Week 45: Rebuilding a Pro-Confederate South

Meanwhile, also in the first part of the 20th century, overlapping consolidation of schools in Shenandoah County, VA, the UDC or United Daughters of the Confederacy was working to promote the education of the Lost Cause narrative throughout the Southern states, throughout Virginia, and even in our own county. We've already seen the UDC's influence in Mt Jackson, with the erection of a Confederate memorial in 1903 (see Week 43: Where's the 'Common Sense Consideration'?) that was supposed to promote "brave men of both armies ... reunited in one great American brotherhood, one citizenship, ... in the pursuits of peace and the promotion of the welfare of our reunited country" (Our Church Paper, Vol. 23, No. 20, 15 May 1895, published in New Market, Va, p.4), but really only promoted the Confederate perspective. The 2017 Vox-created, TEDEd talk, How Southern socialites rewrote Civil War history, shares the truth of UDC's work in perpetuating the Lost Cause narrative in a much more concise way than I can - and includes the following quote by Dr. Karen Cox, author of Dixie's Daughters, who said, "Monuments are the least of what they did... they are the most visible and tangible, but their work with children was far more influential."

The Confederate statue in Mt. Jackson wasn't the first pro-Confederacy monument in Shenandoah County. A memorial service led by the Stover Camp Chapter UDC on May 24, 1963 included "the dedication of the plaques to the unknown soldiers and the 120 known veterans buried in the Lutheran, Riverview and Presbyterian Cemeteries and the Old Graveyard... the monument where the unknown soldiers were buried was erected in 1896 by Stover Camp No. 20, Confederate Veterans, at a cost of $675. Standing 20 ft. high and six-foot at the base, the monument was unveiled on Sept. 20, 1896." At the 1963 event, "the Strasburg High School Band played 'Faith of Our Fathers.' The UDC, the 11 girls that represented the Confederate States, the Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, participated in the strewing of the flowers at the monument." In addition, the pastor of the Methodist Church spoke, saying: "if people today had the courage the Confederate soldiers and the South had during the trying times of the War Between the States, there would be no fear of Communism today. For soldiers to go back to their homes and farms... took more courage than to die on the battle field. Victory came in the re-building of the South" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 78, No. 124, 27 May 1963, p. 1-2).

Rebuilding a pro-Confederate South is exactly what the UDC was doing. The Texas State Historical Association defines the UDC as "a women's heritage organization best known for honoring Confederate veterans of the Civil War, memorializing the Confederacy, and promoting the 'Lost Cause' interpretation of southern history, which positions Old South slavery as a benevolent institution, Confederate soldiers as heroic defenders of states' rights, and Reconstruction as a period of northern aggression, through its monuments and educational campaigns" (United Daughters of the Confederacy, 2023). These key concepts of education and patriotism via remembrance are observable through local newspaper articles. For example, the Manassas Journal shares an article on "Children of the Confederacy Prizes" for 1935, which were issued in connection with the "State and National Convention." Each year, the Virginia Division of the UDC, which was organized in 1894, offered prizes to high school students throughout the state for writing essays based on various pro-Confederate themes. Prizes mentioned in the Manassas article were awarded for impacts in the community by local chapters, including: "to the chapter director who places in school libraries the largest number of books on Confederate history, to be used as supplemental reading," "to the division director chartering the largest number of Children's chapters," and also for written essays, on themes such as "The Right of Secession" (Manassas Journal, Vol. 66, No. 43, 7 March 1935, p.7). 

There appear to have been four local chapters of the UDC in Shenandoah County during the first half of the 20th century. Ironically or intentionally, these were located in the same towns where African American primary schools were located: Strasburg, Woodstock, Mt. Jackson, and New Market. The Stover Camp Chapter of the UDC, which was located in Strasburg, VA and most likely the oldest chapter in the county, was widely active in the community according to an October 7, 1915 issue of the Strasburg News along with an appeal: "It is hoped that this committee will be enthusiastically supported by the various communities in which they may work" (Strasburg News, Vol 33, No. 36, 7 October 1915, p.1). By 1964, which coincided with the signing of "the Civil Rights pledge for Shenandoah County" by the School Board (Shenandoah County School Board minutes, 11 January 1964), the UDC no longer appeared in local newspapers. However, prior to its last mention, there appeared to be two particularly active chapters in Shenandoah County: one in Strasburg and one in Mt. Jackson - both locations where Confederate monuments were raised over burials of soldiers - some of whom were identified as Confederate soldiers and others, unidentifiable, which means they may not have been Confederate soldiers. If these graves truly honor the "brave men of both armies ... reunited in one great American brotherhood, one citizenship, ... in the pursuits of peace and the promotion of the welfare of our reunited country" (Our Church Paper, Vol. 23, No. 20, 15 May 1895, published in New Market, Va, p.4), then why does it have to be done only from the perspective of the Confederacy?

