On Saturday, May 14, 2005 Camp 1826 members commemorated the site dedication of Old Fort Fillmore located in Mesilla, NM -- to view images -- click here.
The citizen-soldiers who fought for the Confederacy personified the best qualities of America. The preservation of liberty and freedom was the motivating factor in the South's decision to fight the second American Revolution. The tenacity with which Confederate soldiers, seaman, and marines fought underscored their belief in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. These attributes are the underpinning of our democratic society and represent the foundation on which this nation was built. Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is preserving the history and legacy of these heroes, so future generations can understand the motives that animated the Southern Cause. Membership in the SCV is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces.
The SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state, and national levels which offer members a wide range of activities. Preservation work, marking Confederate soldier's graves, historical re-enactments, scholarly publications, and regular meetings to discuss the military and political history of the War Between the States are only a few of the activities sponsored by local camps.
SCV Camp 1826 is named to honor the Confederate Army of NM that consisted of elements of the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles and the 4th, 5th, & 7th Texas Mounted Volunteers that invaded the-then New Mexico and Arizona Territories during 1861-62 in an attempt to expand the Confederacy to the Pacific and to influence the northern states of the Republic of Mexico to provide Confederate access to Mexican Pacific sea ports. The campaign failed and accordingly Confederate western influence retreated to far west Texas and remained there from about April 1862 to the end of the War. The Federals did attempt to invade Texas from the west in 1864 -- but failed -- to learn more about this failed attempt -- click here. To learn more regarding the War Between the States in New Mexico -- click here. An excellent web site regarding the history of the Confederate Territory of Arizona is the Colonel Sherod Hunter SCV Camp 1525 located in Phoenix, AZ. To learn about the political and economic factors influencing the creation of Confederate Arizona -- click here.
Camp 1826 is one of many SCV camps distributed throughout the USA and is one of several camps located in New Mexico -- the others being General William R. Scurry, Camp 1385, Major John Shropshire, Camp 2033, & Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley, Camp 2075 located in Albuquerque, NM; Captain James Walker, Camp 3002 located in the Alamogordo, NM area; and Henry Ward Harris, Camp 2037 located in Hobbs, NM area. The frame on your left provides links to some SCV camps located in west TX, NM, & AZ as well as to the SCV National HQ, Museum of the Confederacy and some Confederate reenacting units, etc.
All Camp 1826 members are invited to forward to Pappy information regarding your Confederate ancestor and he will post it on the web for all to see -- to access info of NM SCV member's ancestors -- click here.
NM SCV Camp 1826 commemorates Confederate Memorial Day on April 23, 2006 at the Shakespeare, NM cemetery. A salute is fired for Capt S. R. Dunagan, CoG, 4th AL Cavalry (left image) and Cpl Eli Wright (right image)
NM SCV Division Commander, Jim Red (right), watches as John Pittsenbargar (left) presents Camp 1826 flag to Steven Grizzell (middle), Camp 1826 commander. The flag was presented as part of the 2006 annual NM SCV Division meeting in Socorro, NM and was hand-made by John Pittsenbargar, NM SCV Division adjutant, and a member of NM SCV Camp 1826.
A major project
of the NM SCV Division, NM SCV Camps 1826, 1385, 2033, 2037, 2075, 3002 and Texas SCV Camp 1441 is to build a database of gravesites of Confederate
military veterans buried in New Mexico & west Texas. If you have
information of such a gravesite, please complete this form.
To view a table of Confederate soldiers killed/died during Sibley's
NM campaign click here. To view a table of Confederate soldiers buried in New
Mexico or west Texas after the end of the War Between the States click here.
SCV Camp 1826 partners with Company C, 4th Texas Volunteers and the Friends of Fort Selden to reenact New Mexico Civil War history. Many members of Camp 1826 participated in a Civil War event at Mesilla, NM on Nov 16, 2002. This event was a reenactment of the creation of the Confederate Territory of AZ proclaimed by Lt Col Baylor, CO of the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, on Aug 2, 1861 -- click here to view some images.
On Sunday, November 17, 2002 Camp 1826 with support from the NM SCV Division dedicated a grave marker at the Fort Fillmore cemetery -- click here to view images. Jim Red and John Pittsenbargar unveiled the NM SCV Division flag at the Fort Fillmore cemetery -- it was designed and hand-made by John -- click here to view the flag. John makes custom, hand-made flags -- click on the following logo to visit his sutlery.
Any male descendent, living in the Alamogordo -- Las Cruces, NM area, of a Confederate military veteran who served honorably and who wishes to become a member of SCV Camp 1826, please e-mail John Pittsenbargar. Annual membership fee is $20 plus a one-time registration fee of $5. Annual membership includes a subscription to bi-monthly Confederate Veteran. To research your ancestor's Confederate military service -- click here -- its a free service from the National Park Service. If you cannot establish yourself as a descendent of a Confederate military veteran -- associate membership is available with an annual fee of $20 which includes a subscription to bi-monthly Confederate Veteran.
Constructive comments regarding this website
are invited -- please e-mail webmaster.
