Copyright Notice: The Delta General is the publication of the Brig./General Benjamin G. Humphrey’s Camp and should not be reproduced in any form

without permission. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted material published herein is distributed under fair use without

profit or payment to those who are interested in receiving the provided information for non-profit research and educational purpose only. Reference:

www.law.cornell.eduuscode/17/107.shtml

Joe Nokes, Commander Camp Website: www.humphreys1625.com

The Delta GeneralThe Delta GeneralThe Delta GeneralThe Delta General December, 2012 Volume 15, Issue 11

Dedicated to the memory of Brig. General Benjamin G. Humphreys

CONTENTS

Camp News – pp. 1-2

OCR News – p. 2

Division News – pp. 3-6

National News –p. 5

Loncoln the Racist – pp. 7-8

Battle of Fredricksburg – pp. 8-9

Museum of the MS Delta – p. 10

General Lee and Santa Claus –

pp. 10-11

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 12, 2013 – Camp’s Lee

and Jackson Banquet

January 25 – War Comes to the

MS Delta – Museum of the Delta

Exhibits open

February – Battle of Quitman

Reenactment at Quitman, MS

Commander’s Corner: Joe Nokes

Compatriots,

I hope this finds you all doing well. Our camp is moving forward and looking good on many fronts.

Our October meeting was a great success. Alan Doyle gave a very good presentation on the death and funeral

of Nathan Bedford Forrest. Many, many thanks to Annette McCluney for her hard work that evening.

Our November meeting will feature Cheryl Taylor, Director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta

(formerly Cottonlandia). Cheryl will inform the camp what the museum is doing in preparation for the exhibit

entitled “War Comes to the Mississippi Delta”. We really need to come out both to receive the information

and to help us prepare for this one-in-a-lifetime Sesquicentennial event.

This is just a reminder that we need as many of you as possible at the November meeting to help begin the

planning for our Lee-Jackson Banquet in January. We need as much input as possible from you the camp

members.

I want to commend each and every one of you who attended Fall Muster at Beauvoir. From what I have

heard, there was a good time had by all. For those of you at the Champion Hill reenactment, I was glad to see

you there.

Adjutant Dan McCaskill has notified me of the handful of members who have not yet renewed dues. I

humbly ask that you continue your support of our fine organization. We are a one-of-a-kind group with a

one-of-a-kind membership.

In closing, let me urge you to be as active and as pro-active as possible in the coming months. We have

many events on the horizon that we need to support as fully as possible. I know that you all will continue to

be the leaders of the charge that you have always been.

My humblest thanks to you all,

Joe Nokes, Commander

Camp News:

Door Prizes and Capture the Yankee and December Meeting

To revitalize interest in camp meetings, Lt. Commander Larry McCluney has encouraged a door prize raffle

that is conducted and carried out by the OCR. The OCR has also revived the Capture the Yankee as a fund

raiser. There is a red chip for every member in the Camp in the pot and a white chip for every OCR member.

One blue chip symbolizing the Yankee. Chances are $.25 cents each and whomever captures the yankee gets

half the pot. That yankee has yet to be captured The pot is now up to $38.00 and growing. Come to the

meetings and lets see if you can capture that elusive Yankee.

Our December meeting will feature a pot luck supper for Christmas. Please everyone bring a covered dish

as we sit down to fellowship with one another and remember the meaning of the season.

Welcome New Member

Welcome Anthony Paul Browning our newest Camp member. He is the descendant of Private John W.

Browning of Co. K, 30th MS Infantry, his Great Grandfather.

2

Adjutant’s Report: Dan McCaskill

7:00 pm The Camp Meeting of November 1, 2012 was called to order by Commander Joe Nokes at 7:00 pm. The Meeting was opened with

an invocation and blessing by Camp Chaplain Earl McCown. Commander Nokes welcomed all members and guests attending the Meeting. The

Commander then invited all to partake in the evening meal. After the meal, Commander Nokes reconvened the Meeting. Color Sergeant Chris

Lewis was absent so Commander Nokes asked Member Henry McCabe to lead the members and guests in the Pledge of Allegiance to the

United States Flag and salutes to the Flag of Mississippi and the Battle Flag of the Confederacy.

Program: Commander Nokes turned the podium over to 1st

Lt. Commander Larry McCluney. Larry introduced our speaker, Mrs. Cheryl Taylor,

Director of the Museum of the Delta, formerly Cottonlandia. Cheryl talked about the new exhibit at the museum titled “War Comes to the

Delta”. The exhibit will display artifacts representing different aspects of the War in Mississippi and the Delta. Areas covered will be

Mississippi’s Secession, Jefferson Davis becoming President, the Yazoo Pass Expedition, Fort Pemberton, Star of the West and women &

children on the home front. There will be items from the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson and from Vicksburg Park on display. The opening

ceremony will be held on Friday, January 25, 2013 with Bert Hayes Davis as the keynote speaker. Cheryl asked the Camp’s help supplying re-

enactors for the event. The museum will be getting a re-enactor to portray General Grant at the opening. The exhibit will be open to the public

on the 26th

and run through August 31, 2013.

Announcements: The weekend of November 9-11 will be the re-enactment at Jefferson College north of Natchez. In December, the Old

Courthouse Museum will host the annual Christmas Ball. Future events will be Confederate Memorial Service in April and State Reunion in June.

The National Heritage Rally at Beauvoir on March 16, 2013 and the re-dedication of Soldier’s Rest in Vicksburg on April 20, 2013.