Dr. Eakin in Twelve Years a Slave, the 1853 autobiography of free African American Solomon Northup who was kidnapped and sold into slavery through the Reverse Underground Railroad in 1841, shares the impact of education by example on children: "The effect of these exhibitions of brutality on the household of the slave-holder, is apparent. Epps' oldest son is an intelligent lad of ten or twelve years of age. It is pitiable, sometimes, to see him chastising, for instance, the venerable Uncle Abram. He will call the old man to account, and if in his childish judgment it is necessary, sentence him to a certain number of lashes, which he proceeds to inflict with much gravity and deliberation. Mounted on his pony, he often rides into the field with his whip, playing the overseer, greatly to his father's delight. Without discrimination, at such times, he applies the rawhide, urging the slaves forward with shouts, and occasional expressions of profanity, while the old man laughs, and commends him as a thorough-going boy. 
     "'The child is father to the man,' and with such training, whatever may be his natural disposition, it cannot well be otherwise than that, on arriving at maturity, the sufferings and miseries of the slave will be looked upon with entire indifference. The influence of the iniquitous system necessarily fosters an unfeeling and cruel spirit, even in the bosoms of those who, among their equals, are regarded as humane and generous.
     "Young Master Epps possessed some noble qualities, yet no process of reasoning could lead him to comprehend, that in the eye of the Almighty there is no distinction of color. He looked upon the black man simply as an animal, differing in no respect from any other animal, save in the gift of speech and the possession of somewhat higher instincts, and, therefore, the more valuable. To work like his father's mules - to be whipped and kicked and scourged through life - to address the white man with hat in hand, and eyes bent servilely on the earth, in his mind, was the natural and proper destiny of the slave. Brought up with such ideas in the notion that we stand without the pale of humanity - no wonder the oppressors of my people are a pitiless and unrelenting race" (Eakin, Twelve Years a Slave, 2013:155-156).

Education, according to Miriam-Webster, is "knowledge, skill, and development gained from study or practice." And to educate is "to train by formal instruction and supervised practice; to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction; to persuade or condition to feel, believe, or act in a desired way." The Encyclopedia Britannica states in its entry on the United Daughters of the Confederacy: "The UDC played a central role in spreading and perpetuating the Lost Cause interpretation of the American Civil War, which downplays or dismisses slavery as a cause of the war and instead emphasizes states' rights as the reason for secession and which has been used to serve the goals of white supremacists. The UDC was instrumental in ensuring that the characterization of the war in textbooks conformed to the Lost Cause narrative." (Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "United Daughters of the Confederacy". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Daughters-of-the-Confederacy. Accessed 13 September 2023). 

One of the foundational principles of the UDC was education, especially of pro-Confederate sentiments and in the honoring of Confederate soldiers as godlike heroes. An example of the 1904 catechism that the U.D.C. dispersed to children includes some of the following excerpted sentiments:

"[1] What causes led to the war between the States, from 1861 to 1865? 
The disregard, on the part of States of the North, for the rights of the Southern or slave-holding States.

"[2] How was this shown? 
By the passage of laws in the Northern States annulling the rights of the people of the South - rights that were given to them by the Constitution of the United States.

"[3] What were these rights?
The rights to regulate their own affairs and to hold slaves as property.

[12] Did the people of the South believe that slavery was right?
No, not as a principle; and the colonies of Virginia and Georgia had strongly opposed its first introduction, but after the Constitution of the United States had recognized the slaves as property, and the wealth of the South was largely invested in negroes, they did not feel it was just to submit to wholesale robbery.

