November p3

The history of
"THE CHARGE"
by Steve Lucas, Texas Division Commander

In the October issue of the Highlander Dispatch we reported as to the controversy as to the "TRUE CHARGE" of Lt. Gen Stephen D. Lee. Since then we have investigated and have found an excellent piece of research by Texas Division Commander Steve Lucas.

~ The history of THE CHARGE ~

The Confederate Veteran printed the entire text of S.D. Lee's speech in the June, 1906 issue. It is about 2 printed pages long. Lee gives charges to several different groups in the speech and the charge to the SCV. I'll type the entire SCV charge here:

To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause for which we fought. To your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Are you also ready to die for your country? Is your life worthy to be remembered along with theirs? Do you choose for yourself the greatness of soul?

Not in the clamour of the crowded street,
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng,
But in ourselves are triumph and defeat.

That is the entire text of what he said to the SCV. In the April, 1923 CV, in the SCV section, and unidentified writer wrote one paragraph and he uses the charge, almost word for word of what we use today. He says it was given by S.D. Lee shortly before his death. S.D. Lee died in 1908 and I looked at every entry mentioning of his name between 1906 and his death (and there were a bunch since he was CIC of the UCV) and found no other mention of his giving the charge or altering it. A little research on my part has failed to reveal where we got the actual wording we use today, but I'm working on it. I will type here the entire text of the article from the 1923 Veteran. It is titled Sons to the Fore.

Do they still love us in Dixie? - At this reunion time, the query, which Stephen D. Lee put into the mouths of old Confeds who had crossed over the river and were resting in the shade of the trees and who thus greeted old comrades just arriving at this final camping ground seems most

appropriate to call to mind. While we can, as a body,
throw up our hands and fervently answer "Aye," some there be, alas! whose conduct, whose indifference, whose actual line of thought and belief might well cause the answer, on their individual parts, to be "No." Here is Stephen D. Lee's "Commission to the Sons," given out just before his death. "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause for which we fought. To your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, the perpetuation of those principles which he loved, and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish."

That is the entire text of that article. I can't find, at least in the SCV, any other charge or mention of the charge or "commission". Apparently it was changed and added to over the years. By whom and when, I'm still working on. Past CIC Ralph Green doesn't know, but said he believed that S.D. Lee spoke once in Galveston, but I can't find mention of that speech in the Veteran. If I find anything, I'll let you know. If you find anything, I'd appreciate your letting me know.

Steve Lucas, Texas Division Commander
(Permission has been granted to reprint)

Camp monument inscription

The camp has now voted and chosen a design for the monument. The committee is requesting your assistance in deciding on inscriptions. Several suggestions have been made and will be presented at the next meeting. If you have an idea, speak up. This is your monument.

SCV plates - order today

If you desire to order SCV plates, you must remit $ 35.00 to Walter Anderson, Camp Treasurer. The funds will be placed on deposit with the State Adjutant until such time as we reach the required 1,000 orders. The Tennessee Division officers must keep a running total on the requests.

You may order as many as you wish for whomever you want. You also are not required to be a member.

We fought for the right to have these plates! Now lets exercise our right or was the chase more important than the catch?