Camp News

Memorial Day, May 26,  2003

Oak Hill Cemetery, San Jose, California

Kevin Collins, Adjutant and Heritage Officer, led the Camp in visiting most of the 14 known Confederate graves at Oak Hill.  Two flags were planted on each Confederate veteran’s grave, a small First National and a small Second National, or Stainless Banner.   Kevin delivered an inspirational talk, quoting from William Faulkner’s novel, “Absalom, Absalom,” on what it means to be Southern, how outsiders cannot know what that means and why the South’s symbols, flags and songs are essential to the Southern identity.  Kevin’s speech will be printed here as soon as available.

Several of the Confederate veterans at Oak Hill saw some of the bloodiest action of the war.  One of them, a former Virginian living in San Jose prior to the war, went South to fight for the Confederacy, returning after the war to practice law, where he became a prominent lawyer in San Jose.  He was William Benjamin Hardy, who died in 1913.  His tombstone proudly proclaims “A Virginian.”

Camp members were especially inspired by new member Roy Nunn, who showed us the large tombstone of his Confederate ancestor and great great grandfather, William Franklin Chambers, who was in action at Shiloh.  Roy then read excerpts of Chambers’ memoirs of the Battle of Shiloh.  After the battle, Chambers desired to procure a pocket watch from one of the many dead Yankees, like many of his comrades were doing.  Finding a Union officer lying face down, Chambers turned him over to find the body covered with blood.  And though there was a beautiful gold watch on the body, it was covered with gore.  Chambers quickly lost all desire for it.  Chambers, hearing the moans of wounded Yankees, brought filled canteens to two of them, gave them a drink, and left the canteens within their reach.  One of them showed his appreciation by taking a shot at Chambers as he walked away (fortunately, missing).  Chambers also viewed the fallen Albert Sidney Johnston as he was carried, mortally wounded, from the field.  Read excerpts from Chambers’ fascination Civil War memoirs on our new Ancestor Histories page.

There are many such tales of the valiant men who sleep beneath the tombstones at Oak Hill.  How terrible it would be for their stories to be forgotten to future generations.  It is our primary mission to make sure that they are remembered and their stories preserved.  Come help us do that!

     Roy Nunn at the grave of his great great grandfather

SEE ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT IN GARY’S YAHOO PHOTO ALBUM “MEMORIAL DAY” AT THIS LINK:

http://photos.yahoo.com/waltripg@pacbell.net

To see photos at full size, click on the thumbnail, then click again to get the biggest version.  Pictures can be downloaded or you can even order prints through Yahoo.

Camp Meeting & Luncheon, Feb 1, 2003

San Jose Country Club

On February 1^st, 2003, Camp 1440 met at the San Jose Country Club for luncheon, live period music, camaraderie and conversation.  We had about 20 people, including guests.  Several new people turned in applications for membership.

The Camp is developing some energy.  You could feel it at the meeting.  Everyone seemed so upbeat and enthusiastic.  I told the members that we will be having a meeting EVERY month from now on and to keep their eyes on the events page in our website.

Funny, when folks know you mean business and that you are going to be there for them and are going to organize events for them, they start getting interested.  Their attitudes change from one of skepticism to optimism.  Then, other people start coming out of the woodwork – old members, new members, associate members.  I can see it happening.

We talked about the Division meeting in June and the possibility of a carpool, to get as many members there as possible.  Watch the Events Schedule Page for new events as they are planned.

Honoring Real Confederate Daughter October 5, 2002

On October 5th the Stainless Banner Camp joined other SCV camps and at least four chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to honor 106 year old real daughter Alma Austin Grigsby and her father Samuel Austin, 5th LA Cavalry at Evergreen Cemetary in Oakland. The following is an acount of this event by the Oakland Tribune:

Oakland woman, 106, is Civil War royalty
Re-enactment groups from all over California honor her heritage
By Angela Hill
STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- On a sunny Saturday afternoon amid the slouching pines and
old headstones in Evergreen Cemetery in East Oakland, uniformed soldiers-- Confederate and Union both -- stood straight-backed at attention, saluting an approaching dignitary.

It was not some president or general boldly rolling up in a military jeep. Nay, it was the woman of the hour -- Oakland's 106-year-old Alma Grigsby, meekly bumping along on a cemetery lawn mower.

"Those gardeners were so good to give me a ride," Grigsby said sweetly as somebody shouted "At ease!" and General Robert E. Lee himself, also known as Jim Marsh of Alameda, helped her off the mower and onto a folding chair.

What an entrance. And what a woman. A lifelong (and we do mean long)
Oakland resident who was honored last week by Civil War descendants
and history buffs from all over California because her father -- that's father , mind you, not great-great-grand-something-or-other, but her very own dad -- fought in the Civil War. You know, the one from a century and a half ago?

"To have someone with a father who fought in the Civil War -- that's amazing," said Paul Toland of Oakland, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who organized the event. So finding Grigsby was a coup, and deserving of a proper celebration.

About 50 people gathered at the cemetery last week. Ladies with full-length puffed skirts, straw hats and parasols from the United Daughters of the Confederacy came all the way from Auburn, Fresno and San Luis Obispo. Men in their heavy wool uniforms and full military regalia came from Sacramento, San Jose, Modesto, Fresno and Petaluma.

The whole historic assembly stood in the hot sun for about an hour, presenting Grigsby with a certificate, a medal and a plaque on her father's grave. A bugler played, and some of the "soldiers" fired off blanks in a six-rifle salute.

"We are here to honor a Confederate soldier, Pvt. Samuel Stevens Austin, Company K of the Fifth Louisiana Calvary Regiment, and his little daughter Alma," Toland said, smiling warmly at Alma and bowing just a bit.

Grigsby beamed. She's a little hard of hearing now and needs a wheelchair to get around, but she's sharp and spunky as ever. "I used to have red hair and a temper to match," she says.

Even at 106, Grigsby lives alone in her apartment by Lake Merritt, where she's been for the past 42 years, since her husband died.

There may be a lot of history here, but it was the modern technology of the Internet that brought Grigsby and the Civil War groups together. As Grigsby's finances began to dwindle this past year, Susan Anderson, who works for Bay Area Community Services, thought maybe there were some untapped resources for Grigsby. She asked Grigsby if her father had served in the military. "He sure did serve in the military," Grigsby responded. "Those damn Yankees shot him off his horse!"

Yankees? Sure enough, Samuel Austin was about 18 and living in Louisiana when he joined the Confederate Army in 1863. "Then he was shot, and stayed in the hospital the rest of the war," Grigsby said. Grigsby doesn't know much more of her father's military background. "I was just a child when he used to talk about the war, and I wasn't a darned bit interested at the time," she said.

This was enough information, though, and Anderson started contacting some of the Civil War groups listed online. "As soon as they heard about Alma, groups from Louisiana sent donations to help her out," Anderson said. "And now the California groups have arranged this wonderful tribute to her. It's just been great."

Grigsby does know more about her father's life after the Civil War, however. Austin came to California after the war via Colorado, where he worked a short stint in the silver mines. When he came to Oakland, he bought about 200 acres in what is now the Fruitvale district and opened Austin Real Estate & Insurance on 23rd Avenue.

Little Alma came along in 1896 -- one of twins, but her twin died at birth. As a young woman, she caused her father great consternation when she announced she was going to business school. "Such a thing for a woman to do at that time!" she said. Her business education came in handy, though, when her father died suddenly in 1916, and Grigsby took over the family business to support her mother. She continued working at the office for about 50 years. She and her husband had no children, and she has outlived every other relative.

"So it's great for her to have this new group of 'family,'" Anderson said.

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