secede, it does clearly demonstrate that the right existed. It can be realized by a plain interpretation of our Constitution, and the words of the founding fathers. In the Federalist alone there can be found many additional proofs. It only remains to realize why the Southern War for Independence came about, with the North’s gross trampling of our Constitution, which in fact signaled the death of the United States. If our United States was freely entered, it cannot be maintained by force. As Hamilton said in the Federalist

"For in politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword."

It was President Andrew Jackson who said, "The Federal Union, It must be preserved", but also stated the Union "could not be preserved by force." The Union he referred to was a voluntary union, and force, which precludes volition, would in itself destroy the very thing it was supposed to be preserving.

The nature of our federation is not Consolidated States, but United States. A number of States held together by coercion, or point of bayonet, would not be a Union. Union is necessarily voluntary, the act of choice, and free association. A Union of States necessarily implies separate sovereignties, voluntarily acting together. To force these distinct sovereignties into one mass of power is, simply, to destroy the Union, and to overthrow our system of government.

It should be noted that William Rawle’s book "View of the Constitution" was the primary book used in teaching the Constitution and was used at West Point until the war. General Lee told Bishop Wilmer (of Louisiana) that had it not been for the instruction received from Rawle’s text book at West Point he would not have left the United States Army to join the Confederate Army at the breaking out of the War between the States. He chose to serve the Confederate States army and his home state of Virginia in particular based on instruction given at the United States Military Academy. Some quotes from Rawle’s include:

"The state is the more important entity, to which citizens gave their allegiance, not some Union of states…"

"The Union was formed by the voluntary agreement of the States, and in uniting together they have not forfeited their nationality, nor have they been reduced to one and the same people. If one state chooses to withdraw its name from the contract, it would be difficult to disprove its right of doing so, and the Federal Government would have no means of maintaining its claim, either by force or right."

"It will depend upon the State itself whether it will continue a member of the Union."

"If the States are interfered with they may wholly withdraw from the Union." (p. 289-90)

Judge Black of Pennsylvania in "Black’s Essays" noted :

"John Quincy Adams, in 1839, and Abraham Lincoln in 1847 made elaborate arguments in favor of the legal right of a State to secede."

Horace Greeley is quoted:

"If the Declaration of Independence justified the secession of 3,000,000 colonists in 1776, I do not see why the Constitution ratified by the same men should not justify the secession of 5,000,000 of the Southerners from the Federal Union in 1861." We have repeatedly said, and we once more insist that the great principle embodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence that government derives its power from the consent of the governed is sound and just, then if the Cotton States, the Gulf States, or any other States choose to form an independent nation they have a clear right to do it. (New York Tribune)

"Let the people be told why they wish to break up the Confederation, and let the act of secession be the echo of an unmistakable popular fiat. Then those who rush to carnage to try to defeat it would place themselves clearly in the wrong." (American Conflict Vol. 1, p. 359)

Abraham Lincoln is quoted in the Congressional records of 1847:

"Any people whatever have a right to abolish the existing government and form a new one that suits them better."

Charles Beecher Stowe,(Note he was the son of Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote the propaganda novel "Uncle Tom’s Cabin" which assumed by a hystrical Northern population as fact. That infamous book condemned the Southern people’s way of life, penned by her without ever one visit to the Southland.) was quoted:

"When the South drew the sword to defend the doctrine of States Rights and the institution of slavery, they certainly had on their side the Constitution and the laws of the land, for the National Constitution justified the doctrine of States Rights."

"Is it not perfectly evident that there was a great rebellion but the rebels were the men of the North, and the men who defended the Constitution were the men of the South, for they defended States Rights and slavery, which were distinctly entrenched within the Constitution."

The idea that the North was fighting to free the Negro people might be quashed with this quote from the New York Herald 11 Nov 1860:

"The South has an undeniable right to secede from the Union. In the event if secession, the City of New York, and the State of New Jersey, and very likely Connecticut will separate from New England when the black man is put on a pinnacle above the white."

If we maintain and believe that the colonists were justified in leaving British rule to form their own government, which is the principle embodied in the Declaration of Independence, then that same principle is how we would have to view the act of secession executed by the Southern States in 1861. They were exercising the exact same right. The right of freedom!

