Break-up of Sons of Confederate Veterans Begins

Moderate members are beginning to leave the SCV in large numbers as they realize that League of the South-oriented radicals now control the organization. While other history/heritage organizations have already been formed in Texas (Descendants of Confederate Veterans) and Tennessee (Sons of the Confederacy), the most significant SCV-alternative will likely be the MOS&B-backed United Sons of Confederate Veterans (USCV).

This newest organization is a direct result of the Sweeney administration’s purge of MOS&B moderates at the special convention in Concord, North Carolina, and the nearly complete domination by radicals of the Nashville Reunion in July. Rather than mounting a "forlorn hope" resistance at Nashville, the few moderates who attended the reunion used the occasion to solidify their plans to leave the SCV.

At Nashville, the moderate-led Oklahoma SCV Division survived a break-up attempt by the national organization, but saw the handwriting on the wall when a special investigator was appointed by CIC Sweeney. The 2003-2004 North Carolina experience likely taught Oklahoma compatriots that "special investigator" means that a purge is coming. It is also likely that a majority of the Oklahoma SCVers will join the new USCV-based organization. Applications are already being accepted in that state.

The break-up of the Florida SCV is generating a more conspicuous conflict. When the executive boards of several camps held meetings to discuss whether to stay in the SCV or to leave, word of the meetings was passed to CIC Sweeney. John ("the pornographer") Adams, the Florida Division’s Adjutant, sent a letter firing the majority of the executive board of the Kirby Smith Camp, Florida’s largest camp and one of the largest in the SCV. The Sweeney administration has threatened at least three other camps with additional firings, seizure of camp assets, civil suits, and criminal charges if they try to leave the SCV. One Florida brigade commander resigned after the board member firings. The rapid-purge response developed by PCIC Ron Wilson to crush North Carolina’s Save the SCV movement is now being applied in Florida by Sweeney

While a majority of the Kirby Smith Camp’s leadership supported leaving the SCV, the vote was by no means unanimous. Reports indicate that several board members wanted to "give it another year" in order to see if the Wilson, Sweeney progression of neo-secessionist CIC’s can be broken at the next election. It is likely that many Florida SCVers will take a wait-and-see approach. Most observers feel that as much as one third of the Florida SCV membership will either leave the organization between now and year’s end or will not renew their dues in 2006. They also see dues renewals for 2007 taking a significant hit when yet another radical is installed as CIC in 2006. The "give it another year" folks will finally realize that the SCV they knew is gone. The LoS-backed Lyons/Wilson/Sweeney faction has come too far and worked too hard to let the 2006 election undo what they have done.
 

An SCV member wrote to CIC Sweeney, voiced objections to the Lyons-Wilson-Sweeney radical direction of the SCV, and resigned. Sweeney’s answer, reproduced below, is an excellent example of how the "new SCV" regards those who support Confederate heritage, but won’t tow the radical line. Also, Sweeney couldn’t pass-up a chance to bash the MOS&B and the Descendants of Confederate Veterans (DCV). Here is Sweeney’s response:

The resigning SCVer has never has been a member of the MOS&B and doesn’t know why Sweeney took this opportunity to trash that group.

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