In lieu of a newsletter this month, I'm just going to send a brief e-mail to everybody. Our newsletter editor is having computer trouble so maybe next month we'll be back on track.
Its certainly been an eventful past few weeks in the Division as well as the Brigade and Camp. Where to start?
I received an e-mail from Compatriot Ralph Mills from Gainesville requesting to come assist in Farmersville cemetery this Saturday since his ancestors were buried there. I had agreed to have him come over and all things were set up when he e-mailed me last night (Thursday) to tell me he wouldn't be able to make it due to health problems, but would try to come over at another time. Of course I told him that this Saturday wasn't the last day we'd be working in Farmersville and I'd let him know when the next time was.
I next got an e-mail from a descendant of the same family, from Texas no less! She was also quite appreciative of what we're doing as you can see from her e-mail:
"I got your email address from Ralph West Mills. I am a Scogin/Scoggin/Scoggins descendant who lives in Texas. I want to thank you and your organization for your work in maintaining the Farmersville Cemetery. There are matching tombstones placed in the cemetery for eight or so of our relatives. Do you know exactly when they (sic) placed there? I have photographs taken in 2002 and 2009. I spoke with Imogene (Mrs. Charles) Cook whose father Leonard Pritchett Scoggin had something to do with the placement of those stones.Do you have any information about the stones? I truly appreciate your response.Nelda Scoggin Reynolds"
I include this to pass on that what we're doing is noticed and appreciated even as far away as Texas.
Next Saturday is the Menlo pre-Fourth of July celebration. It usually starts with a parade at about 11:00 or so that we usually lead off, and then an all day event at Lawrence Park. Last year we set up our cover next to the Confederate Soldier monument and sold a few things. I suggest that we do the same this year. Lets try and meet at about 9:00 at the park in Menlo and get set up before the parade. We need men in uniform to carry flags and a couple of guys under arms.
*** Jamie, if any of this information is incorrect, please let me know ASAP.***
We had quite a mix up at the Division Reunion last weekend with Division Adjutant Tom Brown reporting that we didn't have enough men enrolled in the Division for voting. I told our delegates to come home and we'd sort it out later. I'll advise more on that in regular meeting. We have a new Brigade Commander.......... maybe. Commander Espy resigned on June 8th in an e-mail to Division Commander Bridwell which Bridwell apparently had claimed to have never received. Anyway, the camps attending the Reunion nominated Freddie Parris of the State of Dade Camp # 707 as the new Brigade Commander for the 1st Brigade. Commander Bridwell says he'll poll the 1st Brigade Camps to see if that's what we all want. I suggest we support Commander Parris if asked. Nonetheless, we'll certainly miss the leadership of Commander Espy and the superb job he has done as 1st Brigade Commander the past 3 years.
I received an e-mail from Matthew Willingham yesterday regarding the yearbook ad we took out with Chattooga High School:
"Just to let you know we put the scv ad on the page needing a 1/12th of a page to fill the whole page and could not sell that ad so we extended your 1/6th of a page and made it a 1/4th of a page. I was just letting you know your got lucky and got a bigger ad for no extra money. May God Bless You, Matthew Willingham"
If there's anything else, I'll pass it along as soon as I get it. Meanwhile I hope to see you all This Saturday at Farmersville cemetery and next Saturday at Menlo.