Officer Reports: 1st

Lt. Commander Larry McCluney has a speaker lined-up for our December Meeting on the 6th

of December. The Meeting

will be our Pot Luck Christmas Dinner. 2nd

Lt. Commander Junior Stillman did not have a report. Adjutant Dan McCaskill reported that the Camp

had 49 paid members at the end of the Grace Period. Seven members have not renewed their membership. Camp funds stood at $ 1,121 in the

checking account with an additional $ 650 to be deposited and enough funds had been donated to meet donations to the church through the

end of October. Larry as Camp Editor inquired about everyone receiving the Camp Newsletter. As AOT Councilman, Larry reported that National

would exceed 34,000 members this year showing a positive growth. Division Commander Alan Palmer gave a brief report on the problems with

Bert Hayes Davis at Beauvoir. A report on the solution would be presented at the Division EC Meeting on December 8th

. Earl McCown reported

that the Gen. Charles Clark Chapter of the MOS & B needed a few good men. OCR President Annette McCluney reported that she will poll the

Chapter members about paying the expenses to get the Gen. Grant re-enactor down to Greenwood.

Camp Business: The first order of business was the induction of Robert Strawbridge into the Camp by Commander Joe Nokes. Camp Adjutant

Dan McCaskill presented the application of Anthony Browning for membership in the SCV for consideration by the Camp members. Earl moved

that the Camp accept Robert’s application and was seconded by Kenneth Ray and was accepted unanimously by the Camp. Commander Nokes

reported that the Camp needed to select a date for our annual Lee-Jackson Banquet. Dates considered were January 12th

, 19th

and 26th

. After

discussion the pros and cons, Alan Palmer made a motion to select January 12th

for the Banquet date. Earl seconded the motion and the motion

passed. The Banquet would be a pot luck dinner with the Camp providing the meat. A slate of potential speakers was given to Larry McCluney

with the order of preference. With no other business coming before the Camp, Commander Nokes thanked everyone for attending the meeting

and invited everyone back next month and asked Chaplain McCown to dismiss the Meeting with a word of prayer. Attendance for the evening

was 16.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dan McCaskill, Adj.

Order of Confederate Rose News Ladies, Our December meeting looks to be special with a covered dish pot luck gathering to remember Christmas. I would ask that all ladies bring a finger food dish to continue our fellowship phase of our meetings. As a reminder to the members of the Ella Palmer Chapter, our annual membership dues are now due.. We have a grace period till January 1. Renewals are $20.00 and can be paid to Annette McCluney at the meetings or by mail:

Annette McCluney 1412 North Park Dr

Greenwood, MS 38930 Make Checks out to: Ella Palmer Chapter #9, OCR

Unpaid Dues Members

As of this writing, there are 7 Camp members who have not yet paid their annual dues. They are listed below with contact information. To

date, all but one have been sent three notices for dues payment. For those who have not paid this could be your last newsletter. We hope you

will rejoin your brothers and sisters of the South.

Sid Aust sid_aust@msn.com 662-392-0922

Brent Hiter I never could get anyone to provide me with Brent’s contact information

Wade Johnson jwjturkeycaller@yahoo.com 662-299-4468

Robert C. Morrow no email 662-375-9975

Philip Neal pneal225@yahoo.com 714-757-4047

John Read, Jr. jread38756@yahoo.com 662-686-9803

Gator Stillman msy.g8r@gmail.com 662-931-2089

3

OFFICAL REGISTRATION FORM 118th Reunion – Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans and 19th Reunion – Mississippi Society, Order of Confederate Rose

Rankin County – June 21-23, 2013 Hosted by: The Lowry Rifles Camp #1740 Rankin County

SCV MEMBERS NAME(S): _________________________________________________________________________

TITLE: _________________________________________ SCV CAMP & NUMBER: ___________________________

ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________________________________

PHONE # (H) ______________________(C)_______________________EMAIL______________________________

SPOUSE NAME (for badge): _______________________________________________________________________

OCR MEMBERS NAME(S): ________________________________________________________________________

OCR CHAPTER NAME AND NUMBER: _______________________________________________________________

GUEST NAME: _________________________________________________________________________________

GUEST NAME: _________________________________________________________________________________

All registered SCV members will receive a name badge, a convention medal, a program, and a bag of goodies. Registration at

the door will receive the same as long as supplies last. (OCR registrants will have a Tea in lieu of a medal.) Please register for

your respective organization below.

REGISTRATION AMOUNTS

SCV on or before June 07, 2013.……$30.00 each for registration ……...QTY ________ $ __________

SCV after June 07, 2013……………$35.00 each for registration ………QTY ________ $ __________

OCR on or before June 7, 2013 $10.00 each after June 07, 2013 $15.00 each QTY _______ $ __________

Ancestor Memorial: Each memorial is $10.00.…………………………… QTY ________ $___________

(Please Print or type each memorial on separate page, Thanks!)

Program Ads: $100.00 for full page; $50.00 for half a page; $25.00 for quarter page; $15.00 for business

card size advertising (Please submit ad information on a separate page before May 15, Thanks!) $ ___________

Banquet Registration (per plate) $30.00 ……………………………………………………………..Qty _________ $___________

(No Meal Registration after June 7, 2013) Dinner (TBD) ………………………………Total Amount $ ________________

Make Checks Payable to: Lowry Rifles Camp #1740

Mail to: Bill Hinson

238 South Fox Hall Road

Pearl, Ms. 39208

CONTACT INFORMATION: Bill Hinson: (H) 601-936-9048; or email: BHLH87@aol.com

Convention Hotel: Cabot Lodge-Millsaps, Jackson, Ms. Reservations can be made by calling:

601-948-8650, ask for the Mississippi Division, SCV Convention Rates. Rates are $109.00 + tax

per night and plus happy hour from 5:30pm-7:30pm for hotel guest only. Reservations MUST BE MADE before June 07, 2013.

4

Division News:

Membership Retention Report

Gentlemen,

This is a brief report on the results of Membership Renewals.

The good news is 7 Camps have achieved 100% renewal while two

other Camps missed by one. Unfortunately, four Camps did not

submit any dues for their members. Membership from the last

Fiscal Year is down 20% which translates to a loss of 277

members. This does not include loss due to death. Fortunately the

Division has picked up past and new members totaling 88. Current

membership including Division Life Members now stands at 1,245

which is 86.6% of last year’s membership.

If any member knows of someone whose has not renewed their

membership, help your Camp Adjutant by encouraging them to

renew their membership. You can also help by recruiting new

members.

