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4th Annual Battle Of Blountsville Re-Enactment
On Saturday morning, June 23, 2012, at the invitation of Ms. Sheila Hunt of the Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism, and the Lt. Robert D. Powell Camp #1817, Tennessee Sons of Confederate Veterans, to speak at the 4th Annual Battle of Blountville Re-enactment, I would arrive on the grounds of the historic Sullivan County Courthouse in downtown Blountville, Tennessee, enter the Campsite of the Confederate soldiers and their families, which was only a stones throw from the Union Campsite. I would let out a series of Rebel Yells, and announce to all that I had come to whip Yankees, and especially their President, who would address the public thirty minutes after I, the son of former Southern slaves, would on the
Courthouse porch immediately following the soldiers battle.After requesting and receiving permission to join the ranks of the 19th Tennessee, I would enter the battle as their Color Sgt. waving and shouting the Rebel Yell as best I could. All the while as the crowd cheered us on, my mind was on what I would say to those who would gather to hear me speak, but I knew that I would removed the false veil of martyrdom given to Lincoln, and even now as Hollywood would try to stick it more to the South while promoting Lincoln as a hero vampire slayer.
I loaded up the can with everything I could think of: Lincoln’s campaign and support of the Morrill Tariff; his conspiracy with Union Generals to commit a military attack on the South before he even took the oath of office; his suspension of the writ of habeas corpus; his use of the military to put down Northern insurrection; to force people to vote for him during his second run for the White House; his sanctioning of a total war policy against an unarmed civilian population; the raping and ravaging of Southern. To my utter surprise, the Lincoln re-enactor who had joined those to hear me speak listened and never offered rebuttal to my message, even as I prodded him to. However, he would have one and a half support from the audience. One white lady was put back for me saying the things I said, and asked two questions of me: 1. Why would I put on that uniform and speak in
support of the South? My answer to her was because I’m Southern. I saw no other reason to qualify that. She then wanted to know if I got paid
to come and speak, and how much I got paid. I told her that I charge $20,000 to speak, and she went on to say that money was my motivation for doing what I do. I asked her did she ask Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson about the $40 or $50,000 plus they receive, and the cost of transportation, security, meals, and lodging they receive, or was my cause merit of less? The half support came from a Black man who would give his speech; he had problems calling any man Master. He went on to say that he was born a free man. I told him that while he had his testosterone running high on June 23, 2012, if it had been June 23, 1843 when his hero Lincoln was arguing that the act of succession was legal, he wouldn’t have referred to Abe as Abraham, Grant as Ulysses, and would have been overjoyed had he been on the plantation of the Honorable President Jefferson Davis and been able to utter the words Master as one of his slaves.I only hope that I made the rest of my Southland as proud as those who cheered and applauded as I finished my speech this day. God bless you.
