“Why We Remember the Confederacy”
Published: Sunday, March 29, 2009 3:27 PM CDT
Stephenville Empire-Tribune
by Joyce Whitis

Texas Senate Resolution No. 628 was adopted on March 30, 1999 and recognized the month of April as Confederate History and Heritage Month in the State of Texas. The resolution encourages all Texas schools and citizens to join the effort to become more knowledgeable about the role of the Confederate States of America in the history of our country.

So, does anybody out there care? Well, the Sons of the Confederate Veterans care. The United Daughters of the Confederacy care. But does anybody else out there really care that their ancestors, if they lived in the south, rallied to fight for their beliefs that states have rights not delegated to the Federal Government. The common term for the war that split this country apart and took the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men, is known as the American Civil War. But, in fact, a Civil War is an uprising among the citizens to overthrow the government. The South did not attempt to overthrow the government of the United States but was invaded by the North and simply fought back with everything that they had. In reality this war that took so many lives was an attempt by eleven states, all Southern, to withdraw from the Union and to establish their own government. The North did not want this to happen.

Because they had entered the United States on their own, Southerners believed that they could leave on their own. This was opposed by the Northern states. The North was industrialized. The South was almost entirely Agricultural. This was hardly one nation but two parts with very different trails set for the future. There was a clear separation in 1860, which exists to some extent to this very day.

It is a fact that Texas is generally thought of as a “western” rather than a “southern” state but it is also a fact that Texas played a significant role in the bloodiest of all wars that this nation has fought. Texas was settled by people from many states and to a lesser extent folks from other countries but mostly citizens from the Southern states came here and became Texas citizens. Therefore when the question of secession was presented, Texans voted overwhelmingly to leave the Union that they had joined only 15 years before and leave with the other southern states.

An ordinance to dissolve the Union between the State of Texas and the Federal Government was read to those assembled in convention in Austin the last day of February 1861; it was voted on and passed by a vote of 166 for to eight against.

The Texas flag was carried by Texas Confederate soldiers in every major battle of that war and the state sent more than 115,000 soldiers and sailors to the service of the Confederate States of America. The general opinion of that war is that it was all about slavery when in fact most of those soldiers owned no slaves but instead battled to save their country as soldiers everywhere have always done. They fought to defend their homes, their families and their proud heritage as Texans.

Several important battles took place in Texas including the Battle of Palmetto Ranch near Brownsville. Gen. Robert E. Lee had surrendered Confederate forces on April 8 but word had not reached the CSA army in Texas. This last battle took place May 12-14, weeks after the war was over. Texans were victorious so the final battle was won by Confederates…Texas Confederates!

Reminders of that war are everywhere throughout the South and especially in Texas where the “Bonnie Blue Flag” that bears a single star flew over very battle that involved Texans. Many of the towns, communities and counties in Texas are named for those soldiers including our own, Erath named for Col. George B. Erath; Gen. Pat Cleburne, John Bell Hood, Gen. Hiram B. Granbury, Lubbock, Hardeman, Robert Lee, to name only a few. There are more than 600 known CSA veterans buried in Erath County and many of those former Confederates made lasting contributions to this area.

The Huckabay community was settled by a wagon train composed mostly of Confederate veterans who left a devastated Southland in an attempt to find new homes in Texas. They settled in this area, built homes, churches and schools and they lie buried in the cemeteries of Huckabay, Mount Pleasant and Hannibal. But their descendents live on and work and thrive in the communities that they began so many years ago. Other descendents of Confederate soldiers live their daily lives in Stephenville, Dublin, Oak Dale, Morgan Mill, Shelby, Liberty, and Selden.

Texas suffered less than their sister states because of their location and so there was a vast movement of Southerners to Texas in the ‘70s. Today those veterans lie buried beneath the rich soil of Texas and in the month of April, Sons of Confederate Veterans and members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy will place Confederate flags on those graves out of respect for and remembrance of their ancestors. Texas was an important part of that Confederacy and the history of those men deserves to be remembered. When you see these flags remember that they are not racist symbols but instead each one flies in honor of soldier who fought for his country.

A Short Review: The Rogue’s March: John Riley and the St. Patrick’s Battalion, 1846-48

The Rogue’s March: John Riley and the St. Patrick’s Battalion, 1846-48 by Peter F. Stevens, (Potomac Books 2005) is a book that should be read by anyone who loves Irish history and heroes.  This very fine read is much more than just an historical account—it is an expose and condemnation of individual, philosophical, and governmental actions and policy during a crucial and volatile period of American history. Stevens’ research reveals many facts, files and other evidence that were previously unknown or denied in the myth-making that followed our “victory” in the Mexican War.