Sources and further reading: The Federal Government: Its True Nature and Character: Being a Review of Judge Story's Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States" by Abel P. Upshur 1997, View of the Constitution by William Rawle, The Rise and Fall of The Confederate Government by Jefferson Davis

3.5. When did each state secede?

Before Lincoln's call for troops, the following states seceded:

South Carolina, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 20 Dec 1860

Mississippi, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 9 Jan 1861

Florida, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 10 Jan 1861

Alabama, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 11 Jan 1861

Georgia, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 19 Jan 1861

Louisiana, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 26 Jan 1861

Texas, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession, 1 Feb 1861, to take effect 2 Mar 1861 provided it was ratified by the voters on 23 Feb 1861 (approved 46,153 to 14,747). Texas admitted to the Confederacy, 2 Mar 1861.

After Lincoln's call for troops on 15 April 1861, the following states seceded:

Virginia, Convention rejected secession 4 Apr 1861, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession 17 Apr 1861 and ratified C.S.A. Constitution, both subject to ratification of voters 23 May 1861 (approved 132,201 to 37,451). Virginia admitted to CSA 7 May 1861.

Arkansas, Convention rejected secession ordinance on 18 Mar 1861 and called for referendum in August, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession 6 May 1861. Arkansas admitted to CSA 20 May 1861.

North Carolina, Voters narrowly rejected (47,705 to 47,611) calling a Convention 28 Feb 1861. Legislature called Convention 1 May 1861. Convention passed Ordinance of Secession 20 May 1861. North Carolina provisionally admitted to CSA 17 May 1861.

Tennessee, Voters rejected (69,772 to 57,708) calling a Convention 9 Feb 1861. On 6 May 1861 Legislature passed "Declaration of Independence" and ratification of CSA Constitution subject to referendum on 8 June 1861 (approved 104,471 to 47,183). Tennessee admitted to CSA 17 May 1861.

The following two states never seceded via any mechanism provided by a
regular government:
Missouri, Convention rejected secession 9 March 1861; Convention reconvened in July 1861 and declared offices of governor and legislature vacant; meeting in Neosho on 28 October 1861 the Legislature ratifies the Ordinance of Secession. 31 October 1861 Governor Claiborn Jackson signs the Bill authorizing the Ordinance of Secession and requests admission to CSA. 28 November 1861 The Confederate Congress Admits Missouri as the twelfth state of the Confederation

Kentucky, southern sympathizers called for convention Oct 1861, Convention passed Ordinance of Secession 18 Nov 1861. Kentucky admitted to the CSA 10 Dec 1861.

Sources and further reading: Civil War Day-by-Day; Official Records, Series IV, Vol. 1; D.W. Crofts, Reluctant Confederates (1989); W.L. Buenger, Secession and the Union in Texas (1984).

3.6. Did the U.S. Supreme Court ever rule on the legality of secession?

Secession is a question that has never been satisfactorily resolved by the Supreme Court and is unlikely to ever be addressed by the Court in the future. After the war had ended, the case most often cited about secession was Texas vs White from 1869. Could you guess what the conclusion reached might have been with a Northern court needing to justify the war of Northern Aggression? Their answer was

"The Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union, composed of indestructible States. Considered, therefore, as transactions under the Constitution, the Ordinance of Secession, adopted by the convention and ratified by a majority of the citizens of Texas, and all the Acts of her Legislature intended to give effect to that ordinance, were absolutely null. They were utterly without operation in law. Our conclusion, therefore, is, that Texas continued to be a State, and a State of the Union, notwithstanding the rationale for military occupation is also self-contradictory."

Interesting enough in Coleman vs Tennessee, the U.S. Supreme Court held military occupation lawful, not on constitutional grounds, but by resorting to international law principles which apply primarily to independent nations.

"Though the late war was not between independent nations, but between different portions of the same nation, yet having taken the proportions of a territorial war, the insurgents having become formidable enough to be recognized as belligerents, the same doctrine must be held to apply. The right to govern the territory of the enemy during its military occupation is one of the incidents of war and the character and form of the government to be established depend entirely upon the laws of the conquering State or the orders of its military commander." (97 U.S. 509, 517; 1879)

It would appear then that to justify the otherwise unconstitutional military occupation of a state, the post war U.S. Supreme Court treats the state as if it were an independent nation, implicitly recognizing the validity of its secession. What the Court did not cite was any constitutional provision which justified the war in the first place. Since the invocation of international law was based on the fact of war, and the Union's involvement in that war violated the Constitution, it is evident that the Constitution's supremacy clause forbade this action. Yet the Yankee government felt compelled to resort to international law to override the Constitution. The unconstitutional and amoral nature of the Court's reasoning can be seen.

