The Dixon Blue Light News Camp Motto- “Deo adjuvanti non timindin”

Meaning: With God’s help we must not fear. The Voice of the Lt. George E. Dixon Camp #1962, SCV

October 30, 2009 Edition Editor: Gale F. Red, 5 Hunters Pointe Court, O’Fallon, IL 62269

Telephone # 618-622-8949, E-mail: galered@yahoo.com

Program for November 5, 2009 Our speaker for the November 5th meeting will be Dr. Tom

Curran who will present a program on Southern Women and the Union Justice System in St. Louis.. Come and learn about the

tough times of our Southern women in occupied Missouri during the War of Northern Aggression. They were good times!

Next meetiNg – November 5th, 2009 The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Lt. George E. Dixon Camp #1962, SCV will be held at 7 pm on Thursday evening November 5th. The meeting will be held at the SWIC Senior Citizen Center on the corner of East B and North Church Streets, in Belleville. Parking is available immediately across the street from the building. The building is located at 201 North Church, just three blocks east of North Illinois on East B. To get to the auditorium where we will have the meeting, ask the gentleman at the desk what room we are in. If you have any questions, call Gale Red for directions at 618-622-8949.

In This Issue: Next Meeting………………..… pg 1 Mark’s Musings…………... pg 2 - 3 Calendar of Events……….. pg 3 News from Camp.………….. pg 3 3 Generations of Kicklighters Join SCV…..…. pg 4 November Birthdays…….... pg 4 Meeting Minutes…..……..… pg 5 Greenville event picture.….. pg 6 John A. Logan CW Days….. pg 6 “I Stood in the Steps of Robert E. Lee”.……….……… pg 8 John Brown’s Raid…….……. pg 9 SCV we-care.com…….…….. pg 10 SUVCW Dinner Invitation... pg 10

Dixie - It’s a place in your heart and a state of mind; not just a place on a map.

Third Generation of Kicklighter Men To Join SCV John Kicklighter, son of Compatriot Johnny Kicklighter, will be sworn in at our meeting on November 5th. He will become the third generation of the

Kicklighter family to join the SCV and our camp. (See the story of page 4.)

We hope you are saving your money and are planning on being with us for the annual Lee/Jackson Dinner & Ball to be held Saturday evening, January 30, 2010 at the Belle Clair Exposition Center in Belleville. Join us for an evening of dining, live music by the Chris Talley Trio, a fantastic display of period relics by Dennis Headlee, and the fine company of those who love a good time.

Mark’s Musings - by Compatriot Mark Morgan Compatriots and Ladies –

I don’t know how many members of the camp have had an opportunity to regularly read Hallowed Ground, the quarterly publication of the Civil War Preservation Trust, but I’ve received several copies over the last year to 18 months and each one is uniformly outstanding. And that constitutes the “commercial” for the CWPT, although I will now address specifically the Fall 2009 edition.

The short summation is this: the Sesquicentennial of the War for Southern Independence has begun (okay, I’ll admit it; the article I’m about to mention refers to it as the “Civil War Sesquicentennial”).

Now obviously, it’d make perfect sense if y’all figured the 150th anniversary of The Recent Unpleasantness actually kicks off next year on, say, 24 December 2010, the anniversary of the date of South Carolina’s secession from the Union. Or, perhaps, you’d mark 4 February 2011, the anniversary of the approval of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America. Then again, I expect most would note 12 April 2011, the 150th anniversary of the bombardment of Fort Sumter.

However, according to this edition of Hallowed Ground, the first event of the War Between the States took place on 16 October 1859, with John Brown’s raid on the US Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (remember, West Virginia didn’t became a state in the Union until 20 June 1863. Note the irony: the Union went to war with the Confederacy over the issue of secession and then accepted into its fold a new state…which seceded from Virginia. But I digress).

I won’t recount the entire article save for a few details and facts, but overall the story – written by Dennis E. Frye and titled “Purged Away With Blood: John Brown’s War” is fascinating and contains all sorts of information and details that I wasn’t aware of.

