Confederate Ceremony at Greenwood

On Saturday, August 8, 2020, the Lt. J.Y. Sanders Camp 2092 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans held a memorial for some of our Confederate heroes buried at the historic Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans.

The assembly gathered at the grave of Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore Scott (1829-1876) of the 12th Louisiana Infantry.  Cmdr. Steve Alvarez opened the ceremony and called upon me to open with prayer.  My first prayer was offered in thanks for the service of Gen. Scott and also Brig. Young Marshall Moody, whose grave we would also visit nearby:

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  Lord God, Heavenly Father, You raise up great leaders to guide Your people in times of peace and in times of war.  We give you thanks for the lives of Your servants Thomas and Young, and all officers who risked and laid down their lives in the struggle for Southern Independence.  We pray that we would always remember the great men who led our military forces in defense of their country and their states, that we would honor their service and emulate their virtues, that we too might pass along to posterity a legacy of servant leadership, of assuming responsibility, and caring for those whom we serve, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, for you live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

 

Cmdr. Alvarez then read a brief biography of Gen. Scott, a native of Athens, Georgia who moved to Louisiana and took up sugar farming - whose gravesite had been restored through a labor of love by members of the Sanders Camp.  

Gen Scott's entry at Wikipedia summarizes his service:

Scott was appointed colonel of the 12th Louisiana Infantry Regiment on August 13, 1861.  He served at the Battle of Belmont, although not actively engaged, and at the battles of Island Number Ten, New Madrid, Fort Pillow, the Siege of Vicksburg, including the Battle of Baker's Creek and the operations of General Joseph E. Johnston in Mississippi in which he tried to relieve the forces besieged at Vicksburg, and during the Atlanta Campaign, initially under the command of Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk.

Scott was promoted to the grade of brigadier general on May 10, 1864 after distinguished service at the beginning of the Atlanta campaign.  He was severely wounded in the back from concussion of a shell on November 30, 1864 at the Battle of Franklin and apparently saw no further action.  No record of his parole has been found.

Gen. Scott survived the war, returned to sugar farming, and died in 1876 at the Sample Coffee House in New Orleans. 

A two-man honor guard fired volleys, and Taps was played.  Pictures were taken at the gravesite, followed by a toast to the General with shots of Southern Comfort.  A small bottle was buried at the gravesite.

The assembly walked in the blistering heat to the gravesite of Brig. Gen. Young Marshall Moody (1822-1866), who is buried in a mausoleum.  Cmdr. Alvarez shared highlights in the life and service of Gen. Moody, a native of Virginia who moved to Alabama.  

Gen. Moody's wartime service is summarized at Wikipedia:

Young Marshall Moody entered Confederate States Army service as captain of Company A of the 11th Alabama Infantry Regiment on June 11, 1861. Archibald Gracie III was major of the regiment. Gracie and Moody served with the 11th Alabama Infantry in northern Virginia but returned to Mobile in order to recruit the 43rd Alabama Infantry Regiment in April 1862. Gracie became colonel and Moody became lieutenant colonel of the regiment. In November 1862, Gracie was promoted to brigadier general and Moody was appointed colonel of the regiment on November 4, 1862.

Moody fought in the Kentucky Campaign, including the Battle of Perryville, and at the Battle of Chickamauga, the Siege of Chattanooga, the Siege of Knoxville and the Battle of Bean's Station. While Gracie was recovering from a wound, Moody supervised the transfer of the brigade to the Petersburg, Virginia area where they served under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard.

On May 16, 1864, Moody was wounded in the right ankle at Drewry's Bluff during the Battle of Proctor's Creek, part of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. Moody's regiment served with Gracie's brigade during the Siege of Petersburg until Gracie was killed by an exploding artillery shell on December 2, 1864. Moody then took command of the brigade but he was not promoted to brigadier general until March 4, 1865. Moody led the brigade until he was captured at Appomattox Court House, Virginia on April 8, 1865, the day before the surrender by General Robert E. Lee of the Army of Northern Virginia to Union Army forces led by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant.

Moody was paroled at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. He was pardoned on July 20, 1866, two months before his death.

Gen. Moody relocated to Mobile, Alabama and went into business after the war's end.  He died in New Orleans of yellow fever while on a business trip.

Next, we made our way to the grave of Mary Sophia Hill (1819-1902), a loyal Confederate nurse who was neither military, nor American - and yet she was afforded military honors at the end of her long life.  A wreath was laid at her tombstone.  Green beads honoring her Irish birth and service to the Confederate Irish Brigade were placed on her marker (which had only been placed in 2005 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy).  

I was called upon to pray:

Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Good Physician of body and soul, You raise up those who serve in the medical arts, curing the sick, comforting the ailing, and ministering to those in physical need.  We thank you for the life and work of Your servant Mary and all military and civilian members of the medical corps of the Confederate States of America.  We pray that we would always honor their legacy and reflect their compassion and devotion to those in need, especially those who defend our liberties.  We pray in Your most holy name, for You live and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Cmdr. Alvarez read a synopsis of Miss Hill's life and service to her adopted country.  This intriguing article not only details her remarkable life, but also cites a 1902 newspaper account of her equally remarkable funeral, as well as the successful effort more than a hundred years later to mark this remarkable woman's grave.

The assembly made its way to its final place of remembrance for the day: a remarkable mound of 600 Confederate soldiers, sailors, and marines.  An imposing monument soars into the sky to mark the mass grave.  The four sides of the pillar upon which a Confederate infantryman is depicted, includes striking busts of Generals Lee, Jackson, Polk, and Johnston.  The remains of Confederate hero William B. Mumford - who was executed by Maj. Gen. Benjamin "Beast" Butler for taking down the US flag from the New Orleans Mint during the occupation - were moved to this burial site as well.

I offered the following prayer:

O Holy Spirit, who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies Your people on earth, we thank and praise You for leading Your servants to do their duty to protect hearth and home according to their divine calling.  We especially give thanks for these 600 men who served in defense of family and honor.  We pray that You may guide us today to humbly and courageously honor them and likewise answer the call to service in the many and various ways that You provide us.  We pray for the grace to leave behind an honorable legacy as well, defending liberty in these perilous times, maintaining our independence and right to self-government, and our ability to freely believe and to worship You, for You live and reign with the Father and the Son, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Once final time for the day, the honor guard fired volleys in honor of these brave soldiers.

Here is a link to my album of pictures.