B L Merrill
a new heritage group
Fri Jul 13 20:31:13 2001


ASCERTAINING INTEREST IN FORMING A NEW HERITAGE GROUP IN CHARLESTON, SC

South Carolina has always had a spirit of freedom entwined into her being from the Revolutionary War, to the secession movement of the early 1800s over unfair tariffs, to the War for Southern Independence, with Charleston often taking center position in the fray.

Now that freedom spirit of our Charleston Confederate ancestors is under attack by politically correct fascists and those ignorant of true history who blindly follow them. There are a number of heritage organizations out there that are truly doing their memory good and fighting for their honor with integrity. The purpose of this inquiry is to ascertain the interest in forming a group composed of proud Southerners of all types that are descended from men in gray who fought to defend Charleston, South Carolina from invasion by aggressive Northern forces.

REQUIREMENTS:

1) You must be able to prove you are descended from a Confederate serviceman who defended Charleston, and that that serviceman served honorably (no desertion or dishonorable discharge) to join the "Charleston Guard," or if you don't have a Charleston Confederate ancestor but have Dixie in your heart, join the "Support Guard." The differences between the two membership groups will be decided at a later time.

2) You cannot be a member of a racist organization that tarnishes the memory of our Confederate ancestors and/or advocates slanderous misinformation about why they fought or be an advocate of such.

3) You should be willing to participate in memorial events pertaining to Charleston's Confederate history and heritage, actively protest the cultural genocide and racist slander being committed against it (in the form of voluntary boycotts, marches, and public demonstrations), occasional group meetings, and taking part in living history exhibits at various locations in the Charleston area.

MISSION:

"To defend and revere the memory of the men in gray that risked all to defend Charleston from aggressive Northern forces."

AFFILIATION:

This group will not be officially affiliated with any other organization, but will certainly join in the efforts of other honorable groups if the leadership and membership so decide by majority vote.

FIRST CAMPAIGN OF NEW GROUP (SHOULD THE GROUP BE FORMED):

To oppose all efforts by Mayor Riley of Charleston to secure placement of the CSS Hunley in his city as a moneymaking sideshow. Mayor Riley openly opposes the Confederate flag, as with his "March From the Sea" last year to take the flag down from the Capitol dome demonstrates. He has no interest in honoring the men who died in the Hunley and only sees dollar signs for his city.

TAX EXEMPT STATUS?:

This group will not apply for tax exempt status as this will restrict the groups involvement in various fronts of Confederate heritage defense.

AVAILABLE POSITIONS NEEDED (SHOULD THE GROUP BE FORMED):

Genealogy Researcher - it will be this person's responsibility to ensure that each applicant is indeed descended from a Charleston Confederate who served honorably and his/her bloodline

Historian of Charleston's Confederate History - this person must be well versed in Charleston's Confederate past

Confederate Military Historian - this person should be very knowledgeable about War for Southern Independence period military dress, procedure, protocol, and formation in order to ensure historical accuracy of the group's events

CLOSING STATEMENT:

If you are a Charleston Confederate descendant and want to honor and preserve their memory ... get out the Confederate grays or Victorian dresses, unfurl the flag, and let me know of your interest. Please be sure to pass this message along to anyone who might be interested.

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B L Merrill