Confederate Lives Matter: all Veterans' Lives Matter!

 Here are some pictures that we have taken since summer 2015, after which I joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Louisiana Division. I joined the Brig General J.J. Alfred Mouton Camp #778, which is located out of Opelousas, Louisiana.  Our camp is named in honor of the great Cajun Confederate war hero from the Civil War--General Mouton, who was a native of Opelousas, Louisiana, a West Point graduate, and a brilliant field general for the Confederate forces!

I was also elected to an officer's position in our SCV camp.

I have traced my direct ancestry to at least 2 (two) Confederate veterans that fought bravely for the South: one from Georgia (Thomas Z. Prather) and another from Arkansas (Thomas J. McFaddin). They fought in the 15th Georgia Volunteer Infantry and the 20th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry units, respectively. Both volunteered to fight for their states and their rights! Thomas Prather was just 13 yrs old when he joined the Confederate Army in July 1861.

Both of the above Confederate ancestors of mine survived the Civil War (aka "War Between the States" and "War for Southern Independence").  My paternal grandmother is related to the McFaddins and the Prathers...which are Scot-Irish and all Presbyterians...like myself.

I am now recently in contact with a gentleman that does a lot of family history, and he has showed me that I am also related to a John Johnson, who was in the 2nd Louisiana Calvary. This relative of mine joined the CSA Calvary out of Opelousas, La (St. Landry Parish), Company A of the 2nd Louisiana. He joined in August 1862 and was killed in August 1863.

 

Standing next to a sign in front of a fantastic Civil War museum located
in Franklin, Louisiana. My wife and I went there to listen to a professor
speak on a topic involving some Louisiana battles.

The following surnames are my 5 relatives that have fought under the Confederate banner:

Gustavus E. Vautrot          2^nd Alabama   Artillery     Corporal        Gage’s Battery

Thomas Z. Prather           15^th Georgia  Infantry        Private          Delhi Rangers

Thomas J. McFaddin         20^th Arkansas Infantry      Private         Hempstead Legion

Josiah&  John Johnson     2^nd Louisiana  Cavalry       Privates        Bonds Mounted Partisan Rangers

Confederate monument located at the courthouse in
downtown Franklin, La! It is tall!!!!!

 

close up of the marble Confederate soldier at the top of the monument
in Franklin, La.

Summer 2015 when I was inducted into the Sons of Confederate
Veterans, Louisiana Division. I am between our Camp Commander and
our Department Commander of Army of Trans-Mississippi. I am also
flanked by a US flag and a Confederate Battle Flag. We say the
pledge of allegiance to BOTH flags at each meeting. We honor
all our country's veterans.

This was our annual Lee-Jackson banquet held every January. It is to
honor the birthdays of Generals Robert E. Lee and
Stonewall Jackson: both have January birthdays. My wife took
the picture.

My lovely, supportive wife and I standing next to a portrait of
one of the greatest military minds of the 19th century:
General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. We were
at the annual Lee-Jackson banquet.

Yep, that is my brand new jacked up midnight blue
Toyota Tundra SR5 4 wheel drive with a lift kit and
mud tires.
It has a large 3 foot by 5 foot Confederate Battle
Flag flying from a flag pole I made myself in the
bed of the truck. I get tons of support from citizens
all over the state when they see this beautiful flag.

Standing next to my truck and my flag in a parking lot in
my hometown of Lafayette, La.

General JJ Alfred Mouton's statue
in Lafayette. Confederate. I  participated
in a large community protest to prevent
it's removal by "politically correct" people
that want to try to bleach away our history,
much like ISIS does in the Middle East.
ISIS destroys historical monuments and
markers that they don't agree with.
 We wont let that happen here.
Not on my watch. Historical markers
are great vehicles to discuss history and to
learn something from. We learn where
we are from, the mistakes we have made as
a society, and to not repeat said mistakes.


A people that remove and don't remember
their own history are destined and
doomed to repeat it.

Confederate General Mouton at night!
Standing tall, mighty, and brave!

Standing next to General Mouton's statue in Lafayette
and the signs that I designed for our group's protest
against this statue's removal. We won that battle! The statue
has been there since 1922, and it wont get taken down
because of our group's resistance to its removal.


If you don't stand up for something, you fall for anything and
everything. Stand up and resist. Get involved!