Military marker dedication held in Anderson County
BY KEN MCCLURE

Sons of Confederate Veterans Cross of Saint Andrew camp #2009 of Cherokee County held a double military marker dedication ceremony Sunday, May 4, in Anderson County at the historic Old Pilgrim Cemetery in the Elkhart area.

Assisting them were their Southern Belles, members of the Johnson- Nettles SCV camp #1012 and the Jefferson Davis- John Reagan chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

The event was a combined effort with the Second Texas Frontier SCV camp # 1904 of Comanche County, whose Commander Thomas Harrison, is originally from the Elkhart area and has many ancestors that served buried in Anderson County.

The ceremony was for Pvt. Russell Goodson who served in Company A, 36th Mississippi infantry who moved to Texas after the war and for Sgt. John Parker who served in Company G, 1st Texas infantry of Hood's brigade.

There were more than 200 descendants of both of these soldiers in attendance to pay tribute to their service in the Southern army from 1861-1865.

The ceremony included an opening prayer, a tribute to Southerners, the salute to the Confederate flag and life histories were read on both men which also included their military service as well.

Rifle volleys were fired in honor of each soldier and the ladies of the Belles, UDC and many descendants laid flowers on their new markers as a final tribute to their service. The UDC President, Dolly Jeffus then read a roll call of all 22 CSA veterans at Old Pilgrim which included her great grandad, Col. A.T. Rainey of Hood's brigade, who is the highest ranking Confederate officer buried in Anderson County.

The roll call was answered by the troops in the rifle squad and Commander Harrison fired a cannon salute in their honor.

The ceremony concluded with the singing Dixie.