Your Servant,

Dan A. McCaskill

Division Adjutant

MS Division Executive Council Meeting

Gentlemen,

Our next EC meeting will be held on December 8 in the War

Memorial Building in Jackson at 10am. Anyone wishing to be

placed on the agenda needs to send their request to Division

Cheif of Staff Andrew McCaskill at andrewomccaskill@yahoo.com

and myself at cptalan61@yahoo.com . Make plans now to attend.

Sincerely

Alan Palmer

Cmdr Ms Div SCV

First Annual Christmas at Beauvoir, Festival of Trees will kick off at Beauvoir BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI - The grounds of Beauvoir: The Last Home of

Jefferson Davis will be transformed to the 1880s this holiday

season, as the national landmark in Biloxi presents a two-month

celebration of Christmases past and the beginning of what

organizers expect to be a nationally recognized event.

On Thursday through Sunday evenings in November through

January, Beauvoir will feature church and school choirs, period-

garbed storytellers and actors, food vendors and civic groups

amidst a menagerie of lights, caroling, a Father Klaus workshop,

and activities, such as cranberry stringing and making paper

chains or pitching a game of horseshoes.

Mississippi's First Lady, Deborah Bryant, will be on hand Thursday,

November 8 to flip the switch to illuminate 100 brightly lit Oak

trees, during a $50 per person gala and tour. Otherwise,

admission to tour the grounds will be $20, with discounts for

seniors, students and military. It will end on January 6.

"I've seen this kind of thing done before, and I've always

wanted to see us on the USA Today Top 10 places to see

Christmas decorations," said organizer Andi Rushton Oustalet, a

volunteer at Beauvoir. "And when we started to think about fund-

raising ideas for Beauvoir, we thought, sure we could do another

dinner at a casino, or a live auction, or a silent auction. Those

things are all nice, but they’ve all been done.

"Instead, we've come up with something that will showcase a

National Landmark here in our midst, present living history from

the 1880s, and we'll create something in the fourth quarter of the

year, when tourism is notoriously slow, and it will be something

that people will be willing to travel to see.

"Our ultimate goal is to be on the USA Today list within three

years. So there's a plan and a goal, and we're going to make it

happen."

Christmas at Beauvoir and The Festival of Trees will allow visitors

to experience a historically accurate depiction of Beauvoir at

Christmastime in the 1880s, leading up to 1889, the last year that

Confederate President and U.S. statesman Jefferson Davis lived at

the beachfront estate.

The endeavor, not by happenstance, follows the vision of what

new Beauvoir Director Bertram Hayes-Davis hopes to see at the

west Biloxi site. "Beauvoir will be a nationally prominent

destination," the great, great-grandson of Jefferson Davis has

said, "and this Christmas event will be one of the inaugural steps

in helping realize that goal."

At the outset, the Beauvoir undertaking is expected to join a

year 'round lineup of such popular events as Cruisin’ the Coast,

the Peter Anderson Arts and Crafts Festival, and Mardi Gras.

Oustalet is already on her way to creating a Christmas

menagerie of lights: She is arranging sponsors to string bright

lights among 100 of the Live oaks at the forefront of the 52-acre

Beauvoir property. "I realize that the lighted Live oak trees were

not something you would see in the 1880s," Oustalet said with a

laugh, "but people expect to see Christmas lights, and this will not

only highlight the stately oaks at Beauvoir, but it will provide an

inspiring backdrop for our celebration." Otherwise, historical

accuracy will be at the forefront. Local designer Sheila Gray is

creating a flowing red robe that will be worn by a traditional

Father Klaus, and each night of the Thursday through Sunday

schedule – 34 nights in all – will offer something new and exciting,

but all borrowed from the 1880s.

"We'll have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, civic groups and church

choirs all hosting a night where they will be singing Christmas

carols, or organizing period activities. We'll have some of the best

local restaurants serving samples of some of their best dishes so

people can get a taste of the local cuisine."

A host of local civic groups and others are decorating 100 mini-

trees – about three feet tall – that will be auctioned at the Nov. 8

kick off.

And the finale of the event – on Jan. 6 – will also have historical

significance. "We'll end on Twelfth Night, which is the kickoff of

Carnival season, so our plan is to have a small parade, maybe a

float or two, from Beauvoir in west Biloxi to the Gulf Coast

Carnival headquarters in east Biloxi. We'll be passing the baton

from one season to the next."

Sponsorships for Christmas at Beauvoir and the Festival of

Trees range from $2,500 to $35,000. Potential sponsors or civic

groups interested in volunteering to take part in the affair –

caroling, tour guides or coordinating activities – can email

Oustalet at andioustalet@gmail.com

5

"Christmas at Beauvoir" Days and times: Each Thursday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m., Nov. 8 to Jan. 6. Celebration begins with the Festival of Trees on Thursday, Nov. 8, a $50-per-person cocktail party and silent auction featuring 100 three-foot Christmas trees decorated by south Mississippi businesses, groups and individuals. Gingerbread houses created by local pastry chefs will be raffled. What to see and do: The beachfront portion of the 52-acre site will feature church and school choirs, period-garbed storytellers and actors, train rides for children, a toy workshop featuring Father Claus, food vendors and civic groups amidst a menagerie of lights, caroling, and activities such as cranberry stringing and making paper chains, or pitching a game of horseshoes. Admission: $20 for adults; $12 for seniors, military and children ages 5-15; and children under 5 are free. Admission fee includes tour of grounds and Jefferson Davis home. Parking: Free parking available at Mississippi Coast Coliseum, immediately west of the grounds, on Beauvoir Road. Website: www.beauvoir.org Details: (228) 388-4400

Jackson Pre War Militia Flag

30" X 36", Blue Silk, Handpainted, Center Section Of The

Presentation Flag Of The "Mississippi Rifles", Escort And Honor

Guard To Jefferson Davis And Subsequently, During The Civil

War, Company A of the 10th Mississippi Infantry. In superb

condition, both the silk and paint as sound and bright as the day

the flag was presented. There is some 'unevenness' in the cut on

the bottom and the left side, but this is likely the result of the

hasty removal by the souvenir hunter rather than any

deterioration of the flag. The flag unquestionably did not

accompany the unit into the field during the Civil War, and was

likely in storage when discovered, and this center section cut out

and 'liberated' as a souvenir by a Union soldier.