Since the end of the War Between the States, there have been two legal developments impacting the issue of secession. Those are amendment of state constitutions to prohibit secession and the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment. While under military occupation and control, the states of Arkansas, North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi and Virginia, each enacted new constitutions containing clauses prohibiting secession. Soon thereafter, the troops were withdrawn soon after the passing of the clauses. Such clauses do not serve to abolish the right of those states to secede from the Union as the clauses were added only under duress. It is an principle of law that agreements made under duress are voidable at the option of the aggrieved party.

Neither was the issue of secession settled by various Supreme Court decisions resolving questions tangential to the issue itself. (See the much cited case examples such as The Prize Cases, (1862), Mississippi vs Johnson, (1866); Texas vs White, (1868); and White vs Hart, (1871). In none of these example cases was the Court asked to deal squarely with the issue of state secession when the outcome of the case impacted on the rights of the seceding states and those states were represented by counsel before the Court. None of these cases contained a detailed and serious analysis of the issues, arguments and constitutional clauses one would expect to see in a comprehensive treatment of the issue by the highest court in the land. Therefore, these cases carry little moral or legal authority.

Sources and further reading:
3.7. Did the South fight to overthrow of the United States Government?

No. The South had no intent of "conquering" the North. The fought to establish it’s own government. The government of Great Britain was not destroyed by the success of the colonies in 1783 to win it’s freedom and the Union government, while reduced in land size, would not have been destroyed either. Secession was not rebellion. It was perfectly legal in accordance with the Constitution of the United States, but fighting Southern states secession with armed resistance by the Federal Army was the true rebellion.

The American system of government was intended to be a republic of states, and the underlying principle upon which the republic was formed was that any people have the right to withdraw from a government they do not like and form one that better suits their needs and desires. This was the intent of the Southern states, to withdraw not to overthrow. The men of the South did not fight to win their freedom, they fought to keep it! To quote from the Declaration of Independence:
"... that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

"The Southern leaders ought not to have been treated as rebels - secession is not rebellion." (Goldwin Smith of Cornell University)

"If Congress can regulate matters entrusted to local authority, the power of the States may be eliminated and thus our system of government be practically destroyed." (Chief Justice Day, United States Supreme Court)

When the states that comprised the Confederate States of America chose to secede from the Union, they did so legally, and formed an independent nation, which was promptly invaded by the United States of America. Our system of government prior to the War for Southern Independence was one of a republican system, wherein every state was a sovereign republic. The federal government was the servant of the many states, not the other way around.

Considering the sectional animosity before, during, and after the War for Southern Independence, if the Northern leaders had thought that they could have successfully tried any Southern leader for treason, they would have done so. They did not, because they knew that such a trial would lead to the public realization that the South had exercised a constitutional and natural right, and that the North had invaded a sovereign and independent nation.

Sources and further reading: The South Was Right!; James Ronald Kennedy and Walter Donald Kennedy; 1991,1994, Truths of History; Mildred Rutherford, A Southern View of the Invasion of the Southern States; Capt. Samuel Ashe; 1938, 1994, War for What?; Francis W. Springer; 1990, Facts the Historians Leave Out; John S. Tilley; 1951, 1993

3.8. Was secession the cause of the war and if not then was the cause of the war?

No. Secession is a civil process of withdrawal and has no implications of force, violence or war. It is often written that to prevent secession (keeping the union whole) and slavery were the burning issues that caused the war, but again these are emotional arguments, that when studied, do not have the substance of fact. Economic and trade relations, including tariffs are other issues raised by some as the cause of the war.

The main cause of the war was the Lincoln government of the North’s rejection of the right of peaceable secession of the eleven sovereign states and subsequently the denial of self-government to the nearly 8 million people living in those states. Without consulting Congress, Lincoln sent great armies of destruction to the South. The Southern people had no choice but to defend themselves from this invasion.