The short version was this: on the night of 16 October Brown and his 18 followers moved south from Kennedy Farm, seized the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Bridge over the Potomac River at its confluence with the Shenandoah and then took possession of the arsenal. However, the word of the attack quickly got out, particularly following the murder of African-American baggage porter Heyward Shepherd by gunfire at 1:30 AM. Residents, the Jefferson Guards (a militia unit from Charles Town, commanded by Col John T. Gibson) and the Hamtramck Guards (Shepherdstown, Capt Robert Baylor, commanding) – responded, sealed the city and trapped Brown and his men in the armory’s fire engine house.

Then came Lt Col Robert E. Lee (and his aide, Lt J.E.B. Stuart of the 1st US Cavalry) and 87 Marines, who arrived around midnight on the 17th; by that point, the townspeople and militia had already dispatched five raiders, including two of Browns’ sons. On the morning of the 18th, after Stuart failed to convince “Osawatomie” Brown to surrender, the Marines moved in with bayonets, wounded and captured Brown, killed or captured four raiders and freed 11 hostages. John Brown and four others – either captured in the assault or afterwards – were executed on 16 December 1859. Two more others were later captured and executed 16 March 1860 while five escaped, including one of Brown’s son, Owen, who moved to California. The rest, as they say, was history. The North and abolitionists made Brown an icon and martyr while Southerners reviled him.

However, what’s fascinating is what happened 100 years later with the creation of Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. It marked the beginning of a “controversial centennial,” as described by Frye in his second article in the same issue, “John Brown’s Smoldering Spark.”

“For the Centennial, people predicted pageantry, parades and politicians celebrating the reunion of the country,” Frye wrote. “The warriors and the war would be honored, the battlefields hallowed and the graveyards decorated.”

“But when would this Centennial commence? A simple question, it seemed, with no simple answer. John’ Brown’s enduring specter again catapulted into the conscience of Americans, a people still divided – now not by disunion, but by disharmony.”

What follows is a fascinating story which presents the northern view – along with attempts to make Harpers Ferry a national park specifically to commemorate Brown’s Raid, vice its current purpose of recognizing the town’s importance throughout the entire war – and Southern resistance to any attempt to make a hero out of (continued on next page)

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Events (As always, please plan to be with us; we need your support.)

Thursday, November 5, 2009, Camp Meeting, SWIC Senior Center, 7 – 9 PM

Speaker – Dr Tom Curran, “Southern Women and the Military Justice System of St Louis” Thursday, December 3, 2009, Camp Meeting, SWIC Senior Center, 7 – 9 PM

Speaker - Doug Lawrence, “The Real Lincoln, Pt 2” Thursday, January 7, 2010, Camp Meeting, SWIC Senior Center, 7 – 8:30 PM.

Saturday, January 30, 2010, Annual Lee/Jackson Dinner Ball, 6 – 10:30 PM

News from Around the Camp Compatriot Brandon Scott Baker has been reassigned to Fort Riley, KS versus Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He has applied for and been approved for separation. He plans to return to the Metro-East area and is looking forward to being able to participate fully with the camp. He is looking forward to getting married in late November and hopefully starting a new civilian job at Scott AFB. We will be looking forward to having him back with us. Compatriot Jason Prichard has moved. His new address is: 310 Roselawn Ave., Fairview Heights, IL 62208. His phone number is 618-806-4162. Please update your rosters. Compatriot Pat Price, formerly of Wisconsin and moved to Farmington, NM, has moved again, this time to Idaho. He has requested to rejoin our camp until he decides where to finally live. We welcome Pat back and wish him well while he scouts about for a permanent home. * If you have news about any of our camp members to share, please be sure to let the Editor, Gale Red, know so we can get it in the newsletter.

(continued from previous page) Brown. The article also presents a full page of 2009’s commemorative events on Brown’s Raid held in Harpers Ferry and the vicinity.

If you can find a copy, I strongly suggest everyone grab it and read the articles. I then suggest you look ahead at the planning now underway for other Sesquicentennial activities. Sad to say (but unfortunately, not too surprisingly), controversy’s already brewing over how to properly mark the anniversary of the “Civil War,” and those controversies are falling along the usual lines, including attacks against anything Confederate. Over the next couple of columns we’ll take a look at some of the preparations and the issues involved.