[26] What was the first step taken by the seceded States?
They proceeded to organize a government, by uniting themselves under the name of the Confederate States of America, and adopted a Constitution for their guidance.

[56] Was the Confederate army defeated?
No; it was overpowered by numbers, and its resources exhausted.

[63] What other purpose have the Daughters of the Confederacy?
To teach their children from generation to generation that there was no stain upon the action of their forefathers in the war between the States..." (U.D.C. Catechism for Children, Encyclopedia Virginia, 1904).

An important note about this catechism: as mentioned in Week 2: Confederate Congress, the Constitution for the Confederate States of America provided for slavery in its constitution; however, America's founding fathers left slavery out of the US Constitution. More specifically, if you were to create a word cloud of the 100 most frequently used words (outside of articles, prepositions, adverbs, linking verbs, and similar parts of speech) of the 1861 Confederate Constitution, it would reveal 167 usages of the word "states," 35 uses of "slavery" or "property," and less than 4 of "free," "independent," or "sovereign." The 1789 Constitution of the United States of America, on the other hand, contains 129 instances of "states" and no mention of "slavery," "freedom," "independence," or "sovereignty." In fact 25% of the most commonly used words in the United States Constitution - "united/union," "equal," "affirmation," "amendments," "ambassadors," "meeting," "ministers," "proceedings," and "trust" - are not mentioned at all in the Confederate Constitution. Similarly, words that are part of the Confederate Constitution that are completely missing from the United States Constitution include: "confederate/confederacy," "appropriation," "departments," "slaves," "territory," "property," "compensation," and "revenue." This all implies that one of the greatest differences between the US Constitution and the Confederate Constitution boils down to slavery and property rights. If we go back farther and create a word cloud for the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union from 1777, "states" is mentioned 142 times and "land," 4 times; there is no mention of "slavery" at all. You also don't find "peace," "faith," or "welfare."

Following the American Civil War, men who fought against the country in which they were born, were offered a second chance, re-established as citizens, and given welfare in the form of pensions. In addition to Confederate soldiers, the widows of Confederate soldiers also received pensions from the U.S. government. A pension notice in a local 1900s newspaper states: "All Confederate Veterans and widows of Confederate Veterans who wish to apply for pensions, whether they have or have not received blanks or applications, should appear personally before the Pension Board of Shenandoah County, in the County Clerk's office, Woodstock... be certain to take with you the evidence to establish your right to a pension" (Edinburg Sentinel and Valley Advertiser, Volume 7, Number 34, 7 June 1900 p. 3). Keep in mind this is after the dissolution of the Freedmen's Bureau, which was the only source of aid to recently freed African Americans after the American Civil War. Confederate soldiers, who had fought against the United States of America, and the widows of Confederate soldiers were receiving funds from the government throughout their lifetimes, not just for a couple of years. True patriotism would recognize the benevolence of this action, as well as the general clemency directed toward former Confederates, on the part of the United States. Instead, the patriotism promoted by the UDC was more toward the CSA, than to the USA. 

Shenandoah County's local chapters of the UDC met monthly, promoting historical scholarship, camaraderie, and community outreach, all with a focus on preserving and honoring the legacy of the Confederacy. The key to all of this was in passing educational information and including children in the rituals and observances of pro-Confederate celebrations. Just like Epps' son imitating the examples he saw around him, the UDC was encouraging children to continue the pro-Confederate observances they were modeling. Each meeting began with "the UDC ritual and pledge of allegiance to the American and Confederate flags" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 76, No. 301, 23 December 1958, p.5). The following shares a list of only some of the actions these UDC chapters undertook to promote their mission in the community over the course of 60 years:

- The Mt. Jackson UDC appointed a committee "to confer with the local high school faculty and request that a program commemorating the birth of Robt. E. Lee, be presented at chapel exercises on January 19" (Northern Virginia Daily, Volume 54, Number 314, 8 January 1937, p.7). 

- The Shenandoah Chapter of the UDC (located in Woodstock, VA) paid equal attention to private schools, as well, offering "a picture of Generals Lee and Jackson to Massanutten Academy" in January 1939 (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 57, No. 16, 19 January 1939, p. 7). 