There were two factors about the election of 1860 which disturbed the Southerners so badly that Southern states subsequently seceded. First Was the Republican-party platform for 1860. Basically, the Northern capitalists wanted the U.S. government to tax (only) the South deeply, to finance the industrialization of the North, and the necessary transportation-net to support that. In those days, there was no income tax. The federal government received most of its revenue from tariffs on imported goods. The Southern states imported from England most of the manufactured goods they used, thus paid most of the taxes to support the federal government. The Northerners imported very little. In 1860, for example, just four Southern-states paid in 50% of the total tariffs.

In 1860, the averaged tariff-rate was 18.84%; the Republicans spread the word that they were shooting for 40%--which could bankrupt many Southerners and would make life much harder for most of them. The Republican platform included a transcontinental railroad, following a Northern route, extensive internal-improvements to extend the transportation net for the Northern manufacturers; a homestead act which would eliminate the only other important source of federal funding, etc.

Second, if the Republicans somehow managed to gain control of Congress and the White House, they would then be able to use the federal government to enact and enforce their party platform, and thus convert the prosperous Southern states into the dirt-poor agricultural colonies of the Northern capitalists. And given the trends in demographics, the Southern states would never be able to reverse that process. The intent of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution would then have been subverted completely: the Southern states would no longer be governed with the consent of the governed, but instead bullied mercilessly by the Northern majority. Why, then, remain in the Union?

After the Republicans gained control of the presidency and the Congress, eleven Southern states eventually seceded from the Union, specifically to avoid becoming the helpless agricultural-colonies of the Northern capitalists. This move took the Northern capitalists completely by surprise. Southern states had been threatening to secede ever since the Tariff of Abominations and the days of Calhoun. The North no longer took those threats seriously. But with the South now gone, there would be no federal funding to industrialize the North--for the Northern citizenry would certainly never agree to be taxed to pay for it. And far worse than that, the many, many Northern-capitalists who had been earning fortunes factoring the Southern cotton-crop, transporting the cotton, and buying the cotton for New England textile-mills now faced financial ruin. The South normally bought its manufactured goods from Britain, anyway. Now, as a sovereign nation, the South could easily cut far better deals with the British financiers,

Ship owners, and textile mills to supply the South with all of the necessary support services, leaving the Northern capitalists out in the cold. There was no way Lincoln or anyone else from the Republican party could possibly talk the Southern states back into the Union now, so he would have to conquer them in war. Lincoln assumed it would be a 90-day war, which the Union Army would win in one battle. If you read Lincoln's first inaugural-address with any care at all, you'll see that it was simply a declaration of war against the South.

What caused the war? Mr. Lincoln. His violation of the Constitution including the sending of hostile invading armies into the South, provoked this war. Had the Southern states been allowed to form their own government, there would have been no war.

3.9. What were the populations of the states at the outbreak of the war?

The following statistics are from J.C.G. Kennedy, Supt. of Census, Population of the United States in 1860, (Washington, GPO, 1864)