In the meantime, I hope to see a large turnout at the next meeting. We’re about to move into a New Year with a full slate of events and speaker; stay active and make sure you’re a part.

As always, in the meantime, hold high the flag!

Confederately, Mark Morgan

November Birthdays –

1 Nov. – Pat Booth 8 Nov. – Frank Sheeler 9 Nov. – Harris Young

13 Nov. – Dale Halemeyer 25 Nov. – Betty Lawrence

Happy Birthday, Ya’ll….

Three Generations of Kicklighters

With the swearing in at our meeting on November 5th John Kicklighter, there will be three generations of that family represented in our camp. John is the son of our camp webmaster, Johnny Kicklighter. Each generation has joined under a different ancestor representing the large number of their War period family who served the Cause. John will be joining under Jesse Kicklighter, Pvt., Co. D, 5th GA Cavalry. Jacob Kicklighter, John’s nephew and Johnny’s grandson, joined under William M. Kicklighter, Pvt., Co. D, 5th GA Cavalry. Johnny, the patriarch of this clan, joined under William Thomas Combs, Corporal, Co. D, 49th GA Infantry. We are hoping others of the Kicklighter clan will be joining with us soon.

The patriarch, Johnny Kicklighter, is a native of Greenville, SC and joined the USAF when he was 18. He served proudly as a weather forecaster for 26 years before retiring in 1996 to become a defense contractor providing information technology services to USTRANSCOM at Scott AFB. He and his wife, Chris, are the proud parents of four children: David, Nathan, Matthew, and John. John Kicklighter was born in Charleston, SC (the hotbed of Confederate insurrection, of course), and is the father of three children, ages 3, 2, and 1 years. John owns and successfully operates the Kicklighter Landscaping business in Belleville. Jacob Kicklighter, the third generation of Kicklighter men, was born in Belleville, IL and is the son of Nathan Kicklighter (Johnny’s 2nd son). Jacob is a 7th grader at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Belleville, and is very active with his church. We are so pleased to have these fine men represent their respective ancestors and continue the fight to save our Confederate heritage and preserve the true history of the Cause for which their ancestors fought so bravely to defend. The Kicklighter clan joins the Young clan with their three generations of members as they lead the way and set the example for the rest of us. So, when are you going to sign up your sons and grandsons? The SCV needs your family, and your family needs the SCV.

L-R: Johnny, John, and Jacob.

Camp Meeting Minutes from September 3, 2009: The meeting was called to order by Sergeant-at-Arms, Billy Altman, at 7 pm. Commander Merritt welcomed all those present. The Color Sergeants brought the colors forward. Billy Altman led the Pledge and Salute, and Chaplain Bob Hardy gave the invocation. Commander Merritt then wished a Happy Birthday to all our members with birthdays in October. Jim Helfrich, a guest, was introduced and welcomed. The roll call was taken. Those present included: John Merritt, Kevin Duffy, Gale Red, Billy and Helen Altman, Joe and Judy Starek, Harris and Lois Young, Ralph Oelschlager, Dale Rice, Bill and Janice Beasley, Bill Boyd, Ron Doran, John Barnhill, Richard Campen, Sr., Walter Hall, Bob Hardy, Brett Warner, and guest Jim Helfrich. Several members were out of town and unavailable. The minutes as presented in previous newsletter were accepted without change. The Financial Report was accepted as read. There were no communications. Under “Old Business”, Commander Merritt called upon several people to talk about the Jerseyville Labor Day event. It was a great time for all those who were able to participate. Billy Altman and Commander Merritt discussed the Hill’s Fort event at Greenville. It was also reported to have been a great success with good participation by many of the members. Adjutant Gale Red reported there are still a few members who have not yet paid their dues. We really need to get them in and wrap that up. Commander Merritt then discussed the annual camp picnic. Gale Red suggested that perhaps it should be held next spring as we did not really have sufficient time to properly plan it, and the schedule of event has been very full already for the summer and fall of this year. A motion to postpone it until spring was made and passed unanimously. A committee needs to be appointed to plan the picnic for spring. Before moving onto “New Business”, Billy and Helen Altman presented Commander John Merritt with the “Fickle Finger” award for “conspicuous” performance at the Hill’s Fort event. It was an award well-deserved. Under “New Business”, Gale Red told about the annual Lee/Jackson Dinner Ball coming up on January 30th. The Chris Talley Trio will provide live music. A committee needs to be drawn up immediately to get things together for the event. Billy Altman requested volunteers for the Gun-show recruitment table on Oct. 3 - 4. He took names. This is the last one for this year. Brett Warner explained that with his decline in health, he needs to have someone else take over storage and handling of the Camp Dixon supplies and equipment. These are his personal belongings. Billy Altman has agreed to take over for Brett. We now need to find a trailer to use to transport them for events. If anyone has one or knows of one, please contact Billy Altman. We then took a short break for wonderful refreshments furnished by Helen and Billy Altman. When we reconvened, we were treated to another wonderful presentation by our good friend Kevin Monroe, the Chairman of the History, Geography and Political Science Department at SWIC. He gave an excellent program on “The Role of Southern Women in Support of the War Effort.” His personal knowledge and infectious enthusiasm made the program exciting and interesting. Chaplain Hardy gave the closing prayer and we closed the meeting at 9 pm.