- That same month, "the Breckenbridge Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, commemorated the birthdays of Lee and Jackson in the New Market Theatre... with a program by the pupils of New Market graded school and by the High School Glee Clubs. The theatre was filled with capacity and everyone enjoyed the splendid program," which included: an "invocation," an "exercise - Robert E. Lee's Life, third grade pupils," a "Poem - Robert E. Lee - by Fourth Grade pupils," and a benediction (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 57, No. 19, 23 January 1939, p.5). 

- In May 1939, Woodstock hosted the convention for the fourth Virginia district UDC, which gathered approximately 200 attendees. And during the summer of the same year, the Shenandoah Chapter held a "Long, Long Ago Party" that featured relics, attire, "etc., of the period of the War Between the States" and also included as "an enjoyable feature of the evening... the old-time melodies sung by local colored singers" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 57, o. 182, 2 August 1939, p.5). The New Market UDC began a similar tradition of such an old-time event on the third weekend of September beginning in 1938, according to the Vol. 57, No. 220 issue of the Northern Virginia Daily. 

- The first Sunday in June, 1946, marked decoration day in Mt Jackson, as the town's UDC chapter hosted a memorial service at the Confederate Cemetery (see Week 43: Where's the 'Common Sense Consideration'? for more on this cemetery in Mt Jackson) with a note advertised for "all those participating in the parade... to meet back of the Triplett School" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 64, No. 128, 30 May 1946, p.4.). The following year, the Mt Jackson UDC celebrated its 50th anniversary. It had formed in September 1897 and recalled one of its greatest accomplishments: "the dedication of the Confederacy Monument which was unveiled in the Confederate Cemetery north of town June 4, 1903." The article continues: "this was one of the biggest days in the history of Mt. Jackson and many of the present members had participated as children in that parade" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 65, No. 236, 4 October 1947, p. 3). 

- The Stover Camp Chapter UDC in Strasburg voted at their July 1950 meeting to make "equipment of the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Library at the (Strasburg) high school... one of the UDC's main projects for the year" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 68, No. 166, 10 July 1950, p 3). Note this is the high school in Strasburg before the school board's consolidation into three high schools in 1959.

- The following year, Strasburg's UDC held "a program commemorating the birthdays of Lee, Jackson and Maury at the Strasburg High School auditorium" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 69, No. 51, 1 March 1951, p.5). The event included: "salute to the Confederate Flag," music by high school students, and the dedication of a book to the school library. 

- In 1957, the UDC reported that it had met all its goals for the year, including the fact that "Stover Camp Chapter in Strasburg has raised its quota for placing Stonewall Jackson's bust in Virginia's Hall of Fame" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 58, 9 March 1957, p.3). 

- In 1958, "the latest book of Harnett Kane, The Gallant Mrs. Stonewall, was presented... to the librarian of the Strasburg Public school for the school library" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 76, No. 17, 21 January 1958, p. 5). 

- By 1959, the Virginia UDC had 4,831 members, with one of the local chapter's goals as "an increase in membership" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol 77, No. 36, 12 February 1959, p.6). 

- A UDC historian prepared a paper read during the Stover Camp and which stated: "The dispossessed people of the Confederacy displaced a spirit of bravery, courage, faith and hope in spite of what had befallen. They forgot hostilities and looked forward to a new life, rebuilding the Southland, improving their way of living and remembering their Constitutional rights as bequeathed them by their forefathers" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol 77, No 81, 6 April 1959, p.7). 

- In January 1960, the Strasburg UDC shared a program "to an assembly of students from the fourth through the seventh grades at the Strasburg Elementary school" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 19, 23 January 1960, p.6). 

- The Stover Camp Chapter continued their tradition of gifting books to school libraries, as well, in honor of Lee-Jackson-Maury birthdays: "a book, Robert E. Lee, and the Road to Honor, was presented to the Strasburg Elementary School" (Northern Virginia Daily,  Vol. 75, No. 33, 9 February 1960, p.5). 

- In June 1961, during the Civil War Centennial, a memorial service at the Soldier's Cemetery in Mt Jackson drew "hundreds of people from the Valley... and the parade... included children from the Triplett Elementary School carrying flowers, ...members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy of Mt. Jackson and Strasburg... and Cub Scouts... The Stonewall Jackson High School Band played at the Cemetery before and following the program... The children and UDC leaders placed their bouquets around the base of the monument, and small flags beneath the shadow of the monument" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 76, No. 134, 8 June 1961, p.9). It's important to note that the person responsible for naming Stonewall Jackson High School (and later Ashby-Lee Elementary School) was the guest speaker for this occasion.