State
White
Free Colored
Slave
Total
Military

Alabama
526,271
2,690
435,080
964,201
99,967

Arkansas
324,143
144
111,115
435,450
65,231

California
323,177
4,086
0
379,994
169,975

Connecticut
451,504
8,627
0
460,147
94,411

Delaware
90,589
19,829
1,798
112,216
18,273

Florida
77,747
932
61,745
140,424
15,739

Georgia
591,550
3,500
462,198
1,057,286
111,005

Illinois
1,704,291
7,628
0
1,711,951
375,026

Indiana
1,338,710
11,428
0
1,350,428
265,295

Iowa
673,779
1,069
0
674,913
139,316

Kansas
106,390
625
191
107,206
27,976

Kentucky
919,484
10,684
225,483
1,155,684
180,589

Louisiana
357,456
18,647
331,726
708,002
83,456

Maine
626,947
1,327
0
628,279
122,238

Maryland
515,918
83,942
87,189
687,049
102,715

Massachusetts
1,221,432
9,602
0
1,231,066
258,419

Michigan
736,142
6,799
0
749,113
164,007

Minnesota
169,395
259
0
172,023
41,226

Mississippi
353,899
773
436,631
791,305
70,295

Missouri 1,063,489 3,572 114,931 1,182,012 232,781
New Hampshire 325,579 494 0 326,073 63,610
New Jersey 646,699 25,318 18 672,035 132,219
New York 3,831,590 49,005 0 3,880,735 796,881
North Carolina 629,942 30,463 331,059 992,622 115,369
Ohio 2,302,808 36,673 0 2,339,511 459,534
Oregon 52,160 128 0 52,465 15,781
Pennsylvania 2,849,259 56,949 0 2,906,215 555,172
Rhode Island 170,649 3,952 0 174,620 35,502
South Carolina 291,300 9,914 402,406 703,708 55,046
Tennessee 826,722 7,300 275,719 1,109,801 159,353
Texas 420,891 355 182,566 604,215 92,145
Vermont 314,369 709 0 315,098 60,580
Virginia 1,047,299 58,042 490,865 1,596,318 196,587
Wisconsin 773,693 1,171 0 775,881 159,335
Territories 76,214 all
Colorado 34,231 46 0 34,277
Dakotas 2,576 0 0 4837
Nebraska 28,696 67 15 28,841
Nevada 6,812 45 0 6,857
New Mexico 82,979 85 0 93,516
Utah 40,125 30 29 40,273
Washington 11,138 30 0 11,594
Washington, DC 60,763 11,131 3,185 75,080 12,797

Totals:

White
Free Colored
Slave
Total
Military

Union*
21,475,373
355,310
432,650
22,339,989
4,559,872

CSA
5,447,220
132,760
3,521,110
9,103,332
1,064,193

*includes MO and KY, DC, and territories

The following statistics are from J.C.G. Kennedy, Supt. of Census, Preliminary Report on the Eighth Census, 1860 (Washington, GPO, 1862) and from Annie Abel, The American Indian as Slaveholder and Secessionist (1915)

The Five Civilized Tribes

Tribe
White
Free Colored
Slave
Indian

Choctaw
802
67
2,297
18,000

Cherokee
713
17
2,504
21,000

Creek
319
277
1,651
13,550

Chickasaw
146
13
917
5,000

Seminole
8
30
0
2,267

The following statistics are from J.C.G. Kennedy, Supt. of Census, Agriculture in the United States in 1860, (Washington: GPO, 1864)

State
Slave Holders
Slave Holder %
Slaves/holder

Alabama
33,730
6.4
12.9

Arkansas
11,481
3.5
9.7

Delaware
587
0.65
3.1

Florida
5,152
6.6
12.0

Georgia
41,084
6.9
11.2

Kentucky
38,645
4.2
5.8

Louisiana
22,033
6.1
15.0

Maryland
13,783
2.7
6.3

Mississippi
30,943
8.7
14.1

Missouri
24,320
2.3
4.7

North Carolina
34,658
5.5
9.6

South Carolina
26,701
9.2
15.1

Tennessee
36,844
4.4
7.5

Texas
21,878
5.2
8.3

Virginia
52,128
5.0
9.4

Totals
393,967
4.9
10.0

3.10. Why did the Confederates start the war by firing the first shots on Fort Sumter?

While technically true that the South did fire the first gunshots of the war, this resulted from intentional provocation on the part of the Lincoln administration. By the time Lincoln took office, secession was well under way. The Confederate government had assumed control of numerous U.S. government "Federal" forts, arsenals and mints within the Confederate states. Union Major Robert Anderson secretly and at night moved his garrison from the weaker Fort Moultrie in the Charleston harbor to the stronger Fort Sumter. While this was taking place Lincoln’s predecessor, President James Buchanan, had announced his belief in the right of secession by stating that the U.S. had no right to coerce the Southern states to rejoin the Union. Oddly enough, Lincoln had affirmed his own similar belief on the Senate floor in January, 1848. His position changed drastically once appointed President.

In these next two incidences, the pattern of provocation by the North that caused the shots to be fired, which was not necessary, should be fully obvious.

The South’s first shots were fired on the ship "Star of the West" and only after having given a bow shot as a warning not to proceed. She carried provisions to re-supply Fort Sumter and the 200 armed men in her hold. The ship’s mission was to have been a secret. The plan was devised by Union General Winfield Scott and followed through by order of President Buchannan. An important fact about that incident which is often left out of the story is that the ship "Star of the West" after being warned with a bow shot, kept moving forward. It did not heed the warning. It was fired upon again, and was hit twice.