While all pre war southern unit flags are quite rare, this superb

and beautiful example is especially important and desirable,

because of the unit's history as the personal honor guard and

escort to Jefferson Davis, along with its absolutely superb

condition and magnificent visual impact.

Painted in gold letters in an arc at the top "MISSISSIPPI RIFLES",

below which is a fierce eagle posed in the act of spreading its

wings and holding a red riband with the motto "TRY US" in the

center. It is interesting to note that rather than being perched on

a Federal shield which was more or less de rigueur for similar flags

of this period, the eagle is posed on a rock promontory

surrounded by clouds with blue sky above. Below, also painted in

gold letters is the original presentation "PRESENTED by the LADIES

OF JACKSON, MISS. JULY 4th 1860."

The "Mississippi Rifles organized as a volunteer militia company

in Jackson in January 1858. The unit's connection to the Mexican

War, 1st Mississippi Regiment that carried that moniker was

established through its 1st Lieut. Richard Griffith, who had served

as Regimental Adjutant of the 1st Mississippi in Mexico under Col.

Jefferson Davis. Griffith became Captain of the company in 1860,

and served in that capacity until early 1861 when he became state

Adjutant General, was subsequently appointed Brigadier General

in the Confederate Army and was mortally wounded at Savage's

Station in June of 1862.

Among the many parades and public gatherings occurring at

the time in Jackson, and recorded by the newspaper "The Semi-

Weekly Mississippian", are the details of the ceremony at which

this flag was presented to the company at the local fairgrounds on

July 4, 1860, at the hands of Miss Sally Hay, along with a speech of

acceptance by then 2d Lieut. Robert A. Smith who would succeed

Griffith as Captain of the Company in 1861.

On 9 January 1861, having seceded from the Union, Mississippi

established a Military Board and its own army. When the

Confederate States of American was formed, and Jefferson Davis

was, in February, appointed "Provisional President", the

Mississippi Rifles acted as "escort and guard of honor" to Davis for

his trip to Montgomery, Ala., then the Confederate capital,

Continued on page 6 . . .

6

Prewar Flag from page 5 . . .

doubtless accompanied by this magnificent flag.

The unit entered Confederate service at the first call for troops as Co. A of the 10th Mississippi Inf. with Capt. Smith assuming command as

Colonel in May of 1861. After 9 months service most of the members of the company re-enlisted for three years and were eventually

designated Company D of the 10th. The regiment was very heavily engaged throughout the war, with Col Smith being killed at Munfordville.

When the company surrendered with Johnston it could muster only 12 effectives. During its service the company lost 19 men killed and

mortally wounded and 37 wounded.

The flag is accompanied by a wealth of provenance and detailed research. An absolutely magnificent pre war southern flag, for both visual

impact and its superbly documented history. A rare opportunity for the flag collector of any genre. Estimate: $25,000 - up.

4th Brigade Commander “Boo” White Passes

My Fellow Compatriots

Fourth Brigade Commander "Boo" White's funeral was well attended by the Mississippi Division Tuesday in Livingston Alabama. It was a

beautiful service for a wonderful man and true southern patriot. We will miss him greatly.

My last visit with Boo one week before his passing was filled with talk about the division. I know how much Boo loved the Mississippi SCV,

and he would want us to carry on and continue the work that was most important to him, even as he lay in pain and immense discomfort.

It is now my duty as commander to appoint someone to finish Boo's term as the Commander of the Fourth Brigade. I have chosen Bill Hinson

and he has accepted, Bill has served previously as both the Fourth Brigade Commander and Councilman, and also served as the division 2nd Lt.

Commander under past commander Bill Atkinson. Bill has the experience we need to continue Boo's work in the Fourth Brigade.

Boo was a driving force in the Fourth Brigade and so remember Bill in your prayers as he takes on the job of Commander. Also remember the

members of the W.D.Cameron Camp of which Boo served as it's Commander, I know they feel his loss very deeply.

Remember we have an EC meeting Dec 8 in the War Memorial Building in Jackson beginning at 10am. I hope to see you there.

In your Service

Alan Palmer

Cmdr Ms Div SCV

The Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary) of

the Cause for Southern Independence is upon

us! The Sons of Confederate Veterans has

established a unique way you can show

support for our efforts and build a legacy for

the future. It is the SCV Sesquicentennial

Society! By joining this prestigious group you

will help in supporting two projects very

important to the future.

First- the General Executive Council made

the commitment in October of 2008 to start

the process to erect a new building 6 on our

property at Historic Elm Springs. One

of the uses of this new building is to give us office space and return Elm Springs to its original grandeur. However the main function is to house

the Confederate Museum. We are planning a museum that will tell the truth about what motivated the Southern people to struggle for many

years to form a new nation. It will give an accurate portrayal of the Confederate soldier, something that is lacking in most museum and in the

media. 75 % of the money received through this effort goes to that building fund.

Second-we need to leave a legacy for our Compatriots who will be the members and leaders of the SCV when the Bicentennial of the Cause

for Southern Independence arrives 50 years from now. One can only guess at the obstacles they will have to face in putting forth an accurate

commemoration. 25% of the money will go into a fund to be used by the SCV at that point in time.

Here is how you can take part. To join it is a minimum payment of $200.( You can give more if you wish!) You will receive a handsome SCV

Sesquicentennial Society Medal and Certificate. This program will end at at the close of the Sesquicentennial. You may pay all at once or you

can make non-refundable installments of $50 ( you will receive the medal and certificate when paid in full).

