The Major John C. Hutto Camp honoredGeneral Robert E. Lee & General Thomas“Stonewall” Jackson during our JanuaryMeeting.

Published Monthly February 2017

Major John C. Hutto Camp

February Meeting Notice

Sunday, 19 February 2017 - 2:30 pm

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Jasper Mayor the Honorable David O’Marywill be our speaker for February. Have yourheritage and history questions ready to ask

our newly elected Mayor.

Check out the color version of February’sHutto Camp Newsletter online at:http://www.huttocamp.com/news

The Model 1841“MississippiRifle”

The Model 1841rifle was usedduring the Warof NorthernAggression byboth Union &Confederatesoldiers. TheModel 1841Mississippi Rifleis considered bymany to be oneof thehandsomest riflesever issued totroops. It wasalso a heck of ashooter.

When Americabegan tomanufacture itsown weaponry,muskets were atthe top of the list,though rifle corpswere alsorecognized asbeing importantsupplements to

regular troops. Accordingly, beginning withthe Model 1803 Harpers Ferry flintlock, U.S.ordnance types produced a selection of rifledarms for what were then considered elite

units.

Most of these arms were tip-notch examplesof weaponry, but in 1846, Harpers Ferrybegan building a superb .54 cap-lock thattopped all the rest. Officially termed “U.S.Percussion Rifle, Model 1841,” before thewar, it was truly a handsome piece. Likemost military rifles of the period, the ‘41 wasconsiderably lighter and shorter than astandard infantry musket. Many modern-dayenthusiasts consider this arm to be among themost beautiful ever to be issued to troops.

Because of the ‘41's resemblance to aGermanic-styled arm, the 1841 was oftencalled Yaeger, but it was during the MexicanWar, (1846-1848) when spirited employmentin the hands of Col. Jefferson Davis’Mississippi riflemen at the battle of BuenaVista presented the piece with its mostcommon nickname, Mississippi Rifle. By thebye, Davis would later become a senatorfrom Mississippi, Secretary of War underPresident Franklin Pierce, and ultimatelyPresident of the Confederate States.

Highly accurate and well balanced, theseguns were sold to some soldiers after theMexican War for their cost of $14.50. Lateras Secretary of War under President FranklinPierce,, Jefferson Davis had many of theseguns rifled to a standard .58 caliber andfitted for a bayonet in various configurations.

As noted above, initial construction of the1841 was at the Harpers Ferry Armory, butdemand for the piece was such that contractswere let out to other private makers. One ofthese individuals was John Griffiths, who

Milwaukee Yankee Old Soldier’s Home -Old Main Building built in 1866, andpartially financed by Southern taxes.

Inside the spacious Theater on the groundsof the Milwaukee Old Soldier’s Home

later sold his machinery and tooling toEliphalet Remington who secured a contractwith the military to build 500 rifles at a costof $13 each.

On the night of October 16, 1859 JohnBrown and his Raiders invaded the armory atHarpers Ferry where the “Mississippi Rifle”was under production, and approximately100,000 of the rifles were stored. MidnightRising, John Brown and the Raid thatSparked the Civil War, pg 131.

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A month before his assassination, PresidentLincoln signed legislation to create a nationalsystem of homes for disabled Yankeeveterans. Established in 1867, the MilwaukeeSoldiers Home is one of the three originalSoldiers Homes in the country, with some ofthe oldest buildings in the VA system. It isthe only Soldiers Home that retains themajority of its recuperative village anddesigned landscape.

The buildings and landscape were asylums –places of refuge and healing – aiding Yankeeveterans’ recuperation and easing theirtransition back into society. In 1867 no suchplace existed for Confederate Veterans. Eachsouthern state provided for its veterans thebest they could without any federalassistance, including paying any pension theveterans were entitled, and provided a place

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to live out their last days,. There are about 48 historic resources and90-plus acres of designed landscape at theMilwaukee Soldiers Home. The district wasdesigned to create the appearance and feelingof a village and includes a post office,library, recreation hall, theater, chapel andrecreation areas.

