Sunday, April 26, 2015

Cold Harbor !





June 1st 1864

Seems my Great Grandfather was digging up cannon balls during the battle of June 1st

I'm lucky to be here !

Friday, April 24, 2015

Plumb House Ceremony !

One of the cool things about Face Book is it allows us to contact and interact with like minded folks.

One of my F/B friends Donald Caul was at a Ceremony in Waynesboro, Virginia.

His F/B post has great pictures of the event.

He writes of the event ~

"Good afternoon, Folks. I just wanted to thank the wonderful young ladies with Mrs. Angela Loan's Waynesboro High School Heritage Club for helping celebrate Confederate History Month by helping to replace the worn ANV Banners, and placing some beautiful "Remembrance Coins" conceived and made by David Tatum Jr, at each of Our Brave Southern soldiers graves today at the Old Presbyterian Cemetery here in Waynesboro, Virginia. It gratifies me that these lovely young ladies are so active, and eager to participate in the preservation of Our history."








You can find out more about Plumb House HERE.

It's refreshing to know some teachers are helping inspire young folks to
 "Remember and Honor"
our Confederate ancestors.

My personal thanks go out to  Mrs. Angela Loan and the Waynesboro High School Heritage Club
for using my "REMEMBER" coins as a part of their ceremony.
 I hope the coin placements will continue.
I'm still making them, and I'm improving the quality of the coins.


If you would like to obtain some "REMEMBER" coins to place at the Grave of a Confederate Soldier
contact me @ Davtatum@aol.com.

I don't make a profit, and sometimes I lose a bit, but it's worth it.

Thanks Donald.


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Without Firing a Shot !

Today on my way into town I stopped by Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suffolk VA.


You can read more HERE

I decided to practice what I preach.
 I've been making "Remember" coins to be left at the graves of Confederate Soldiers.


I decided to place a few today.

My First stop was at The Tom Smith Monument.



Tom Smith is the name of the local SCV Camp.
More on Tom Smith HERE

I left a coin at the base of the monument.

I also left one at his grave.

It's not hard to find a Confederate Grave at Cedar Hill so I stopped and placed a few more.





No Honor Guard, or Cannon fire, No ceremony at all.

Just a grateful descendant of a Confederate Soldier who stopped by to say Thanks !  

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Galatians 6:7



Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,---


--- that shall he also reap.



Monday, April 13, 2015

Making the "Remember Coins"


I've gotten a good response on Face Book to my Remember Coins !


I make em to leave at the graves of Confederate Soldiers.





I also use em on The Honor Ribbons I make.


This is the coin, my good friend Wayne Rowe gave it to me some time ago.

It's a Challenge coin !

It is a copy of the shields on the sides of the monument in
Richmond VA. to the Richmond Howitzers.



A lot of folks want some, so I'm letting y'all know how I make em !

I start off with --

I use this cause it won't decay !

I make a mold, making a good mold is the key ! 

Them I make up a ball of the same putty, coat the mold with Olive Oil
and press it into the mold.


Even with the oil they tend to stick, so I gotta watch em and get em out when the time is right !


After they dry and harden I paint em !


So That's how I do it !

I sell them at cost I don't make a profit off them !

The latest batch !



GADZOOKS !
I FOUND A BETTER WAY TO MAKE EM !

I'm always trying to improve the quality of the coins.

I've found a better way.

This test coin is a bit out of round but the small lettering is easy to read.
That was a problem with the old way I made em, hard to read the small words.

I've changed to an oven baked clay -


And I use a STAMP instead of a mold.


I stamp the clay and put the coins in the oven.


They come out easy to read and are a lot stronger, much harder than with air-dry clay.
And with better detail than epoxy !

Then I paint em, and they are good to go !

Yeeeee Haw !










Thursday, April 9, 2015

Stronger than Death !



Every now and then I hear something that sticks with me.

I was watching an old T.V. show on You-Tube

One Step Beyond - The Executioner



It's a story about a dog that saves the life of a Confederate Soldier, his owner.


The closing line of the show is ---" Loyalty is stronger than death."

That is what stuck with me,  

Unlike the Yankees, Confederate soldiers were fighting to save their homes from an invading army. Fighting with Honor, and Loyalty.

That same sense of Honor and Loyalty could not be stopped by the Soldiers death.

No, it has been passed down from generation to generation.

That is why ( in answer to many Blogs ) the War Between the States still has such interest
150+ years after it was over.

The HONOR, LOYALTY & COURAGE, of our Confederate ancestors will never die.






Monday, April 6, 2015

Slavery was Embedded in Southern Economics !

One of the things I touched on in my talk with my Granddaughter was the fact that her 
GGGGG Grandfather was a Slave Trader.

It's kind of a tough subject for an 8 year old to grasp.
But I insist that my Grand Kids know the whole truth.

Josiah Tatum was a Slave Trader.

I posted his Will before, you can see it HERE !

How do you explain to an 8 year old that her ancestor was a Slave Dealer ?

I guess the best way is with the truth !

Southern Economics had strong ties to Slavery.

From the book


I have found an interesting note --



So Josiah Tatum was one of the other means of assurance that a crop could be harvested.

If you did not own slaves, you could rent them.

That's what Josiah did, a copy of one of his contracts is here --


I've already spoke with my Granddaughter about it !

I think she is gonna have to be a bit older to understand the whole thing.

I'm not going to hide her Heritage from her, I'm going to present it to her when she is older.

It's a tough subject, but one that needs to be explained !

Sometimes Grand Dad's job ain't so easy ! 

April is Confederate History and Heritage Month !





I spent a while Easter Sunday at my Daughters house, my Granddaughter showed me her report on Black History month, she did a wonderful job, I'm proud of her.
I had to expand on one part of it, The Under Ground Rail Road - I had to explain to her that it went all the way to Canada, not only because of the Fugitive Slave Act, but because states in the North passed laws that forbid Blacks from living there.
We need to take time to teach our children the whole truth !

I went through my Blogs photos, and picked out a few of my favorites !

They represent my feelings !