Send a check to:

Sons of Confederate Veterans

c/o Sesquicentennial Society

P.O. Box 59

Columbia, TN 38402

Or you can call 1-800-MY-DIXIE to pay by credit card. You may also use the on-line donation page at https://scv.secure-sites.us/donation.php

At this time the on-line page does not have a $200 option. You can select $250 (donating an extra $50) or you can donate $100 twice. If you

choose to pay by installment there is $50 option. Be sure to put Sesquicentennial Society in the box marked purpose of payment.

7

Lincoln the Racist (Or: Steven Spielberg, Call Your Office) by Thomas J. DiLorenzo Recently by Thomas DiLorenzo: The Forgotten Men You Should

Know About “Who freed the slaves? To the extent that they were

ever ‘freed,’ they were freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, which

was authored and pressured into existence not by Lincoln but by

the great emancipators nobody knows, the abolitionists and

congressional leaders who created the climate and generated the

pressure that goaded, prodded, drove, forced Lincoln into glory by

associating him with a policy that he adamantly opposed for at

least fifty-four of his fifty-six years of his life.”

Lerone Bennett, Jr., Forced into Glory: Abraham

Lincoln’s White Dream, p. 19

Let me introduce you to Lerone Bennett, Jr. Who was the

executive editor of Ebony magazine for several decades

(beginning in 1958) and the author of many books, including a

biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. (What Manner of Man: A

Biography of Martin Luther King) and Forced into Glory: Abraham

Lincoln’s White Dream. Bennett is a graduate of Morehouse

College in Atlanta and authored hundreds of articles on African-

American history and culture during his career at Ebony. He spent

more than twenty years researching and writing Forced into Glory,

a scathing critique of Abraham Lincoln based on mountains of

truths. Forced into Glory, published in 2000, was mostly ignored

by the Lincoln cult, although there were a few timid “reviews” by

reviewers that have never done one-thousandth of the research

that Lerone Bennett did on the subject. As a black man, he was

spared the mantra of being “linked to extremist hate groups” by

the lily-white leftists at the Southern Poverty Law Center, the

preeminent hat group off the hardcore Left. He was also spared

that hate group’s normally automatic insinuation that any critic of

Lincoln must secretly wish that slavery had never ended. They

mostly sat back and hoped that he would go away. Lerone

Bennett, Jr. Contends that it is almost impossible for the average

citizen to know much of anything about Lincoln despite the fact

that literally thousands of books have been written about him. “A

century of lies” is how he describes Lincoln “scholarship.” He

provides thousands of documented facts to make his case. If the

subject of Steven Spielberg’s new movie on Lincoln, which is

entirely about Lincoln’s supposed role in lobbying for the

Thirteenth Amendment that ended slavery, Bennett points out:

“There is a pleasant fiction that Lincoln. . . .became a flaming

advocate of the amendment and used the power of his office to

buy votes to ensure its passage. There is no evidence, as David H.

Donald had noted, to support that fiction. . . “ To the extent that

Lincoln did finally and hesitatingly support the amendment,

Bennett argues that it was he who was literally forced into it by

other politicians, not the other way around as portrayed in the

Spielberg film. (David Donald, by the way, is the preeminent

Lincoln scholar of our day and Pulitzer prize-winning Lincoln

biographer).

On the issue of the Emancipation Proclamation, Bennett

correctly points out that “J. G. Randall, who has been called ‘the

greatest Lincoln scholar of all time,’ said the Proclamation itself

did not free a single slave” since it only applied to rebel territory

and specifically exempted areas of the U.S. such as the entire

state of West Virginia where the U.S. Army was in control at the

time. (James G. Randall was indeed the most prolific Lincoln

scholar of all time and the academic mentor of David Donald at

the University of Illinois). Lerone Bennett is understandably

outraged at how the Lincoln cult has covered up Lincoln’s racism

for over a century, pretending that he was not a man of his time.

He quotes Lincoln as saying in the first Lincoln- Douglas debate in

Ottawa, Illinois, for example, that he denied “to set the niggers

and white people to marrying together” (Collected Works of

Abraham Lincoln, vol. 3, p. 209 ). In Forced into Glory Bennett

shows that Lincoln rather compulsively used the N word was a

huge fan of “black face” minstrel shows; was famous for his racist

joke; and that many of his White House appointees were shocked

at his racist language.

Lincoln did not hesitate to broadcast his racist views publicly,

either. Bennett quotes his speech during a debate with Douglas in

Charleston, Illinois on September 18, 1858 (Collected Works of

Abraham Lincoln, vol. 3, pp. 145-146): “I will say then that I am

not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the

social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am

not nor ever have any way the social and political equality of the

white and black races, that I am not nr ever have been in favor of

making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold

office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in

addition to this that there is a physical difference between the

white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two

races living together on terms of social and political equality. And

inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together

there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much

as any other man am in favor of having the superior position

assigned to the white race.”

Bennett documents that Lincoln stated publicly that “America

was made for the White people and not for the Negroes” (p. 211),

and “at least twenty-one times, he said publicly that he was

opposed to equal rights for Blacks.” “What I would most desire

would be the separation of the white and black races,” said

Lincoln (Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 2, p. 521).

Reading through Forced into Glory, one gets the clear impression

that Bennett got angrier and angrier at the non-stop excuse

making, lying, cover-ups, and fabrications of the “Lincoln

scholars.” He never takes his eye of the ball, however, and is

relentless in throwing facts in the faces of the Lincoln cultists. As a

member of the Illinois legislature Lincoln urged the legislature “to

appropriate money for colonization in order to remove Negroes

from the and prevent miscegenation” (p.228). As president,

Lincoln toiled endlessly with plans to “colonize” (i.e., deport) all of

the black people out of America. This is what Bennett calls

Lincoln’s “White Dream,” and more recent research of the very

best caliber supports him. I refer to the book Colonization after

Emancipation by Philip Magness of American University and

Sebastian Page of Oxford University that, using records from the

American and British national archives, proves that until his dying

day Lincoln was negotiating with Great Britain and other foreign

governments to deport all of the soon-to-be-freed slaves out of

the U.S. The Lincoln cult, which has fabricated excuses for

everything, argued for years that Lincoln mysteriously abandoned

his obsession with “colonization” sometime around 1863.