The back cover has this summary: “The Rogue’s March is the controversial true story of the U.S. Army deserters—the majority of them Irish immigrants—who fought valiantly for Mexico during the Mexican War.”

This book is also a vindication, a story of the Irish in America—of their suffering and persecution in their immigrant experience. It is a book that will make you rethink what you’ve been taught about the building of America, the people of Mexico, our war with Mexico, and especially the plight and predicament of the Irish-American in the mid-19th century.  The book is rich in allusions and in historical details that make John Riley and the men of the St. Patrick’s Battalion come alive. The 301 page book does include some photos, an appendix listing the men of the brigade, and excellent notes and bibliography.

I’ve already made a previous post concerning the St. Patrick’s Brigade, but once again I must say that this is a story that should be told, a story that has touched my own heart deeply.  I wonder: If I had been an Irishman of those days, persecuted for my faith, denied citizenship in the U. S. assaulted, abused and even tortured almost daily by Nativist officers, if I had been offered a commission, land, and freedom to worship, would I have taken the deal Mexico offered them? Perhaps I too would have gone over the hill to “march into the war’s major battles beneath a green silik banner emblazoned with gold-threaded images of St. Patrick, the harp of Erin, and a shamrock” (2). Here’s an interesting fact that Stevens brings out: “Of the nearly 40,000 regulars who saw duty during the conflict, a stunning 5,331, nearly 13 percent of the ranks—deserted” (3).

Of course, the U.S. won the Mexican War. Concerning the captured Irishmen serving as Mexican soldiers, the fifty who were hanged, and the fourteen who were whipped savagely and branded with D’s on their cheeks, (Riley had both cheeks branded) I would have to agree with Mexico that these men were heroes and deserve to be honored—not only in Mexico, but wherever the stories of Irish heroes are told.

Last week, I presented creative writing sessions and Celtic music to the Mississippi School of the Arts. I met so many wonderful and talented teachers and students. One student I met was Jamy Barnes, a fine poet. This post is devoted to her and is the first of several posts I’m going to devote to the students and faculty of the Mississippi School of the Arts.  Here is Jamy’s “official” biography:

Jamy Barnes is a Literary Arts senior at the Mississippi School of the Arts who graced the earth with her presence eighteen years ago. Born to Sonya Taylor and James Barnes, she has a brother and sister whose arguments and antics are constantly giving her new inspiration for pieces of writing. She prefers writing poetry because she can get away with slyly mentioning her infamous purple water bottle in a poem and it will seem like it’s meant to be there. She has a love for pigs and cats, both of which she refuses to eat. After graduation from high school, she plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, majoring in Library and Informational Sciences. Her poem “Ireland” was published in the first issue of Aerie International, a literary and visual arts magazine for high school students

“Ireland” by Jamy Barnes

I’ll go to Ireland
When the roses bloom next winter
And the bright red clover grows on the hills
When I go to Ireland
I’ll dance spasmodically in Dublin
With the untamed gypsy lizards
No snakes to worry about
Just that traveling heathen lizard
I’ll go to Ireland
When the dead doves open their wings
And the bright blue ferns create a wonderful bed
When I go to Ireland
I’ll sing praise at the Hill of Tara
With the stubborn purple hedgehog
Laughing in the fuchsia wind
Crying in the orange rain
All the while the few trees will
Groan in their sympathy
Heave in frustration
Let their papyrus leaves fall
To land on me.

Here’s a photo of the featured poet.

As I was driving to my parents house in Kemp, Oklahoma, a small town on the banks of the Red River, I was listening to 1,000 Kisses, a CD by Patty Griffin. I had heard one of her songs on the Americana station some time ago and more out of curiosity than anything, I purchased this CD. The song I’m posting is not the one I first heard, but it is the one I like best on her CD and the one I want to learn and add to my little music show. Here are the lyrics to this song (some sites on the Net say it was written by Bob Dylan). I follow the lyrics of each stanza with the chords. As most musicians can play songs they like by ear, you can hear when the chords change.  If the key is wrong for you, then transpose it. Evidently, a few others have recorded this song, so if you have a favorite version other than Patty’s, I’d like to know about it.

Tomorrow night will you remember what you said tonight?
Tomorrow night, will all the thrill be gone?
Tomorrow night will it be just another memory,
Or just another song that’s in my heart to linger on?

G, C, Cm, D7, G, Am7, D

G, C, Cm, D7, G

Your lips are so tender, your heart is beating fast
And you willingly surrender to me, to be my darling at last
Tomorrow night will you be with me when the moon is bright
Tomorrow night will you say those lovely things you said tonight?

D7, G, D7 G

G, C, Cm, D7, G

(Repeat each verse until your audience is weeping!)