So, who started the war? The North did through this first incident of provocation. The firing the warning shot and the later shots and hits on the "Star of the West" did not have the desired effect by Scott and Buchannan to incite the Northern people enough to call for war.

Remember that South Carolina had legally seceded from the Union with the united States, and Fort Sumter was on South Carolina land. After South Carolina seceded, the fort was still manned by a Union garrison. The South Carolina demanded possession of the fort and offered to pay for it. The Lincoln administration promised that the garrison would leave. However, Lincoln sent Federal war ships, which were supposed to be ships providing provisions for the men there, but instead were actually war ships. When General Beauregard learned of the ships sailing for Fort Sumter, he demanded that Major Anderson, the Union general in charge of the garrison, surrender the fort, or he would commence firing. Anderson refused to surrender, and Beauregard gave the order to fire before the garrison could be reinforced by the Federal war ships.

In short, South Carolina wanted her property back, offered to buy it back, and were promised to be given it back. When the promise was found out to be a lie, they were forced to take it back with force. Lincoln knew he could not gain support of the Northern people for war, so he forced the South into a position of "firing the first shots", This allowed him to trick the North and the world, and as we see now most history teachers into thinking, "Look, Confederates fired on our United States flag. They want war." You can see this was a propaganda stunt staged by the Northerners to win sympathy for the political aspirations of Lincoln. Once the Fort was fired on the fleet then continued on, as planned to Florida.

The Official Record discloses that beginning 20 January 1861, the Governor of South Carolina arranged to supply the garrison of Fort Sumter with fresh meat, vegetables, and groceries. At the time of the attack, it was reported that 4 weeks of rations were on store at the fort.

Firing on Fort Sumter did not mean the South wanted war. No one was hurt in the firing and Lincoln knew that the Confederates would have to gain control of this fort that had been erected for the defense of and now commanded the entrance to the city of Charleston, one of the busiest seaports at the time. A cold and calculated move that would cost thousands of lives in the next 4 years.

A fatal error made by the casual historian is to assume that the firing on Fort Sumter or even the earlier firing on the "Star of the West" was the beginning of the war. This would be then to assume that powerful elements in the North had no prior intent to invade and subjugate the South, and that they had no inkling that actions they were undertaking would result in physical resistance, and subsequent defense of the Southern homeland. The first casualty of the war was a Northerner inside Fort Sumter, who wanted to fire a cannon salute before leaving Fort Sumter and was killed in doing so.

Secretary of the Northern Navy Gideon Wells wrote: "It was very important that the Rebels strike the first blow in the conflict."

Why the provocation? Republican leaders and their predecessors, the Federalists, in the North had long hated the South, a result of not only the Southern Democrats having controlled the White House and Congress for many of the country’s early years, but also resulting from a genuine dislike of democracy. In a general sense the beginning of the war can be traced to the Northern desire for disunion that surfaced in the late 18th century. These men were desirous of a monarchical government which would be a throwback to that of King George III, from whom our forefathers had fought seven years to attain separation.

Throughout the 19th century, and many years before the secession of any Southern state, prominent Northern legislators, editors, clergymen and civic leaders openly petitioned and pontificated the need for disunion; in fact, many conventions were held and resolutions supporting disunion passed in the Northern states. The hatred of democracy and the wish to form a Northern Confederacy was emphatically pronounced. Examples to make the point are:

George Cabot wrote:

"I cannot believe essential good will come from separation while we retain the maxims and democratic principles which all experience and reason pronounce to be impracticable and absurd.... We are too democratic altogether, and I hold democracy to be the government of the worst."

From the Massachusetts convention of 1851:

"Resolved, That the one issue before the country is dissolution of the
Union, in comparison with which all other issues are as dust in the
balance; therefore, we have given ourselves to the work of annulling this
covenant with death."
Rev. Andrew T. Foss, New York, 1857

"There never has been an hour when this infamous Union should have been made, and now the hour has to be prayed for when it shall be dashed to pieces forever! I hate the Union!"

Wendell Phillips, Boston, 1849

"We confess that we intend to trample on the Constitution of this country. We of New England are not a law-abiding community, God be thanked for it! We are disunionists; we want to get rid of this Union."