- And in May 1962, "in memory of the birthday of Jefferson Davis on June 3, the chapter members voted to donate a book to the Strasburg Community Library" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 77, No. 117, 17 May 1962, p.9). "Other books of interest to students and lovers of the history of the Confederacy are to be found on the shelves of the Community Library and the public is invited to make use of these books" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 77, No. 258, 3 November 1962, p.7). 

- In January 1963, the Strasburg UDC decorated "the Community Library windows to honor the birthday of Robert E. Lee," and were "in charge of the student assembly at the Strasburg Elementary School Jan 23, commemorating the birthdays of Lee, Jackson, Maury and Lanier" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 78, No. 4, 5 January 1963, p.5). 

- "A committee of five appeared before the Board to discuss tentative plans for commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the battle of New Market on May 15, 1964. Upon a recommendation... passed by the Board that the bands of the three high schools participate in the commemoration program and that the New Market School auditorium be used for the Blue and Gray Ball. It was further recommended that schools in the county be closed on May 15th in order that all students may attend" (Shenandoah County School Board minutes, 12 August 1963).

While all this was happening in Shenandoah County, Warren County had a flurry of news from the Warren Rifles Chapter of the UDC. The most significant points to mention here are related also to education and memorials. 

Related to remembrance: the December 1958 meeting of the Warren Rifles UDC mentioned the formation of the Sons of Confederate Veterans - it had "43 prominent business and professional men" as members and needed seven more to form an official chapter (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 76, No. 288, 8 December 1958, p.3). By January 1959, the SCV had 65 members, noted as "the largest chapter in the United States" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 77, No. 8, 10 January 1959, p.3). One of the key goals of the SCV is preservation of Confederate heritage, leaning on the key word "vindication" (see Week 15: The First Annual). According to Meriam-Webster, to vindicate means "to free from allegation or blame; to confirm, substantiate, justify; to protect from attack or encroachment, defend; to avenge." The SCV, which is at work even today in Shenandoah County, VA, was not charged with protecting or defending American heritage, but Confederate heritage. Pro-Confederate heritage groups completely ignore American soldiers that fought in the American Civil War and African Americans, for whom their ancestors fought to keep in bondage; and instead opt to privilege their own pro-Confederate ancestors' histories. In addition, the local paper shared a community celebration of the completion of a UDC Museum on Chester Street in Front Royal in 1959. It describes the occasion: "streets will be blocked, banners will be flown, and the days of the Confederacy will live again" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol 74, No 151, 27 June 1959, p.1). 


In terms of education, in September 1958 (around the same time grading for the foundation of Shenandoah County's southern campus high school was started and about three months before that school was named SJHS), Warren County Public Schools was taken over by Virginia Governor Almond to prevent integration there. Their public schools were closed. The Northern Virginia Daily shares: "the UDC membership voted on turning their building over for school purposes several days ago" (Vol. 76, No. 229, 27 September 1958, p.1). The UDC museum was one of five buildings used to educate 780 white students in 1959: "another block and you come to the UDC building. Exhibits have been stored away to make room for the youngsters, but still adorning the walls are pictures of Lee, Jackson, Davis, Mosby" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 77, No. 44, 21 February 1959:3). And it continued to be used as a private school for white students the following school year, while African American students entered Warren County Public Schools. "For the second time in less than a year, a mass meeting of Warren County citizens voted last night for the establishment of a private, segregated high school" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 74, No. 191, 14 August 1959:1). The UDC Museum is one of the buildings mentioned for use as a private white school.

