Confederate flag salute in program upsets parents

Parents of some students at Avery Trace Middle School in Cookeville are upset because a history program by re-enactors included a salute to the Confederate flag.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — A program presented by a local camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans last Friday at Avery Trace Middle School has angered parents because students were asked to stand and listen to a recitation of a salute to the Confederate flag.

''My son told me something happened at school. I couldn't have imagined it would be anything like this,'' said Diane Paul, whose son attends the school. She asked that his name not be disclosed.

Paul also said the speakers promoted ''revisionist attitudes'' of the Civil War, particularly in regard to slavery.

The program by members of the Dillard-Judd Camp 1828 was similar to one they had presented last year for seventh- and eighth-grade American history classes at the middle school. The members, many of whom are active Civil War re-enactors, came dressed in period Confederate costumes to show the students what life was like during the 1860s.

According to Alma Anderson, the history teacher who organized the event, having the members come to the school offered a chance to ''make history come alive'' for her students.

Anderson said Friday's program began with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, for which students were asked to stand. Afterward, the teacher said, her eighth-graders were asked to remain standing for a salute to the Confederate flag.

''They explained they were going to salute not the Confederate States of America but to salute the thought of the folks who served in the Confederacy,'' Anderson said, adding that students were not required to salute. Neither were they provided the words of the salute.

''They were just to stand respectfully. You're not pledging. You're not saying anything. You're just standing there with respect,'' she said.

Diane Paul, however, said the re-enactors went too far when they asked her son to remain standing in honor of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. ''He knew it felt wrong, but he was there with his whole class, all these kids. No one wants to say anything,'' Paul said.

Anderson said no student or parent has complained to her about the program. She said that after the program, her students had a question-and-answer session with the group members. There were no questions about the salute, she said.

''If somebody had been upset, surely they could have come to me,'' Anderson added.

In contrast, she said, one parent thanked her for making the Civil War so interesting to her child.

In addition, Anderson said, Director of Schools Michael Martin attended the presentation. Martin could not be reached for comment.

Paul said she was troubled by ''revisionist attitudes'' of the Civil War that she said were promoted by the members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

''My son was told that a lot of black slaves liked their masters very much and that many blacks wore the Gray. There's a grain of truth there, but there were reasons why they were true. The whole answer wasn't given.

''What answers were given were distorted, and it's the distortion that disturbs me,'' the Cookeville mother said.

Reavis Mitchell, chairman of the Fisk University History Department, said a few blacks did own slaves, as well as members of the Pequot Native American tribe in New England.

''Anyone who could buy slaves owned them, but the predominate owners were white,'' Mitchell said. ''However, most Southerners didn't own slaves because slaves were very expensive. What people don't understand is that slavery kept most people poor. However, their dream was to own them or have their children own them. They've identified with a social and economic quest that the great majority of today's South was not historically a part of.''

She said the group's commander, Ed Butler, pointed out that some people had made the Confederate flag a racist symbol.

''But it is not a symbol of racism for the Dillard-Judd group. He made that very clear. He said there's no way anybody on this stage is going to say to you that slavery and what we did to the blacks were appropriate.''

Allen Sullivant, spokesman for the Sons of Confederate Veterans' national office, which is in Columbia, Tenn., said the school programs are a local initiative aimed at giving students a glimpse into the mindset of a Confederate soldier.

''We try to give historic presentations to schools that are willing to do it,'' said Sullivant, who lives in Brentwood.

Typically, a few members dressed in period uniform bring artifacts and speak about the life of the average Confederate soldier and his motivation to fight.

Sullivant said the presentations emphasize the complexity of issues such as slavery and the Civil War. ''People tend to boil things down, and sometimes they boil it to a point that the truth is taken out of the situation or distorted.''

Anderson said she would have preferred to have had Confederate and Union re-enactors talk to her students, but she said she could not find any Union ''soldiers'' in the Cookeville area.

''If I could find a Union re-enactor, I'd be all over that person like a duck on a June bug.''

Paul said she and several other parents, who would not talk to The Tennessean on the record, would schedule a meeting with Principal Skip Overstreet and Director Martin.

''We want our concerns to be heard. I think there's a need for dialogue on the issue,'' Paul said.

Have you any committed by Union troops to share?

Have you?

While you think about that, consider this:

"It was to Lincoln's credit that early in 1862, when General McClellan was about to advance upon Richmond and hopes of an early victory ran high, he ordered that all political prisoners in military custody be released upon parole and granted an amnesty for past offenses. Extraordinary arrests by the military authorities would continue: all spies, secret agents, and conspirators whom the secretary of war regarded as dangerous to the public safety would be taken up and kept in custody. But the old slate was wiped clean. And it was to Stanton's credit that he adopted a sensible course for sifting the great body of prisoners held on various charges, and releasing most of them. He appointed John A. Dix and Edwards Pierrepont as commissioners to examine those held in the New York area and render a quick verdict. Visiting Fort Lafayette and other prisons, by April 1862 they had practically finished their work. The judge advocate of the army for the Washington area was empowered to dispose of prisoners arrested in the Federal District and adjacent Virginia. Governor David Tod of Ohio was authorized to use a special agent to investigate cases, with a promise that any prisoner would be released on his recommendation."

Forty loyal Texans were hanged simply for being loyal to the old flag. Twentytwo loyal North Carolinians were hanged for the same reason, as were some large number of loyal Tennesseans.

The federal government released EVERY person detained for treasonous activiity, including a number that had been indicted for treason.