The Milwaukee Soldiers Home was latertransferred to the Veterans Administrationand continues today as a hospital andnational cemetery for all veterans. Notice theextensive architectural design of thebuildings and imagine the expense toconstruct these elaborate buildings. Southerntaxes built and supported these facilitiesduring Reconstruction.

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The Undefeated - starring John Wayne -Rock Hudson (1969) - The opening sceneshows a Confederate flag. Union CalvaryColonel John Wayne attacks the ConfederateInfantry unit with heavy loses on both sides.A courier rides up excitedly telling Waynethe war is over. Wayne looks around at allthe dead bodies, and orders a flag of truce togo talk to the Confederate in charge. TheConfederates greet the Union soldiers and aconversation ensues.

Confederate soldier, “I be a Sergeant Sir, canI be of any service to you'll?”Wayne, “I'd like to talk to your commandingofficer.”Confederate soldier, “Who be giving orders

today, Jim?”

Confederate Major comes forward.Wayne, “Major, I just received word that Leesurrendered to Grant three days ago.”Confederate Major, “Yes Sir.”Wayne, “You knew it.”Confederate Major, “We received wordyesterday.”Wayne, “I don't think you understand Major.The war is over.”Confederate Major shaking his head, "NoSir."Wayne, “You telling me that you intend tokeep fighting?”Confederate Major, “Haven't we just provenit, Sir?”Wayne, “But why?”Confederate Major, “Because this is ourland, and you’re on it.”

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SLAVERY in MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts was the first slave- holdingcolony in New England, though the exactbeginning of black slavery in what becameMassachusetts cannot be dated exactly.Slavery there is said to have predated thesettlement of Massachusetts Bay colony in1629, and circumstantial evidence gives adate of 1624-1629 for the first slaves."Samuel Maverick, apparently NewEngland's first slaveholder, arrived inMassachusetts in 1624 and, according to[John Gorham] Palfrey, owned two Negroesbefore John Winthrop, who later becamegovernor of the colony, arrived in 1630."

Lorenzo Johnston Greene, The Negro inColonial New England, 1620-1776. N.Y.:Columbia University Press, 1942, p.16.

The first certain reference to African slaveryis in connection with the bloody Pequot Warin 1637. The Pequot Indians of centralConnecticut, pressed hard by encroachingEuropean settlements, struck back andattacked the town of Wetherfield.

A few months later, Massachusetts andConnecticut militias joined forces and raidedthe Pequot village near Mystic, Connecticut.Of the few Indians who escaped slaughter,the women and children were enslaved inNew England, and Roger Williams of RhodeIsland wrote to Winthrop congratulating himon God's having placed in his hands "anotherdrove of Adams' degenerate seed." But mostof the men and boys, deemed too dangerousto keep in the colony, were transported to theWest Indies aboard the ship Desire, to beexchanged for African slaves. The Desirearrived back in Massachusetts in 1638, afterexchanging its cargo, according to Winthrop,loaded with "Salt, cotton, tobacco andNegroes."

"Such exchanges became routine duringsubsequent Indian wars, for the danger ofkeeping revengeful warriors in the colony faroutweighed the value of their labor."

In 1646, this became the official policy of theNew England Colonies. In Massachusetts,the shortage and expense of free, white labormotivated the quest for slaves.

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In 1645, Emanuel Downing, brother- in-lawof John Winthrop, wrote to him longing for a"juste warre" with the Pequots, so thecolonists might capture enough Indian men,women, and children to exchange inBarbados for black slaves, because thecolony would never thrive "untill we gett ... astock of slaves sufficient to doe all ourbusiness." Lorenzo Johnston Greene, TheNegro in Colonial New England,1620-1776. N.Y.: Columbia UniversityPress, 1942, p.62.

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State bill would protect Alabama’shistorical monuments by Jordan LaPorta

Confederate memorial in Linn ParkBirmingham, Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Out of fear thathistory is being erased, State Sen. Gerald

Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) plans to introduce theAlabama Memorial Preservation Act in theSenate when the legislative session begins onFebruary 7. If passed, the act would prohibitthe removal, renaming, or alteration of anystatue, memorial, or monument over fiftyyears old located on public state, county, andcity properties.