In 1960, essays written by white students attending a new private school for Caucasian children in Warren County focused on "Why I Should Support John S Mosby Academy." The first prize 11th grader wrote: "In September 1958 the Warren County High School was closed by State laws to avoid enforced integration. This was indeed a calamity. But did education stop? It did not. Our parents and other interested citizens got busy and established a private school. Classes were held in church educational buildings, in the Youth Center, and in the new Confederate Museum... In the fall of September 1959 the Warren County High School once again opened its doors INTEGRATED! Again a group of interested parents and friends worked to provide a private school for students who did not wish to attend an integrated high school, but this time under the most difficult conditions. In less than three weeks the citizens rented an attractive building, hired teachers, and raised the money needed to run a school... Thus was born the John Singleton Mosby Academy" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 50, 29 February 1960, p.3). Mosby was a Confederate colonel. The essay continues: "There can be no hope that things will ever again be the same as they were. Integration of the races seems to be here to stay. Those of us who oppose this way of life have no choice but to set up our own school. We do not want our community to be the kind of community that has grown up in many of the larger cities that have accepted integration with the resulting rise in crime, run down neighborhoods, lowered educational standards, hoodlumism, if there is such a word, and lowering of standards of behavior. We believe that if we establish an efficient school where students come because they believe in high standards of achievement, in accepting responsibilities and in the principle of freedom of choice, we can keep our community from being lowered to the level many larger cities have reached and raise it high above the rest."

The winning essay by the 10th grade student states: "There are many worthwhile reasons why I should give my support. One of the main ones is that of what the Academy stands for. This school was established so those who wished to maintain a segregated school could do so... I think it was wonderful when the people of Front Royal took a stand on what they believed was right and helped bring about this school... By supporting John S. Mosby Academy we can all look back into history someday and can proudly say we had a part in making one of the most successful private schools in the South. Through our efforts we will set an example for the rest of the American people. We will have shown them that we stood up for what we thought was right by supporting John S. Mosby Academy" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 50, 29 February 1960, p.3). The ninth grade winning essay: "It has splendid teachers, a few of whom even came out of retirement to help us in our fight against integration. It stands for the right thing; the separation of the Negroes and the whites. These facts should make us even more determined to build a new school and fight integration. Even after we had built the Negroes a nice, modern elementary and high school combined, they followed Oliver Hill and forced us out of our high school. Why couldn't they have been satisfied to go to a nice, modern school? Everyone wondered. It just wasn't right. Just twenty-three Negroes followed Hill, and for the sake of those twenty-three we were out of school for six weeks.... I feel that it is everyone's duty in favor to segregation to support an all-white school. I also feel it my duty as a student and a person in favor of segregation to support the private school... I am deeply grateful to everyone who has made it possible for me to attend a school of my choice" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 50, 29 February 1960, p.3).

And the 8th grade winning essay: "In my opinion the John S. Mosby Academy and any private school for that matter, is a blow against integration. The mixing of white and Negro is almost certain to lower the moral of the whites. The desegregation decision of Mr. Warren is thought to be nothing but out and out treason... It has been proven that Mr. Warren's 'Desegregation Decision' aids and abets the plans the Communist Conspiracy to create tension between Negroes and Whites, to transform the South into a Black Soviet Republic, and to legalize and encourage intermarriage between negroes and whites, and thus mongelize the American White Race" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 50, 29 February 1960, p.3). Mosby was open for an entire decade, not closing its doors until 1969. In 1960, Warren County Public Schools operated two high schools: "Criser Road School with slightly over 100 pupils for negro students, and Warren County High School, with about 415 students, which operated for the first time on an integrated basis. In addition to those students, about 436 are attending the private John S. Mosby Academy, and approximately 100 others are attending public schools in other localities" (Northern Virginia Daily, Vol. 75, No. 82, 6 April 1960, p.8).

Based on these essays and the myriad activities of the UDC, the local chapters of this organization were successful in their educational mission for Shenandoah Valley youth in the first 63 years of the 20th century. In the 21st century, what message do we want to send to our youth today? What community identity do we want to claim? Forcing Confederate heritage and inciting community identity solely around perspectives of Confederate ancestors is not helpful. In the decades to come, on what side of history do we want our names remembered? What do we need to do to truly live out an example that is "reunited in one great American brotherhood, one citizenship, ... in the pursuits of peace and the promotion of the welfare of our reunited country" (Our Church Paper, Vol. 23, No. 20, 15 May 1895, published in New Market, Va, p.4)? And in Shenandoah County, Va, how does that include African Americans; Indigenous, who are the true native populace; and other minority groups that are living here today?