Magness and Page prove this to be the nonsense that it is. In

Illinois, the state constitution was amended in 1848 to prohibit

free black people from residing in the in the state. Lincoln

supported it. He also supported the Illinois Black Codes, under

which “Illinois Blacks had no legal rights. White people were

bound to respect.” “None of this disturbed Lincoln,’ writes

Bennett. Bennett also points out the clear historical fact that

Lincoln strongly supported the Fugitive Slave Act which forced

Northerners to hunt down runaway slaves and return them to

Continued on page 8 . . .

8

Lincoln continued from page 7 . . .

their owners. He admittedly never said a word about slavery in

public until he was in his fifties, while everyone else in the nation

was screaming about the issue. When he did oppose slavery,

Bennett points out, it was always in the abstract, accompanied by

some statement to the effect that he didn’t know what could be

done about it. And as a presidential candidate he never opposed

Southern slavery, only the extension of slavery into the territories,

explaining that “we” wanted to preserve the Territories “for free

White people” (Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 3, p.

311). In Bennett’s own words: “One must never forget that

Lincoln always spoke in tongues or in a private code when he was

talking about slavery or Negroes. And although he said or seemed

to say that slavery was wrong, he always qualified the assertion in

the same speech or in= a succeeding speech, saying either that

slavery was wrong in an abstract sense or that it was wrong in so

far as it sought to spread itself.” He was a master politician, after

all, which as Murray Rothbard once said, means that he was a

masterful liar, conniver, and manipulator.

All of these truths, and many more, have been ignored, swept

under the rug, or buried under thousands of pages of excuses by

the Lincoln cult over the past century and more in books and in

films like the new Lincoln film by Steven Spielberg. After spending

a quarter of a century researching and writing on the subject,

Lerone Bennett,, Jr. Concluded that “Lincoln is theology, not

historiology. He is a faith, he is a church, he is a religion, and he

has his own priests and acolytes, most of whom have a vested

interest in ‘the great emancipator’ and who are passionately

opposed to anybody telling the truth about him” (p. 114). And

“with rare exceptions, you can’t believe what any major Lincoln

scholar tells you about Abraham Lincoln and race.” Amen, Brother

Lerone. November 10, 2012

Sesquicentennial Article

The Battle of Fredricksburg

The Battle of Fredericksburg at the end of 1862 was perhaps the Confederacy's most lopsided victory of the American Civil War (1861–1865).

Union Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, charged with aggressively pursuing and destroying General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern

Virginia, instead led his own Army of the Potomac to what was perhaps its greatest defeat. On December 13, Burnside sent six Union divisions

across an open field against Lee's well-fortified line, causing such slaughter that Burnside wept openly at the outcome and Lee was inspired to

utter his famous remark to his subordinates, "It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it." The Fredericksburg defeat was

one of the lowest points for Union fortunes in the war. Eight months later, when Confederates experienced a similar fate at Gettysburg, jubilant

Union troops were heard to yell, "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!

"The President has just assented to your plan," Union general-in-chief Henry W. Halleck telegraphed to Burnside in November 1862. "He

thinks it will succeed, if you move rapidly; otherwise not." Burnside's proposal was to move the Army of the Potomac from the Warrenton area

along a line of operations following the Orange and Alexandria Railroad to one based on the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad

and crossing the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg. Burnside was never a terribly confident general, but he understood well the pressure

to pursue the Confederates vigorously. After all, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln had just removed his predecessor, Major General George B.

McClellan, from his position as commander of the Army of the Potomac because he judged McClellan to be excessively prudent. (McClellan,

Lincoln believed, had had a chance to pursue and smash Lee's army following the Battle of Antietam in September, but instead had held his

ground.) Consequently, upon receiving approval for his plan, Burnside moved quickly.

By November 19, after a series of rapid marches, significant elements from Burnside's army had reached the banks of the Rappahannock

River opposite Fredericksburg. Fortunately for Lee, mismanagement in Washington delayed the arrival of the pontoon bridges Burnside's forces

needed to cross the Rappahannock. As a result, Lee was able to reach Fredericksburg and establish a strong position on the hills just outside the

town. On November 25, the long-overdue bridges finally arrived, and Burnside began actively looking for opportunities to cross the river below

Fredericksburg in order to maneuver the Confederates out of their positions. The search proved fruitless, however, and Burnside was left with

an unpromising set of options: either anger Washington by calling an end to the campaign season and going into winter quarters, or make a

direct assault on Lee's formidable defensive position. Burnside chose the latter.

Early on the morning of December 11, Union engineers rushed forward to lay the pontoon bridges down, only to be met with harassing fire

from the town, courtesy of Mississippians under the command of Brigadier General William Barksdale. Burnside responded by opening fire on

Fredericksburg with nearly 150 cannon located on Stafford Heights. Although it took a heavy toll on the town, the artillery failed to drive off

Continued to page 9 . . .

9

Fredricksburg continued from page 8 . . .

Barksdale's men. Assault parties on boats finally

accomplished the task by late in the afternoon, and

by nightfall the pontoon bridges were

finally in place.

After crossing the Rappahannock into

Fredericksburg, Union troops engaged in

widespread looting and vandalism, effectively

destroying what was left of the town. "The town

was all ransacked. [B]ooks, chairs and every kind of

furniture was lying on the Streets," a Pennsylvania

soldier wrote in a letter to his brother. "Some of the

boys got books and some other things. Haze Boyd

got Milton's complete works lying in the Streets."