“I am concerned about politically-correctefforts to erase entire portions of Americanhistory, and oftentimes these efforts toremove a statue or a monument are done inhaste and without public knowledge,” Allensaid. “I believe our children andgrandchildren should remember history as ithappened – the good and the bad.”

Dozens of cities across the state contain theirown Confederate monuments that wereconstructed post-reconstruction.Montgomery, for instance, has theMonument to Confederate Soldiers andSailors on the grounds of the State Capitol.Partially funded with state grants, themonument has stood since 1886, and theperson who laid the cornerstone was noneother than CSA President Jefferson Davis.

Montgomery is also home to numerous civilrights movement monuments including theCivil Rights Memorial, located onWashington Avenue. The granite displaycontains the names of 41 people who diedduring the fight for civil rights.

“I have had numerous discussions with otherlegislators, historians, and interested citizens,and this version will reflect their input. I am

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very confident the Memorial PreservationAct will receive final passage this year,”Allen remarked. “My intent is to preservememorials to all of Alabama’s history –including the Civil War, the World Wars,and the Civil Rights movement – forgenerations to come.”

Allen proposed a similar bill last year, but itfailed to gain enough support in the AlabamaHouse of Representatives before the sessionended.

*******Gurganus,JohnWashington,Jr., a son ofJohnWashingtonand Sarah(Earnest)Gurganus,was born 27April 1831,on IndianCreek, nearLiberty HillChurch,WalkerCounty. In

early manhood he located on a farm ninemiles south of Oakman, where he was aprosperous farmer and a good citizen. On 15September 1861, he enlisted at Tierce’sStore, on Lost Creek, as a private inCompany K, Fiftieth Alabama Infantry,under Captain John C. Hutto, and serveduntil the close of the war. Returning to his

farm the village of Gurganus grew up on hishomestead and he served as its postmasterfor many years. He was also a justice of thepeace, a notary public, and took active partin the Democratic party, and in the supportof the Methodist Church. He died on 07September 1919, and is buried in theFairview Graveyard. He was married toMelissa Waller, who was born in HaleCounty, Alabama on 11 April 1833, and died13 November 1894, and is buried inFairview Graveyard. Census of ConfederateSoldiers, 1907; Moore’s Alabama, Vol. III,page 139; Gravestones

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Battle of Selma canceled by Blake Deshazo

Re-enactors won’t take the battlefield inApril for the annual Battle of Selma due tothe city of Selma’s request for the nonprofitgroup to pay more than $22,000 for cityservices.

News of the event’s cancellation broke

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Tuesday night when the Facebook event forthe battle was canceled. The April 1865Society confirmed the event’s cancellation ina press release Wednesday.

James Hammonds, president of the societythat puts on the event, said the request camefrom the city at short notice, which gave thesociety little time to do anything other thancancel the re-enactment. “We only had threemonths to go when we got this bombshell,”Hammonds said Wednesday.

“We’re very sorry that it came to this, andwe’re disappointing a lot of people by doingit. I only hope that the city will show enoughsupport for the battle and maybe enoughpeople with influence on the mayor can go tohim and tell him it is actually a goodeconomic thing for the city.”

Hammonds said the society has historicallyhad a budget around $29,000, and the city’srequest of $22,054.22 was a 76 percentincrease. The letter making the request wasdated Jan. 24. The battle was scheduled forApril 20-23. The letter, signed by MayorDarrio Melton’s Chief of Staff OllieDavidson, said, “Thank you for your servicerequest. Unfortunately, due to downeconomic times the [city] can no longer givein kind services.”

The release from the April 1865 Society saidthe city did not charge them for services inthe past.

HUTTO CAMP OFFICERS

Commander . . . . . . . . . . . James Blackston1st Lt. Cmd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Tubbs2nd Lt. Cmd. . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy JacksonAdjutant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trent HarrisChaplain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry CookCommunications. . . . . . . . . . . Gene HerrenFacebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brandon Prescott.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeremy JacksonNewsletter Editor . . . . . . . James Blackston

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