The Gen. Otho French Strahl Camp 176, Sons of Confederate Veterans, conducted its November meeting recently at the Obion County Museum on Edwards Street in Union City.
The meeting was called to order by Cmdr. Joe Dillon, who led the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag and the SCV flag salute. Compatriot Bobby Nichols led the opening prayer.
Guest speaker Randy Bishop of Middleton, who is a member of the Tippah Tigers, SCV Camp of Ripley, Miss., gave an interesting presentation regarding his most recent book, “Mississippi’s Civil War Battlefields,” and reviewed his previous two books, “The Tennessee Brigade” and “Tennessee’s Civil War Battlefields.” He told an interesting story of a young Alabama soldier who was buried alive but was rescued by another soldier who saw a hand protruding from the grave that was moving. He pulled the soldier from his burial place. This young soldier survived and some 20 years later fathered a daughter, Helen Keller.
Other items of business included:
• An update on the cannon being fabricated for the Parks Cemetery Ridge Memorial Plaza near Trimble. The lead fabricator has been ill, which delayed production for a few weeks.
• The purchase of two new flags at a cost of $1,000 for the Parks Cemetery Ridge Memorial Plaza.
• Thanking Nichols for providing a new guest register and Dale and Betty Toro of Trimble for keeping the flags repaired at the Trimble flag site.
• The joint participation with the Dresden camp in the Lee-Jackson Banquet being planned for January in Martin.
There were nine members and four guests in attendance.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is the nation’s largest Southern heritage, history and honor organization open to all male descendants of a Confederate soldier who served honorably in the War for Southern Independence.
For more information call 1-800-MYSOUTH or visit the website SCVCAMP176.ORG.

Published in The Messenger 11.24.10