Lee responded to these developments by ordering

Lieutenant General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson

to concentrate his forces on the Confederate right

at Prospect Hill and Hamilton's Crossing. (His corps

had been spread out along the Rappahannock

almost to Port Royal, some twenty miles away, in

case the Union troops crossed the river downstream

from Fredericksburg.) It was here that Burnside

planned to deliver the first blow against Lee's

position on December 13. By Burnside's thinking,

the Union left, under Major General William B. Franklin, would either crush the Confederate right or induce Lee to shift sufficient forces in that

direction. This would provide an opening for Major General Edwin V. Sumner's men against the Confederate left on Marye's Heights. Major

General Joseph Hooker, meanwhile, would wait in the center, ready to reinforce a breach in the Confederate lines, wherever it might occur.

Franklin's attack managed a brief success in the morning when a division commanded by Major General George G. Meade fortuitously hit a

weak spot in Jackson's line along a wooded ravine. Franklin's instructions from Burnside were vague, however, and he failed to put enough

force into Meade's attack to support or exploit Meade's extraordinary advance. This was partly out of concern for his southern flank, which was

then facing a barrage of Confederate artillery fire. A Confederate counterattack eventually drove Meade's Pennsylvanians back out of the

woods, ending the day for Franklin. He refused to engage Jackson further, despite Burnside's orders to the contrary.

With the failure of Franklin's attack, hopes for Union success came to rest on the ability of Sumner and Hooker to break through the

Confederate left, commanded by Lieutenant General James Longstreet. Here, however, Lee's line was nigh impenetrable, with Longstreet's men

well positioned at the base of Marye's Heights, enjoying the cover of a sunken road and the shelter of a low, half-mile-long stone wall. The

several hundred yards in front of them were to become a killing field. "We cover that ground now so well," one artillerist advised Longstreet

before the battle, "that we will comb it as with a fine-tooth comb. A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it."

Nonetheless, around eleven in the morning on December 13, Sumner dutifully moved his Second Corps forward out of Fredericksburg. In

order to attack Longstreet's position, the Union troops would have to cross a canal ditch, reestablish their lines, then make the final assault

over open ground whose terrain funneled them exactly in the direction of the stone wall. Under murderous Confederate artillery fire the entire

time, three divisions from the Second Corps crossed the field.

"We came forward as though breasting a storm of rain and sleet," one Union soldier later wrote, "our faces and bodies being only half-

turned to the storm, our shoulders shrugged." Confederate fire was so intense, another soldier wrote, that the Union lines seemed to melt "like

snow coming down on warm ground." Nonetheless, Sumner and Burnside persisted in their attacks, throwing two divisions from the Fifth Corps

and one from the Ninth against Marye's Heights. Not a single man reached the stone wall, and Longstreet was able to advise Lee that "if you

put every man now on the other side of the Potomac on that field to approach me over the same line, and give me plenty of ammunition, I will

kill them all before they reach my line."

Darkness finally brought an end to the slaughter. Even in victory, Lee and Jackson were frustrated that they had not been able to find an

opening for a counterattack. Burnside, meanwhile, found himself dealing with a recalcitrant Hooker. The corps commander, who would soon

take Burnside's job, had been openly critical of the decision to attack at Fredericksburg and, by his own initiative, had called off the assaults on

Marye's Heights on the grounds that he had already "lost as many men as my orders required me to lose." A devastated Burnside briefly

considered personally leading a final, desperate charge before being talked out of it on December 14. Instead, he asked for a daylong truce to

bury the dead, which Lee granted, and ordered his army to retreat across the Rappahannock the night of December 14–15. Of the

approximately 120,000 men in Burnside's army, more than 12,000 were killed, wounded, or captured, while Lee lost about 5,300 of the 80,000

men in the Army of Northern Virginia who were present at the battle.

The Battle of Fredericksburg brought an ignominious end to Burnside's attempt to rectify McClellan's mistake and to pursue the

Confederates more aggressively. The thousands of dead strewn across the field, their corpses black and swollen, many headless and limbless,

created a national crisis of confidence that seemed to mirror Burnside's personal one. (After the battle, Burnside wept and took full

responsibility for the carnage.) Union soldiers wrote letters home suggesting that "Virginia is not worth such a loss of life," while rumors in

Washington foretold a Lincoln resignation, a radical Republican coup, even a military government with an angry McClellan at its head. Morale in

the army was at an all-time low, with desertions totaling 86,330 by the end of January 1863—almost 27 percent of the entire Army of the

Potomac. The Richmond Examiner, on the other hand, celebrated "a splendid victory to the defender of the sacred soil," and the normally

reticent Lee was seen to be "jubilant, almost off-balance." His setback at Antietam had been redeemed, it seemed, and Confederate

independence, in December 1862, still seemed a real possibility.

10

War Comes to the Mississippi Delta: The Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Fort Pemberton

(Greenwood, MS) The Museum of the Mississippi Delta commemorates the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in the Delta with the exhibition

War Comes to the Mississippi Delta, opening January 26, 2013 and running through August 31, 2013.

The exhibition tells the story of the Union forces’ attempt to navigate the intricate rivers of the Mississippi Delta during the winter of 1863.

Known as the Yazoo Pass Expedition, the attempt ultimately ended in failure, as Confederate forces held strong at a hastily built outpost near

Greenwood known as Fort Pemberton.

The most noted aspect of the Confederate defenses was the ocean steamer Star of the West, originally a Union transport ship, listed as the

first ship fired upon during the Civil War at Fort Sumter. After being captured by Rebel forces, the ship met her demise when it was sunk next

to Fort Pemberton to block the passage of Union ships through the channel as they headed toward their destination: Vicksburg.

The Museum will display Civil War artifacts from its collection including a partial steering wheel from the Star of WesThe Lady Polk, a cannon

used in the Battle of Fort Pemberton, is on permanent view at the Museum. There are only 17 examples of the Civil War-era cannon left in

existence today, and the Lady Polk is the only one that has been restored for firing. Vicksburg National Military Park will loan items recovered

from the Union ironclad. U.S.S. Cairo.

Stellar examples of period clothing including a butternut officer’s frock worn by Cpt. T. Otis Baker is on loan from the Mississippi Department

of Archives and History, along with an officer’s sword, muzzle-loading pistol, a British import carbine and a forage cap worn by Maj. Gen.

