INTRODUCTION: 

The members of the John K. McNeill, Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, proudly sponsor this Southern history project as a self-study course.

The original objective of this project was to supply members and their families with a Southern view of their own history.  They in turn would share their knowledge at living history events and school presentations, but as time goes on there is need to educate other Americans.  We therefore make this material available to civic organizations, schools, museums, libraries and other community organizations in an attempt to tell the true story our history from our Southern perspective.

It is said that the first casualty of war is truth and that the victors write and perpetuate the history. There are two sides to every story, two sides to a conflict, and while it would seem simple to record and report history it has always been open to different interpretations.  Somewhere along the line the Southern perspective has been obscured. 

We provide a Southern perspective on the events leading up to formation of the independent nation of the Confederate States of America, the history during is short existence and the history that followed that tragic war..  Some may argue that this is not a balanced treatment.  In response we say that the current history taught in most classrooms is not only NOT balanced, but in fact is biased and flawed.  The only one viewpoint presented for decades to students is the Northern Yankee perspective.  Do not let others do your thinking for you. You have heard their (Northern)-Yankee) side, now hear ours which is "The Other Side of the Coin".  

Those who approach this course with an open mind will be amazed at the facts left out for decades of nearly all the textbooks.  Students, parents, teachers, administrators, school boards, and citizens are encouraged to review our course, check out many of the referenced readings and read a few books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries for another view. When you have done this we ask you to then draw your own conclusions. Our target for this history project are individuals willing to approach this conflict in history without prejudice.   Those who will look at all the facts before developing an opinion. We believe if we are allowed to present this history, the facts will speak for themselves.

For those with a closed, hateful, and/or politically correct (not historically correct) thinking, no amount of factual material presented will be sufficient to convince them of the need for a Southern perspective.  Those who are out to destroy everything Southern and Confederate are not the audience for this project.  They are too bound up in their own hate to think as a reasonable men.

We would be remiss if we allowed the term American Civil War to be used.  A "civil war" is a war within a country where two or more political factions do battle for control of a government.  The War of 1861-65 was a War Between States, a War for Southern Independence or a Defensive War Against Northern Aggression.  The seceding states who formed the Confederate States of America peacefully formed its own nation and then was invaded by the Federal Armies of the North.  The war, started by the Northern aggression was a call, as in the First War for Independence, for men to defend their rights included in the Constitution and their homelands.  Southerners rights and the US Constitution were being violated by Northern Federal monetary interests that caused war not interest in controlling the government of the United States housed in Washington city.

Nor was this War Between the States just a one issue war such as a war over slavery as is so often poorly taught in schools today.  Economics, power, politics, greed, a domination of the Northern economics interests over the Southern people were the driving forces behind this conflict.  These factors are often overlooked in today's politically correct and simplified history lessons. 

It would take a library full of volumes to tell the entire Southern history, heritage and perspective.  Sadly most do not have the time for such exhaustive research; therefore we have attempted to condense our lessons into more timely presentations of the Southern perspective, while still citing references for individuals who wish more background on a subject.  After you complete the course, you decide which history is closest to the truth.

But don't take my word for it.  Read the work of  Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire (1835-1900) a surgeon on the staffs of  Generals Stonewall Jackson, Richard Ewell, and Jubal Early in the War Between the States.  He was there during and after the war.  He will tell you why the history books most have seen for the past 100+ years get it wrong. Dr. McGuire's report on School Histories in the South.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: 

I gratefully acknowledge all the authors citied in the recommended readings for their works through the years to keep the Southern perspective of history available to the public.   Without their exhaustive work and dedication, our summary course would not have been possible. 

I also thank all of the men who have served on the SCV Georgia Division Education Committee over the years, especially Darren Wheeler and Marc Thayer who developed a the first history curriculum presentation from which I have taken that framework and expanded this work.

Images presented here in this work are to the best of our knowledge in the public domain, unless otherwise noted and credited.  They are provided to help bring to life some of the words presented.   Cited material for publications in and out of the public domain have been used.  Copyright infringement, if identified in word or image was not intentional and I have tried to make every effort to receive permission for use of others work and to cite and reference the original works.

I wish to acknowledge my brothers in SCV Camp 674 in Moultrie, Georgia for all support of this project from research, publication, distribution and internet hosting.  They have provided a space for this work, a work in progress since 2000.

I finally acknowledge the most outstanding and inspirational SCV member, former AOT and Georgia Division Commander Jack Bridwell.  Words do not fully describe his dedication to the cause of the Confederate soldier's history, nor his encouragement to promote the education of our members and communities.  No SCV leader at at national or state level has even come close to Commander Bridwell's efforts to put a Southern history in the hands of our members and their families, nor to get the project into the schools for all children.  He has untiringly given  of his time, talent, and treasure to make "The Other Side of the Coin" a reality.

For you leaders of other SCV camps, brigades, divisions, departments or the IHQ proper, your challenge is to provide similar leadership to get this work, or perhaps an even improved version into the hands of the men, families and communities you serve.

To cover costs a $10 donation per CD suggested. If you order 10 or more the donation suggested is $7.50 per CD. 

If you order 1 CD from us and make your own copies to distribute to non-profit organizations such as schools, libraries, or SCV Members etc.; You will be on the honor system to send a donation of a minimum $1 per copy to the camp.  No one may sell copies for profit without permission of the camp.

The donation covers our cost to buy materials and pay postage and also puts a little bit of funding back into the camp education program for future use.  Send checks or money orders payable to:

ABOUT THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS:

The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the Second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built.

Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans are preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause.

The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans, and the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as a historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved.

Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either direct or collateral family lines and kinship to a veteran must be documented genealogically. The minimum age for membership is 12.

Proof of kinship to a Confederate soldier can take many forms. The easiest method is to contact the archives of the state from which the soldier fought and obtain a copy of the veteran's military service record. All Southern state's archives have microfilm records of the soldiers who fought from that state, and a copy of the information can be obtained for a nominal fee. In addition, the former Confederate states awarded pensions to veterans and their widows. All of these records contain a wealth of information that can be used to document military service.  The SCV has a network of genealogists to assist you in tracing you ancestor's Confederate service.

The SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state, and national levels, which offer members a wide range of activities. Preservation work, marking Confederate soldier's graves, historical re-enactments, scholarly publications, and regular meetings to discuss the military and political history of the War Between the States are only a few of the activities sponsored by local units, called camps.

The SCV works in conjunction with other historical groups to preserve Confederate history. However, it is not affiliated with any other group other than the Military Order of the Stars and Bars, composed of male descendants of the Southern Officers Corps. The SCV rejects any group whose actions tarnish or distort the image of the Confederate soldier or his reasons for fighting.

If you are interested in perpetuating the ideals that motivated your Confederate ancestor, the SCV needs you. The memory and reputation of the Confederate soldier, as well as the motives for his suffering and sacrifice, are being consciously distorted by some in an attempt to alter history. Unless the descendants of Southern soldiers resist those efforts, a unique part of our nations' cultural heritage will cease to exist.

If you would like more information about the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Georgia, call 1-888-SCV IN GA (888-728-4642) or visit the Division website at www.georgiascv.org  or 1-800-MY-SOUTH, or 1-800-MY-DIXIE, visit the IHQ website www.scv.org or write to:

 

©  John K. McNeill SCV Camp #674, Moultrie, GA