Resolution passed in a meeting at Faneuil Hall in Boston, 1850:

"Resolved, That we seek a dissolution of the Union; and Resolved, That we do hereby declare ourselves the enemies of the Constitution, of the Union, and of the Government of the United States; and Resolved, That we proclaim it as our unalterable purpose and determination to live and labor for the dissolution of the present Union."

And still other Northern leaders wrote:

"A thousand times accursed be this Union!", William Lloyd Garrison, 1850

"Let us sweep away this remnant we call a Union.", Senator Ben Wade of Ohio, 1855

"Why preserve the Union? It is not worth preserving. I hate the Union as I hate hell!", Senator Langdon of Ohio

The above quotes offer a glimpse into the hearts and minds of Northern Federalist leaders of the day. It should be noted that the general populace did not, as a rule, wish for war. This lack of will among the average citizen was the reason Northern secession failed. When the Southern states began to desire disunion, the Northern leaders devised a plan of revenge and subjugation the general population was duped into supporting. How? By disseminating propaganda designed to make the population believe that their very existence was threatened by the Southern Confederacy, that the capitol of Washington would be attacked, and that the "rebels" were desirous of, not just separation, but conquest of the United States.

The absurdity of this effort in the face of overwhelming facts to the contrary, and the even more absurd fact that it succeeded as a motivation for war is mind-numbing in light of the above quotations which leave no doubt whatsoever as to who the true enemies of the United States were at the time. However, there was no effort to whip the public into a frenzy in response to these Northerners who openly professed to be "the enemies of the Constitution, of the Union, and of the Government of the United States."

Interestingly enough, while some disunionists were also ardent abolitionists the primary motivation of the Northern disunionists was not rooted in abolition. During the early to mid 1800’s abolitionists were often physically attacked in Northern states, while the non-abolitionist disunionists were not. Although the ranks of abolitionists increased significantly in the 1830’s, Catherine Stowe, older sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe, reasoned that rather than through a belief in the abolitionist movement, many of these new supporters joined "because the violence of opposers had identified that cause with the question of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and civil liberty." In other words, the motivating factor that brought many into the abolition movement was a belief in the very Constitutional guarantees that would later be crushed in the North as well as the South by the oppression of their own president.

Although the Republican party was an anti-slavery party since its beginnings in 1854, that plank of the party’s platform was cast aside in the effort already discussed on motivating the populace for war. Remember the majority of the Northern people were not abolition-minded. At the urging of Secretary of State William Seward, Lincoln’s policy became one of union vs disunion rather than one of slave vs free. Seward’s desire for war was so strong that he urged Lincoln to demand explanations from France and Spain categorically as to whether or not they would officially recognize and/or support the Confederate States of America. Lincoln said, "And if satisfactory explanations are not received...I would convene Congress and declare war against them." Why was Mr. Lincoln so war hungry that he was willing to fight three wars at once?

Though Seward desired war, he preferred to begin the war in Florida rather than at Ft. Sumter. While debating the reinforcement of the fort in a Cabinet meeting he stated, "The attempt to reinforce Sumter will provoke an attack and invoke war. The very preparation for such an expedition will precipitate war at that point." Lincoln viewed this possibility as a way to galvanize support at home for his war by giving the appearance of not being the aggressor and by not having fired the first shot.

As proof of the war being "Lincoln’s War" consider the following quote by Joseph Medill, an outspoken South hater and editor of the Chicago Tribune, from a 1864 meeting to protest the order for 6,000 additional Cook County, Illinois men to be drafted into the Union army:

"The citizens held a mass meeting and appointed three men, of whom I was one, to go to Washington and ask Stanton, Secretary of War, to give Cook County a new enrollment....He refused. Then we went to President Lincoln. ‘I can not do it, but I will go with you to Stanton and hear the arguments of both sides.’...The argument went on for some time, and was finally referred to Lincoln, who had been silently listening. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, with a voice full of bitterness, ‘after Boston, Chicago has been the chief instrument in bringing this war on the country. The Northwest opposed the South, as New England opposed the South. It is you, Medill, who is largely responsible for making blood flow as it has. You called for war until you had it. I have given it to you. What you have asked for you have had....You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Go home and raise your 6,000 men.’"

Nothing could be clearer: "You called for war....I have given it to you." By th