|
History and Purpose of the MOSB
"All that was, or is now, desired is that
error and injustice be excluded from the text-books of the schools and
from the literature brought into our homes; that the truth be told,
without exaggeration and without omission; truth for its own sake and
for the sake of honest history, and that the generations to come after
us not be left to bear the burden of shame and dishonor unrighteously
laid upon the name of their noble sires." -
Rev.
James Power Smith,
Last Survivor of the Staff of Lt. General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall"
Jackson
Southern Leadership
During The War For Southern Independence
"It is our duty to keep the memory of
our heroes green. Yet they belong to the whole country; they belong to
America." - Jefferson Davis
When the War for Southern Independence erupted
in 1861, the political and military leaders of the United States were
forced to remain loyal to the Union or join the newly-formed Confederate
States of America. Almost without exception Southerners chose to side with
the Southern Confederacy. For four long years of warfare, deprivation, and
sacrifice, the elected officials and the Confederate Officer Corps
provided unparalleled leadership for a country hopelessly outnumbered
militarily and lacking sufficient resources to carry out successful
warfare. Historians have since expressed admiration and amazement at the
tenacity of purpose and the spiritual resolve of the Southern people and
their leaders. Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, and Raphael
Semmes are but a few of the men whose names have become synonymous with
courage, honor, and perseverance. On the political end of the spectrum,
men like Jefferson Davis, Stephen A. Mallory, James M. Mason, Zebulon B.
Vance, John Reagan, and Judah P. Benjamin are classic examples of civilian
leaders who kept the Southern nation afloat against over- powering
obstacles. Confederate officials and officers led from the front, not from
the rear! Not surprisingly, Confederate generals had a 50% higher casualty
rate in battle than did privates.
When the War for Southern Independence ended,
Confederate civil leaders and military officers continued to guide the
South through the dark. In days of political and economic reconstruction.
In the face of northern hostility and reprisal, the actions of the
ex-Confederate officials are a study in patience and determination. No
civilized nation has ever produced braver, more dedicated, or chivalrous
leaders than those of the Confederate States of America.
Top
A Brief History Of The
Military Order Of The Stars & Bars
"Everyone should do all in his power to collect and disseminate the
truth, in the hope that it may find a place in history and descend to
posterity. History is not the relation of campaigns and battles and
generals or other individuals, but that which shows the principles for
which the South contended and which justified her struggle for those
principles. " - Robert E. Lee
On June 10, 1889, at New Orleans, Louisiana,
the surviving soldiers of the Confederate States of America organized an
association called the United Confederate Veterans to protect and defend
the honor and dignity of the memory of the Confederate soldier. On July 1,
1896, at Richmond, Virginia, this duty was extended to the male offspring
of these brave soldiers with the formation of the Sons of Confederate
Veterans.
As the ranks of the aged veterans began to
thin, a group of the surviving Confederate officers met in Columbia, South
Carolina, concerned that the unique contributions made by the Confederate
leadership were not properly chronicled in our nation's history books. On
August 30, 1938, the first meeting of the "Order of the Stars & Bars" was
convened with seventeen former Confederate officers and forty-seven male
descendants of Confederate officers in attendance. It was unique in that
the organization was made up of veterans and their descendants with the
understanding that as the original Confederate officers died their
offspring would continue to carry on the purposes of the Order. The first
Commander-in-Chief was Captain Homer Atkinson, of Petersburg, Virginia,
who served his country as the commanding officer of Company B of the 39th
Mississippi Battalion. In addition to leading the Order, Compatriot
Atkinson served two terms as Commander-in-Chief of the United Confederate
Veterans. In later years, eligibility qualifications were broadened to
allow collateral male descendants of Confederate commissioned officers and
of any elected or appointed member of the Executive Branch of the
Confederate Government. The name of the Order was changed to "The Military
Order of the Stars & Bars" at the general convention held at Memphis,
Tennessee, in 1976, and the "Stars and Bars", the first National Flag of
the Confederate States of America was accepted as the symbol of the Order.
Today the Military Order of the Stars & Bars
continues its dedication to the preservation of Southern history. A wide
range of programs has been added to recognize outstanding literary
contributions in the fields of history and journalism. Scholarships and
monetary awards are offered to emphasize the need for truth in Confederate
history. The Order also emphasizes family and tradition and encourages our
membership to preserve their family's Confederate history for posterity.
Each MOS&B membership application becomes a permanent historical record
and is kept on file at national headquarters so that our descendants can
continue our pride in our Confederate heritage.
As Jefferson Davis once said, "It is a duty we owe to posterity to see
that our children shall know the virtues, and rise worthy of their sires."
Top
The Purpose Of The
Military Order Of The Stars & Bars
"Why a separate organization for commemoration
of the Confederate Officer Corps and the officials of the civilian
Confederate Government?"
With few exceptions, the officers of the armed
forces of the Confederate States of America are without memorials,
biographies, or any other commemorations. The attention given to the
memory and history of the Confederate elected and appointed officials is
even less. These heroic men suffered unbelievable hardships for their
honored cause, without once wavering, without once shying from their
terrific responsibilities. The story of the "Immortal Six Hundred"
chronicles the conditions in which the Confederate officers were held
while prisoners of war. Even after the war had ended, the officers were
singled out by their former adversaries for revenge. Through every test,
these brave men stood tall.
Though not usually exposed to service in the
field, the elected and appointed members of the Confederate Government
exhibited the necessary moral courage to lead the heroic Southern people
through a vicious four-year struggle for personal freedom. Their homes
were singled out for destruction by the invading Yankee armies, many were
charged with treason by the U.S. Government, and after the war they faced
imprisonment. Despite threats, abuses, and deprivations, these civil
leaders held the Confederacy together when lesser men would have
capitulated.
The members of the MOS&B bear an extra
responsibility to their Confederate heritage. We should strive to preserve
the special place in our Southern history for the Confederate officers and
civil leaders. In doing so, we accomplish the goals of both organizations.
The
Military Order of Stars and Bars
International Headquarters
PO Box 100
|
9086
Merritt Lane, Suite E
|
Daphne,
Alabama 36526
|
251-626-0151
|
