FLORIDA  

Reported by Jimmy Edwards

FLORIDA ATTENDS MECH-CAV 2020 ANNUAL

Another year and another Mechanized Cavalry annual. The lucky ones are always able to attend and this year from Florida the

 brave and bold were: Major Johnny Strickland, Captain David King, Lieutenant Joe Davis, Private Clay Johnson,

Private Albert "Thiggy" Thigpen, and Private Jimmy Edwards. The overall event was just awesome with scheduled rides to three

different battlefields, entertainment and food at the host hotel and fellowship with Mech-Cav members coming together from

 different parts of the United States. As different groups from varies states pared off to do a variety of activities throughout the area,

Florida guys did their share of sightseeing as well. To mention two of our most memorable were Florida Mech-Cav 'taking'

the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) with LT Joe Davis standing in the entrance way of the cadets' barracks displaying the

 Mech-Cav colors (how cool was that) with Stonewall Jackson's name above the entrance way. During that VMI campus visit the

 attempt to see General Robert E. Lee's burial site (Chapel) was in vain (closed) due to the C-19 virus; as were many other

 Civil War/historical places. Our other Florida memorable activity was with Captain Dave King being called up front at an outdoor

musical festival, hosted by Ben Jones, the actor and former politician, better known as COOTER Davenport in the TV series

 Dukes of Hazzard. CPT King explained our Confederate motorcycle presence and defined our heritage organization.

We all had a great time and enjoyed our companionship among all Mechanized Cavalry members from all areas of the country.

Don't forget to VOTE FOR TRUMP!!!!!

  SOUTH CAROLINA

Reported by Mark Poag, 3rd Battalion Company A

Confederate Monument in Anderson, SC.  June 20, 2020.

On June 20, 2020, after hearing of plans for protests, members of the 3rd Battalion Company A traveled to Walhalla, SC

and then Anderson,SC to support and defend Confederate Monuments in those cities.

Both locations were quite. Guess they knew we were coming.

At the Confederate Monument in Anderson,SC, the Mechanized Cavalry was met by Flaggers from several local SCV Camps.

  SOUTH CAROLINA

Reported by John Fisher

CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS RECEIVE THEIR SOUTHERN CROSS OF HONOR

On Saturday, July 11th the Horry Rough and Readys SCV #1026 in Myrtle Beach, SC, placed the Southern Cross of Honor at

two Confederate soldiers graves at Port Harrellson Cemetery in a remote location of Horry County. The SC SCVMC "Low Country Crew"

 was represented by Compatriots Paul Flanagan, Horry Rough and Readys Camp Commander John Fisher (not pictured), along with

Horry Rough and Readys Color Sgt. Craig Thompkins, Adjutant Eddie Pippin and Compatriot Stan Dalton.

Final resting place of Pvt. Duke Roberts, Co. C, Manigaults Battalion, SC Arty, CSA

Final resting place of 2nd. Lt. William L. Prince, Co. C, 10th SC Infantry Reg., CSA

   GEORGIA

Reported by Wayne Scarborough

LT. Ballard and Chris May honor the only Confederate buried in Andersonville National Cemetery on Memorial; Day.

Camp Sumter, more commonly known as Andersonville, was one of the largest Confederate military prisons of the WTBS.

 More than 45,000 Yankees were held there, of which about 13,000 perished. Those 13,000 graves were eventually provided headstones.

Today, upwards of 20,000 veterans and family members rest at Andersonville.

Yet one individual stands out as being the only Confederate veteran buried at the national historic site: Sampson Boze Kitchens.

He was a private in Company C of the 10th Georgia Regiment, enlisting in 1862 at the age of 17. Despite the (obvious)

constant dangers of soldiering during a war (including at least two stints in the hospital), Boze survived and was present for the surrender

of Confederate troops at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. [Information gleaned from Confederate service records at Fold3 and Confederate pension

applications at Ancestry. Sampson Boze Kitchens lived till the ripe age of 90 years, leaving behind 9 children, 25 grandchildren,

and 3 great-grandchildren (according to a transcript of his obituary). I don't know why it didn't occur to me before, as I've wondered why Pvt. Kitchens was buried

at Andersonville. I found out recently his remains were actually moved there. He was originally buried at Kelly-Kitchens Cemetery  near Oglethorpe, Georgia

, where his grave remained unmarked for at least five months. Soon after, a headstone at that location was provided by the US military via Mrs. Chas. A. Greer,

 president of the Oglethorpe Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy.

 Troop 3 Clinches crew repairing the grave of a Confederate Soldiers wife. L-R Kyle White, Corey Harrelson, Lt. Jerry Bridges,

Tony Crumbley and Paul Williams on 6-6-20 at Fleming cemetery outside Hawkinsville GA

OCR Marti Bridges at Fleming cemetery outside Hawkinsville GA.

Col. Hawkins, Lt Robert Ballard and Albert Thigpen at Shenandoah caverns during the

 Mechanized Cavalry annual in VA

Tommy Miller, Teddy Ford, Chris May, Thomas Reynolds (kneeling) and Steve Cota at the

 Georgia monument in Gettysburg during the Mechanized Cavalry annual