COL. SHEROD HUNTER CAMP 1525, CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY 1994

CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY 1994

Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, Phoenix, Arizona

In April 1994, for the third year, the Colonel Sherod Hunter Camp 1525 held its annual Confederate Memorial Day ceremony at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, Phoenix, Arizona. That year's ceremony was special because it marked the dedication of markers for the graves of Sergeant James P. Bates of the 5th Kentucky Infantry and Private James E. Drane of Snider's Battalion, Missouri Cavalry. Camp 1525 had, after exhaustive research, ordered Confederate headstones from the Veterans Administration for these graves, which were not previously marked.

THE NEW HEADSTONES

At left, the new headstone for Sergeant Bates, and at right, the headstone for Private Drane.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Commander Robert Perkins gave the keynote address, as usual. This year he spoke of what was known of Sergeant Bates' and Private Drane's roles in the war, and of the units in which they served, using them as models for the average Confederate soldier of the War Between the States.

ARIZONA DIVISION COMMANDER SHEFFLER

The 1994 ceremony was also graced by a speech by George Sheffler, Commander of the new Arizona Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

THE DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY SPEAK

Ella Mears, President of the John R. Baylor Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (Tucson, Arizona), also graced our ceremony by speaking before us.

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY

After all the "speechifying" was done, wreaths were laid at the Cross of the Unknown Soldier by President Mears on behalf of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and by Commander Perkins on behalf of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

COLOUR GUARD

For the 1994 ceremony we broke with tradition and included only Confederate flags in our Colour Guard, this being done to honour the two veterans whose grave-stones we were dedicating that year. Three Confederate Battle Flags, one each representing the three prime armies of the Confederacy, were carried. From left to right, we see Compatriot Robert Hathaway carrying a battleflag of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi, Compatriot Ed Porter carrying a battleflag of the Army of Tennessee, and Eric Huskisson carrying the battleflag of the Army of Northern Virginia.

TAPS

The Colour Guard dips the colours as "Taps" is played, while next to them the musket party provided by the First Arkansas Infantry, a local Phoenix reenactment unit(the only time said unit has participated in our ceremony), presents arms in salute to the Confederate dead.

MUSKET SALUTE

The First Arkansas Infantry fires one volley of a traditional 21-gun salute in honour of the Confederate dead.

CANNON SALUTE

Compatriot Dan Huskisson of the Colonel Sherod Hunter Camp 1525 prepares to fire a cannon salute in honour of the Confederate dead.

Some clipart on this page was courtesy of

and

The music file of THE WEARING OF THE GRAY was composed and is copyrighted by Barry Taylor. Great, a'int it? For more great midi files like this one, check out THE CONTEMPLATOR'S FOLK MUSIC SITE.

Back to the Confederate Memorial Day Page.

Back to the Confederate Memorial Page