Professor Kevin Monroe in action.

Pictures from the Hill’s Fort, Greenville event, Sept. 19 & 20: Previously, pictures were not available of this event. Billy Altman provided quite a few that will be downloaded to our camp website at www.scvcamp1962.org for your viewing. We are including only a few here. Be sure to visit the website to see the others. Thanks Billy for providing the pictures.

Left: Jason, Kevin, Ron, and Billy salute as the flag is raised. Right: Bill Wilson- the organizer and heart of the Hill’s Fort event

Left: The men gather for the flag ceremony. Right: Helen and Janice rest in the shade.

Civil War Days at John A. Logan College in Carterville, IL on October 15th. Gale Red and Walter Hall went to John A. Logan College in Carterville, IL to be part of the 5th annual Civil War Days program that the college provides as a service to the community. School children from nearby schools are bused in to see programs of living history and historical information. Bobby Samuel and Michael Pierpoint of the Spince Blankenship Camp of Marion, IL also took part. Gale and Walter presented five brief programs identifying the major Confederate flags and discussing the difference between governmental flags and military flags. The program was intended to help educate the children about the truth behind the Battle Flag and to be able to properly identify Confederate flags. Bobby Samuel presented a program about Robert E. Lee, and Michael Pierpoint did some living history with his Union officer’s tent and encampment. The event was very successful with over four hundred people in attendance.

(Left: Gale presents flag program) (Center: SCV members at program) (Right: Michael Pierpoint’s Union officer encampment)

WHY? I guess if all the folks I’ve crossed paths with since I have undertaken the endeavor of finding as many of the graves of Confederate Veterans in my area (so that they receive their just recognition) could ask me one question it would probably be “why?” To be frank, the answer is simple; someone has to get out and see that these men receive their long overdue honors, and I feel led to do so. I could make a million excuses for not doing it, but the fact remains that these men deserve to be honored so I feel obligated. They sacrificed their lives, their land, and their way of lives to fight for their constitutional right to govern themselves (and not the age old slavery reason) so this is the least I can do. Gale Red asked me to try and describe what I have felt as I have searched for the graves of the men who fought for the very cause we still try to honor today and to be honest it is hard. There is frustration often just trying to find a little cemetery in the middle of nowhere. There is also the anticipation and sense of excitement in knowing you are getting close to finding one more soldier. Finally there is a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when the individual (who really does seem to come to life as you research them) is found, his grave photographed and then the picture is forwarded to Mr. Red knowing that he will be making sure the paperwork is taken care of so that these soldiers of the Confederacy will soon be receiving long overdue memorials to their service. I have also felt anger at the federal governments exclusion of these gentleman from national cemeteries for the most part especially when I have walked a southern battlefield and the men who lived on that land are excluded from a cemetery on the same land they fought to defend. Finally, I have felt sadness when I see tombstone after tombstone all nice and neat and taken care of belonging to federal soldiers only to find confederates buried like just any ordinary person with no identification that they fought against great odds to defend their beliefs against federal force and aggression. I want to close by thanking Gale Red for his help, Bobby Samuel and Michael Pierpoint for their encouragement, to my wife Becky (I Love you for putting up with the amount of time I put into this), Jason Goodman, Tiffany Goodman, Joseph Tingle, and Travis Henderson for accompanying me on some of these trips. And, finally I would say to my son, Brody; I love you, and I hope I am able to pass on to you the pride in our deep Southern roots and the men who fought for them. Now, its yall’s turn get off your rears and get out and help find these men; they deserve it! Why? Just think about it. Humbly Yours, Eric Gulledge

