What a year...

Recently, Camp 1946 had to complete its year-end report - what a year!! You can see below that Camp 1946 is one of the busiest Camps in all of the North Carolina division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. If you are not a member, please consider joining today.

3 days resetting stones in the Old Bakersville Cemetery (Mitchell County)
1 Confederate monument Dedication (Yancey County)
5 Living Histories
1 County Fair (Yancey County)
3 Confederate Headstones (Buncombe & Mitchell Counties)
Camp field trip to CW sites in Knoxville, TN
Completed restoration of the Hill Cemetery (Mitchell County)
3 Civil War roundtables (Avery, Mitchell & Yancey Counties)
Completed fence around Zion Cemetery (adopted by camp, Yancey County)2 School programs (Avery & Mitchell Counties)
1 Find your Confederate Ancestor Day (Mitchell County)
2 Confederate Memorial Day services Mitchell & Yancey Counties)
Placed 450 flags in observance of Confederate Memorial Day (Avery, Mitchell & Yancey Counties)
Had a float in 2 Christmas parades (Mitchell & Yancey Counties)
Reached our fundraising goal of $5000.00 for the purchase of a Confederate Veterans Monument for Mitchell County.
Meet with the county commissioners from Mitchell County (concerning placement of Mitchell monument).
Adopt a Highway 4 trash pick ups.

Two upcoming events.

Monday, August 16, Dr. Michele Gillespie, from Wake Forest University, will be speaking on reconstruction in the Appalachian Mountains. She will be the featured speaker of the Mitchell County Historical Society. The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm at the Old Bakersville Courthouse.

The monthly meeting of the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946, Sons of Confederate Veterans, will be on Tuesday, August 17, at the Burnsville Towncenter. Speaking this month is Dan Slagle, and his topic is on the Shelton Laurel Massacre. Everyone is invited. Dinner begins at 6:30 pm.

We hope to see you there and make sure to bring a friend.

Come check out the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946’s display at the Burnsville Craft Fair, August 6 and 7, 2010.

The Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946 had a great meeting last night. New member Greg Robinson was sworn in, and the Rev. Stephen Honeycutt stepped in to fill the role of chaplain. (In the picture above, Greg is on the right and Stephen is on the left). Elizabeth Hardy did a great presentation on what people were reading during the mid-19th century.

If you get a chance, make sure you join us for our August meeting. Skip Smith, colonel of the 26th North Carolina, will be speaking on efforts to raise funds to preserve the flag of the 16th North Carolina State Troops.

Camp Van

Have you seen the Colonel Palmer Camp Van? Thanks to Camp Adjutant Robert Morgan, the van has a new grill, new brakes, a bath, and a wax job! Thanks Adjutant Morgan!!!

Compatriot Michael Dowling

We are saddened to report the death of our friend and compatriot Michael Dowling. He passed on to the other side this morning (Sunday, June 27, 2010). He was a United States Marine Corps Veteran (Vietnam), and past Adjutant of the Col. John B. Palmer Camp 1946, Sons of Confederate Veterans. We will miss Mike greatly. It just seems like yesterday that he was joining us to place the stone for Sergeant Rumples in Buncombe County. Details of his forthcoming memorial service will be announced once they become available.

You can help save land at Bentonville

As many of you know, there are several key events during the war which are connected with North Carolina, i.e., the 26th North Carolina Troops at the battle of Gettysburg. Another of those key events is the last large battle of the war: Bentonville. Yesterday, an email from the Civil War Preservation Trust went out, announcing a new effort to save land at Bentonville. The email, and subsequent press release, read in part:

Today, we are announcing a new campaign to save 240 acres of this remarkable Civil War battlefield – the opening effort of a larger campaign to save 455 battlefield acres in North Carolina. These 240 acres, in four different parcels, will bring the total saved by CWPT at Bentonville to 1,142 acres! Even better, CWPT has secured a tremendous matching that will double the giving power of every dollar you donate to this campaign.

You can learn more (and donate) by checking out this web page here.

The Civil War Preservation Trust has even put up a gallery of flags used by the soldiers (Gray and Blue) at the battle of Bentonville. You can check that out here. Part of the page includes the image of the flag of the 40th North Carolina Troops.

There were quite a few soldiers from the Toe River Valley (mostly in the 58th North Carolina Troops ) at Bentonville.