Walt

Walt, the war's over. Gone. Adios. Vamoose. Zip.

The war -is- over. The rebels lost and thank God for it.

Now the neo-rebs are trying to hijack the history. Does history mean anything? Maybe not. To the degree it does, the SCV needs to be shown for the lying SOB's they are.

Pretty much at random, I copied this off the SCV site:

"Gov. Zell Miller of Georgia says the current flag "exhibits pride in slavery." As a professor of history, he should know that 90% of the soldiers in the Confederate Army didn't own any slaves and that Lincoln, between 1861 and 1862, didn't free any slaves in Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, or Washington D.C.; places where he had the power to do so."

Now, this is factually incorrect.

Slave ownership devolved on 50% of the whites in SC, LA and MS, and on 1/3 of whites throughout the so-called seceded states.

Also, President Lincoln had NO power to free the slaves in ANY state that was loyal. He used the war powers in the Constitution to free slaves in insurgent areas ONLY. It took the 13th amendment to free the slaves in the states the SCV position paper that I quote mentions.

Factually incorrect. Lies. The stuff of the neo-confederate heritage movement.

Walt

That is not the point of this thread, but you wish to make it so. Disparage Southerners who are proud of their heritage, but be advised that the North did not walk away with clean hands in 1865.

It was the rebels who always took the lead in atrocities.

Hon. Secretary of War

Executive Mansion

Washington D.C. May 17, 1864

Please notify the insurgents, through the proper military channels and forms, that the government of the United States has satisfactory proof of the massacre, by the insurgent forces at Fort-Pillow, on the 12th and 13th days of April last, of fully ____ white and colored officers and soldiers of the United States, after the latter had ceased resistance, and asked quarter of the former.

That with reference to said massacre, the government of the United States has assigned and set apart by name _____ insurgent officers, theretofore, and up to that time, held by said government as prisoners of war.

That, as blood can not restore blood, and governments should not act for revenge, any assurance, as nearly as perfect as the case admits, given on or before the first day of July next, that there be shall be no more similar massacre, nor any officer or soldier of the United States, whether white or colored, now held, or hereafter captured by the insurgents, shall be treated other than according to the laws of war, will insure the replacing of said _____ insurgent officers in the simple condition of prisoner of war.

That the insurgents having refused either to exchange, or to give any account or explanation in regard to colored soldiers of the United States captured by them, a number of insurgent prisoners equal to the number of such colored soldiers supposed to have been captured by said insurgents will, from time to time, be asigned and set aside, with reference to such captured colored soldiers, and will, if the insurgents assent, be exchanged for such colored soldiers; but that if no satisfactory attention shall be given to this notice, by said insurgents, on or before the first day of July next, it will be assumed by the government of the United States, that said captured colored troops shall have been murdered, or subjected to Slavery, and that said government will, upon said assumption, take such action as may then appear expedient and just.

A. Lincoln

POW Exchange:

12/24/62:

Jefferson Davis issues a proclamation which states (1) White officers of black troops will not be treated as POWs; (2) The black troops themselves will not be treated as POWs; (3) Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler is to be hanged w/o trial immediately upon being captured; (4) No Union officers will be paroled until Butler is caught and hanged. All four of these provisions were violations of the Dix-Hill Cartel.

12/28/62:

In response to Davis's proclamation, the Federals end the exchange and parole of Confederate officers.

5/25/63:

Non-exchange and parole of Confederate officers is re-affirmed in orders from Halleck to all commanders in the field. This is done largely in response to the CS Congress passing a law implementing a small variation of Davis's 12/24/62 proclamation.

7/13/63:

Secretary of War Stanton orders an end to the exchange and parole of enlisted men. This is done largely because of increasing arguments over the parole provisions of the cartel, and the feeling that this aspect of the agreement is (unfairly) being manipulated by the Confederates to their advantage.

Fall, 1863:

Confederates return to service most of the Vicksburg garrison, an act which the Federals claim is not justified by the cartel. This hardens Federal attitudes towards the exchange process. So, as of 1/1/64, the exchange cartel is more or less entirely disrupted, ...

4/17/64:

Lt. Gen. US Grant issues orders that exchanges remain halted until the Confederates compensate the Yankees for the release of the Vicksburg garrison, *and* agree to treat black soldiers equally with white. Grant's role was to confirm a policy already in place, a policy reached as a result of difficulties in managing the cartel. Grant's views on exchange are well-known: He thought it was a bad idea. There's a quote from him to the effect that re-opening exchange might be humanity towards the men in the camps, but keeping it closed was humanity towards the men in the ranks. That's a harsh judgment, but it is no less accurate for being harsh.

http://members.aol.com/jfepperson/causes.html

Walt

"Factually incorrect. Lies. The stuff of the neo-confederate heritage movement."

There's where you (always) step over the line between opinion and just heavy handed arrogance, so typical of you.

I absolutely refuse to let you define my confederate heritage. You have no standing with me, intellectually, personally, or otherwise to even make such a statement as I have offset in quotes above.

Confederate heritage to me is quiet little country cemeteries on dusty county roads, where I go on Decoration Day to clean graves, put up flags, and reflect on my past. It is stories told to me by my father, whose Confederate grandfather and uncle lived with them until dad was in his 20s. It's the quiet of Shiloh on a hundred degree day in July with the locusts saying 'reereeree', and a strong glass of sweetened tea.

You disprove your own assertion, by your own words, that narrow minded foolhardiness is the exclusive province of Southerners.

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