Right: Eric’s son Brody helps locate CSA veterans’ graves.

Eric Gulledge, member of the Pvt. Spince Blankemship Camp of Marion, IL poses beside one the many Confederate veteran graves he has helped locate and photograph of for the Illinois Confederate Veterans Graves Project. Eric, with the assistance of his son Brody and a few others, is scouring the cemeteries of Southern Illinois in the hope of finding the graves of our lost veterans so they can be properly identified and marked.

I Stood In The Steps of Robert E. Lee In Hopes of Becoming A Better Man

By Curt Steger-Author of "The Character & Faith of Robert E. Lee", 10-12-2009

I stood in the room where Robert E. Lee was born at Stratford Hall.

At Arlington, I stood in the room where he was married.

There too, I stood in the room where he decided "no" to Lincoln's offer to command the union troops.

I stood in The White House of the Confederacy in the room where he met with Davis and Jackson to prepare for battle.

I stood on the ground where he watched the return of Pickett's men at Gettysburg.

I stood in the room where with dignity he surrendered to Grant.

And I stood on the steps in Richmond where he dismounted Traveler three days later when he returned

home after the war to his wife.

I stood at Mulberry Hill where he first stayed upon his arrival in Lexington, Virginia to start a new life.

I stood at the place where Lee stood over the grave of "Stonewall" Jackson.

At Washington College I stood in the building where he was sworn in as President.

I stood where he worshiped there in The Chapel.

I sat where he sat and I prayed where he prayed.

I stood in his office where he worked as an example of all things good for young men to see.

I stood where he stayed at what is now known as "The Lee Cottage" at The Greenbrier.

I stood in the room in the house where he died.

I stood over where he was first laid to rest and I stood where he rests now.

I traveled great distances to stand in the footsteps of Robert E. Lee in hopes of becoming a better man.

But the longest journey to travel it has been said is "the journey within."

It was only there-when I stood in "the lengthening shadow" of Robert E. Lee's character and faith that I was forever changed as a man.