Patty Griffin’s official website is here:

I’ve thought about this subject many times. Since I read and reread Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and since I’ve watched the TV programs of Edward (Bear) Michael Grylls (Born Survivor), I’ve thought about it even more. The subject is the lost art of survival.  It also comes into my mind every semester when I teach Thoreau in American Lit, though I don’t know how much we could he really roughed it on Walden Pond. You don’t hear much about the wilderness and the Boy Scouts these days, and I really need to look into that and see what’s going on with them. It used to be that Boy Scouts were known to be not only smart, but pretty tough. For example, I know that the Army targeted the recruiting of Eagle Scouts for the jungle warfare in Burma in World War II.

In all my years of teaching high school and college, I find fewer and fewer who possess any of the basic knowledge and skills necessary to survive in a rural environment.  I decided to have my students make a list of 10 items they would choose to take with them in a survival situation in the wild, when they would totally depend on their own resources and wits.  The answers were surprising. Perhaps I’ll share them. However, I thought today I’d make and post my own list of seven items. Some of them do require some previous training, but really not that much. However, if you are skilled and knowledgeable enough, you might could get by with much less.

1) A Lensatic compass

2) A good multipurpose knife. (Some knives have hollow handles for fishhooks, line, meds, etc.)

3) Some means to start fire: (This could be magnifying glass, flint and steel, etc.)

4) A carpenter’s axe/hammer

5) Plastic sheet of some kind. (protection against rain, and in the desert can be used to distill water)

6) a canteen

7) a water purifier

There’s probably more, but this will do for now. The knowledge one needs—well, that’s another post.

Today I finished my read of James Lee Burke’s White Doves at Morning (Pocket Star Books, New York, 2002.  It is a novel, a New York Times Best Seller.  The back cover has this tag: “A Riveting evocation of the Civil War, drawn from the true family history of ‘America’s best novelist” (The Denver Post). As my blog has revealed from time to time, I read everything I can about the Civil War. While I’m most used to Burke’s detective novels, I was quite taken and quite surprised by this one. When I read something of the Civil War, I expect to run into the same tired old stereotypes (i.e.,Yankees all good and love all people, Southerners all bad and rascists). Burke surprised me though by a balanced and brutally honest treatment of both sides of the War and the people involved – Confederate and Federal, black and white – and masterfully word-painted touching societal and individual human portraits that I will never forget.  The novel is rich in historical allusions and details that could only have come from extensive research. The novel addresses many great themes related to the Civil War and the human condition and weaves stories of love, redemption, courage and fear, and politics to remind us of all that war did to us and how it changed us. I read several chapters before I realized that Burke’s heart was really in this story, that it was more than just a good tale. In short, if you like reading about America’s Civil War, I’d encourage you to read this novel.

As usual when I read Burke, my hand was busy underlining phrases and sentences–too many to list in this short review. However, here is one of the many that caught my eye with its profound insights:

“The denigrators and revisionists would eventually have their way with history, as they always did, Robert Thought, but for those who participated in the [Civil] war, it would remain the most important grand and transforming experience in their lives” (p. 379).

Seamus, my leprechaun, and I at NTIF

The above photos were taken at the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas, March 2009.  The first is of me and Seamus, my leprechaun, who goes with me to every program now. The second is of Miranda Aranda of the duo, Arabesque. They make great music and are two of the most creative people I know of. The third is of me and Tom McCandlish performing on stage at NTIF.

Notes from Brownsboro, Texas:

Tomorrow is my last day with the school district at Brownsboro, Texas.  The kids and teachers have been wonderful. I’ve done two days of my Scots-Irish program and two days of Texas history programs.  Teri Green is the librarian in charge of the school system’s libraries and she is doing a grand job. She’s been taking photos and I should have some of them soon.

My friend Jed Marum has made a video that you need to see. It is of a song he wrote that I based one of my short stories on. My story is called, “Lily,” and his song is “Mama’s Lily.” This is a song that will move you to tears.  Here is what Jed says about the song: http://cdbaby.com/cd/jedmarum3

MAMA’S LILY (c) Jed Marum, 2004

This song retells the true story of a little girl who was killed in a minor military operation during the US Civil War near Charles Town WV.

Irish immigrant and Yankee soldier, William McCarter came across the scene just moments after it had happened. He was so heartbroken by the incident and he retold it with such care in his diary that the story and the heartbreak have carried on through 150 years, in McCarter’s memoirs, MY LIFE IN THE IRISH BRIGADE – in this song by Jed Marum from his FIGHTING TIGERS OF IRELAND album – and in a beautiful short story written by author Rickey Pittman in his book, STORIES OF THE CONFEDERATE SOUTH.

