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Day 4 – H.K. Edgerton’s March Across Virginia

(Pictures below)

Today October 18, 2006, we began day four of the March Across Virginia from
Lovingston , Virginia. Not far into the March, I would spot a Battle Flag in
the yard of a house as I passed by. It was the home of Gene and Pat Roi and
their son Richard. Mr. Roi told us that his great great Grandfather had fought
at Spotsylvania, Gettysburg, and New Market, and was so very proud to see me
pass by in my uniform, carrrying the Southern Cross, and wished me God’s speed,
and success on my journey North.

Several more miles I would march before I would again be stopped. This time
it was a young pregnant Black lady. She told me her name was C’ta, and that
she was an educator, and had seen me the day before marching in the rain.
She asked me why I was marching with the Confederate Flag, and wanted to know
who was sponsoring my March. As I began to answer her questions, we suddenly
were surrounded by a group of other passerbys, ; one of which just happened
to be a reporter from the Washington Post. I could sense that he expected
this tall pretty black lady to trash me and my mission. When I told her of
the affliation with DixieOutFitter , she responded that she had issues with
DixieOutFitters in Madison Heights because of all of those Confederate Flags
flying. By the time we had spent about an hour talking; I can honestly say,
C’ta had a far different image of the flag of her South and mine. She would
pose with me and the other folks gathered for pictures. It just so happened
that one of the other folks was a teacher also. I would sign one of my new
designed shirts for the March Across Virginia, and the Historic one from DixieOutFitters
for C’ta and the other folks as well as. C’ta had just one more question;
she wanted to know of Ronnie, a member of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans,
who was in the crowd,; if the Sons minded me wearing the Confederate uniform,
and carrying the flag. Ronnie told her that the Flag was as much mine as any
White man in the South, and that included her because after all , she too
was Southern. I signed one of the collector edition books from the Asheville
Tribune for her and the reporter, gave all the ladies a big hug, and headed
once again North. In C’eta, I had made a new friend.

I would be stopped many more times today, and have to answer pretty much
the same kinds of questions about why I was heading north carrying my flag.
However, one man wanted to know about a picture he had seen the previous night
on the internet of me posing at a political campaign sign of Senator George
Allen giving a thumbs up indication of support. I told him that Senator Allen
was a good man, and I would not hesitate to vote for him for President. He
indicated that Senator Allen appeared to move away from his heritage, and
was afraid to embrace the very flag that he once flew. and that I was carrying.
I told him that the people of Virginia had the chance to prove their own worth
by voting for Senator Allen, because they all knew that he was being put between
a rock and a hard place because of the flag, and not because of his abilities
to govern.

I would ironically end the day at the birth place of the honorable Confederate
Colonel John Singleton Mosby. The suport for this journey is not going well,
and I again make a plea to all of you for your help. The level of apathy among
my Southern family is unacceptable. We cannot despair to the attack on our
honor, or that of our ancestors. We all who call ourselves Southern; owe it
to the brave children of the South like Candice Hardwick of Latta, South Carolina,
Justin Michael Williams of Oak Grove Missouri, T.K.Owens of Johnson City,
Tennessee, Amiee Robinson of Blount County, Tennessee, and the many others
who have made a brave stand in Dixie Land, to stand with them with our resources,
both fiscal and humane.

HK