William Walthall. A rare 1860s homespun dress will help tell the story of women on the home front.

The exhibition opens January 26th

in a special free event which includes portrayals of General Ulysses S. Grant, Confederate and Union re-

enactors and period music.

The exhibition is funded in part by grants received from the Mississippi Humanities Council and the Greenwood Convention and Visitors

Bureau. Additional funds have been provided by Staplcotn, Wade, Inc. and several local companies, as well as private contributions.

************************************************************

The Museum of the Mississippi Delta was founded in 1969 as Cottonlandia Museum. The collection consists of historical items related to the

cotton industry, agriculture and military history (with emphasis on the Civil War), a regional art collection and the largest collection of Spanish

Colonial trade beads in the Southeast. The Native America Gallery houses the most extensive collection in the country of Avenue Polychrome

vessels dating back to 15th

century.

Museum of the Mississippi Delta

1608 Highway 82 West

Greenwood, MS 38930

662-453-0925 P

662-455-7556 F

www.museumofthemississippidelta.com

Hours: Mon-Friday 9:00-5:00 Saturday 10:00-4:00

Admission Charged; Tour groups welcome ; Guided tours available ; Closed Major Holidays and Sundays

Editor’s Note: Anyone interested in putting on loan artifacts they may have for this exhibition please contact Larry McCluney at 662-453-7212 or Cheryl

Taylor, Director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta at 662-453-0925. They are looking for more weapons, personal affects, and pictures of

ancestors that fought in the war with all military information on them. If you bring items to camp please tag them with your name, address,

and phone number and Larry McCluney can deliver those items.

GENERAL LEE AND SANTA CLAUS

First appearing in 1867 as part of Mrs. Louise Clack's Christmas Gift To Her Little Southern Friends, this wartime exchange between General

Robert E. Lee and three young girls has become a bit of Yuletide warmth shared among Southerners -- even if only connected by the internet.

Originally published by Guild Bindery Press, Mrs. Clack's children's book contributed quite a bit to the post-War revelation of another side of

Lee's character. His personal honor and courageous audacity on the battlefield was the given. The kind and gentle nature with all, particularly

children, was the other. But the story was never intended for profit. All the royalties from Mrs. Clack's gift to her little Southern friends went to

the orphans of the South. She wanted it that way. And in 1996, when the tale was reprinted by Alexander Books, a part of the profits were

earmarked to assist in the upkeep of Stratford Hall, Lee's birthplace. Is it a true story? Who knows? But historical wisdom gently admonishes

and reminds: Is there any evidence it didn't happen? If not, then let us believe it. As the undisputed inspiration of them all goes: "Yes, Virginia,

there is a Santa Claus!"

[This piece is taken from the book GENERAL LEE AND SANTA CLAUS, originally published in 1867, pages 32-35, now in the public domain.]

Continued on page 11 . . .

11

Dear General Lee:

We think you are the goodest man that ever lived, and our auntie says you

will go right straight to heaven when you die; so we

want to ask you a question, for we want to know the truth about it, and we

know that you always speak the truth.

Please tell us whether Santa Claus loves the little rebel children, for we think

he don't; because he did not come to see us for

four Christmas Eves. Auntie thinks you would not let him cross the lines, and

we don't know how to find out unless we write

and ask you. We all love you dearly, and we want to send you something; but

we have not any thing nice enough; we lost all

our toys in the war. Birdie wants to send you one of our white kittens--the one

with black ears; but auntie thinks maybe you

don't like kittens. We say little prayers for you every night, dear General Lee,

and ask God to make you ever so happy. Please let

us know about Santa Claus as soon as you can; we want to know for something

very, very, very particular; but we can't tell even

you why until Christmas time, so please to excuse us.

Your little friends, Lutie, Birdie, and Minnie

The above letter was sent the following day, and in about a week the answer

was received:

My dear little friends:

I was very glad to receive your kind letter, and to know by it

that I have the good wishes and prayers of three innocent little

girls, named Lutie, Birdie, and Minnie. I am very glad that you

wrote about Santa Claus for I am able to tell you all about him.

I can assure you he is one of the best friends that the little

Southern girls have. You will understand this when I explain to

you the reason of his not coming to see you for four years.

The first Christmas Eve of the war I was walking up and

down in the camp ground, when I thought I heard a singular

noise above my head; and on looking to find out from whence

it came, I saw the queerest, funniest-looking little old fellow

riding along in a sleigh through the air. On closer inspection,

he proved to be Santa Claus.

Halt! Halt!, I said; but at this the funny fellow laughed, and

did not seem inclined to obey, so again I cried Halt!. And he

drove down to my side with a sleigh full of toys. I was very

sorry for him when I saw the disappointed expression of his

face when I told him he could go no further South; and when

he exclaimed, Oh, what will my little Southern children do! I

felt more sorry, for I love little children to be happy, and

especially at Christmas. But of one thing I was certain--I knew

my little friends would prefer me to do my duty, rather than

have all the toys in the world; so I said: Santa Claus, take every

one of the toys you have back as far as Baltimore, sell them,

and with the money you get buy medicines, bandages,

ointments, and delicacies for our sick and wounded men; do it

and do it quickly--it will be all right with the children. Then

Santa Claus sprang into his sleigh, and putting his hand to his

hat in true military style, said: I obey orders, General, and

away he went. Long

before morning he came sweeping down into camp again, with not only every thing I had ordered, but with many other things that our poor

soldiers needed. And every Christmas he took the toy money and did the same thing; and the soldiers and I blessed him, for he clothed and fed

many a poor soul who otherwise would have been cold and hungry. Now, do you not consider him a good friend. I hold him in high respect, and

trust you will always do the same.

I should be pleased to hear from you again, my dear little girls, and I want you ever to consider me,

Your true friend,

General Robert E. Lee

12

THE DELTA GENERAL

1412 North Park Dr

Greenwood, MS 38930

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