The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-11
Following is the report of Adjt. Gen William B! Mickle for the year 1907: -... Headquarters
United Confederate Veterans,


 ..-. Headquarters
 United Confederate Veterans
 New Orleans, La., May 27, 1908. Gen. stephen D. Lee, General Com
 manding, U. c. V., Columbus, Miss.
 General beg to present for your consideration brief summary of mat ters connected with my office for the past 12 months.
 l have been predicting annually for the past five years that the income from the camps would show a great falling off. but I have been much grat,- fled to find year after year that my prediction remained unfulilled. I re- gret that I now am forced to chronicle decrease for the past year. The re- ceipts from the per capita of camps for 1906 were s4736.35, while for the year 1907 they were $44SS.05 a differ ence of s24s.So. This is not large amount, and I am satisfied that had 1t not been for the financial trouble which swept over the whole country in the latter part of 1907. this decrease in receipts would have been materially lessened, if not wholly wiped out. Dur ing the months of November and De- cember there was practically no money at all received from the camps.
 Unfavorable comment was made on my report of last year that many camps had forfeited their charters and severed their connections with this glorious federation, and 1t was stated with much satisfaction by some having no love for the order that this state oc fairs plainly showed falling off in the affections of the old soldiers for the cause. Such an opinion of the con stancy and devotion on the part of the Confederate soldiers for the principles for which they fought so gallantly is contrary to all reason. If anyone of candid mind will give only a moments consideration to the matter he must see that dmiution in the number of caps as well as a reduction in the membership must be noted each year. IS there can, by no possibility, be any recruits, and that, in the near future there will not be single camp in ex- istence. not a single survivor of the Confederate armies. The old men are rapidly dying out or moving to other sections of the country, often to where tn ere are no Confederates and the once prosperous camp dies because there are no members left to keep i. alive.
 l am proud to say that many camps keep up their organization in the face uf most discouraging surroundings. One camp, way off in the northern section of the Union, sends each year it's 30 cents, with the most cheerful letter saving that there are but three members left, but that they will hold together and live over the days of the glorious past till all have 'crossed over the river to rest under the shade of the trees" No sir; the spirit ,e the sixties lives in the hearts of these old nen and the fires of patriotism burn as they did when they were young soldiers in the armies of the Confederacy, wearing themselves out in gaining victories over forces double and triple them in numbers, well fed and clothed, and far better ermed. To insinuate that any other fesl- ing rules in the breasts of these old sol ders Is a islander that cannot be too eu- phatically denied. Never in the history of fur order has such a percentage of the camp paid their dues, paid them more promptly or with more 7cheerfulness.
 Then, too. new camps are still applying to be admitted into this great benevolent organization, placing themselves in line with their old comrades in arms that they may do what they can to add peace ani comfort to the declining years of those of their fellows in need, or their families. Charters have been issued during the uast year to 22 new camps. dist~ibuttd SIS follows: Georgia G. Alabama ,. Vfr- sina 3, Florida ?. South Carolina 2 North Carolina g. Texas l, West Virginia l. ln- dian Territory 1. Oklahoma l. Nine camps