For more about Jed Marum, check here http://www.jedmarum.com/

Go here on YouTube to see the video and hear the song. In fact, you should view every video of Jed. I truly believe that he is one of these folk singers whose songs are going to change the world.  Here are the lyrics to “Mama’s Lily.”

She was just her Mama’s Lily
A pretty child, curious and bold
As I stood there with Michael O’Reilly
She might have been seven years old
She’d been placed high atop the piano
And arranged there with love and with care
By an African servant, her nanny
Cutting locks of the little girl’s hair
There were tear-soaked locks of her hair.

CHO:
And it’s a hard cold edge to the wind tonight
It’s a bitter wind, cuts to the bone
& cruel is fate when its power and its might
To both guilty and innocent are shown
To both guilty and innocent shown

Charlestown was easily taken
Federal batteries had helped clear the way
When we went down to see,
Michael Reilly and me
The Rebel force had melted away
She’s been standing alone in the window
Watching soldiers retreat south and west
There was nothing to do,
When a cannonball flew
Through the window,
And on through her chest
Tore her arm and her heart
From her breast
CHO

Now I know we must fight for the union
But what a terrible price must be paid
And to make this land free,
Michael Reilly and me
Well we joined with the Irish Brigade
Now I look through my tears on this Lily
Shattered before she could bloom …
Still through death on her face
Shine her beauty and grace
Though she died from a terrible wound
And no child should ever die from such a wound.
CHO

Today, I was listening to a CD a friend of mine gave me some time ago and Kraus’ version of this old Beatles song was on it. This is one of those songs that has always touched me, so I decided to post the lyrics. I intend to add my own version to my Americana show. The chords and lyrics are posted in several places on the Web. Tonight, I’m at my hotel near Tyler, getting ready for a very full week of school programs with the Brownsboro, TX ISD.

“I Will”

Who knows how long I’ve loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime?
If you want me to–I will.

You know if I ever saw you
I didn’t catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we’re together
Love you when we’re apart.

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear me to you
Ah [or “how”], you know I will
I will.

Once again, I’m scheduled to perform  for the local Blue Star Mothers at Kiroli Park in West Monroe on Memorial Day. I’m going to do a few songs by McDermott (one of my favorite Scottish musicians. His website is here) One song, “Bringin’ Buddy Home” (I heard McDermott performing live on the radio and transcribed the lyrics) is soon to be released on his new album, Journeys. I hope you like the lyrics.  As far as I can tell, this is the first time these lyrics have been posted on the Internet.  You can hear a short version of the song on McDermott’s website.

“The Dreamer” by John McDermott

Now some people call me a dreamer
As if dreamer is a dirty word
They say I sing a song that few still believe in
And that fewer still have even heard
Say I’m living in a time that is over
And not in the real world of today
That we need more doers and less dreamers
And that folks like me just get in the way.

I dream of a world without hunger
I dream of a world without war
Where we live at peace on this earth together
Where the air tastes sweet and the rivers are run clear.
Dream it first, and it will happen
But if you don’t believe that it can
Leave me to my dreaming
Cause I’m happy just where I am.

INSTRUMENTAL VERSE

Say I’m living in a time that is over
And not in the real world of today
That we need more doers and less dreamers
And that folks like me just get in the way.

I dream of a world without hunger
I dream of a world without war
Where we live at peace on this earth together
Where the air tastes sweet and the rivers are run clear.
Dream it first, and it will happen
But if you don’t believe that it can
Leave me to my dreaming
Cause I’m happy just where I am.

“Bringin’ Buddy Home” by John McDermott  (C-17 used)

Somewhere between earth and heaven
The C-17 flies,
Heading westward homeward
Through clean, clear, safe  blue skies
At the back of the airplane
Lying alone
Draped in his country’s flag
They’re bringing Buddy home.

Somewhere between tears and heartbreak,
A lifetime sorrow just begun
Grieving, disbelieving,
As parents wait to welcome home their son.
And pray for the strength
Somehow to face the days ahead
While heading westward homeward,
The Nation’s bringing home its dead.

When the rifles fire the volley
At the word of command
When they fold up Old Glory
And they place it in your hand
You can cry then,
And say goodbye then,
For Buddy’s now a name on a cold marble stone
And he’s never, never, never coming home.

INSTRUMENTAL VERSE:

Somewhere between fear and hatred
The black heart of war lies
Growing blacker, stronger,
With every young man who dies.
Far back from the airfield,
At their post in the combat zone,
His comrades wonder,
Who’ll be the next one going home.

When the rifles fire the volley
At the word of command
When they fold up Old Glory
And they place it in your hand
You can cry then,
And say goodbye then,
For Buddy’s now a name on a cold marble stone
And he’s never, never, never coming home.
REPEAT LAST LINE: