Camp Officers
for
2023 and 2024
Blake Moore – Commander
Lee Duvall – 1st Lt. Commander
Mark LeGrand – 2nd Lt. Commander
Danny Brown - Adjutant
Bob Ritter - Treasurer
Ken Temples – Chaplain
Nathan Oxner – Color Sergeant
Nicholas Ward- Judge Advocate
for
2023 and 2024
Blake Moore – Commander
Lee Duvall – 1st Lt. Commander
Mark LeGrand – 2nd Lt. Commander
Danny Brown - Adjutant
Bob Ritter - Treasurer
Ken Temples – Chaplain
Nathan Oxner – Color Sergeant
Nicholas Ward- Judge Advocate
History of the General Joe Wheeler Camp #1245
First chartered in October of 1960 in conjunction with the national Civil War Centennial, the camp had a glorious run, winning many state and national awards. Camp 1245 won Best Camp at the SCV National Convention 3 years in a row. The camp’s membership between 1961-1966 was well over 200, including several Congressmen, Representatives, Senators and many other notable and distinguished men of the South.
Many of the camp’s members were also part of the Co. K 14th SC Vol. reenactors unit. This unit was financed to a great degree by the Camp’s Adjutant, Mr. Perrin Toole. Between 1961-1965 this unit took part in 75 reenactments, from Fort Sumter to Appomattox. Also sponsored by the camp were the Edisto Rifles, the 14th S.C. Nurse’s Corps, and a Confederate Cadet Program.
The camp sponsored the Battle of Rivers Bridge and the Battle of Aiken, with over 7,000 attending each battle. Fifty Southern Army reenactment units from 11 different states, with 11 Union units from 6 states, made about 250 reenactors to recreate these historic events.
Some of the men serving the camp in an officers role were: H. Johnson, G.B. Porter, W.W. Purcell, C.L. Courtney, O.C. Cato, J.H. Doggett, G.A. Milner Jr. , F.L. Foreman, J.T. Hair, M. H. Osborne, Sen. Strom Thurmond was the Judge Advocate and Col. John A. May was the Historian/Editor. Those serving as Commanders were: Herman Boland, Claire H. Henkes, Robert Graham, and Wilbur E. Thompson.
In 1995 the rebirth of Camp 1245 was realized on March 13th in Aiken, SC, consisting of 12 charter members with Jim Arnett as Commander and Wayne Cox as Adjutant. Others were Bryan Cox, Bob Holmes – Historian, Mark LeGrand – Quartermaster, Clarence Mabry – Color Sergeant, Tom Thomas – 1st Lt., Ken Temples – Chaplain, Luckey Walker – Recruiter, Weyman Webb –Treasurer, Larry and William Ricks. The charter signing ceremony was held at the Rye Patch with SC State Commander, Chris Sullivan as the speaker. Everything went well except for the fact that Commander Sullivan left the camp’s charter in his folder at his home in Greenville. Our actual signing was done at the Aiken County Museum inside the Old Fredrick Ergle Cabin, the home of an ancestor of camp member Ken Temples and the birthplace of several Confederate soldiers.
The camp decided in early 1996 to sponsor an Aiken Co. Confederate Memorial Day Service. This was chosen because it was found that since the Aiken Co. Confederate Monument was unveiled on July 23, 1901, there had not been another service since that time.
The camp adopted three family cemeteries for restoration and stone placement. They were the Clark family in Vaucluse, SC, the Ergle family along the Edisto River, and the Sanders family near Monetta, SC. It was at this gravesite that the camp held a stone laying ceremony with about 80 family members attending. The 14th SC Vol. Reenactment unit helped with the colors and salute. Pvt. William Sanders of Co. I, 6th SC Infantry was honored that day.
The camp has two Guardians and a Guardian Pro Tem. The Camp is involved in the Adopt- A Park program. The camp has, since its charter in 1995, had representation during Aiken, Augusta, and Columbia Confederate Memorial Day Services, and every state and national convention.
The camp since the adoption of the three family cemeteries has adopted Bethany Cemetery in Aiken as it contains around 60 confederate soldiers within the hallowed grounds.
The Camp won a state award for Adopt-A-Highway program in 1999, when the camp was selected as City of Aiken’s outstanding Adopt-A-parkway Volunteer Organization. The camp has since adopted a larger park with includes the Aiken County Confederate Monument and the Battle of Aiken marker.
The Old Fredrick Ergle Cabin on the grounds of the Aiken County Historical Museum.
Commanders and Adjutants after1995 are as follows:
1996, Tom Thomas, Commander; Mark Legrand, Adjutant
1997, Weyman Webb, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
1998, Ken Temples, Commander; Lee Duvall, Adjutant
1999, Ken Temples, Commander; Mike Edgar, Adjutant
2000, Cliff Tennant, Commander; Mike Edgar, Adjutant
2001, Win Smith, Commander; Jim Arnett, Adjutant
2002, Win Smith, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
2003, Lee Duvall, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
2004, Lee Duvall, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
2005, Ken Temples, Commander; Lee Duvall, Adjutant
2006, Ken Temples, Commander; Lee Duvall, Adjutant
2007, Ken Temples, Commander; Bob Ritter, Adjutant
2008, Ken Temples, Commander; Bob Ritter, Adjutant
2009, Ken Temples, Commander; Dale Roberts, Adjutant
2010, Ken Temples, Commander; Bob Ritter, Adjutant
2011, Lee Duvall, Commander; Dale Roberts/ Kevin Rorer, Adjutant
2012, Lee Duvall, Commander, Kevin Rorer, Adjutant
2013- 2020 Blake Moore, Commander, Rodney Osborne, Adjutant
2021-2022 Ken Temples, Commander, Danny Brown, Adjutant
2023-2024 Blake Moore, Commander, Danny Brown, Adjutant
1997, Weyman Webb, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
1998, Ken Temples, Commander; Lee Duvall, Adjutant
1999, Ken Temples, Commander; Mike Edgar, Adjutant
2000, Cliff Tennant, Commander; Mike Edgar, Adjutant
2001, Win Smith, Commander; Jim Arnett, Adjutant
2002, Win Smith, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
2003, Lee Duvall, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
2004, Lee Duvall, Commander; Ken Temples, Adjutant
2005, Ken Temples, Commander; Lee Duvall, Adjutant
2006, Ken Temples, Commander; Lee Duvall, Adjutant
2007, Ken Temples, Commander; Bob Ritter, Adjutant
2008, Ken Temples, Commander; Bob Ritter, Adjutant
2009, Ken Temples, Commander; Dale Roberts, Adjutant
2010, Ken Temples, Commander; Bob Ritter, Adjutant
2011, Lee Duvall, Commander; Dale Roberts/ Kevin Rorer, Adjutant
2012, Lee Duvall, Commander, Kevin Rorer, Adjutant
2013- 2020 Blake Moore, Commander, Rodney Osborne, Adjutant
2021-2022 Ken Temples, Commander, Danny Brown, Adjutant
2023-2024 Blake Moore, Commander, Danny Brown, Adjutant
History of the General Joe Wheeler Camp Flag
Reprinted by the Selma Daily Reporter,.
General Wheeler's Cavalry. -- We have before us a flag of a new and beautiful device, made by some ladies of Mobile for the battle flag of General Wheeler's cavalry, attached to the army of the Mississippi. It is cut in the shape of a swallow's tail, one-half blue, the other yellow, with a bar of white cutting it diagonally and displaying eleven blue stars. The whole is bound with red. The flag goes to Murfreesboro in a day or two in charge of one of General Wheeler's aids, and will soon be given to the "battle and the breeze" -- for it is a part of the daily business of Wheeler's cavalry to fight the enemy. Justice has not been done by the press to this gallant cavalry officer, and we feel in part guilty of the charge. We are promised the means of repairing the neglect in a few days, in some notes on his brilliant career, of a part of which we were witness. During the Kentucky expedition General Wheeler fought the enemy in thirty engagements. He hovered on the rear of the Confederate army, and never allowed the enemy to get within fifteen miles of it. Again and again did the marching columns of that army hear the boom of Wheeler's guns giving battle to the enemy in the rear, and effectual checking his advance. With Wheeler to cover the march the army journeyed as confidently secure as if it had been on parade.
Mobile Advertiser
General Wheeler's Cavalry. -- We have before us a flag of a new and beautiful device, made by some ladies of Mobile for the battle flag of General Wheeler's cavalry, attached to the army of the Mississippi. It is cut in the shape of a swallow's tail, one-half blue, the other yellow, with a bar of white cutting it diagonally and displaying eleven blue stars. The whole is bound with red. The flag goes to Murfreesboro in a day or two in charge of one of General Wheeler's aids, and will soon be given to the "battle and the breeze" -- for it is a part of the daily business of Wheeler's cavalry to fight the enemy. Justice has not been done by the press to this gallant cavalry officer, and we feel in part guilty of the charge. We are promised the means of repairing the neglect in a few days, in some notes on his brilliant career, of a part of which we were witness. During the Kentucky expedition General Wheeler fought the enemy in thirty engagements. He hovered on the rear of the Confederate army, and never allowed the enemy to get within fifteen miles of it. Again and again did the marching columns of that army hear the boom of Wheeler's guns giving battle to the enemy in the rear, and effectual checking his advance. With Wheeler to cover the march the army journeyed as confidently secure as if it had been on parade.
Mobile Advertiser