Existing comment:
N. B. Forrest Camp 215 Sons of Confederate Veterans
On June 28, 1900, a group of over 100 sons and grandsons of Confederate veterans met in Memphis to organize a local chapter, or "camp" of the United Sons of Confederate Veterans, later known as the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). Following active debate, the camp was named for Confederate cavalry general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-77), a Memphian. On March 27, 1901, a charter was issued, thus making N.B. Forrest Camp 215 the first SCV camp in Memphis. It had 537 members by the time of the national reunion in Memphis later that year of 15,000 Confederate Veterans, welcomed the camp commander Episcopal Bishop Thomas F. Gailor. As part of the festivities, 12,000 people attended the Confederate Ball hosted by the Forrest Camp in a wooden structure erected for that purpose on a site including present day Confederate Park. The camp also organized the United Confederate Veterans (UCV) national reunions in Memphis in 1909 and 1924, and hosted SCV national conventions, or "reunions," here in 1959, 1976 and 2002. |