Confederate Memorial Day motorcade visits Okeechobee County

Union and Confederate soldiers honored

Posted 4/10/23

Early Saturday morning, the Sons of Confederate Veterans rendezvoused for a motorcade to Okeechobee County ...

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Confederate Memorial Day motorcade visits Okeechobee County

Union and Confederate soldiers honored

Posted

OKEECHOBEE — Early Saturday morning, the Sons of Confederate Veterans rendezvoused for a motorcade to Okeechobee County in honor of those who served and died in the Civil War.  The men who participated are members of the 12th Brigade Private George W. Thomas Camp 1595 in Fort Pierce. They were accompanied by women from the Order of Confederate Rose Laura Radcliffe Chapter 19 Ladies Auxiliary.  In addition, they had the Doctor Tim Campaign Sons of Union Veterans Commander of the Division of Florida with them as well.

"We met up at a little known Scottish restaurant along the rails," said  Commander Jim O'Dell. "Old MacDonald's fine cuisine. We provisioned and began our trek north along the old railroad beds, now known as U.S. 441.

On what they call a "Sojourn of Remembrance", the group continued northward toward Evergreen Cemetery before then making their way to Fort Drum Cemetary and then to Bassinger Cemetery. At each stopping place, they visited some of the famous names that contributed to making Okeechobee what it is today.

William Raulerson, Joel Swain, and Matthew Hill were just a few of the Confederate soldiers who answered the call from the governor to defend states' rights and the way of life for the South. 

O'Dell explains they fought to defend against the blockading of their seaports and taxation via the Morrill Tariff which called for taxation of imports. 

"Americans from many walks of life pulled together to answer that call," said O'Dell. "Our ancestors, brothers, fathers, families against families. 11,000 Men and boys leaving our young state. 4265 of them did not return, but others returned to build our state."

Each year, the Sons of Confederate Soldiers gathers to recognize and those who served their state and to remember the day Congress decreed that soldiers from both Union and Confederacy were American veterans. 

Over the next few weeks, the group will visits cemetaries in other counties.

Sons of Confederate Veterans

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