Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-03
Redjackets From
Memphis Are Here
Unique Organization Devoted to
Perpctuating Glory Of the
Confederate Cause.

Those young rcdiackets from Mem
phis," the veterans and reunion visitors
! call them. y. c. NJ" in gold en-
broidercd letters on the collar OF each
coat signifies Junior Confederate Me-
mortal. That's the official title of the
! organization. The young fellows from
! Memphis. most OF them mere boys, have
attracted much attention since their
arrival last Monday.
Officers of some of the camps, OBJ
serving that the u. G. NJ" organiza-
ton did not figure specifically in any
of the ceremonies. but seemed to he
participating in everything. first cvipced
some curiosity to know just where the
sprucc-loolAng band of youngsters
fitted into the reunion. When they
learned the identity of the ''redjackets
from Memphis from other veterans
who have attended many reunions, their
/ curiosity turned to admiration. They
were informed that the body OF nifty
youths was one Of the most unique in
! evidence at every reunion of the United
Confederate Veterans held in the last
! nine years. Their personnel is indi-
! vidually and collectively interesting.
! representing the oldest families Of
| Memphis.
/ Charles y. Deatherage. a young law
| yer. speaking for the party. said:
! Our full membership is forty. There
! are twenty-five OF us on the reunion
/ jaunt this year. The Junior Confed :
crate Memorial is n social and patriotic
/ organization. Each member has been
! elected by the fun vote of the orEaniza-
| ton. We admit no one who is not ac-
ceptahle 10 all.
I'VE are really a social club. but
: operating chiefly for the patriotic pur-
! pose Of perpetuatinE the glory of the
| Confederate cause and keeping green
the memory of the Confederate soldiers
| OF Tennessee who gave their lives to
| the cause.
I'VE arc an independent organization
affiliated with no Confederate organiza-
4 ton. The one public demonstration we
| make each year is when we turn out
10 attend the annual reunion OF the
| United Confederate Veterans. Each
member pays his own railroad fare and
| personal expenses. We usually carry
our own band corps Of musicians
! drawn from our membership, but this
/ year only four Of the instrumcntalists
| found il convenient to make the trip.
The organization was originally a
body of boys, ranging in age from
! twelve to sixteen years Many of the
| original members are still with us
| The range of ages now is from cigh :
! teen tn twcnty-four years The boys
were organized ten years ago by Mrs
| Virginia FrayScr Boyle, the Southern
! poet. who entertained them in her home
| in Memphis She was the guide phil
! osopher and friend OF the boys, and
| she made the organization a very eX-
! elusive one. AS may be surmised from
the method OF admittancc. the club is
7 still exclusive.
1 1T was Mrs. Roylc's suggestion that
. we should spend our summer vacation
| each year at the Confederate reunion
| Acting upon that suggestion we made
our first trip to Richmond in 1907 and
! have attended every reunion since tina,
| year.
| The uniform we wear. which seems
| to excite curiosity wherever we go
was assigned by our patroncss, Mrs
! Boyle. So many Of the members have
| grown out of their teens. gradually
dropping from the roster and leavinc
vacancies that are supplied only with
much difficulty because of the require
mcnts of our constitution, that there is
Il good deal OF talk about disbandine
the organization when we return home
from this trip. This may be the las,
time the j. c. NJ will march in a Con
tcdcrate Reunion parade"
The Junior Confederate Memorial has
hit TWO officers. captain and a drum
MAJOR. The captain is w T. Vain.
wright and the drum maio is Robert
Nesbit, who belong to two of the oldss,
families of Tennessee.