The following article was sent from Inside NPS. The article can be found at http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=8304. CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL John Brown's Raid On Harpers Ferry Commemorated Persistent weekend rains did little to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of visitors attending the 150th commemoration of John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry NHP this past weekend. In 1859, abolitionist John Brown, believing he could free slaves, selected Harpers Ferry as his starting point. Determined to seize the 100,000 weapons at the arsenal there and to then use the Blue Ridge Mountains for guerrilla warfare, Brown launched his raid on Sunday evening, October 16, 1859. His 21-man "army of liberation" seized the armory and several other strategic points. Thirty-six hours after the raid begun, with most of his men killed or wounded, Brown was captured in the armory fire engine house (now known as "John Brown's Fort") when U.S. Marines stormed the building. Brought to trial at nearby Charles Town, Brown was found guilty of treason, of conspiring with slaves to rebel, and murder. He was hanged on December 2, 1859. John Brown's short-lived raid failed, but his trial and execution focused the nation's attention on the moral issue of slavery and headed the country toward civil war. Commemorative events began on Friday. Over 100 walkers braved the elements that night for the symbolic trek retracing the six-mile route that Brown and his men took from the Kennedy Farm to Harpers Ferry. The commemorative walk concluded with a moving candle-lit program at John Brown’s Fort. Saturday’s activities were well attended, especially the premiere performance of “Tattered Souls,” a theatrical jazz performance by composer/arranger/musician Delfeayo Marsalis. Played to a standing-room only crowd, many in attendance said it was the highlight of their weekend. Creative hands-on activities kept visitors of all ages actively engaged in the Family & Youth Tent. Who knew reading, writing and art could be so much fun? “The only problem, besides the weather,” said one mother as her children participated in an art activity, “is there is so much to do and we can’t do it all.” As skies brightened a bit on Sunday, the Walk of the Descendants program followed the footsteps of Brown and his men during the raid. Descendants of townspeople, militia, marines, raiders and John Brown participated with special readings as ranger David Fox recounted the events of the raid. Alice Keesey Mecoy, great-great-great-granddaughter of John Brown said, “This weekend, commemorating such an important part of history, has been an emotional roller coaster that I have been honored to be a part of.” The U.S. Marine Corps Historical Company and the Marine Band from Quantico Marine Base presented the role of the marines during the raid and entertained with music of the period. Lt. General G.R. Christmas, USMC Ret., led a procession and wreath laying at John Brown’s Fort honoring USMC Pvt. Luke Quinn, killed during the raid. Excerpts from “John Brown’s Body” by Stephen Vincent Benet were introduced by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who said this poetry had been her uncle’s favorite. Her uncle was President John F. Kennedy. Presented by actor Danny Glover, Fred Morsell, JaBen Early, Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner and accompanied by the Maryland Symphony Orchestra String Ensemble, the performance was unforgettable. Many visitors were excited to see Danny Glover and thrilled he had taken the time and had an interest in this historical commemoration. One visitor perhaps summed it up best. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event and I wanted my family to be a part of it. It’s something we’ll remember forever.” For more information contact : Marsha Wassel

Compatriots, You may remember a few years ago when we had a deal with Amazon where the SCV got a percentage of the money you spent there. Wouldn't it be nice to have places to shop where a portion of your money goes to support the SCV? Now you have that place, a whole mall in fact; a mall with hundreds of stores where each purchase helps the SCV. There you will find all the big name stores that you may already order from. Also there are discounts and coupons available. We now have the SCV on-line Mall. We have partnered with an organization called We-Care. Their motto is Shop with Purpose. Well we certainly have a purpose! The link is: http://scv.we-care.com/ Of course this can only be a successful venture if we use it. Please immediately book mark that page. For those who might forget to go there before shopping, you can download a reminder, so that if you go to, for example eBay or Amazon, a box will pop up that asked is you want a portion to got to the SCV, you will of course say yes! You can find the reminder program under the Downloads tab on the Mall page or go to : http://scv.we-care.com/Downloads/Reminder Please go check this out and spread the word. Anyone can shop there! Send the links to all your friends and family. Use it for business purchases. Put in on your social networking sites like facebook. Make it a part of your signature on your emails. Put the link on your personal webpage. Below I have placed a web banner that you can attach the link to. I ask all SCV webmasters to put it on their sites. Notice that I have not used the SCV logo on the banner, that way any of our friends, like the UDC or OCR, can place it on their sites as well! I truly believe this program will benefit us greatly. Be sure to forward this email to your contacts, and place this information in your newsletters. I hope you all enjoy using this service and I appreciate your efforts. YOS Chuck McMichael CiC SCV scvcic72@gmail.com

Gentlemen, we have been cordially invited by the Col. Hecker Camp #443 of the SUVCW to attend their 14th Annual Encampment Dinner. It is their formal dinner of the year and will feature, dinner, guest speaker Robert Cook (topic - “Lincoln at Gettysburg”), and a large display of Civil War Memorabilia. Their dinner will be held Saturday evening, November 21, 2009 at Fischer’s Restaurant in Belleville. The cost will be $24.oo per person. Please call Gale Red at 622-8949 or Kirk Dermint at 397-1544 about reservations. Reservations NLT 12 Nov. This is a chance to support our friends of the SUVCW and share an evening of fun.