Years after the American Civil War, groups of old Confederate soldiers came together in 1889 and formed an organization for the sole purpose of sharing their experiences with each other. This also included rehabilitation concerns, cemetery care, grave marking, pension applications, social events, writing of memoirs, and the collection of historical facts about particular events. Throughout the South, the organizations grew to approximately 1,500 individual “camps” until around 1904 when the old veterans began to pass away. That year the convention was held in Ocala, Florida where George Reese from Pensacola was present. George had served with distinction with the 44th Alabama Regiment. The United Daughters of the Confederacy ladies opened the gathering with the song, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.” Each year they would hold “reunions” at various cities for their general convention. Many of them were held in conjunction with the Union’s Grand Army of the Republic as well as other Union veteran's organizations. It was a huge social event that was accompanied by their families and friends as well. For instance, the 1911 convention proclaimed 106,000 participants. The meetings continued until 1951 where sadly only three old veterans were able to attend the last convention in Norfolk, Virginia.
Even by 1911, these veterans still abounded in northwest Florida, especially in Pensacola. They met regularly where they contributed to periodicals where their first hand testimonies to the trial and tribulations of the southern armies were published for the benefit of its members. Each of these camps produced a list of active and deceased members so that the old veterans could keep up with their comrades from days gone by.
Such Pensacola notables as Dixon B. Reed, Nathan Burrell Cook, Boykin Jones, George Othman Brosnaham, James Mason Scarritt, William K. Hyer, William E. Anderson, Eugene C. Bonifay, and Earl M. Livingston served the organization faithfully before their death.
One issue of concern to the old veterans was their “state pensions.” Since each soldier or sailor fought for their individual state then it was the responsibility of their own state to provide the pension. In 1907, the Florida legislators passed the Pension Act of 1907 under Chapter 5600 of Florida Statues. The act made it possible for Confederate veterans to receive a pension up to and not exceeding $150.00 per year if they qualified. To apply the applicant must provide the following:
(1) He was not a deserter proven by attestments of other veterans.
(2) He had been a citizen of the State of Florida for at least ten
years prior to making the application.
(3) He was over sixty years of age
(4) He was not receiving a pension from any other state
(5) The applicant’s claims had to witnessed by at least two other
persons of which could include:
An affidavit from a former commanding officer,
An affidavit from adjutant of a United Confederate Veteran
camp,
Two veterans who had personal knowledge of their military
service.
(6) The applicant does not own property to exceed $5,000.00 to
include personal property, real estate, cash, stocks, bonds, etc.
In 1909, the state passed similar legislation called the “Widow’s Pension Act of 1909” providing for wives to obtain pensions in payment for their husband’s service. The widow must prove the following in order to qualify for the money:
(1) She was married to the veteran in question
(2) The verified death of the veteran
(3) The military service of the veteran
Based on the above two legislative acts there was a rash of claims in and around June and July of 1907 as each veteran that qualified was submitting their paperwork. Naturally, many did not qualify because of their financial successes in the business world in and around Escambia County. It was also during this period that many of the old veterans were calling upon each other to verify their military service or to assist the widows of their old comrades.
By December 1932, there were so few veterans left that the organization was discontinued, but between 1887 and 1932 there was now a place for them to collect and tell their old stories to any who wanted to hear. These men had entered a war that inflicted more destruction on the American people than any other in our history. Yet, these old soldiers had endured unbelievable hardships, far more than their opponents had ever witnessed. But they had survived and returned home with a newfound determination that was directed into the improvement and expansion of their gulf port town of Pensacola.
Their long time commander Captain Dixon B. Reed Sr. helped organize the chapter on May 12, 1887 as “Florida Division No. 1.” But a few years later it became known as “Camp Ward #10.” The name was selected in honor of Colonel George Taliaferro Ward of the 2nd Florida Infantry Regiment, CSA. Colonel Ward was from shot and killed at the Battle of Williamsburg during the Peninsular Campaign on May 5, 1862.
On the night of May 12th a large group of gray haired old men answered the call and gathered in the parlor of the Merchant’s Hotel at the southwest corner of Palafox and Government Street. At 8:00 PM they gathered around and chose Captain Joseph A. Hooton as their chairman for the meeting with Frank Phillips as the secretary. Hooton explained to them that the object of the meeting was to form an association of ex-Confederate soldiers with honorable records for the purpose of mutual assistance and preservation of the memories of their dead comrades. They set about appointing a committee to draft a constitution and bylaws as well as the selection of a name for the organization. A muster roll was passed around and received forty-two names and the following men were chosen for the honored task of leading them:
Joseph A. Hooton
Stephen A. Moreno
John L. Pinney
Daniel Gonzalez Brent
George Reese
W. Levy
William F. Lee
Boykin Jones*
*Ironically, Boykin’s wife was Emily Chipley Jones, the co-organizer and 1st President of the Pensacola Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1899. She was the daughter of the influential William Dudley Chipley whose statute is located in Ferdinand Square. Boykin was in his third year of medical school in New York when the Civil War broke out. He promptly left and enlisted in the Columbus Guards in Georgia.
The committee met solidly for the next two weeks and finally presented the following constitution to the newly formed members on May 24, 1887 in the meeting hall of the Escambia Rifles Armory at 9:15 PM. The constitution stated that the object of the organization would be the following:
“The object shall be to perpetuate the memories of our fallen comrades, and to minister as far as practicable, to the wants of those who were permanently disabled in the service, to preserve and maintain the sentiment of fraternity born of the hardships and dangers shared in the march, the bivouac and the battlefield. It is proposed not to prolong the animosities engendered by the war, but to extend to our late adversaries, on every fitting occasion, courtesies which are always proper between soldiers, and which in our case a common citizenship demands at our hands. We propose to avoid everything which partakes of partisanship in religion or politics.”
The next order of business was to elect a board of permanent officers to lead the organization during their first year of its existence. Not only had these men been leaders in the Confederate army, but they were now prominent businessmen in the Pensacola community and were well-suited to ensuring the organizations’ success. The members had elected:
President Joseph A. Hooton Timber exporter
1st Vice President William F. Lee Lawyer
2nd Vice President George Reese Tax assessor
3rd Vice President M. Levy
Secretary Frank Phillips
Financial Secretary Stephen A. Moreno Clerk
Treasurer William Thomas Bell
Sergeant at Arms Dr. Robert Bell Hargis Physician
The old warriors shuffled downtown the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM and entered the conference room of the Merchant’s Hotel for an evening of serious debate over one issue or another. Their meetings were later moved to the “Old Army Building” at 28½ South Palafox Street where membership was limited to “any person of good character, who was regularly enlisted in the active service and served the Confederacy honorably in either the army or naval branch.” Membership dues were $1.00 per year and many of Pensacola’s most notable citizens passed through those hallowed halls of their institution.
Pensacola United Confederate Veterans Convention of 1913
Pensacola United Confederate
Veterans Convention of 1913
Pensacola United Confederate Veterans
Pensacola United Confederate Veterans at the Armory 1919